(Manik)
“Don’t touch me please, mumma!,” she shouted and got uncontrollable. “Nandini, I am here na, no one will come,” I said holding her and made her lay. My heart sank as she was shivering alot. I climbed down the bed and mom came running. “What happened? Who screamed?,” she asked. “Mom, she is having panic attacks,” I said with a quiver in my voice filling medicine in the injection. “Mumma, papa, chachi, come back I need you,” Nandini shouted. I checked if the medicine came out of the injection and climbed to the upper bed. I rolled her sleeve and injected her, she fell unconscious in my arms. I rubbed her back and made her lay but she kept on muttering the same thing.

I don’t know what to do, if I call them now, she will become fine but when she will be conscious she won’t like their presence. I will manage her that time, right now I m calling them. I dialed the number and called on it, someone received it. “Hallo,” the person on the other end of the phone said. “Hello, Dr.Manik here, Nandini needs you all right now, can you come? I will message you address,” I said in a hurry. “Yeah OK we will come,” said the person and I disconnected the call. “Mom, you go, I will manage,” I said and she went.
I climbed down the upper bed and put some pillows on the floor one above another and stood on it, I picked Nandini and got down the pillows and made her lay on the lower bed. It was impossible to pick her and climb down the ladder. I moved away the pillow keeping them on their right place and sat by her side. I checked her heartbeat and temperature, her heartbeat was very fast and her temperature was also very high. She was too scared, even her hands were cold from tension.
Someone rung the doorbell and I went to open the door, it was Nandini’s parents and chachi, after seeing her father, I became damn sure that she’s the same Nandini I know. I moved back to let them in and closed the door and showed them to the room where Nandini was. They rushed inside and all started crying. “Nandu, my child wake up, we’re so sorry we trust you dear,” said her mother and held her cold hand. Her father sat down and kissed her forehead, her chachi was also very worried, she should’ve not left her. Nandini moved a little. “Mumma papa,” she muttered. “Yes we are with you,” said her mother and she opened her eyes.
She smiled at first but then she looked away. “Can you trust us once again? Forgive us, we understand what you feel,” said her father. “Go away, I don’t have any mother or father and I don’t have a chachi too,” she said teary eyed. “We understand we did a big mistake, but we are your parents,” said her mother. “You are not my parents, and specially not you because my mom is dead, Manik please tell them to go,” she said looking at me. “You need them,” I said but she cut me in between.
“Oh, I forgot its your house right? Keep them here, I will go,” she said and sat up. “No where will you go? You stay here, uncle, aunty, I m sorry but she’s in distress, I think its better if you go for now,” I said trying to be lenient to both, they went cryingly and only she and me were left in the room. “Nandini I called them because..,” she cut me in between showing her hand. “You have already done a lot for me, no need to explain, I will find a place to live for myself,” she said. “We’re friends, I won’t mind till whenever you want to stay you can stay,” I said.
“I am sorry you have to sacrifice your sleep for me,” she said and ate the pills which Dr.Cabir prescribed. “Don’t ever worry for anything, I m always there with you,” I said. “That’s what they said, but they too left me, good night, I won’t have nightmares now, you can sleep,” she said and slept. I have developed a different care for her, I will bring her smile back, I promise.
(Nandini)
Next morning, when I woke up, I got out of the bed and went out of the room opening the door and saw Manik sleeping with door support sitting on floor and as I opened the door fully he fell but I sat down, his head fell in my lap.
Don’t know why I did this, maybe because I want to pay back his favours. I touched his face and he woke up. “You were sleeping like this the whole night because of me, you shouldn’t have done this on first place, its your room not mine, you can sleep inside like i did,” I said and he sat up lifting his head from my lap. “I was just sitting thinking something, I should ask you why was my head in your lap?,” he asked with mischievous smile. I giggled a bit and it felt so good that someone can make me smile even when I don’t want to. “You fell and I didn’t wanted you to get hurt, that’s why I did so,” I said between my giggles.

He too giggled with me. “Oh God Nandini you are so cute,” he said pulling my cheeks lightly, his giggles turned into laughter and I got confused. “I am joking its ok,” he said and laughed, I also laughed with him. “By the way you should smile more often, you look cute,” he said and I smiled. “Bye I m going to hospital, see you soon,” he said. “Bye,” I replied smilingly.