{Note- Play the song mentioned above starting from 1:27 duration till end, when I'll leave the music emoticon, just for the feel}

"लफ्जों में सिमटी हुई मोहब्बत,
कौन समझ पाया है आजतक?"

"Shi Maa, phone?" Anahita tilted her head asking for Ishita's phone from her, who was sitting on the couch in living room watching television.

"And why do you want it?" Anahita gave an innocent look to her mother who was arranging food on dining table.

"I want to call Mumma!" Ishita chuckled at the little girl's expression as she spoke nonchalantly as if it was the most obvious thing. Nandini raised her brows with confusion.

"And May I know mam, whom do you wanna call at this hour?" It was eight in thi night, not much time but still Nandini was confused as to whom her daughter wanted to talk with.

"Loktal!" Anahita grinned and shrugged and Nandini's face went blank. It has been two days since the day of Manik's impromptu confession to her. In these two days, Ishita has seen a disturbed and lost Nandini. Nandini didn't even went to college, and neither at her work in these two days. Basically, she had locked herself in the house from two days. And the worst thing is she won't even share anything with Ishita when asked.

Nandini looked at her daughter snapped out of her thoughts when Anahita again demanded for Ishita's phone who gave her. She saw Anahita tapping the screen to call her Rockstar and but before she could call him, Nandini snatched the phone from her hand, which startled both Anahita and Ishita.

"Mumma phone!!" Anahita whined when she saw her mother taking the phone away. It has been three to four days she had talked with her Rockstar. She was missing him, and wanted to talk with him.

"Come and have your dinner Anahita." Ishita was more confused with Nandini's behaviour. She never stopped Anahita from talking to Maik earlier. What happen now, she wondered.

"No! I want to talk to Loktal first. Pleach Mumma. I will eat food." Anahita asked softly from her mother tugging at her kurti as she was keeping the water on the table.

"I said no, you're not calling anyone. Come and have your food and then straight to the bed." Anahita frowned hearing her mother's firm tone, which she hardly use. She huffed and silently sat on the chair, and started eating her food served by Nandini without making any mess. Ishita too came and the trio had their dinner in silence. After finishing her dinner, Anahita ran to the kitchen to keep her plates and came back after washing her hand and stood beside her mother with a toothy grin who smiled at her daughter.

"Now, I can call Loktal?" She again tilted her head asking softly but Nandini's smile disappeared and she exhaled a deep breath.

"No!" Anahita's smile fell off her face hearing her mother's reply. Her eyes welled up a little as her mother wasn't letting her speak with her Rockstar and she looked down. Ishita felt bad for the little one and looked at Nandini who also had frowns on her face.

"Nandu!! Bache, let her talk, no? See, she is so sad."

"Ishi Maa..." Anahita again tried manaofying her mother.

"Mumma pleach!!"

"I said No Anahita!! Didn't you heard me? Now go to your room and get under the sheets after brushing your teeth." Anahita flinches with her mother's stern voice and the tears finally slipped away from her eyes. Nandini saw her daughter crying silently and her heart broke, but before she could cajole her daughter, Anahita ran away to the room leaving a frustrated Nandini behind.

Ishita was also surprised when she heard Nandini's tone, which she had never used, neither with her daughter not generally. She was worried for Nandini because she know there's something that's disturbing her. Avoiding Ishita's gaze Nandini moved to the kitchen and started cleaning the utensils. Ishita came and stopped her.

"Nandini. You go and see Anahita. I'll take care of these." Nandini tried protesting but Ishita forcefully pushed her out of the kitchen and Nandini came to their room. Entering in, she saw her daughter hugging her bear, which was again a gift by Manik. She sighed realising that whatever she is trying to do, she can hardly succeed in that. Because He is already too much in their lives. Leaving her thoughts there she moved to the bed and got under the covers. She saw the dried tears marks on her daughter's sleeping face and sighed before cleaning them.

