The hospital room grew quiet as everyone prepared to leave, gathering their things and murmuring goodbyes. The atmosphere had shifted, becoming more relaxed after the doctor’s positive update on Nandini’s health. Manik had been gently helping Nandini settle back into her bed when she suddenly stopped him, her voice soft but firm.

“Wait... don’t go yet,” she said, her voice catching everyone's attention. The room fell silent again as she looked around at the familiar faces, feeling a knot of nervousness tighten in her chest. Her eyes darted toward Vikrant and Soha, who were already heading for the door. “I want everyone to stay,” she added, her tone gaining strength. “I... I need to say something.”

Vikrant, surprised, glanced at Soha before both of them turned back and rejoined the group, unsure of what Nandini was about to say. The others, sensing the seriousness in her voice, stood quietly, all eyes on her.

Manik, noticing her hesitation, stepped closer and sat beside her on the edge of the bed. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder, his touch reassuring, and gave her a small nod, encouraging her to speak. “It’s okay,” he whispered. “You can do this. I’m right here.”

Drawing strength from his calm presence, Nandini looked around the room, her gaze finally settling on Vishakha, who had been standing a little away from the rest, her eyes cast downward as if avoiding Nandini’s gaze. The moment stretched, heavy with all the unsaid things between them. Everyone else watched in a quiet, almost expectant silence.

With a deep breath, Nandini finally broke the quiet. Her voice, though calm, was filled with the raw vulnerability she had been holding in. "I want to know the truth," she began, her words carrying the weight of her emotions. "Why did you hide everything from me? Why didn't you tell me the truth?"

The room fell utterly silent, the air thick with tension as all eyes turned to Vishakha. For a moment, she didn’t move, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. Slowly, she lifted her head, her eyes rimmed with unshed tears, meeting Nandini’s gaze. The guilt, the fear, the years of secrecy — it all seemed to pour out of her at once.

Vishakha took a shaky breath before speaking, her voice breaking slightly as she began. "I owe you the truth, Nandini… I should have told you a long time ago."

Everyone stood frozen, listening intently as Vishakha began to recount the painful past she had kept hidden for so long. "Vikrant… he left me," she said, her voice trembling as the memories came flooding back. "It was years ago. He left me a letter… a letter telling me he was leaving. He said it was my fault that our baby was born dead. I was heartbroken. I didn’t know what to do. My family cut all their ties with me because I married him against their will. So, I moved in with Bela and Mahir. They helped me pick up the pieces of my life, but I… I still felt empty." Her voice cracked, and tears began to stream down her cheeks.

Nandini’s heart clenched as she watched Vishakha struggle to continue. She had never seen her mother look so vulnerable, so broken.

Vishakha paused, wiping the tears from her eyes. "And then after two years, we went to visit an orphanage. It was the same day I found out about my baby’s death. I didn’t expect anything, I didn’t even want to go… but when I saw you, Nandini… you were five years old, and there was this spark in your eyes." Vishakha smiled through her tears as she recalled that day. "You were so full of life, so innocent, and for the first time in so long, I laughed. I smiled. It felt like I had found a part of myself that I had lost. I… I decided that day I would adopt you. You brought light back into my life."

Nandini’s eyes filled with tears as she listened, her heart aching with the raw emotion pouring out of Vishakha.

"I never wanted you to know, Nandini," Vishakha continued, her voice breaking again. "I never wanted you to feel like you didn’t have a family. I wanted you to feel loved, to feel like you belonged. And I loved you more than anything. I never once thought of you as someone else’s child. You were mine, Nandini, from the moment I laid eyes on you."

Vishakha’s sobs grew louder, her shoulders trembling with the force of her emotions. "The orphanage told me you had been found when you were just three years old… that you had been taken by people who wanted to sell you. They tried for so long to find your family, but they couldn’t. You had no one. And I… I wanted to be that person for you."

Nandini’s tears flowed freely now, her chest tightening with each word.

"I never wanted to hide this from you, bacha," Vishakha sobbed. "I thought you wouldn’t accept me if you knew. That you’d feel like you didn’t belong, or worse… that you’d stop seeing me as your mother. I didn’t want to lose you." Her words became almost incoherent as she broke down. "So I hid the truth. And for that, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Nandini. I love you… so much. It doesn’t matter that I didn’t give birth to you. You’ve always been my daughter. Always."

