Welcome me back:)

Thank you for the beautiful response in previous chapters and sorry for not replying to any of your messages.

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"Intezaar, Izhaar, Ibadat- sab kia maine,
Tumse kya bataun, kitna Ishq Kiya maine!!"

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"Shi Maa, Mumma will wake up when? Why is she seeping? I want Mumma. Wake her up naa!!"

(Seeping- sleeping)

Ishita looked at Anahita with teary eyes and then at the bed where Nandini was lying unconscious.

Ishita and Anahita both had panicked when they saw Nandini falling unconscious. It were Ishita's quick reflexes who had saved Nandini's head from hitting the corner of coffee table. Anahita was very much afraid seeing her mother like this and not opening her eyes even when she called her.

Ishita's friend, who is a doctor has came and checked Nandini. She had told that Nandini had a panic attack of strong intensity, the reason she had fallen unconscious. The doctor had prescribed medicines and had asked to keep her stress free.

But with everything happening around, how is she supposed to keep her stress free. Ishita's heart broke seeing the young girl with pale face. Suddenly she saw the girl whom Ishita brought to her house four years ago.

Biting her lip to stop herself from crying, Ishita took Anahita in her embrace who would not stop calling out for her mother.

Ishita frowned when the doorbell rang. She somehow consoled Anahita and took her with her to open the door giving a last glance to Nandini. Opening the door she was confused to see her neighbours there.

"Namaste Ishita Ji! We saw the news. But what bulshit are they spreading. We know Nandini. We just came to know how is she?" A lady of Ishita's age spoke and Ishita sighed in relief knowing that humanity is still alive, and not everyone's gonna beleive in the news, not at least the people who know Nandini.

"Thank You Mrs. Shinde. She- she is not fine. But will get well soon."

"That she will. She is a brave girl. If you need anything, you can ask any of us." A man spoke and Ishita gave a thankful smile.

"Excuse Me!! Does Nandini Goenka lives here?" Ishita's eyes widened when she saw some reporters with cameras and mic standing there. Seeing them, Anahita who was till now standing beside Ishita, went behind her and hid herself.

"No. And media isn't allowed in our colony. You all please leave." One of the colony member spoke and others nodded.

"But our sources have confirmed that Nandini Goenka is living here since a long time." One of the reporter said and even before anyone could say anything she turned around and faced the camera.

"As you can see the house behind me, is where Nandini Goenka is living. According to the sources she is living here with her illegitimate child."

Nyonika gasped in horror as she hid Anahita more behind her. She felt angry, sad and disappointed seeing the reporter saying such words.

"The same child with whom she had threatened a boy's family five years ago. The question is, is she still using that child for her use. If not, then why is she afraid of facing the cameras. Has she changed or is she still the cunning girl in the facet of Innocent one."

Ishita's anger had peaked hearing the nonsense of the reporter. She was about to say something when she heard a loud bang from inside. Her eyes widened in horror realising that what it was.

She hurriedly turned around and closed the main door, she had saw the colony members pushing out the media before the door was closed. Hurriedly with Anahita, she ran in and horror creeped her out as she the door of the room where Nandini was, closed. Her heart came to her throat with bad thoughts.

She went and knocked on the door rapidly asking Nandini to open it, but every time when she wouldn't hear any voice, her breath would turn shallow. Tears were flowing out of her eyes as she looked at Anahita who was now crying sitting on the floor. Ishita felt too helpless in the situation. She again knocked on the door.

"Nandu!! Please open the door child. Please. See, Anahita is crying too. Please my child." Ishita hicupped as she still didn't heard any voice from inside. She joined her hands and closed her eyes to prey from God to help her.

She opened her eyes when she heard door knocks followed by Manik's voice. Her eyes got hopeful and she hurriedly ran to open the door and saw Manik standing there.

Manik's already racing heart quickened it's pace in fear as he took into Ishita's tear stricken face. And looking at her he knew that what's the matter was. He felt as if his heart would come to his mouth in fear. Without wasting any time he moved in, his eyes searching for that one person as he felt Ishita closed the door behind.

As if it wasn't enough than Manik's heart broke when he saw Anahita crying sitting on the floor. He ran to her and picked her up in his arms.

