Manik walked into the room, his mind still heavy with the conversation he just had with Cabir. He had barely gathered himself when he heard laughter coming from inside. His eyes instinctively sought out Nandini, and what he saw made his heart stop for a moment.

There she was, sitting up in bed, laughing with Navya, Mukti, Alya, Dhruv, and Abhimanyu. They were all gathered around her, joking, teasing, like they hadn’t seen her in months. The warmth of the scene was so different from the tension that had filled the air just moments ago. Nandini’s smile—it lit up the entire room, a sight that Manik hadn’t seen in what felt like forever.

For a brief moment, Manik stood at the door, leaning against the frame, just watching. His heart swelled with relief to see her smiling, the weight on his chest lifting slightly. He wasn’t used to seeing this lightness in the air anymore, and it was almost surreal to witness. But Nandini caught sight of him standing there, and her smile widened.

"Oh, look who finally decided to show up!" she teased, her voice playful as her eyes gleamed mischievously.

Everyone turned to look at him, and the room burst into a chorus of greetings and laughter. Manik rolled his eyes dramatically, walking toward the bed with a small smirk on his lips. "I see you’re all having fun without me. Guess I’m forgettable now, huh?"

Nandini raised her eyebrows, pretending to think. "Hmm… yeah, pretty much," she teased, biting her lip to keep from laughing as Mukti and Alya giggled beside her.

"Oh come on, Manik!" Mukti chimed in with a grin, "You’ve always been easy to forget."

Alya joined in, her voice light. "Yeah, who needs you when we’ve got Nandini back, huh?"

Everyone burst into laughter, including Nandini, who was watching Manik’s exaggerated expression of fake hurt. He placed a hand over his heart and sighed dramatically. "Wow, I see how it is. I’ve been replaced," he joked, shaking his head in mock disappointment.

Nandini smiled at him, her eyes softening as the laughter in the room started to die down. Her gaze stayed fixed on him for a moment, and she noticed something that made her expression change from playful to concerned.

Her brows furrowed as she looked at him carefully, her smile fading just a little. "Wait a minute… why do you look like that?" she asked, her tone shifting to something more serious.

Manik blinked, slightly taken aback. "Like what?"

"Like you’ve been through a storm and haven’t slept in days," Nandini replied, her eyes narrowing as she studied his tired face, the dark circles under his eyes, the paleness of his skin.

Before Manik could respond, Navya cut in, her voice filled with concern. "Oh, you haven’t seen him properly yet, have you, Nandu? He looks like this because he hasn’t been taking care of himself."

"Yeah, seriously!" Mukti nodded along.

Alya added, "He hasn’t eaten properly in days. He’s been skipping meals left and right."

"And don’t even get us started on sleep," Dhruv chimed in, shaking his head. "I don’t think he’s had more than a couple of hours of sleep since you’ve been here, Nandini. He’s just been sitting here, barely moving an inch from your side."

Abhimanyu sighed, crossing her arms. "He hasn’t even gone home once, not even to shower or change his clothes. He’s practically been living here."

Manik sat there, listening to them as they threw his bad habits out in the open, all the while keeping his head down, avoiding Nandini’s gaze. He knew she’d be upset, but it wasn’t like he could leave her. He just couldn’t.

Nandini’s eyes welled up with tears as she listened to her friends. The thought of Manik neglecting himself so much because of her filled her heart with guilt. She reached out, placing her hand on his arm gently, her voice barely a whisper. "Manik... is this true?"

Manik kept his head low, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. He didn’t want to admit it, but he couldn’t lie to her either. "I… well, yeah… kind of," he mumbled.

"Manik!" Nandini’s voice was stern now, though there was still that layer of concern underneath. "Why didn’t you take care of yourself? You’re the one who always scolds me about not eating properly, and look at you now!"

Manik finally looked up at her, his eyes soft but exhausted. "Nandini... I couldn’t leave you here. You were in a coma, and every second I spent away from you felt like… like I was abandoning you. I couldn’t... I just couldn’t leave."

