NEVER IN A FOREVER (Manan)

44

Nandini

“Manik?” I muttered innocently. He didn’t even budge. Giant man didn’t even bat a lash.

“We need to go, your appointment is soon” I said, getting up from the bed and adjusting my dupatta neatly on my shoulder.

Free advice. Whenever you get caught doing something, act like you didn’t know what happened or divert them.

Now that I don’t want my husband to realise what kind of a crazy human he married, I’m trying two of them to work.

“What?” He asked with a confused face, even though I could see a smile threatening to appear on his face.

Ways to get embarrassed Nandini.

“You need to get stitches on your hand, you bled too much” I answered, my mood falling down again as the morning thing repeated in my head again and my smile vanished. So did his smile.

God why us? It’s not even a week since we got married. And we are already having silent fights and too much hurt.

His face turned concerned one as he walked towards me, my knees gave up as I sat on bed with a thump.

“What’s wrong Nandini?” He asked, his uninjured palm coming towards my cheek and I flinched.

He looked hurt but he retracted his hand back.

“Nothing, you need to get first aid” I answered, not meeting his eyes. For a guy who knew how to handle panic attacks and nightmares, I’m sure he could read me enough now after seeing my parents and my ex.

“You didn’t eat breakfast, you are not even looking fine, something is bothering you” he muttered.

“I asked you the question already” I answered, getting tired of running my mind about something that I couldn’t get an answer about.

I felt him go still before he breathed out.

“What? Princess? Nandini that’s your imagination” he said softly and so sincerely that for a moment I thought he was telling the truth.

“Let’s go please, I don’t want to fight” I said with a sigh as I stood up, he moved a few steps back reluctantly giving me space as I grabbed his car keys that were on the nightstand and I walked out of the room without speaking anything.

He followed me two steps behind but his long legs ate away the distance fast, my mind still can’t stop running about the way everything was destroyed at night, his nightmare, and his behaviour this morning.

“Maa, please ask someone to clean the room” I told her as I met her in the living room.

“It will be cleaned by the evening, don’t worry” she said with a smile.

I nodded my head and informed that I’m taking Manik to the hospital. Didn’t tell her about therapy though, but looking at the way she was getting concerned, I think she knows what happened at Murthy mansion.

I bid her bye as Dhruv and Papa already left for their work and walked out of the main entrance. The car was already out of the garage as I took it out in the morning before taking my coffee.

“Give me the keys Nandini, I’ll drive” Manik’s voice from behind stopped me.

“I’m not letting you hurt your hand anymore” I replied, ignoring the pull from him as I opened the driver’s seat and adjusted the seat according to my size as he sighed and walked towards the passenger seat.

Better.

I sat on the seat comfortably and removed my sandals and rested my feet on the accelerator and brake as I turned on the engine and started driving.

The car roared into life as the guards opened the gate as they saw the car coming.

I need some pain to put my head out of the ‘princess’ and my foot injury is at its service luckily. No blood stains and I’ll be fine. I thought.

“Where is the hospital?” He asked.

Man, please be quiet if you don’t want me to burst on you. I don’t want to hurt you. I sighed.

“Khurrana hospitals” I muttered as I concentrated on driving.

He nodded  his head in reply.

“Take a nap Manik” I said as I saw him looking out of the window. He huffed at my ordering tone but I didn’t budge.

He groaned and closed his eyes, making me sigh in relief. That confirmed two things, he knew I realised he spoke about ‘princess’ and he would do anything to avoid the topic at this moment.

Then he better keep quiet forever because I’m not in a mood to let this go. How can he even think about another girl when he was having his wife beside him? That hurts. But then, I was having feelings for Madhyam when I was engaged to Manik.

But now I’m glad that wasn’t love, it was just infatuation and hormonal imbalance. I don’t know if I regret loving him, or the idea of loving him was it.

I shook my head. Concentrate Nandini, you can’t kill your husband and yourself in a car accident, remember you learned to drive long ago.

I frowned when I realised a pack of guards were behind us as I stopped the car at the red signal. Seriously?

So fictional-ish. I just signed my privacy away when I got married to Manik and it is about damn time I realise it.

I started the car again as the signal turned green, just ten minutes and we’ll be at the hospital, god just make sure Manik doesn’t have nightmares until then.

Something like green and pink light flashed in my mind that made me apply brakes with fear. I breathed out and blinked my eyes.

What the hell was that? I felt someone shaking me and it took me a moment to realise Manik was awake and the people behind me were honking their horns.

“Are you okay?” Manik asked, his face filled with concern and worry. He woke up? I let my eyes roam around him to make sure he is okay.

He had his seatbelt on luckily. Thank god. It’s okay, everything is okay. I lied to myself.

“Yeah” I replied unsure as I started to drive again, this time making sure I won’t think about anything else.