The room was deathly silent as Vishakha’s sobs filled the space, her heart laid bare for everyone to see. Everyone else stood frozen, witnessing the weight of years of pain, secrets, and love unravel before their eyes.

At last, Nandini broke the silence, her voice barely above a whisper as she called out, "Mumma..."

Vishakha looked up, her tear-filled eyes widening in disbelief at hearing Nandini call her by that name — a name she hadn’t heard in what felt like ages. Nandini’s voice was soft but filled with so much emotion, so much love.

"Mumma..." Nandini repeated, her own tears flowing freely now. "I was never angry with you… I was just hurt. Hurt that you didn’t tell me. But I never stopped loving you."

Without another word, Vishakha rushed forward, wrapping her arms around Nandini, and pulling her into a tight, trembling hug. Nandini hugged her back just as tightly, burying her face in Vishakha’s shoulder as they both sobbed, years of hurt melting away in that single embrace.

"I’m sorry, Mumma," Nandini whispered, her voice muffled against Vishakha’s shoulder. "I’m so sorry for how I behaved. I was just so confused, so hurt…"

Vishakha shook her head, pulling back just enough to cup Nandini’s face in her hands. "No, bacha, don’t apologize. You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s me… I should have told you. I should have trusted you to understand. Can you… can you ever forgive me?"

Nandini nodded, tears streaming down her face. "Of course, I can. I love you, Mumma."

The room, once filled with tension, now brimmed with the soft warmth of healing as everyone watched the mother and daughter reconcile. A soft smile played on Manik’s lips, his heart swelling with pride and love as he watched the two most important women in his life find their way back to each other.

Bela, who had been standing quietly beside Mahir, finally stepped forward, her voice soft but filled with emotion. "Are we forgiven too, princess?" she asked, her eyes glistening with tears.

Nandini smiled through her tears and gestured for them to come closer. "Come here," she said.

Bela and Mahir moved forward, wrapping Nandini in a gentle, loving hug, joining Vishakha in their embrace.

"We’re sorry too," Mahir said, his voice thick with emotion. "We should have told you the truth."

"I’m sorry for ignoring you both," Nandini whispered, resting her head against Bela’s shoulder.

The embrace lingered, their shared pain finally giving way to forgiveness and love. Everyone around them stood by, quietly watching as the family reunited in the most beautiful, heartfelt way possible. The air was filled with hope, the heaviness of the past finally giving way to a future built on love and truth.

As the warmth of the family embrace lingered in the room, Nandini felt an overwhelming sense of peace wash over her. But that peace was momentarily interrupted by a question that had been gnawing at her since Vishakha revealed the truth. She pulled away from her mother’s embrace, her brows furrowing in confusion as she glanced between Vishakha and Vikrant.

"Mumma…" Nandini began cautiously, her voice laced with curiosity. "You said your baby… died. Then how… how is Soha your daughter?"

Vikrant stepped forward, his voice steady but filled with regret as he spoke. "It wasn’t supposed to be like this, Nandini. There was a terrible misunderstanding — one that I didn’t even know existed until recently."

Nandini’s gaze locked onto Vikrant, her eyes wide with confusion. "What do you mean?"

Vikrant let out a deep sigh, running a hand through his hair before continuing. "It was my mother. She… she manipulated both Vishakha and me. When Soha was born, my mother gave Vishakha a letter— a forged letter —telling her that the baby had died. At the same time, she gave me a different letter, telling me that Vishakha had abandoned the child and left me. It was all a lie… orchestrated by my mother to keep us apart."

The shock rippled through the room, and Nandini’s heart sank at the realization of just how deep the betrayal ran. She looked over at Soha, who had been quietly standing to the side, tears already brimming in her eyes.

"So… Soha was never gone?" Nandini asked, her voice a mixture of disbelief and hurt. "She was always alive… and you never knew?"

Vishakha, her face etched with the pain of reliving these memories, shook her head. "I never knew, bacha. All those years, I thought my baby was gone… that she was lost to me forever. And all this time, she was alive, being raised separately from me."

Nandini’s eyes widened even more as the full truth began to settle in her mind. The room grew heavy with emotion once again as the gravity of what had been kept from them became clearer.

Suddenly, Soha took a tentative step forward, but before she could say anything, Navya, who had been standing quietly, surged forward, her face clouded with anger.

