Wounds remain. In time, the mind, protecting its sanity, covers them with scar tissue and the pain lessens. But it is never gone.

It wasn't difficult for her only but her family also. They can't see her like this. After they left the show site, Dhruv was driving with Abhi sitting beside him while the girls sat in the middle and MaNan with Cabir at the back. All were silent. They were finding words to pacify their backbone, their doll. Manik was looking at Nandini only with teary eyes who was shivering in his lap hiding her face on his bare chest as he had opened his shirt buttons for her knowing only his body warmth and heartbeats can keep her sane right now.

Gathering himself, Cabir kept his hand on Manik's shoulder and nodded towards Nandini asking permission to talk to her to which Manik immediately nodded looking at him with helpless teary eyes.

Nodding, Cabir slowly kept his brotherly hand on her head and said, "Nandu.!"

But her reaction shocked all of them as she jerked his hand and tried to bury herself in Manik mumble loudly, "Ma.. Mani... Manik!!"

Manik's heart cried and he immediately cupped her cheeks and tried to make her look into his eyes which she never met his eyes, "Haa.! Beta.! Look at me.!"

She nodded in no and whispered, "Don't hate me! Don't hate me.!"

"How can I hate you my life.! I love you.!", he kissed her hair as she was not ready to take her face out of his chest.

"Manik! We're leaving for Panchgani! Media is waiting outside our houses and even offices! I'll stop on the way! Change her into something comfortable and we'll change to our private bus! I've arranged everything !", Dhruv told as he turned toward the highway.

Manik nodded and looked at her who was sobbing silently. Mukti passed him a spare hoodie which they had in the trunk.

Sighing, he pulled her face out which was now burning with fever and turned red. She had her eyes closed though she was not sleeping.

"Jaan! Jaan! Open your eyes!", he whispers and kissed her eyes. She sobs and nodded in no.

"Ek baar! Meri jaan! You're burning! Look at your Manik!", he said and tried to part her away but her cry made him pull her into herself more. He sighed and whispered kissing her hairs, "How will I make you strong!"

"Manik change her into comfortable!", Mukti softly said as Nandini was still in her gown and Manik's blazer.

He looked at Nandini who was snuggling to him and was not ready to leave him, "Nhi Mukti! Let her be! I'll change her on the bus!"

"Toh sula dey! She has a fever! Let her mind rest!"

Nodding he caressed her hairs and whispered kneading her hairs, "So jao Jaan! Your Manik! Your family is with you! Sleep!"

She purred like a baby on his touch and closed her eyes which made others smile as they know it's too hard for her.

They stopped at a safe place and all went out covering the car with sheets so that he could change her while others waited for the private bus.

Inside Manik looked at his girl who was in deep sleep and without separating or disturbing her he changed her in a comfortable hoodie.

Soon their bus arrived and they all settled inside.

It wasn't a normal bus but a bus with a kitchen, beds and toilet. Fab5 has specially bought this bus for their unplanned trips.

All settled in the bus and rode towards their usual hideout place in Lavasa, a planned hill station in Maharashtra.

After 5 long silent hours, they reached their farmhouse.

This was the first ride when all was awake but still silent. Cabir was not using his witty comments, Mukti was not bullying Abhi with her tantrums, Alia was not checking blogs on fashion, Dhruv was not silently strumming his guitar, Abhi was not having a single wafer. And Manik.? Manik was not romancing with his lady love.

Why.?

Because all of their lives starts and ends with her. Nandini.

Their day brightens with her smile. Their night lightens with her smile.

Manik looked at her who was snuggling to his bare chest covered in his blazer and softly whispered as they have to get down and he knows the moment he'll get up she'll wake being startled, "Betu! Chanda! Wake up!"

"Carry her Manik! Mat uttha! Vaisey v she's burning!", Mukti whispered as she touched her forehead.

"Mukti!", he looked at her with teary eyes, "Meri jaan! It's 5 hours ki usney mera naam bulaya ho! Saas toh meri bahoon mey le rhi hai par mujhsey naazerin nhi mila rhi hai! Tuth jaunga main iskey bina! Tell her na! Baat krey mujhsey! Ek baar apna dard baatey mujhsey! Naazerin milaye mujhsey! Ek baar! Bas ek baar! Main sameith lunga issey! Par dard sey bikrey toh! Main chupa lunga issey par darey toh! Main haasa dunga ussey par roye toh! Main apna bana lunga ussey par kaid sey nikley toh! Main nhi rah paunga aisey! Do something!", he cried kissing her hair.

Mukti cried looking at him. Cabir came to them and said keeping his hand on his shoulder, "It's not the time to cry Manik! She's broken! Don't wait for the time so that you can med her!! Start mending her! Only your love can bring her back!"

Manik nodded and carried her inside.

After 2 hours she opened her eyes and looked around. She was in their farmhouse sleeping in their room where they have shared many passionate and pure nights. She slowly woke up and looked for Manik. Hearing voices from Mukti's room she went there and stood outside.

All were tensed she can feel it.

"This should not have happened! No! This is so wrong!", She heard Manik's voice as he punched the wall nearby in anger.

"Manik! Calm down! You can't lose your shits! It's not the time! Right now, we all should concentrate on Nandini!", Dhruv said as he took him in a most needed hug.

"Guys! But what about the media?", Abhi asked worriedly.

"What about him, Abhi? It's their work to make a hill out of a mole! They'll shut once they get another news!", Navya replied.