Nandini’s heart clenched at his words, but the tears in her eyes turned into frustration as she scolded him. "Manik, you can’t do this to yourself! I know you were worried, but what about your health? How can you help me or be with me if you’re not taking care of yourself? Do you have any idea how much it hurts me to see you like this?"

Manik opened his mouth to protest, but Nandini shook her head, cutting him off. "No, no excuses! You need to go home right now, freshen up, eat something, and get some rest."

"I’ll go later," Manik tried to reason, his voice soft but firm. "You just woke up, and I—"

"Manik," Nandini interrupted, her voice authoritative now, "I’m fine. Everyone is here to take care of me. Navya, Mukti, Alya, Dhruv, Abhimanyu—they’ll all be here. You need to go home right now, or I won’t rest."

Manik looked around the room, everyone nodding in agreement with Nandini. Even Dhruv, usually on his side, was giving him a look that said, *Listen to her, Manik.*

He sighed, knowing he was outnumbered. "Fine, but I’m not staying away for long. Just a quick shower and some food, then I’ll be back."

Nandini smiled, though her eyes still held a hint of worry. "Good. And make sure you rest properly too. I’ll be here when you come back, I promise."

Manik leaned forward, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I’ll hold you to that," he whispered, his voice filled with love and reassurance.

As he pulled back, Nandini looked up at him with teary eyes. "And Manik... thank you for staying with me. But promise me that from now on, you’ll take care of yourself too. I can’t lose you."

Manik’s heart clenched at the vulnerability in her voice. He cupped her cheek gently, brushing away a tear. "I promise, Nandini. I’ll take care of myself. Just... don’t scare me like that again, okay?"

She nodded, her eyes softening as she held his gaze. "Yes."

With one last smile, Manik stood up and headed toward the door. As he walked out, Navya, Mukti, and Alya all started talking to Nandini again, trying to distract her with light conversation.

But as he reached the door, Manik glanced back at Nandini one last time. She was watching him, her expression still filled with concern, but there was also love in her eyes—love and trust. And for the first time in days, Manik felt a sense of peace wash over him.

He would take care of himself. For her. Always for her.

As soon as Manik left, the lighthearted banter in the room continued. Mukti cracked another joke about how Nandini would be back on her feet in no time, and Alya playfully teased Nandini about how she'd have to catch up on all the gossip she missed. Dhruv and Abhimanyu were talking about something related to work, but they kept chiming in now and then, keeping the atmosphere cheerful.

In the middle of the conversation, Navya’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She glanced at the screen and excused herself from the group, stepping out to take the call. After ending it, she made her way back toward Nandini’s room, but something caught her eye. She noticed Cabir sitting alone on a bench in the garden, his back slouched, his face hidden behind his hands.

A sigh escaped her lips. She knew how much Cabir had been struggling with everything—finding out that Nandini was his twin, all the emotional weight of keeping it from her, and now Nandini’s reaction. It wasn’t easy for him.

Quietly, Navya approached him, not wanting to startle him. She stood beside him for a moment, watching as the gentle evening breeze brushed through the garden. Without looking at him, she softly said, “You know, I’m not really good at the whole serious talk thing, but I can tell you one thing for sure…”

Cabir didn’t move. He stayed silent, his face still buried in his hands.

Navya bit her lip, thinking of something—anything—that might lighten his mood. Then, a thought struck her. She leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, “Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? He made a mint!”

Cabir didn’t move for a second, but then, slowly, a chuckle escaped his lips. He shook his head, a small smile finally appearing on his face. “Seriously, Navya? That’s the best you’ve got?”

Navya grinned, nudging him playfully with her elbow. “Hey, it worked, didn’t it? I made you smile.”

Cabir exhaled deeply, finally lowering his hands from his face. “Yeah, I guess you did.”

There was a brief silence between them, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a silence that carried with it the weight of unspoken emotions. Navya looked over at him and saw the tiredness in his eyes, the way his shoulders slumped as if the world’s weight was on them.

“Cabir, I know it’s hard right now,” Navya began softly, her tone gentler now. “But Nandini… she’s just overwhelmed. She needs time to process everything. She’s not pushing you away because she hates you. She’s just confused and scared.”