Nandini felt miserable for being the reason of her daughter's tears. Nevertheless she hugged her daughter who didn't protested but stay stilled. Nandini kissed the top of her daughter's head and tried sleeping which was far away from her eyes. Tossing and turning for an hour she sighed and looked at the time in side clock which showed only ten pm. Finally, not being able to sleep she got out of the bed and kept pillows at her place so that Anahita won't roll over the bed.

Closing the door of the room softly Nandini came out in living area where she saw Ishita sitting watching movie on tv. Ishita saw Nandini and smiled at her before closing the tv and signalling her to come there. Nandini smiled back and sat beside Ishita on the couch. Ishita looked at Nandini who was looking so deprived of sleep and peace.

"Nandini. Bache, what happen? Now don't give me the same crap that nothing, just you feeling low and all. I've been hearing it for three days now. Why are you so lost darling? What's troubling you?" Nandini could hear the concern laced in Ishita's words. All she wanted at this moment was to tightly hug her and let all her worries out. She wanted to tell her everything that's troubling her. Just like, she would've done with her mother. She was missing her mother. She was missing the nights where she would just lay down her head in her mother's lap for hours. She was missing those days, when her mother would always know that her daughter is in some trouble and would always be there for her. She was simply missing her mother.

She looked at Ishita who was looking at him with concern in her eyes. No doubt, Ishita is just like a mother figure to her. She had held her hand, when her own mother couldn't. She already owe so much to this lady, that now laying out her vulnerable self seems to selfish to Nandini. And she had stopped being raw and vulnerable in the fear, that one day again she will be left alone.

Ishita sighed when Nandini gave her a faint smile and shaked her head in No. She knows that Nandini doesn't feel comfortable sharing her vulnerability, her broken self. She has seen this girl struggling to hide her pain, to hide her tears, hide her broken heart just because she didn't wanted to be a more burden on her that she already is. But only if Ishita could make her understand, that she is not a burden on her. She is just like a daughter to her that she never had.

"You know Nandu, years ago, when I found out that I can never conceive, I was shattered." Nandini looked at Ishita when suddenly she started telling her something she never spoke about. Nandini know about Ishita that she was infertile and hence her husband and in-laws tortured her till the extent where she couldn't bore and left that place. She know Ishita speaks very less about her past, and today she saw the hurt in the lady's eyes.

"But I somehow made my heart understand thinking that I've my husband who loves me. We can always adopt a child. But, it was like his love was limited to me being able to a mother or not. It didn't took me too much time to realise my importance there. And I was actually glad, that I never initiated for adoption because of the toxicity of that house. And after getting divorced, I tried for adoption because, I wanted to be a mother. I wanted to feel that contentment of being a mother. But just because I was single adoption was almost impossible. And, I accepted my fate. My profession became my life. I indulged myself completely in my profession. I was not happy, but it was all good."

Nandini was looking at her and hearing with full attention. She could see a sad smile on Ishita's face. She could see a broken woman in her, who craved to be a mother, who craved companion. Then she saw her face lighting up with a small faint smile.

"And then came you. The day, I saw you on the road falling unconscious in the damm heat and I took you home. Strangely, I felt a connection with you. You remember, when you called me Maa?" Nandini shook her head a little in no, but Ishita smiled.

"When you were going in labour room. When you were crying in pain. The moment you called me Maa, I felt so complete. Complete as a woman. That day I realised, why they say that happiness of being a mother is different. That day not only you, I saw myself becoming a mother." Ishita sobbed and Nandini hugged her. Ishita was the only source of light in her otherwise dark life, when she was struggling with herself. She never made her feel low about her. She never treated her as a victim of her fate. She loved her, irrespective of anything. She is the Yashoda of her life and Nandini can never pay for all the debts in the form of love that this lady has showered on her. And she realised that why Ishita was telling this to her today. She broke the hug and wiped Ishita's tears followed by her own.

"Ishi Maa!"

"I'm here bache. Tell me."

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♫

Manik looked at the stars above in the sky and tuned his guitar before strumming a musical chord. He closed his eyes and only one face flashed in his mind before the silent night came into life with his soothing voice.

