Chapter 18: Chapter 18

"Woo ....... Ummm ........ Karan" after wearing her clothes Alisha came out of the room and dared to talk with him. Her gaze was on the floor, she was scared and guilty but still satisfied with whatever she had done.

"Just get out" he was quite angry and she flinched at his tone. It was first time he showed his anger.

"Just listen to me once" she again tried her luck.

"Get outtt" this time Nandini also flinched at his tone, she never saw him this much angry in fact she never saw him getting angry. Having no other option Alisha left from there, she will talk with him later.

"Karan what happened in the past? ..... Why u said those things to him" Nandini followed him behind when he went to home bar in the living room.

"Nandini, not now ....... I am literally a mess" he tried not to sound irritated with her.

"So I am ...... And now u have already dragged me in ur family matter then I want to know whole truth" she understood his situation but she has also messed up with everything still she hold her pain back to know the truth.

"Karan" she asked timidly when he didn't replied. She also sat on the chair beside him.

"U want drink?" He asked sliding a glass towards her.

"At least one of us should be sane today" she pushed that glass back.

"We three were the siblings ..... We had parents .... We had money and all other luxurious things but we never had a normal family ...... My father nd mother used to fight every now and then, but still they were in limit ...... Father always had issues with Manik, idk why but he was always different with Manik ..... He used to scold him or punished him for very small small things and Manik was rebellious, he used to get angry and to vent out that anger he used to do the things which any sane child won't do".

"When in the childhood father taught me swimming I was very scared but Manik used to be so excited ...... Though father never taught him but eventually he learnt and became better swimmer for his age ...... Miya she was cute little devil, and she always wanted to do the things which Manik will do ...... Father always tried to keep her away from Manik but she is used get bored with me, because I was reserved nd scared kid ..... She always used to find ways to be with her Manik bhai ...... She also learnt swimming at the age of 4 ..... She was better than me but she wasn't best in swimming like Manik".

"They both used to love water bodies and that time we were enjoying holidays in our beach house ...... So she forced Manik to take her to beach, he denied first but finally accepted her request ...... I don't know what exactly happened there, no one knows except Manik ...... But he returned home alone, that day it was raining and she got lost in the deep ocean...... Father went mad and in anger he hitted Manik with his belt and he just screamed and screamed loudly for help but none helped him ..... Literally blood ooze out of his small body and father stopped ..... We all were in our grief so no one cared for him ...... Father was cabinet minister that time so he covered the case to save his reputation ..... After that mom nd dad started fighting on daily basis ...... I used to get scared and Manik went in depression he never came out of his room after that day ..... My father filled my ears saying Manik will hurt me too nd I got scared ..... He sent me away to my aunt's house in New York ...... And exactly after a year on Miya's first death anniversary I was informed that my mother died in fire and Manik was blamed for that ...... He was on every news channel, he was labelled as murderer and psycho child who killed his mother and stab knife in his father's abdomen in anger ..... He wasn't 18 so police sent him to remand home ..... This time father didn't saved Manik but covered the case by blaming him otherwise police must have taken him in custody for the enquiry of incident" he gulped down whole beer bottle at once.

"What actually happened there?" Nandini asked, whatever he told was so much for her to take but still she was hoping on him not to be murderer.

"My father never allowed me to come to India not even for my mother's funeral ..... In fact no one was there to perform last rites for her, Manik was sent to remand home, father was admitted in hospital and I was in New York ..... So police did that with all respect as she was a wife of cabinet minister".

"Last year I came here in India, I went to Punjab at my own house ...... Father was there he treated me with love and care, whenever I used to ask him about Manik, he always told me that Manik never came home, he doesn't want to be with us and he is murderer so I should stay away from him ....... I tried finding him in Punjab but I couldn't ....... So after few months at one night I came to home and saw my father enjoying with a younger woman, she must be 30 ...... That scene wasn't new for me but still I felt disgusted ..... My father was cabinet minister but after mother died he became chief minister in next election, he gain immense sympathy nd to maintain his good image he never married and told people he is there servent, he don't want distraction in his services and that worked on people too, they started praising him...... When that woman asked how many days I will stay with him to which he replied few days or months, and then she suddenly asked 'U have another son too, where is he now?' after hearing that question he went silent and I also stood there hiding myself from them. He was drunk so he spoke the truth.

