NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

42

Nandini

After going back to the guest room, I saw him still sleeping, thank god he is at least getting sleep after the nightmare.

After applying sindoor and drying my hair lightly, I thought of meeting mom but then I realised it’s just 5:30 AM.

Groaning, I grabbed my business management books and walked to the terrace after making a cup of coffee for myself and kept Manik’s mobile near him and took mine with me.

I love looking at sunrises and sunsets, it gives the hope that beginnings are always new and good, so are endings.

I had an urge to write something about this, about endings, to journal this so that I can save it for bad days.

I grabbed my pen and my journal that I brought with me and looked at the sun that was emerging slowly.

Because this isn’t the new beginning of sun for me, it was the ending of a night, ending of something that was hard, but it ended. That's what matters. And I started writing-

“End. Good things end, so do bad things. At a point in our life, one or the other thing keeps coming to an end and that’s nature. No matter what, we can’t stop that.

We can delay it for a while when it is time to end but it will still come to an end after that. Something that we can never have control over.

Cherish as much as memories you can before something beautiful ends. But if one beautiful thing coming to an end doesn’t mean the next thing is going to be a bad one.

A beautiful ending might be a beautiful beginning too.

The evening sky with pastel colours spread of yellow, orange, red, pink, lavender, purple disappear into dark blue that turns later into something more darker.

Black. But the magical thing is, the darkness helps to shine the moon and stars in it. Everything is beautiful in its own way.

You won’t see the stars and moon anymore when the sun rises, but they are always there. Just like memories.

Every ending is beautiful because it promises a new beginning. Just like life. It goes on, it doesn’t matter if it’s up or down, it will just go on.”

I smiled as the sun rose at the sametime and I didn’t notice that my hair was completely dry. I wrote the last thing that needed to be written- ‘Nandini Manik Malhotra.’

I closed the book and kept the coffee cup aside and started studying for sometime forgetting that I have a husband.

I looked at the time after a while and damn, it was 8:00 AM, I’ve been studying for an hour and half. I sighed and closed my book. Enough for today when I have a lot of things to worry over.

Sometimes, well most of the times when I have to study, like now, I always have the urge to quit studies and go get married, have a hot husband and make babies and live happily. I mentally cried because I couldn't do it.

Oh wait, I’m married- damn and I have a husband. A hot one at that. Oh wait, I have a husband. Oh shit my husband.

I grabbed my books, pen and coffee mug after keeping my mobile in my pocket and stepped down the terrace carefully making sure I won’t break any of my bones.

I huffed as I threw the books on our bed. Yeah, I literally threw them because man, they are heavy enough to fit as dumbbells and I’m not dumbledore.

Eh! pathetic joke I know, aah I thought to make a to-do list. Damn you Murthy, oh wait, you are Malhotra now. Whatever Nandini, get the hell up.

I groaned internally as I stood up from bed and walked to the guest room where Manik was sleeping. Awe he looks so cute.

I don’t have the heart to wake him up but I need to, this guy needs stitches, therapy, some patience and calm if possible.

I walked to the bed after shutting the door softly and sat beside him. I ran my fingers through his hair softly, so that I won’t scare him in the morning.

He muttered something inaudibly and I frowned. Before I could fathom what was happening, he lifted his head slightly and moved a little, keeping his head in my lap and hugged me by my waist.

And I stopped breathing and waking up or whatever I was doing. Someone tell me how to breathe. My heart fluttered at the way how comfortable he was for this.

“Keep doing it princess” he muttered slowly and my heart stopped, not in a good way for sure. Princess?

Who’s she? Is he thinking he is in his dream that doesn’t hold any meaning or he knew someone whom he called princess?

“Manik..” I felt my voice break.

“Princess?” I whispered and he stilled.

It felt like someone threw cold water on me and shoved an iron rod in my throat. Yeah, it burned and it hurts like heck.

His breathing wasn’t even and I knew he was awake. He did know someone whom he addressed as princess.

And I wasn’t burning with jealousy, I was just feeling my heart break into a million pieces in slow motion.

“Who’s that Manik?” I asked slowly, didn’t know if he could even hear me.

He unwrapped his hands around my waist slowly and I shut my eyes tightly, stop being a pathetic cry baby everytime Nandini, you are a woman now.

He woke up slowly and sat opposite to me, his eyes still a bit tired looking but I’m sure he was wide awake.

“Manik?” I called him and he snapped his head to me.

“Yeah?” He was asking casually, his one eyebrow raised and his face begging for some more sleep.

“Who is that?” I asked, my voice shook more than before and I hated myself for that.

He raised both his eyebrows like asking me who I was talking about.

“Princess?” I asked again, already hating that nickname for some reason.

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but good morning beautiful” he mumbled and kissed my forehead and got up without looking at me while I sat on bed like I don’t belong there anymore.