Kehti hai duniya mujhe,
Ek tarfa aashiq Tera.
Chahun tujhe dur se,
Itna toh haq hai mera.

He still had his eyes closed. As if, Nandini's face never left his sight. His mind replayed the scene where last time he saw her two days ago. He saw her moving out. He could see her walking away but he never stopped her.

Kehti hai duniya mujhe,
Ek tarfa aashiq Tera.
Chahun tujhe dur se,
Itna toh haq hai mera!

Aati hai Ghar mere,
Wo gali ban gaye.
Tum akhiri wajah,
Pehli Khushi ban gaye.

Leaning on the door of the terrace Shivay saw Manik singing the lyrics with utmost serenity, as if he meant what he said. And he knew it was true. He could feel the love slipping out in his words.

Haa Hasi ban gaye,
Hai nami ban gaye,
Tum mere aasman,
Meri zameen...

Manik opened his eyes when he couldn't continue more. He kept the guitar down and leaned his head back on the swing and closed his eyes, letting the lone tear fell off his eyes.

He doesn't know what should he do. He is clueless. He is hurting. It hurts him even thinking that maybe, just maybe his love will always remain unrequited. It always breaks his heart, when he realises that maybe she won't ever love him. Her words from two days ago, keep roaming in his mind that she would never fall in love.

He know, he know he has no right to feel this. He knows, love should be selfless. He knows that love always doesn't mean a forever. But still it hurts. How should he make his heart understand this. How should he tell his heart that, the dream it is watching since childhood might remain a dream. How?

Manik snapped his eyes open when felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Shivay who was standing in front of him with worried face. Manik tried smiling at Shivay after wiping the tears off, but failed in his attempt. Shivay took a seat beside Manik and stayed silent for sometime.

"You love her alot, don't you?" Manik chuckled at Shivay's question which he felt is most frequently asked question to him.

"Tch, I don't think that what I feel for her, can be condensed to form a mere word called love." Shivay looked at Manik with amusement in his eyes and Manik gave him a smile.

"Hmm!! She must be quite beautiful, no?" Manik pursed his lips and looked at the stars with a small smile playing on his lips and exhaled deeply.

"I've never believed that beauty could exist in self destruction. Then I saw her. And her eyes told stories with dangerous beginnings and lost endings, where every page was breathing with color. Yes, she is beautiful to me."

"Woah!! Are you sure, you are twenty or something?" Manik chuckled at Shivay's words but Shivay was sitting as if he asked the most serious question. He could see the pure love in Manik's eyes. He wasn't even sure that he could define love and beauty so purely even at this age. He was amazed. But he could also see the chaos in Manik's eyes. He knew that something was wrong.

"So? She doesn't love you back?"

"She is too broken to love anyone back. I doubt she even love herself." Manik was staring at the stars recalling her words, the way she was doubting and questioning him that how can he love someone like her? Only if could tell her in words that how he sees her. For him, she was that flower which has drowned and re-blossomed many times, that he could smell the rain on her. Only if, words were enough.

"Then give her reasons Manik. Give her reasons to love you. Show her, that you are ready to pick up her broken pieces. Show her that, It isn't just about loving her simply, it's about teaching her that she didn't deserve what happened to her in the past. Respect her brokenness. I'm sure, She never wanted to meet someone who could put her back together. She must've learned to love herself the way she wished other people had. She learned to own the parts of herself she used to reject. She learned to have confidence in what is broken, not letting what could be missing in her life, define her. You don't have to save her. Instead, run your fingers along her sharp edges and show her it doesn't have to hurt. Show her someone who will stay, even when things are hard. Show her it doesn't matter what happened or with who, what matters is the two of you there right now. And from your words, I know she's worth the effort. Teach her that she can trust someone other than herself. Because up until now she must've been the number one person she can rely on. Teach her that not everyone will hurt her. Teach her that not everyone will leave. In return, she will doubt you. She'll question you and second-guess things. She will want more than anything to run the other way. Don't let her. The only reason she is running is because she wants to beat you to it. The only reason she's running is because she wants to look back and finally see someone chasing her. Because once she trusts you, she'll love you harder than you ever thought someone could. She'll redefine what you thought love meant. You'll meet her and you'll never be the same."

