Days passed in a blur. Manik and Nandini never met after their chance encounter at the hospital. Manik was getting restless day by day. His heart couldn't tolerate that fact that she was so close to him and yet so far. Nandini's condition wasn't any different. It was now a routine for her to cry herself to sleep. Navya and Arohi were trying their level best to cheer her up. Navya had come to meet Nandini as soon as she heard about her return. After giving Nandini an earful she had finally given in to her best friend's puppy dog eyes. Navya filled her on everything she had missed in the past few years - Dhruv& Aliya, Alya's pregnancy, herself and Cabir, her son Ayush, Mukthi and her NGO works...she purposefuly left Manik out of it.

It was four days since Nandini's return. At night Arohi yet again heard her muffled sobs. All these days she had pretended not to hear it giving her some privacy but she couldn't take it anymore.

"Di?" she asked in a soft voice.

Nandini quickly wiped her tears and replied in a distraught voice. "Hmmm?"

"Aap teeek ho?"(Are you alright?)

" Haan haan main teek hoon. Bas kisi ki yaad aa rahi thi"(Yeah.. I'm fine. I was just thinking about someone) Nandini said not meeting her eyes.

"Di, Maa kehthi hain ki dukh baantne se kam ho jaata hain. Aap meri behen ho na. Behenein toh aapne saari dukh dard aur secrets ek dusre se share karthe hain. Aap bhi apni problems mere saath share kar sakthi hain. Agar aap mujhe apni behen maanthi ho toh." (Sis, Mom says sorrow can be lessened if you share them. You are my sister right? Sisters share everything with each other. You can share your feelings with me too. If you consider me your sister that is. ) Arohi said knowing very well that she had hit a soft spot.

Nandini felt guilty. She didn't want to hurt her. In the past few she had come to mean a lot to her. " kaisi baatein kar rahi hain tu. Of course you are my sister."(What are you talking about. Of course you are my sister)

" toh phir bataayiye na"(Then just say na)

Nandini felt herself getting emotionally blackmailed into saying things that she had kept bottled up inside her. She gave a deep sigh. Arohi's determined eyes told her that there was no way of this. So, woh bataane lagi, her love story of how the firefly fell in love with the star. Arohi already knew most of it from her diary. She made a mental note of everything she had missed.

Nandini felt herself in a trance. She was reliving her past, all her inhibitions flew out of the window when all the emotions began clouding her brain.

"Phir woh din aaya..."(Then that day came...) she stopped abruptly. Arohi was all ears, she gently nudged her to continue.

Nandini closed her eyes. All the events of that dreadful day began flashing through her mind.

5 years back

12th November

Mumbai

Aiyappa! This guy will be the death of me. Arae maafi maagne ka yeh bhi koi thareeka hain?(Is this the way to ask for forgiveness?)He actually kidnapped me for crying out loud. Isse toh main aaj chodungi nahin.'(I'm not going to spare him this time.) Nandini thought puffing up her face and glaring at Manik. Not that she wasn't finding his antics cute, but she'd rather die than accept it.

Manik gave her his signature smirk that would make any girl's heart melt.' Nandu...aaj toh main tumhe manaker hi rahunga.(Nandu I'll make forgive me no matter what) Let's see how long you can resist my charms' he thought.

Nandini heard a music playing somewhere nearby. Before she could make out what was going on she felt herself being pulled into his arms. She glared at him and pushed him away only to be twirled back into his arms. She felt his divine voice fill her senses.

Tu ne duayen suni...

Dil ki sada yeh suni...

Tujh se mein mangu aur kya...

Tujh bin adhura hoon mein...

Tere sang pura hoon mein'...

kartha hoon tera shukriyaa..

Nandini felt herself drown in his eyes. He was holding her close with his hands around her waist and hers on his shoulders...

Kaise kahooon...kaise kahoon..

Kaise kahoon lamhe mujhe choo rahe hain.

Eisa lage hain inme tera hi toh ehsaas hain

Kaise kahoon dil mein nayi aahateenn hain

Aisa laga hain inmein tera hi toh ehsas hain

Manik and Nandini stood swaying with the song, all steps forgotten. They were in their own little heaven...

Tum mile toh mere dil gaya

Tum mile toh sab kuch mil gaya

Tum mile toh logon se kya vaastha...

Tum mile..toh jaadu chaa gaya...

Tum mile toh jeen aagaya...

Tum mile...toh maine paya hain khuda...

Nandini felt her heart beat faster. She let go a shuddering breath she had no idea that she was holding. Manik was totally lost in her. His hands tightened around her waist. Nandini's hands slowly wrapped itself around his neck. She closed her eyes when she felt him leaning towards her. Everything was perfect at that moment but...

