Manik entered the room, his vision clouded by tears, the sounds around him fading into an indistinct hum. He saw everyone standing around her, their faces full of relief and tears, but it was as if they were miles away. In his eyes, there was only Nandini. Everything else blurred into insignificance. His feet moved independently, taking him step by step toward her as if he were in a trance.

He reached her bedside, and Nandini, whose eyelids fluttered weakly, opened her eyes. She looked at him, her gaze soft yet filled with the same depth of love they had shared for years.

"Manik..." she whispered, her voice fragile and hoarse, barely more than a breath.

Manik's heart clenched at the sound of her voice. He knelt beside her, his face just inches from hers, his hands trembling as he reached for hers. Slowly, painfully, Nandini moved her hand towards his face, cupping his cheek with what little strength she had left. The simple touch broke him.

A single tear slid down his cheek as he rested his face against her hand, not daring to press too hard, afraid he might hurt her. The dam that he had been holding for all these weeks finally shattered. A soft sob escaped his lips, followed by another, and before he knew it, Manik was crying—deep, raw sobs, the kind that came from his soul, the kind that he had buried deep inside all these days.

Nandini's thumb gently brushed over his cheek, trying to soothe him, her fingers weak but warm.

"Shhh... Manik..." she whispered, her voice shaky, though her heart ached at the sight of him so broken. "I’m here... I’m here now..."

But her words only made him cry harder. He buried his face in her hand, his body trembling with emotion. "I... I thought I lost you," he sobbed. "You promised, Nandini... You promised you wouldn't leave me. And then... then you just... you just left me! You scared me... every single day, I thought you weren't going to wake up."

His voice cracked painfully as he let out all the anguish he'd held onto. He was speaking like a child, full of complaints, full of hurt. "You didn’t even fight. I kept waiting, waiting for you to open your eyes. Why didn’t you wake up sooner? I needed you, Nandini. I needed you every second, and you weren’t there."

Manik’s tears soaked her hand, but he didn’t care. He was no longer the composed Manik that everyone saw. He wasn’t the strong, stoic figure that had stayed beside her bed for all those days. He was just a broken man who needed her more than anything.

Nandini, despite her weakness, managed to gather the strength to ruffle his hair softly. She couldn’t bear seeing him like this, and she wanted to take all his pain away. "I’m so sorry, Manik," she whispered, her voice filled with love and guilt. "I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to leave you. I would never leave you. I fought... I fought for you... for us."

He kept shaking his head, his sobs quieter but still full of heartache. "You don’t know how much it hurt," he choked out, his hands clutching hers as if his life depended on it. "You don’t know how scared I was. I... I couldn’t even breathe without you."

Nandini, despite the exhaustion, smiled softly at him. "I’m here now," she whispered, her voice gentle but firm. "I’m here, and I’m not going anywhere. You’re never going to be without me, Manik. I’m right here. Always."

Manik finally looked up at her, his eyes red and swollen from crying. He gazed at her as if he couldn’t quite believe she was real. He reached out, tenderly brushing her hair away from her face. "You’re not allowed to leave me," he said, his voice shaky but filled with determination. "Not ever. You understand?"

"I understand," Nandini whispered, her heart swelling at the sight of him, at the depth of his love. "I’ll never leave you, I promise. I’m yours forever."

Manik's shoulders finally sagged as he let out a deep breath, the tension that had gripped him for so long slowly easing. He rested his forehead against hers, the touch grounding him. His tears had stopped, but the weight of everything still hung in the air.

Behind them, Raj, Neyonika, Mukti, Alya, Dhruv, Cabir, Abhimanyu, and the others watched, their own hearts breaking and mending at the same time. They had never seen Manik like this—so vulnerable, so raw. The sight of him letting go in front of Nandini was both heartbreaking and beautiful.

Vishakha, standing at the back, leaned on Mahir for support, her tears falling silently as she watched the scene unfold. Bela stood beside her, holding her hand tightly, while Soha and Vikrant observed the moment from a distance, their own hearts heavy.

For a long while, Manik and Nandini stayed like that—Manik holding her hand, not daring to let go, Nandini gently stroking his hair. It was as if the world had shrunk down to just the two of them, nothing else matters except that they were together.

"I was so angry at you," Manik murmured after a while, his voice softer but still filled with emotion. "You just left me. How could you do that? How could you leave me here, like this?"