"They will but right now not only they are demeaning Nandini but Fab5 also especially Manik! Your performance which was planned last minute is adding spices to their stories! In fact, some of the rival business partners of Fab5 business industry are mocking at us! And these pictures! Even after everyone took Nandini's pictures it is everywhere! Social media to websites! It will take hours and days to take all these pictures down properly!", he blurted out everything without thinking about the situations of two hearts who were burning for each other, without each other.

Nandini lowered her head in her failure. This was not how she had planned her Manik's, her family's future. She knows the struggle, hard work, dedication they did to reach where they are right now but one mistake of her drowned everything. His business rivals who could never raise a finger on him because of his perfection are not mocking at him and his pride. She could see his painful eyes which were cast down. Why? Because of her! Yes, because of her.

This pain is more than any pain. She will not let this happen. No, at least not till she's breathing.

She looked at his face which had pain, disappointed.

Gulping the sob which was about to escape from her throat, she turned and ran towards the terrace.

She knows what she was doing is not right but what is happening because of her was also wrong. All she could remember was his eyes which never had this failure and disappointment that she saw today.

She stood at the railing of the terrace. A chuckle escapes as she remembers their moment but it turned to sob as his defeated face came in front of eyes.

Closing her eyes, she stepped her foot keeping it in the air.

Before her other foot stepped forward someone pulled her back.

One moment she felt everything was going to end another moment someone pulled her in a warm embrace and she heard the heartbeats which were thumping hard in that embrace.

She knows the heartbeats.

It's him!

Her Manik!

Then it struck her!

She opened her eyes as she realized what she was going to do.

This?

Suicide??

When and how did this thought come across her mind?

What was she going to do?

She looked at his face and met his eyes.

He broke the hug and before she could register anything she felt his fingerprints imprinted on her cheek.

She looked at him in shock. Did he slap her? Her Manik slapped her?

She felt her family, her friends separating them as Cabir shouted, "Have you lost it, Manik? Why did you slap her?"

But Manik was only looking at her. She could see the anger, the pain, the disappointment, the failure in his eyes.

He took a step towards Nandini again but their friends hold him.

"Dur rah ussey!", Abhi shouted holding him.

"Dur! Yeah, right! I should stay away!", Manik shouted looking at her face, "Because this girl standing in front of me is not my wife! She's not my Nandini! And most importantly, she is not my pride! This girl whom you guys are looking at is my failure! She's my disappointment! She's a shame on us, on ME!"

"Manik!", All cried in shock. And she! She looked at his face as if she's dead.

What she as about to do has not sacred her but his words poured acid on her heart.

"You know what Nandini?", he continued with a smile on his face, "Today, you proved what the media, my rivals and everyone out there is saying is actually correct! Nandini!", he hissed in pain, "You failed me! Failed me! Su-- suicide? This is how it was going to end? You are not my Nandini! You're not my baby!", he shouted, "Suna na tumney! You are not!"

He turned his back towards and cried keeping his hands on his knees to calm himself but nothing could calm him.

The thought of losing her is so scary that it sent shivers to every cell.

What if he had not felt her presence back then? What if he hadn't followed his instinct and searched her? What if he was late? What if he hadn't been there?

All the what-ifs were making him crazy. He turned towards her again and found his shivering, crying mess in Mukti's hug.

Looking at her, he asked letting out all his pain, "Why? Where did my love fail?"

She looked at him crying and whispered, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

Her sorry instigated him more. Sorry? That fucking word is easy that our loved ones make blunders in their life and utter it as if it'll change the things.

He looked at her and left the place as the terrace filled with her cries.

Cabir and Mukti followed him while Navya and Abhi took her downstairs with Dhruv and Alya behind them.

"Manik! Manik, listen! Stop Manik!", Mukti shouted and ran behind him.

Cabir ran fastly and closed his car's door before he could step inside the car.

"Kya kar rha? Ussey jaru'rat hai teri!", he said.

"Issi wajah sey jaa rha hun! Ussey jaru'rat hai meri!", Manik answered as tears made its way from his eyes.

"Dur chala jayega toh kaisey shambhalega ussey, Manik?", Mukti asked crying.

He chuckled and said, "Kabhi kabhi duriyan yeh logo ko jaru'rato ka ahsaas dilati hai! Aur jiski hum baat kar rhe hai na wo meri Nandini hai! Monster Manik lite version guys! Ussey meri tarah hi pehly ultey khayaal fir sahi rasta dikhta hai! Aur jab ahsaas hoga toh dekhna wo sab sahi kar degi!"

All three of them chuckled when Mukti said, "Tujhey haath nahi utana chaiye tha Manik!"

"Biwi hai meri! Haq hai mera uss par! Hum dono mey koi bhi galat hoga toh dusrey ko sahi rastey par laney ka farz hai humara! Aur tumhey kya lagta hai wo badla nahi legi? Of course legi!", he said.

"Chalo at least tu toh hassa! Warna after that incident--", Cabir said with teary eyes.

"Cabir! There's some loophole! Models ka suddenly mana karna! And sirf Nandii k saath hona! I'm happy that nothing bad happened with anyone else but my love's culprit is going to face me. I'm not gonna leave anyone who's behind this!", Manik said.

"You're right! I think we should look from the start!", he suggested.

Nodding Manik said, " Now let me go! I've other matters to handle! But do not tell about my whereabouts to Nandini and Navya too. That chatterbox can't stop her mouth!", he sat in his car and drove away.

Looking at his fading view Mukti said, "He's going to punish himself!"

Cabir nodded and replied, "Slapping Nandini was acid to the wounds which were fresh!"

"Nandini k aiyeappa, kyu apni Nandini k saath aisa kar raho ho aap?"

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