Nandini felt him lean on her a bit too much. Before she could understand what was going on, Manik fell unconscious. He was also running a high fever. Nandini tried desperately to wake him up fighting her tears and her building hysteria. She somehow pulled herself together and managed to get him to the hospital.

The rest of fab 5 soon arrived. Everyone were worried sick. Nandini was desperately praying to her Aiyappa, tears flowing down her cheeks endlessly. Just then the doctor came.

"Dekhiye. Manik's condition kafi critical hain. The infection from his wound has spread to his brain. He has a brain abcess and needs surgery immediately. As fast as possible you have to take him to a hospital with a neurosurgeon. Our surgeon here is on leave. I'm sorry."

" But this the best hospital in Mumbai where else are we supposed to take him?" Cabir asked worried.

" Dr. Sinha, who is an expert neurosurgeon is working at Hearbeat hospital at Delhi. You've to take him there within the next 6 hrs. we can hold him up till then"

Everyone were worried. How were they supposed to take Manik to Delhi in such a short time? Cabir had asked Nyonika for help but she had rudely cut the call saying that she had an important meeting.

Nandini couldn't take it anymore. She promised herself that she would never let anything happen to him. chahe mujhe kuch bhi karna pade.' She left the hospital with fierce determination in her eyes.

Few minutes later she found herself barging into Nyonika's chamber. Nyonika glared at her irritated at her interruption.

" Excuse me. I'm a bit busy right now" she said in a frosty polite voice. She said pointing to a person with whom she was discussing about a contract.

Nandini sneered at her. "Yeah I'm sure it's more important than your son's life"

Nyonika didn't want her potential client to get a bad impression of her so she excused herself to talk with Nandini .

"How dare you insult me like that ?!" Nyonika burst at her once they were alone.

"aapse fight karne keliye mere pas wakth nahi hain." (I don't have time to fight with you) Nandini said. " you've to help Manik. He is at the hospital. He is dying" Nandini's voice broke at the end.

Nyonika watched her with her cold calculating eyes. " And why should I do that?"

" because he is your SON" Nandini spat in disgust.

"hmm...not good enough." Nyonika said with a sneer. Nandini couldn't believe someone could be so cold and heartless. She was becoming more and more desperate with every passing second.

" pls...please. I'll do anything. Pls just get him to Delhi. Please main kuch bhi karne keliye taiyyar hoon." She said breaking down completely.

"Now that's what I call a deal" Nyonika said all smug.

Nyonika had then made her promise that she would leave Manik forever in exchange for his life. She even made arrangments to get her to London. She warned her that if she ever try to get back together with Manik, she had her own ways to stop her. Nyonika wanted Nandini out of his life.

Nandini felt numb. Destiny had twisted her life up cruelly. Only thing that kept her going was that Manik was safe.

Pyaar bhi kitni ajeeb cheez hain na. Jithna hum uss se dur bhago utna woh pas aajatha hain. Lekin jab pas aana chaho toh duriyaan bada dethi hain.(Love is a strange thing. The more we run away from it the more closer it gets but the moment you go towards it it slips far away from your reach)

...

Arohi's eyes were filled with tears when she heard her story. That night Arohi took a decision. She was going to bring Manan back together no matter what. Next morning after a relentless search she found out the phone no of Malhothra mansion.

Arohi was fiercly loyal and protective of her loved ones. So she took a bold step praying to her Ramji.

She dialed the number and heard the bell ringing, her nervousness increasing with every passing second.

" Hello" A female voice answered from the other end.

" Hello. Ji, kya main Mr.Manik Malhothra se baat kar sakthi hoon?"(Hello. Can I speak with Mr. Manik Malhothra.?)she asked

'hai Ramji, yeh main kya kar rahin hoon. Mera pura bharosa aap par hain. Pls koi gadbad mat hone dena'(Oh god! What am I doing?! All my faith is in you. Please let there be no trouble.) she prayed in her mind.

Ab Ramji kya khel khelne wala hain in sab ke beech... woh toh hum aage dekhenge(Now let's see what God has to contribute to this twisted tale) ...

Jab hum kisi cheez ko dil se chaho toh puure kaynath hamain uuse milane ki koshish main lag jathi hain. Toh phir Arohi ke sache dil se maangi dua kaisi adhuri rah sakthi hain?(When we really want something with our heart the entire universe will conspire to help you achieve it. Then how can Arohi's heartfelt and innocent wish remain unfulfilled?)

...

Yeah...I copied the last line from om shanthi om. How was it ? Do comment guys..