"Princess. Shh, No. No crying." He kept wiping her tears as they kept flowing out of her small eyes as she cried for her mother.

"Mumma!!" Anahita cried more as she pointed at the closed door and Manik gulped the lump in his throat. He took slow steps towards the closed door with Anahita in his arms. Raising his hand he tried to knock but felt his hands weak. His own tears were unstoppable. His heart was quivering. His mind had gone blank. He just stood there.

Gathering some courage he finally knocked at the door lightly only to feel his heart thumping more loudly as he heard no response from the other side.

Seeing him, Anahita too knocked at the door still sobbing in Manik's arms, waiting for her mother to open the door.

"Nandini!!"

Nandini, who was sitting on the floor with her back with the door, her face blank and a knife in her hand. She was just staring at the knife.

Her face was a mess, her tears dried, her lips quivering, her cheeks pale. She didn't reacted further. Just leaned her head back to the door, still clutching the knife in her hand. Her thoughts were destroying her. She tried not to think, but the silence was a killer too.

Manik wiped his tears harshly and palmed his mouth with the back of his hand to stop himself from crying any more. His brain was imagining various bad thoughts, but his heart was telling him that she is safe. She is hearing him. He acted according to his heart and sat down on the floor with his back supported by the door and Anahita in his lap.

"Aap-- aap ko nahi aana bahar?"

(You don't want to come outside)

He caressed Anahita's hair soothing her at the same time, who had her head dipped in his shoulders.

Ishita too stood there wiping her own tears. Her heart felt at relief seeing Manik. She know that now he will handle everything, he will handle Nandini.

"Hmm, waise theek hi hai nai, bahar rakha bhi kya hai?"

(Anyway you are right, what's there outside)

"Who is there outside? Ishita Aunty? Who is crying for her daughter because she is not responding to her. So what if she loves you just as her child."

Inside the room, Nandini blinked her eyes slowly. Her gaze traveled to the picture on the wall, the picture of Anahita, her and Ishita, in which Ishita was kissing the top of her head. Ishita's eyes shining with all the love. Her hold on the knife got more tight and rigid.

"Princess? The little girl who is crying for her mother. Whose world revolves around her mother, who wouldn't stop staring at the closed door, waiting for her mother to hug her."

Manik's eyes again pooled up with tears. He felt bad with emotionally blackmailing her when her all thoughts must be haywire. But this is all he could think of now. He wants to let her know that, she has people around her, people who love her, who cares for her, for whom she matters and her presence matter.

Nandini's hold which was rigid on the knife, loosened as she saw her and her daughter's picture. Her eyes welled up looking at the picture, in which Anahita had wrapped her hand around Nandini's neck. Another picture where Anahita was kissing Nandini's forehead.

"And- and what about me? So what, If I'm waiting for you for the last sixteen years. So what, If You are my angel and my damnation; in your presence I reach divine ecstasy and in your absence I descent to hell."

Manik heard a faint voice right behind the door, and his heart finally heaved a sigh of relief knowing that she was hearing all this while.

Nandini had dropped the knife in her hand and tears streamed down from her eyes, as her gaze fixed on the photo of her, Anahita and Manik together.

"And what about the girl, for whom there's nothing that she can't handle?" Manik took a pause.

"She's been broken. She's been knocked down. She's been defeated. She's felt pain that most couldn't handle. She looks fear in the face; year after year, day after day, but yet, she never runs. She hides, but only to come out with more light, And she always finds a way to get back up. She's unbreakable. She's a warrior. She's you."

Another minute passed in silence, in fear. Manik stayed silent hoping for her to come out. His heart was beating with fear. He was afraid, but right now he doesn't want to give into his fear.

Manik hurriedly stood up as he heard door's unlocking sound. Ishita gently took a now sleeping Anahita from his arms. They stood there with breaths hitched as they saw the door finally opening and Nandini standing there with her head down.

Manik's heart finally, finally felt beating normally. His lungs finally expanded to release the air. He finally felt his mind waking up from his numbness.

Ishita too felt relieved seeing Nandini fit and fine. In the last hour only she know, how she had shut her mind from the various bad thoughts.