"Stay back!" Navya snapped, her voice harsh as she glared at Soha. The entire room fell into a stunned silence as everyone turned toward Navya, shocked by the outburst.

Nandini’s eyes widened, not used to seeing Navya like this. "Navya…?" she whispered, confused. Manik, standing close to Nandini, immediately stepped in as well, his posture tense as he added, "Soha, stay away from Nandini."

Nandini’s head swiveled between Navya and Manik, her confusion deepening. "What… what’s going on?" she asked, her voice tinged with panic. "Why are you both acting like this?"

Navya, still seething, took a step toward Nandini, her voice trembling with frustration. "Nandini, it’s because of her!" She pointed an accusing finger at Soha. "She’s the reason you’re in this hospital! You argued with her.  She’s the one who shouted at you, told you about being Amma’s daughter… and then you… you ran, and that’s when you fell down the stairs!"

Nandini gasped, her eyes widening in shock as Navya’s words sank in. "Navya…" she started softly, trying to make sense of what she was hearing. She then turned to Soha, whose face had drained of color, tears streaming down her cheeks. The guilt in Soha’s eyes was unmistakable.

But before Nandini could say anything, Soha’s voice broke through, raw and trembling. "Navya’s right, Nandini. It’s all my fault. I… I was the one who shouted at you. I was angry, and frustrated… and I took it all out on you. I didn’t know the whole truth back then, but that doesn’t excuse what I did." Soha’s voice cracked as she struggled to hold back her sobs. "I never meant for any of this to happen. I’m so sorry, Nandini… so, so sorry for everything."

Manik, his face tight with concern, turned to Nandini, his voice firm but gentle. "She’s the reason you fell, Nandini. You don’t need to forgive her."

Nandini, who had been listening quietly, finally raised a hand to stop them all. Her gaze moved between Navya, Soha, and Manik, her heart aching at the way things had spiraled out of control. She shook her head slowly.

"No," Nandini said, her voice quiet but resolute. "You’re all wrong." She turned to Navya first, her eyes soft but firm. "Yes, Soha told me the truth that day, but it wasn’t her fault that I fell. My mind was racing with so many things, and I wasn’t watching where I was going. That’s why I slipped. It wasn’t Soha’s fault."

Navya’s anger wavered, her lips parting as she stared at Nandini, trying to process what she was hearing. "But… Nandini, she—"

"No, Navya," Nandini interrupted gently but firmly. "You’ve misunderstood. Yes, she told me something I wasn’t ready to hear… but it wasn’t out of malice. She didn’t know the whole truth back then, and neither did I. It was an accident, and it wasn’t her fault."

Nandini then turned to Soha, who was sobbing openly now, unable to look anyone in the eye. She was shaking, her hands covering her face, as if the weight of her guilt was too much to bear.

"Soha," Nandini said softly, causing her sister to look up in surprise. "You don’t need to apologize for telling me the truth. Yes, it hurt at the time… but it wasn’t your fault. If anything, I should be the one saying sorry."

Soha’s eyes widened in shock, and she shook her head vehemently. "No, no, Nandini, you don’t have to—"

"Yes, I do," Nandini interrupted, her voice filled with sincerity. "I’m sorry if my existence ever made you feel abandoned… like Mumma chose me over you. I can’t even imagine how hard that must have been for you. I’m sorry if you ever felt like you were alone… like you weren’t loved."

Soha’s lips trembled as she tried to find her voice. "I was… I was just so angry, Nandini. I didn’t understand why things turned out the way they did. And when I saw how close you were to Mumma… I felt like I’d lost something that was mine. I took it all out on you because I didn’t know how else to deal with it."

Soha hesitated for a moment, but then, with a sob, she rushed forward and hugged Nandini tightly, burying her face in her shoulder as she cried. Nandini held her close, rubbing her back gently, whispering soothing words.

Behind them, Navya and Manik stood quietly, still a bit wary but watching them reconcile. Nandini noticed their still-neutral expressions as they stood back, arms crossed.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Nandini whispered to herself, "I’ll deal with you two later." She smiled softly, knowing that even though it would take time, they’d all find their way back to each other eventually.
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Hope u all like the chapter.....

Few words for Manik....

Few words for Nandini....

Thank u 🙂🙂

Love,
Kiara ❤️❤️