MaNan ff: Tera Ban Gya ✔

Chapter 20

Caught in the act, her state unnerved and startled, glancing once over her shoulder Sheetal turned her eyes over Nandini, who stood mystified by the door staring vigilantly at the person who has this lazy leer on his bedraggled sunken face.

"It's been a while hasn't it, Gudiya?"

Visibly astound by the man who she never thought to come across again, let alone catch him meeting with her mother-in-law, Nandini turned her gaze at Sheetal who simply shielded her from Manav's heinous gaze while muttering to him "Leave."

Moving his attention indolently back to Sheetal, he merely let out a suspire "Seems like I'm not even invited in my own home."

A lot of escapades ran into her memory making Nandini slightly shake from inside.

Manav is a piece of bad history for her.

And having him return only made her recall the past however she let no terror reflect even when he peeked at her with a bone-chilling smile "Give my blessings to my son."

Stiffening at his wrinkling smile, his eyes still trained at her frozen state, Nandini finally let out an awaited breath as soon as he pivoted over to limp his way out of their abode.

A moment later, sitting on the bed of her mother-in-law's room Nandini stared at Sheetal while she took her time to form her words "I ran into...Manav a week ago when I was visiting Iskcon temple."

Dumbfounded by her, her eyes widening slightly, Nandini contemplate Sheetal speechlessly while Sheetal closed her eyes shut before looking down at her palm "He is staying there as a refugee...and also breathing his last stage of leukaemia."

Not feeling any bit of sympathy for the man who is the reason behind the cause of her man's past miseries, Nandini stared back at her mother blankly, her fist clenching over the bedsheet with anticipation "What does he want now after everything? Has he not had enough after spoiling our lives?"

Scoffing solemnly, Sheetal exclaimed almost clenching her jaw, "He wants to repent his past deeds. Says, he is now aware of his mistake and..."

"And?"

"-And wants to meet...Manik to settle his conscience."

"Maa!!" Gasping out in astonishment, Nandini withered in fury "How...how could he even--"

"-But I bribed him with some... money." Sheetal enunciate intending to calm her down howbeit it instead made Nandini perturbed as she stared at her mother-in-law in complete bafflement "Maa!"

Shaking her head in hopelessness, Sheetal reasoned "This is the only way I could keep him away from my child's reach, Nandini."

"But Maa, Manik?" Nandini dwelled on, her eyes flickering and wavering in sheer anxiety as she deduced almost breathlessly "No matter what the reason is, Manik will be enraged if he comes to know you were seeing him behind his back. And now even I am aware of it."

"Nandini. Beta, listen." Reaching out for her hand, her blood cold while Nandini's trembling, Sheetal demanded, her voice hesitating and strained "Come what may, Manik should not know about it. Neither we are to discuss on it henceforth."

"Maa, but I-"

"-promise me." Apprehensive with Sheetal's pessimistic behest, Nandini fell into the dilemma while Sheetal urged pressing on her hand gently "Beta?"

A loop of past expedites in her brain makes her reminiscent of all the downfalls she along with him have faced due to the said person.

Manik loathed their wedding because of him.