But she gasped in horror when she saw the knife in Nandini's hand. She saw her walking and keeping the knife on the table and she closed her eyes and exhaled deeply.

Manik's heart shattered when he saw her with the knife in her hand. So finally people broke her to this extent. The tears as if had no paise today, they kept flowing through his eyes.

He kept looking at her as she silently walked like a lifeless body. Her eyes blank, her motions robotic.

Nandini went to Ishita and took sleeping Anahita in her arms gently. Ishita looked at Manik with fearful face as Nandini walked back to her room with Anahita in her arms. They both walked behind and stood at the threshold as they saw her patting Anahita's head when she moved in her sleep while placing her on the bed. Nandini covered her with the blanket as she kept patting her head with one hand and other was placed on her chest.

Ishita palmed her mouth to stop herself from sobbing. She could feel her pain, or maybe she could not. It was too much for anyone let alone this twenty year old girl. Not being able to look at her for a long time, Ishita walked out from there wiping her tears.

Manik's trance broke when Ishita walked out. He was feeling as if someone was stabbing at his heart every moment, and it was paining more every time. Seeing her, lying there lifeless made him want to burn the whole world in ashes to provide her the much needed warmth.

He took a shaking breath and moved in. Standing beside the bed he looked at sleeping Anahita and then at Nandini who was still patting her, lost in her thoughts. He wondered what she was thinking, he wanted to know, he wanted her to express her thoughts out, otherwise they would suffocate her and she might again. Her silence will kill her.

Manik's whole body shivered with the thoughts of her trying to harm herself. His heart felt heavy with the fear of losing her. He hasn't even found her and he was about to lose her.

"Nandini." He saw her blinking out of her thoughts as her eyes travelled to him. Her usual deep eyes which would speak volumes for her, were blank.

Nandini looked at Anahita and then sat on the bed with her head supporting the headboard, her one hand in her lap and other still caressing Anahita's head.

Manik sat on the floor and looked at her, waiting for her to say something, anything. His gaze traveled to the digital clock on the wall and he saw the time, 11:11, and his heart whispered only one name, Nandini.

He looked at her and waited for her to say something, anything or just cry. But her silence and her emotionless face was scaring him more. He was afraid for her. Her silence was scaring him.

He wondered, if he has actually failed to see her pain. Or was she really so good at concealing her grief that he got the illusion that her pain was easy for her to carry.

He looked at her trying to read her thoughts that she had locked somewhere deep. He wanted to read them. He had this desire to see her scars, to kiss her scars, to bring her stars. He wanted to hide her from the world and give her the real happiness that she deserves.

Wetting his dry lips with his tongue he bit them before exhaling a sigh. Her silence was scaring him. It felt heavy.

"Nandini. Say something, anything. Please." He literally pleaded to her but felt himself falling weak when got no response from her. Blinking away the wetness in his eyes, with his shivering hand he held her hand which was on his lap, which were cold, waiting for her to jerk away but at least show some reaction. But he felt dejected when still she didn't reacted. Her eyes still focused on sleeping Anahita. He too looked at Anahita who was now clutching her mother's hand. Maybe, she was also trying to give her warmth to her mother.

"Manik." Manik hurriedly looked at her when heard her whisper in the otherwise silent room. Her face- still blank, her eyes- still fixed on Anahita. For a moment he felt that he just imagined her speaking.

"Hmm?" He looked at her with all the eagerness waiting for her next words.

"Go Home. It's late." He blinked his eyes when her words registered in his mind. She wants him to go home. She doesn't want him near her.

He felt her pulling away her hand from his hold and layed down on the bed on her side, facing Anahita. He closed his eyes in dejection and stood up. He kept looking at her who was laying down with her eyes still wide open.

He bit his lip contemplating what should he do. But one thing he was sure that he isn't leaving her alone. Not after what she did some time ago. He just took some steps back and when felt a wall behind him, he slid down with the support of the wall. His eyes all the time fixed on her.

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Manik woke up with a jerk and rubbed his eyes to remove any ounce of sleep left. He didn't realised when his eyes were shut closed and he was drifted into sleep.