Cabir didn’t respond at first, but Navya could tell he was listening. She took a deep breath and continued, “You’ve waited this long to have her back in your life. What’s a little more time? She’ll come around, Cabir. I know she will. She’s tough, just like you.”

Cabir exhaled again, his hands running through his hair. “I just… I don’t know if I can stand seeing her like that. The way she looks at me, it’s like she doesn’t recognize me at all. Like I’m some stranger.”

Navya placed a comforting hand on his arm. “She’s still your sister. She just needs time to accept that.”

There was a long pause, and for a moment, it seemed like Cabir wasn’t going to respond. But then, he turned to face Navya, his eyes soft but full of gratitude. “Thanks, Navya,” he said quietly.

Navya smiled, starting to walk away. But before she could take more than a step, she felt Cabir’s hand gently grasp hers. Startled, she turned around just in time for him to pull her into a tight, unexpected hug.

The world seemed to stand still for a moment. Navya’s heart raced in her chest, her breath catching in her throat. She wasn’t expecting this—Cabir had never been the type to show vulnerability so openly. But right now, in this moment, he needed her. And she wasn’t going to let him go through this alone.

Her arms slowly wrapped around him, pulling him closer as he buried his face in her shoulder. She could feel the tension in his body, the way his breathing hitched as if he was trying to hold back tears.

"Thank you," he whispered, his voice muffled against her shoulder. "Thank you for being here."

Navya’s own eyes began to sting with tears, but she blinked them away, tightening her grip on him. “Always,” she whispered back. “I’m always here for you.”

They stood like that for a long moment, just holding each other, drawing comfort from the silence. But then, Cabir’s phone rang, breaking the quiet. They both jerked back slightly, awkwardness suddenly filling the space between them.

Cabir quickly reached for his phone, looking flustered as he answered the call. Navya, still standing there, could feel her cheeks heating up, her heart still pounding from the closeness of their embrace. She couldn’t believe what had just happened—how natural it felt, and yet how startling.

As soon as Cabir ended his call, he looked up at her, his own face red with embarrassment. “Uh… sorry about that,” he mumbled, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

Navya’s eyes darted away, her cheeks still burning. “No, no… it’s fine… I… um…” She stumbled over her words, not quite sure how to handle the situation.

The silence between them grew heavy with awkwardness, neither of them knowing what to say. Navya’s heart was still racing, and she could feel her face heating up more with each passing second.

Finally, unable to take the tension any longer, she blurted out, “I should get back inside!”

Without waiting for a response, she turned on her heel and hurried back toward the house, her feet practically tripping over themselves in her haste to escape the awkwardness.

As she entered the room, her face was flushed a deep shade of red. Mukti, always quick to notice things, raised an eyebrow at her. “Whoa, what happened to you, Navya? Your face is as red as a tomato!”

Navya stammered, struggling to come up with an excuse. “N-Nothing! It’s just… it’s hot outside! Yeah, that’s it. It’s really hot out there,” she babbled, waving her hand in front of her face as if to cool herself down.

Alya, sitting beside Mukti, smirked. “Really? It didn’t seem that hot when we were out there earlier. Something you’re not telling us, Navya?”

Navya’s cheeks burned even hotter, and she glanced away, desperately trying to avoid their prying gazes. “No! There’s nothing to tell. I was just… you know… walking around and...”

Before she could finish, Mukti leaned forward, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Uh-huh. Sure, Navya. Just walking around, huh? You look like you’ve been caught doing something you shouldn’t have.”

Nandini, who had been quietly observing from her spot on the bed, finally chimed in, a soft smile playing on her lips. “Come on, Navya. Spill it. What really happened?”

Navya, feeling completely cornered, could only stammer incoherently as the group erupted into giggles, teasing her relentlessly. She couldn’t help but laugh along with them, but deep inside, her thoughts were still on Cabir, and that unexpected hug that had left her heart pounding and her mind spinning.
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Hope u all like the chapter.....

Few words for Manik....

Few words for Nandini....

Thank u 🙂🙂

Love,
Kiara ❤️❤️