(Nandini)
“No you can live with me in my house,” he said and I stood up stunned. “What?,” I said and he nodded. How will I live with him? OK I know he’s my friend but I can’t trust him so soon, I also have no other option, so I’ll have to do this. “What are friends for? If I don’t support you in your tough time, what kind of friend am I?”, he smiled. “No doc…uh Manik, I have no problem, but I just want to know if there’s a guest room in your house?,” I asked. “Yes there is a guest room but it’s not empty,” he said with a frown. “No problem, I will go to hotel and live there,” I said and turned to go. “Oh no no you can stay in my room,” he said and I looked back at him eyeing him sternly.
“I don’t mean that we will sleep on one bed, my room have a bunk bed, I will sleep on upper bed and you can sleep on lower bed,” he said. “No I can take upper bed,” I said. “You sure?,” he asked and I nodded. “OK so I will tell you the address,” he said and told me and I went bidding him bye and thanking him.
I reached his house and nervously went to the gate and rang the doorbell and a beautiful young woman opened the door. “Who are you?,” she asked. “I am Manik’s friend, I don’t have a place to live so he…,” before I could complete, she received a phone call. “One minute,” she said excusing herself and received the call. “Yes Manu, oh OK no problem, love you too,” she said and ended the call. “Come I will show you to your room,” she said and I followed her. We went upstairs and stopped at first room. “This is your room, if you have any problem then you can always tell me,” she said smiling at me, I nodded and she went.
I entered the room and saw a bunk bed, behind it were windows from where I can see beautiful view of the garden. On the wall there were two paintings of scenery and Manik’s pictures were there with that woman and a man. Happy family. Wait a second, I have seen his mom and dad somewhere before coming here but where? It didn’t matter.
I put my suitcase in the drawer below the bed and reached the upper bed by the ladder attached and sat on the bed. It felt really good to be on such a high bed but it didn’t felt good to not have family by my side, everyone left me. I am their daughter, they should’ve protected me but they threw me out to roam on the roads only to be saved by a doctor. If he wouldn’t have seen me, don’t know where would I’ve lived for that one and a half day.
Unknowingly a tear rolled down my cheek. I said I hate them but no I still love them, please come and take me in a warm hug, I feel lonely. More tears rolled down my cheek. I recalled everything, many flashes came of past life and disappeared, my mom making me eat and making me sleep, her love her care, then when she died, new woman came as my mom and she also loved me, that day when she neglected to trust me and papa too did same. Papa was also very possessive about me, don’t know why they did this to me.
I switched on the screen of my phone and went to gallery to camera album and looked at my photo with mumma.
By the way I have a step-brother too one year younger to me, he is named as Rishabh, he is a cutie pie and I love him a lot. He has gone abroad for studies and I haven’t talked to him since long. I dialed his number and he received it on third ring. “Nandini di, how’s you?,” he exclaimed happily and I got emotional hearing his voice. “I am fine, how are you?,” I asked sobbing. “Me too but why are you crying? Are you OK?,” he asked. “No I m not crying, I have flu, you concentrate on studies, I will talk later,” I cut the call and laid on the bed and drifted to sleep.
(Manik)
I came home around 8 pm and went straight to my room and saw Nandu asleep, God, you are really creative. I sat on the lower bed and removed my shoes and laid down. I heard sobs and got up and saw something moving from the corner of my eye. It was Nandini, oh God, is she having a panic attack? “Sir please leave me, mat karo, I can’t love you,” I heard her say this, she was sobbing.
“Please believe me, I m not lying,” she again sobbed. Then she went uncontrollable and I had no option but to climb to upper bed and calm her down. I climbed up and sat next to her and held her hand. “Nandini I believe you,” I said and she gripped my hand. I wiped her tears and covered her with blanket. Again she started panicking calling out for her parents and chachi.
I tried calming her but now it was difficult. She woke up and sat up with a jolt breathing heavily, I rubbed her back. “Don’t touch me,” she said jerking my hands. “Hey its me,” I said. “Don’t touch me please, mumma!,” she shouted. “Nandini, look I m here, he won’t come” I said holding her and made her lay. She sat up again and I had to climb down again. I took out an injection and filled medicine in it and checked if it came out. Then I climbed up again and rolled her sleeve up and injected her. She was shouting a lot and suddenly she fainted in my arms, her head was on my shoulder. I rubbed her back and made her lay on bed covering her with bedsheet. “I will heal you,I promise,” I said and climbed down again.