His eyes travelled to the bed where Nandini and Anahita was sleeping. But he abruptly stood up when he saw the place where Nandini was laying now empty and Anahita was secured with pillows around her. That's when he noticed the blanket on the floor which slipped down from his body as he stood up. He know who must've put it on him.

But his heart was scared, he ran out of the room and looked around in the dark to found no clue of her. His fear came back alongwith the negative thoughts. He saw the main door was locked from inside and he hurriedly ran to the last place possible - terrace. All the while when he was climbing the stairs, his heart was praying only for ber safety.

He reached the terrace and opened the door. Roaming his gaze his eyes finally fell on her petite figure who was facing her back to him, wrapped up in a warm shawl and arms around her, she was looking at the sky. His heart finally felt calmed as he released a breath.

Composing himself he took steps towards her. With every step he took, he felt heavy. He was afraid of her silence. He know, he know that from inside her own thoughts must have been killing her, bit by bit. And that's why he wanted her to speak, to vent out. He wanted her to know that he is here, with her, always.

He stood by her side, silently. Not saying anything, not asking her to say anything. He just stood, spreading his warmth in the otherwise cold weather. Maybe, to make her beleive, that her words aren't essential for him to stay. Her would stay, anyway.

"I thought if I acted like it didn't matter, then it wouldn't."

Her bare whispers reached his ears with the wind making him look at her. He didn't said anything, just looked at her.

"And, I thought now it wouldn't hurt the same, but--"

A lone tear finally escaped out of her eye and Manik fisted his hand to stop himself from pulling her into his embrace. Rather he exhaled a sigh and faced her sideways.

"Sometimes, healing isn't about taming every demons that devoured you once. It's also about living with it until you're brave enough to release them, at the right time, at the right place."

Hearing him, she finally looked at him directly for the first time today. And for the first time today, her eyes showed some emotions, her vulnerability was perfectly reflected by those deep eyes he fell for.

"Is this the right place?" She asked, her voice coming out in whisper as if she doesn't have any power left to say a word.

Manik didn't spoke anything. He just took the corner of her shawl which hed threads at the ends, and encircled it around his ring finger.

And his actions made Nandini's heart warm. For the first time today, she felt at peace. But with peace, came the fear, which she couldn't stop herself from voicing out.

"I'm afraid Manik. I'm afraid that- that eventually you will see me the way ot- others see me. They- they said too, that- that they lo-ve me, trust me. But they stopped."

She closed her eyes and tear flowed down through them. From her childhood she has heard so many people around her telling her that they love her, that they'll always protect her. But when the time came, they just stopped loving her? Just like that. Then what is the guarantee that the person standing in front of her, who also claims to love her, won't abandon her, especially after knowing about her.

But her heart was telling a different story. Her heart was ready to trust him, him- who have time and again proved that he have no intention of leaving her, not so soon.

But today, if she breaks down in front of her, will be still look at her the same way. Or he will also feel disgusted with her. Will he trust her or blame her and leave her.

"Stop loving you? Yes! Can happen. But, Until the stars burn out, and all worlds end, until the planets collide, and the suns wither, until the moon's light dies, and the rivers and seas run out, until I grow so old that my memories fade away, and my tongue cannot say your name, until my heart beats for the last time, only then- will I maybe stop, maybe."

Manik saw her biting her lips and a small smile on her face, which calmed his own racing heart. He so wanted to capture this moment in his heart.

But her next words made him take a sharp breath as he saw her face again going blank.

"I was raped, when I was fifteen!"

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Yes yes, you can give all the galiyaan you want for being super late, but not in extreme okay 🥴 blame my exams if you want, Diwali vacation bhi nai dia Hume 😭

Anyway, how was the chapter?

I wanted to write Nandini's past in this one only, (as it was fiftieth Chapter) but then thought that it will go too long, so in next update.

What are your thoughts on Manik?

Ishita and Anahita?

Poor Nandu!!!!

And her colony member are kinda nice, nai?

But these reporters 😤 this is the harsh truth that aajkal news me bhi Paisa hi chal Raha hai!! #RipMedia

Anyway, drop your reviews here:)

Next update - On Diwali ✨

Happy Diwali In Advance ✨❤️

Ps- the story is nearing its end 🥺

3565 words!!

~A♡