Manik was hearing Shivay with utter concentration. He was grasping his each word. He know that whatever Shivay was saying was true. He doesn't need to make her fall in love with him. He needs to show her that, his love is enough. He needs to show her that he is here to stay. He needs to show her that she deserves it. She deserves the love, in fact she deserves every happiness of the world.

While Shivay was saying everything whil staring at the oblivion. Unknown to himself, when he was talking, he could only imagine his sister. Oh how he wished that what his sister couldn't got from them, she gets someone who will cherish her, who will burn the whole world to keep her safe, something they as her brothers couldn't do. He knew Manik's love has that strength that it will pull out his The One from the darkness and he wished his sister could get someone like Manik, who will love her every broken piece and will heal her.

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"You think Manik is lying and he doesn't love you?" Nandini closed her eyes in dejection. Ishita could see the young girl fighting amongst her own brain and heart. She was shocked when Nandini told her that Manik confessed his love to her. Ishita has this inkling that these both are meant to be, but she never knew that Manik is already in love with her. She felt happy but sad too because Nandini wasn't able to grasp that fact that someone or say Manik can love her.

"I didn't say, he is lying Ishi Maa. I- How should I tell you? How- how can he love me Ishi Maa? No, that's not love. That can't be. And even if it is, I'm sure it will disappear the moment he knows about my past. After-all, who will love an impure girl like me right?" Nandini chuckled mirthlessly at the end making Ishita look at her with a dejected sigh. This girl as if love to demean herself, but she know it's not her fault even. Because it is society which loves to demean women, always!

"Don't you think it's not your place to decide that whatever he feels for you is not love? As far as I know him, he is not someone who says something which he doesn't mean. Trust me Nandu, I've seen pure adoration for you in that boy's eyes. I've seen him looking at you like yes, his world ends here, right around you. And the fact that he doesn't love Anahita any less, shows how pure he is." Nandini looked away and shaked her head in denial.

"I don't need it Ishi Maa. I don't need Love to save me." Ishita gave a smile to Nandini squeezing her hand.

"Love will not save you, bache. But it will hold your hand while you save yourself. And in a world that sometimes seems devoid of goodness, in a world that sometimes feels too heavy to bear. I think that is all we are really searching for. Someone by our side. Someone who grounds us. Someone who will quietly hug us for twenty minutes straight while we figure it all out. I think that is all anyone really needs. Someone who sees them. Someone who stays. And in your life, that someone is Manik. And it is only fair that you give him a chance.Say it an oldie's experience or whatever, that guy will cross all the boundaries and depths just to make you smile and feel loved. He will show you, that not everyone comes in your life to leave, Some Simply Stays. And Manik Malhotra is going to stay, Forever." Kissing Nandini's forehead Ishita stood up and left for her room leaving Nandini behind to keep pondering on her words.

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Hey!!!!!!

Soooo, how was the chapter?

I know, I know too much of sadness is going, but promise, next one or two chapters will be happy one.

Anyway, your thoughts on this chapter?

Which part you liked more-

Nandu- Ishita's convo or Manik- Shivay's.

What do you think will Manik do?

Will Nandini really give him a chance?

And anyone felt bad for Iti baby?

Next chapter will most probably also have ManIta moments 🥴

Do not forget to vote and comment or simply leave your reviews in my DM:)

Anyway, thank you all of you who understood my pov in the previous note and supported me. Beleive me, I too love writing this story but when the response decreases naa, I feel bad. So you keep giving good response and I'll keep giving good updates.

Next chapter - Next Sunday (will try to give soon though)

Precap- Check my Instagram, will be posting one or two precap-.

3451 words!

~A ♡