"Last time I heard that little bastard is in Mumbai ..... U know when he turned 18 and remand home was about to release him that day media was very much active because he was my son ...... So before that I went there secretly and told him to leave punjab and never show his face to us ..... He was very silent he just gave me one silent look nd said nothing ...... Obviously he was angry and hurt as his mother died, that was accident because we were fighting nd I pushed her in fire and in defence she shoved knife in my stomach but I putted all the blame on him ...... I was cabinet minister and already I lost my family so I didn't wanted to lose my name nd fame ..... So I played the victim role and he was sent to prison ..... Even he deserved that because of him my daughter died, because of him my son was sent away and because of him we had fight nd his mother died ....... That filthy piece of shit is the reason why my family screwed up" he was drunk so he accepted all his sins and he was having proud smile on his face because he made Manik suffer.

"Then I jumped into the matter, he was shocked after seeing me there because he thought I am out with my friends. We both argued so much and eventually I lost my father too, not practically but I lost the all respect for that man. I broke all the ties with him and came here to find Manik ..... I found him in a month but he was completely different Manik, he pushed me away and never let me in ..... But I tried hard because I wanted to mend the mistakes which I haven't committed, I wanted my brother back but he grew so distant that he didn't cared at all ...... I was so persistent that he gave me chance to be his p.a. ..... Though he treated me like a stranger and never accepted me as his brother in front of others but I was happy to be with him ...... We are each other's only family so I wanted us to survive and stay together ...... He never discussed anything about our past, he behaved as if nothing happened and when I tried....... Nd now I lost that brother too" karan cried at the end and even she had tears in her eyes. All the past and recent happenings made him lose control over his emotions.

"It's okay ..... Shh" she gave him friendly hug. No matter how strong anyone behaves but at the end everyone has their weak point and for both the brothers their broken family is their weak point.

"I am sorry Nandini, I dragged u in our family matter ..... But I did this for my mother and sister ...... U lost ur job, I am sry ...... I am ready to take responsibility of it " he accepted his fault and said sry after breaking the hug .

"U don't need to ..... I know I am at fault too, so let it be ..... I will find a way ...... In fact I feel sorry for you, everyone from ur family suffered and not because of Manik but because of ur parents ..... And ur father is a real monster in Manik's life, now I know how much broken that child must be" pain was reflecting from her eyes when she spoke about Manik.

"He never felt loved and wanted" he said that to himself but she heard it and didn't say anything to him. His phone beeped with a msg. It was msg from Alisha she asked him to meet her, at least for once let her explain, he agreed to that because he thought they need closure. He offered a ride to Nandini because Manik went away taking his car.

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"Diyaa" as soon as Diya opened the door Nandini threw herself on Diya, and cried her heart out. Diya didn't knew what happened but she let her cry and kept caressing her back. After few minutes Nandini calmed down and told everything to Diya.

Diya just let her speak whatever she was feeling, she didn't judged her feelings, she just comforted Nandini because that was a need of situation. And friends are the place where u can share anything without fear of being judged.

After two hours they had their lunch in Diya's room and Nandini was sleeping by keeping her head on Diya's lap, her head was aching due to all the happenings in her life and Diya was giving her massage. Then Nandini's phone rang.

"Hello Nandini .....What happened to Manik? " Sandesh asked in fear dripping voice over the call.

"What do u mean ?" She got panicked and asked rapidly.

"He just reached home ...... Bonet of his car is harshly smashed and he is highly drunk ..... He was driving irrationally and even his steps were fumbling ..... He didn't let us come near him" whatever he described that scared her and she got up from bed hurriedly.

"He must have taken drugs or something .... Because he never gets drunk easily " she said instantly and started grabbing her things, while Diya stopped her by holding her hand.

"But what happened to him suddenly ? ...... He was okay in the morning, even he looked little bit happy" this question once again stabbed her heart, she also remembered small playful smile on his face in the morning.

"It's not time to explain ..... Just keep an eye on him" she said and disconnected the call immediately. She started going out of the room.

"What ? ..... Where ? " Diya stopped her by holding her purse.

"Sandesh called me ...... Manik is in very bad condition, his car is broken too " Diya just gawked at her, how this girl forgot her pain within a second.

"How u can be like this ? ...... Just now, some time back u were crying ..... U was hurt nd now ready to go back to the person who is the reason behind ur pain?" she questioned her.

"Let's just say my pain doesn't need pampering now ..... I don't have time to mourn over it and entirely blame him for everything " she just said the truth.

"No need of going ..... Call his brother or p.a. ...... They are there to care for him ..... U r not his driver anymore" Diya didn't liked the idea of Nandini going there.

She called Abhimanyu first but he didn't picked her call then she called Karan but when he received it, he was totally out of senses and was highly drunk, she assumed something might have happened between him nd Alisha.

"Sorry Diya I have to go" this angered Diya more, she always used to dislike Manik strongly and after she saw how Nandini was crying hysterically in the afternoon it broke her heart too. She don't want Nandini to get more hurt.

