MaNan ff: Tera Ban Gya ✔

Chapter 26

"Have some of these fritters, Neelam Ji." Sheetal urged while serving sago fritters along with some tea to Neelam who had visited Malhotra's in context to drop Nandini's check-up result reports.

Smiling generously, Neelam took one muttering "You didn't have to do so much of formalities, Sheetal Ji."

"Oh, come on! I was anyway going to fry some after Meera was back from her college. You know Meera loves sago fritters the most." Sheetal chuckled eyeing the report before her on the table "So, coming to the subject, everything is good with Nandini I hope?"

"I can't comment much on it, Sheetal Ji, as I hardly could get anything written on the report. But Sadhna said Nandu has to re-visit the doctor with the report to understand the terms precisely." Neelam smiled vividly, the underlying truth of Nandini's past miscarriage unknown to her biting her conscience for keeping Sheetal in her shadow.

"Well guess, that will have to wait as Manik and Nandini's flight is scheduled for tomorrow morning." Sheetal added while sipping her cup of tea when her attention was caught off-guarded by finding Manik marching his way inside the house with a worried Nandini and Meera- who seemed astray to her surroundings- walking on his trail.

"Look, children are back-" Neelam's glee came to an abrupt halt seeing Manik giving no heed to anyone and marching straight upwards which took her by surprise as she frowned turning her gaze towards her daughter "-is something wrong?" 

Trance-trained to where her son disappeared, Sheetal was quick to sniff the rigidity and stress in the air when her gaze craned towards a gloomy Meera who appeared oblivious to everything.

While for Nandini, could illustrate the pale appearance of her daughter-in-law who silently gesticulates for Neelam to leave at the moment.  

Considerable and a bit worried, Neelam left whilst praying to lord Shiva for her daughter and her married life.

"What happened, Nandini beta? Manik-" Sheetal asked softly, her eyes shifting between her and Meera "-seemed angry?"

"Maa, I-"

"Meera!" Eyes snapping upwards to the parapet of where stood Manik, his appearance terrifyingly forbearing, Meera trembled slightly, her hand suddenly attaining to grip her bhabhi's arm as soon she was summoned "In your room, now! Maa, you too."

"Manik-"

A glare from him was enough for Nandini to understand she was out of the discussion, as of now, as his fixated glower assured her she is next.

Sheetal couldn't understand if she should be disenchanted or disbelieving more after being informed of her daughter's deed "You..how could you, Meera? Is this why we have put our trust in you just for you to break it?"

Meera felt remorseful would be underestimated, as all she felt was a huge urge to shut herself alone, wanting to escape the numbness she felt inside, whereas Sheetal could see it all clearly "Say something?"

Having no word come from her, Sheetal took a vulnerable sigh, her gaze moving toward her son whose stupor stayed cast over his sister while being seated at the edge of the bed. 

The morning while answering some official emails he came across the one he received the day before from Meera's college.

He was worried at first to receive a notice as such regarding his sister. Therefore, the first thing he did was ring his wife whom he couldn't get in touch with, unfortunately.

Manik didn't want to fret Sheetal. Thus cancelling his next scheduled meetings, he rushed to the university only to be told that the counselling has been over and attended by Mrs Malhotra.