MaNan : Aching Smiles|| COMPLETED

4. Retorting the wrong?

~ Sometimes what seems the truth and what is the truth, are two different entities. Messed but different.~

Manik woke up the next morning, restless and with severe lower back pain. Groaning he sat up, his left hand rummaging through the side drawers for his painkillers. He swallowed two pills with water and opened his eyes properly to find the clock striking 10 am. Shit! He was late. Cursing he checked his phone for any important email or other notification, his breathing relaxed when he found none. Quickly he got ready and ran downstairs to find Pakhi sitting on her usual couch, editing some document.

" Maa, what's there for breakfast?", Manik called out to her, like every other day as he poured himself some juice and took a sip.

" Paccakes with syrup", Pakhi replied without looking at him and Manik though found it strange, didn't reply.

" Nandini made it, not me, so do not touch if you want to criticize it for that. There is bread and jam or nutella if you want", Pakhi spoke just before he could pick up a pancake and sarcasm dripped from her voice. Manik touched neither and walked towards his mother, sat down on his knees and rested his head on her lap.

"Maa!", His voice was fatigued, he didn't want to fight with the only women he loved beyond measures, the only women he had still been the same age old, naive Manik to.

" I don't like it Manik, the way you talk to her. You try to demean her every now and then. You don't recognize the efforts she puts for you....", Pakhi huffed and a chuckle escaped his lips.

" Yeah sure", he spoke under his breath, his eyes lost in a distant world, an unknwon yet familiar emotion passed his eyes but since he had dipped his face in her lap, she could not see them.

Ab dooriyan itni h toh,
milna yha kal ho na ho!
( Such is the vast sea of distance,
Who knows if we will meet or not)

"Manik! I am talking to you!", Pakhi chided again and Manik sighed before looking up in her eyes.

"Maa, I know you care for her, but I am not comfortable in her presence. Please maa, I won't say her anything. But keep her away from me, please", the note of desperation in his voice shook Pakhi.

"Manik beta, I thought you liked her!", She ruffled his hairs but Manik stiffened at her statement.

" You were wrong them. Her mere sight is enough to suffocate me maa, please don't make it more difficult for me. She is an outsider for me, let her be that until she is here", Manik rose to his feet, a soft moan escaped his lips due to the cramp in his back and was about to walk away when his eyes caught Nandini standing at the door of their house. She had returned back early since she had an meeting to attend at lunch, assisting her boss. Their eyes met, and a had a conversation of their own.

"Why Manik?"

"I wish I could answer"

"It is hurting me Manik"

" It is hurting me too, Nandini"

" Then why are you doing this Manik? Why are you pushing me away?"

Manik stole his gaze from her and walked away wearing his aviaters and Nandini stood watching him going, thinking if what she thought she saw in his eyes was the truth or a figment of her imagination because his words clearly opposed it.