Nandini smiled weakly, her thumb brushing his cheek. "I’m sorry," she whispered again. "But I’m back now. I’m not going anywhere."

"You better not," he said, his voice full of quiet conviction. "Because I can’t do this without you. I can’t."

"You won’t have to," she assured him, her voice steady despite the exhaustion. "We’re in this together, always."

Just as Manik started to calm down, the doctor entered the room, followed by a nurse. The moment was interrupted as they moved closer to check on Nandini.

The doctor smiled kindly at the group, sensing the deep emotions in the room. "How are you feeling, Nandini?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Nandini nodded weakly, her eyes still on Manik. "I’m okay," she whispered.

"Any pain? Any discomfort?" the doctor asked as he checked her vitals, making sure everything was normal.

Nandini shook her head softly. "No... just a little weak," she answered.

The doctor nodded in understanding and glanced around the room before speaking again. "You’ve been through a lot," he said. "You were in a coma for a month. But you’re out of danger now. It’ll take some time to recover fully, but you’re going to be okay."

The room went quiet as the weight of the doctor's words sank in. A whole month. Nandini’s eyes slowly moved to Manik, who was still holding her hand tightly, his face pale and worn from all those sleepless nights.

"Don’t take any stress," the doctor continued. "Take your time to process everything. We’ll be monitoring you closely, but you’re on the road to recovery."

With that, the doctor nodded at everyone, signaling that it was best to give Nandini some space to rest. "Let her rest now. Two or three people at a time can stay with her, but don’t overwhelm her."

As the doctors left, the nurse followed closely behind. The room fell silent again, but this time, it was filled with a sense of hope and relief. Everyone was smiling through their tears, grateful beyond words that Nandini had come back to them.

Before anyone could say anything, Manik squeezed Nandini's hand one more time, his eyes still locked on hers. He was finally calm, finally at peace.

"I’m not going anywhere," Nandini whispered, her eyes filled with love for him.

"And I’m not letting you go," Manik replied softly, his voice hoarse but filled with emotion.

And in that moment, everything felt right again.
The room was filled with the soft hum of machines and the palpable tension in the air. After the doctors left, Vishakha, her face streaked with tears, took slow steps toward Nandini’s bed, her heart yearning to hold her daughter, to comfort her. She extended her hand, trembling, reaching out to touch her. But the moment her fingers brushed Nandini’s arm, the girl flinched as if burned, her body recoiling in fear.

Nandini pressed closer to Manik, her eyes wide with panic. The movement startled everyone, all of them watching in shock as Nandini’s terror unfolded.

“Nandini…?” Vishakha’s voice cracked as she called her name, her hand still mid-air, frozen from the rejection.

Nandini shook her head violently, her breath quickening, her lips trembling. “No... don’t touch me!” she whispered, and then louder, “Don’t touch me!”

“Nandini, beta—" Vishakha started, stepping closer, but Nandini shrieked and pressed further into Manik’s side.

“No! You lied! You’re a liar! You’re bad! Don’t come near me! I hate you!” Nandini’s voice trembled with fury and pain, each word sharper than the last.

Vishakha staggered back, visibly shaken, tears streaming down her face. The room fell into stunned silence, everyone too shocked to move, to speak.

Manik, alarmed, looked at Nandini and softly whispered, “Nandini, love, it’s okay. Calm down. It’s okay, I’m here…”

But Nandini was shaking her head, her chest heaving, her eyes wild with memories she couldn’t shake off. “No, Manik! You don’t understand! Everyone lied to me. Mumma… Pops… Mom…” Her voice wavered as she named Bela and Mahir. “They all lied! No one loves me! No one!”

“Shh, Nandini, don’t say that,” Manik murmured gently, holding her face, trying to calm her.

But Nandini wasn’t listening. Her gaze darted between Vishakha and Bela, her breathing growing more erratic, panic tightening her chest. “Who am I? Who am I, Manik? If they don’t love me, then who am I?”

Manik swallowed, his heart aching at the sight of her unraveling before him. “Nandini, you’re loved… by all of us. You’re—”

“No, no, no!” she screamed, clutching her head, her voice growing hoarse. “Mumma lied! Pops lied! Mom lied! No one loves me, Manik! Not even my real parents! No one loves me! I’m unwanted! I’m bad!”