"Nandini u don't need to ..... Think about urself too, how many times u r going to hurt urself?" grabbing her shoulders Diya asked calmly but Nandini was determined.

"I don't think so love exists for a person who doesn't see beyond his/her own self ..... Self love is good but loving someone more than own self is not crime either" Nandini replied .

"And when nothing and no one matters other than that lover then it's a blind love" Diya said whatever she was feeling.

"He doesn't deserve you ..... U r way far from him ...... Why can't you get it ? ...... He is troublemaker ..... He makes everyone suffer for his mistakes" she added further in same pleading yet frustrated tone.

"Really? ...... How easily u can blame him for whatever happened ? ..... Don't ur heart pains for him....... All the time, if he do something or others do something, he is the one who gets to be blamed .... Why? " Her eyes got filled with tears and she gulped her saliva.

"Because he does the things which makes him siner" Diya said.

"Tell me why everyone is blaming him today? ...... I agree me nd Karan, we both did that with good intentions but none of us ever tried to understand him or his view on it ....... For god's sake they both were his family too, he was tagged as their murderer that too at very early age and even he was punished for that ..... Don't u think he might have some reasons for not doing that since ages, may be it scares him or reason can be anything...... But we just assumed it's better for him ....... And about his sleeping with Alisha then also he is not only person to be blamed ...... In fact he was always like this but she, Alisha was Karan's girlfriend ..... Wasn't she supposed to love Karan that much to not cheat on him ..... She always wanted Manik but everyone blamed him nd only him, why? ...... And he is the one who don't pretend things..... Whatever he is, he is real to us " she cried again in between her talks.

"How u can defend him ? ....... Ur love for him is becoming toxic for u" again she pointed finger at her love.

"I am stating the fact, Diya ....... He is a siner I accept that but others are also not saints ...... And how my love can be toxic? ...... When love is not bounded by anything then how it can be toxic ...... It's not needed to be labelled with such names ...... Love is love .... Selfish nd selfless at a times ....... Pure and untouched with dirt ...... Don't spoil it by giving names ..... Love is not toxic but people are ...... Love doesn't needs to be judged ..... I love him and yes my heart breaks zillions time when I see him in pain ..... When I see him struggling to trust others ..... When I see him finding pain motivating to a live a life" she became advocate of her love.

"Nandini ur love is pure but he doesn't deserve that" again she tried to make her understand and here Nandini is having hard time to make her understand.

"He is not product and I am not customer to buy him after knowing his features...... My love is my personal problem and not his ..... It's one sided ...... I don't know what he deserves or what he does ...... But let me be loyal to my love ..... I don't know how people can see their loved ones in pain .....Sry but I don't have strength to see him vulnerable nd broken" she protected her love from being judged.

"So u r going to hurt urself every fucking time, whenever he is vulnerable?" Diya was also worried for Nandini.

"I have fallen in love with his vulnerability yrs ago ...... The moment I have seen him being weak and helpless at that moment I have cared for his life more than mine ..... And that was the first time I have ever felt for someone ...... His doings hurts me, disgusts me but I never regretted loving him ...... Something in him holds my love" she also remembered the day when she fell in love with him.

"U r talking bullshit ..... U r sounding like u r his devotee and u don't have self respect at all ..... Where is feminist in you?" Now Nandini understood, Diya is stuck on this feminism part, which is stopping her from understanding Nandini's view.

"U know that how self respect is important to me ...... Loving someone senselessly, it doesn't makes me less of a girl ...... And what is feminism ?, To never put anyone ahead of u ? ...... Never love anyone other than ur own self ? ...... Sleeping with others just because he is doing that nd to show others that I am strong woman ...... Doing all the things which men can do ...... But I ask what is the need of feminism or menism ?...... At the first we all are humans ..... Can't we live like that ? .... Why can't one person respects nd treats other person equally for their choices irrespective of any gender ?...... What's the need of doing things to prove ourselves ? ..... Can't we do whatever we feel like doing then be it anything ...... And why to do everything which men can do, just to prove we are not less ? ...... God has made women's to do the things which men can't do, can't we cherish those special abilities of us? ...... Can't we treat person differently, and with respect for his or her real character? ...... Come out of such things which seperates human from men or women ...... I support humanity and I know how much hurt I am but I also know at which extent he can go so let me go, at least for the sake of humanity ?" For the last time very clearly and sternly she pleaded.

"I can never stop you" she uttered those words and Nandini left her house but not before giving her quick hug.

In the world of selfish people she loved him selflessly .

............End ...............||

If you found any mistake let me know .

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................ Aish ..................