Manik’s grip on her tightened, desperation filling his voice as he tried to bring her back. “Nandini, stop. Stop saying that. We all love you—”

But Nandini’s voice broke through his, her sobs wracking her body. “You’ll leave too! Everyone will leave me, just like them! My own parents didn’t want me, that’s why they left me! I’m an orphan! I’m bad!”

The words pierced the air, a dagger that left everyone stunned. Vishakha broke down completely, falling to her knees. “No, Nandini… no! You’re not an orphan. You’re my daughter. Please, baccha, listen to me. Mumma loves you, I love you so much—”

But Nandini’s eyes were filled with nothing but betrayal. “No, you don’t! Soha’s your real daughter, not me! You never loved me! You lied! You don’t love me!”

Bela, in tears, tried to approach as well, but Nandini’s panic only grew. “No! Stay away! You’ll leave too. You’ll all leave me…”

Manik, holding her close, tried to steady her trembling frame. “Nandini, stop. Please stop. You’re not alone. I’m here, I’m not going anywhere—”

“You will! You will, Manik! Everyone will! I’m bad. I’m unwanted. That’s why everyone leaves me!”

Cabir, who had been standing by the door, quietly crying, suddenly broke. The word "orphan" hit him like a blow to the chest. With a sob, he rushed forward, his voice choked with emotion. “No, Nandini! No, you’re not an orphan! You’re not unwanted!”

Nandini’s rambling slowed, her wide eyes flicking toward Cabir. He knelt beside her, his face wet with tears, his voice trembling as he spoke.

“You’re my sister. You’re my Trishu… my Trisha… my twin sister.”

Nandini’s mouth opened, her eyes searching his face as if trying to comprehend the words. “What?”

Cabir nodded furiously, tears falling unchecked. “I’m not lying. I swear, Nandini. We’re twins. You’re my sister. I’m not going to lose you again. You’re not alone. I’m here.”

Nandini’s breath hitched, her chest rising and falling as the weight of his words sank in. “Your… twin?”

Cabir nodded, his voice breaking. “Yes. I thought I lost you forever, but I didn’t. You’re not an orphan. You’re my Trisha. You’re my sister.”

The room fell into a stunned silence. Nandini blinked, her head spinning, her body trembling. “But… I…”

Before she could form another sentence, her breathing became ragged, her body swaying as if the weight of everything had crashed into her at once. Her vision blurred, her hands clutched at Manik, and then her body went limp.

“Nandini!” Manik cried out as her body collapsed into his arms. Panic surged through him as her eyes fluttered closed, and her breath grew faint. “Nandini, no, no, stay with me!”

Everyone rushed forward in alarm, and Dhruv called the doctor. The doctor rushed in moments later, checking her vitals, his brow furrowing. “It’s just stress,” he said calmly, though his voice was serious. “Her body’s been through too much. She fainted because of emotional and physical stress, but she’ll wake up soon. You need to keep her calm. Try not to bring up anything too stressful, or it could affect her mind.”

The doctor left after giving further instructions, leaving behind a room full of tear-stained faces and shattered hearts. Manik held Nandini’s hand tightly, his lips pressing gentle kisses to her knuckles, his tears falling onto her skin.

“Don’t do this to me,” he whispered softly, brokenly, his face inches from hers. “You promised… you promised me, Nandini.”

Vishakha, who had collapsed onto the floor by the bed, was inconsolable. Bela and Mahir tried to pull her into their arms, but her gaze remained fixed on Nandini, her voice breaking with sobs.

“She hates me… I’ve lost her… she hates me…” Vishakha whispered, her voice devoid of life. Her eyes were empty, her heart shattered.

“No,” Bela whispered, holding Vishakha tightly as she wept. “You haven’t lost her. We’ll make this right. She just needs time…”

But Vishakha shook her head, her body trembling uncontrollably. “No, Bela. She hates me. My own daughter hates me… and it’s all my fault. I tried to protect her, but all I did was push her away. I lost her…”

Cabir, still kneeling beside Nandini, wiped his eyes, his own tears still falling. “No,” he said softly, his voice breaking. “We’ll fix this. We’ll bring her back. She’ll know the truth.”

Manik, though he said nothing, continued to hold Nandini’s hand to his lips, the tears streaming silently down his face.
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Hope u all like the chapter.....

Few words for Manik....

Few words for Nandini....

This whole chapter made me 😭 😭

Thank u 🙂🙂

Love,
Kiara ❤️❤️