75• Coma?

Manik was seated, holding her hand, his eyes full of remorse locked on her, and with every breath, he prayed to God to wake her up.

"Just shut up, I don't fucking want to hear your voice." Flashes of his cruel behaviour were repeatedly flashing in front of his eyes, and he was drowning in the pool of guilt.

"Please wake up, slip your hands into my jacket pockets. I promise I'll never stop you from doing this. Please just wake up, I'm sorry." His chest became heavy with pain and guilt, and he apologised as he recalled how aggressively he was trying to take her hands out of his pockets, and she wasn't ready to give up on him.

"Please forgive me." He sobbed, burying his face in her hand.

When he raised his head from her hand after a few minutes, his eyes widened as they fell on a tattoo on the side of her ring finger; Manik's name was inked with a heart.

Fresh tears streamed down his cheeks, and a sob escaped from his mouth. He gazed at her with immense affection and guilt.

"How much you love me and what I did in my anger with you. " He uttered in pain and guilt.

Flashback

Manik was trying to wind up his work in the office because he wanted to go back home and meet his kiddo. He was engrossed in his laptop when his phone rang. When he saw her name flashing on the screen, he immediately picked up the phone with a smile on his face.

"Manik, when are you coming? I have a surprise for you. So come soon." She excitedly told him, caressing the tattoo with a smile on her face.

"You're making it more difficult for me to work in the office, Kiddo."

"So don't work in the office." She tittered after saying this.

"You know that if it wasn't so important, I would have stayed with you twenty-four hours."

"I know. Now, bye, because I don't want to disturb you more."

"See you soon, my love."

Flashback Over

'So about this surprise, she was talking about. She always thinks about me, and I always vent my anger at her.' He wondered, stroking the tattoo before leaning down and kissing it.

"I promise you, Kiddo. I'll do whatever you say. You wanted me to forgive my mother. I'll forgive her, but please just wake up. Give me one last chance please." He begged, staring at her with his sorrowful eyes. He was ready to do anything, but he just wanted her to come back.

***

The whole twenty-four hours, he spent begging her to wake up and apologising to her, sitting beside her, clasping her hand, but to his dismay, she didn't wake up. It seems as if God didn't want his punishment to end.

"I'm sorry, she has gone into a coma." As the Doctor informed Manik, Ethan and Ella, their hearts shattered. They were all standing outside of Nandini's room with their eyes filled with tears.

"Doctor, when will she get out of the Coma?" James asked the doctor.

"We can't say anything. It can take weeks, months, years or decades." After listening to his words, Ethan slumped on the chair which was kept outside, staring straight unbelievably.

"No, she has to wake up. She can't do this to me." Manik shook his head and murmured before dashing into her room.

"No, Kiddo, you can't do this to me. You have to wake up for me. Wake up, Kiddo." He screamed, shaking her by holding her arms after leaning over her. "Please wake up." He cried in agony, touching his face with hers. He was feeling like someone was ripping his heart out of him.

"Dad, please tell her to open her eyes, she will listen to you. You are her favourite, she will surely listen to you." He begged his father helplessly when he entered the room. His heart broke as he saw his son's miserable condition, and tears slipped down his cheeks mechanically.

"Dad, please tell her to wake up because she is upset with me because I yelled at her, which is why she isn't opening her eyes. Please Dad wake her up..." He kept asking James to wake her up like a crazy person. James sobbed as he hugged his broken son.

He cried fretfully in his arms as a baby cries in his father's arms. Remorse over what he had done in a fit of rage consumed him. In his anger, he ruined his fucking life. He lost his happiness, his love, the reasons for his breath, and his fucking everything because of him only. He was drowning in the pool of guilt and agony.

"Dad, I lost everything. I snatched my happiness, my world, with my own hands." He broke the hug and showed him his hands as the dreadful memories of that night flashed before his eyes. How she was pleading with him to slow down while he was furiously riding his bike, but he wasn't listening. He took away everything from himself because of his anger.

"My son, calm down. Don't give up. The doctor said that she would awaken. Still, there is some hope. Please maintain your fortitude." It was excruciatingly painful for him to see his son in this state, so he comforted him by putting his hand on his face.

"Dad, how can I stay strong when my kiddo is in this state? I'm losing my grip." He began crying once more as he stared at the lifeless soul on the bed. James closed his eyes dejectedly.

***

Ethan was lifelessly staring straight, sitting on the bench. The doctor's words were echoing in his ears. Ella closed her eyes and composed herself before sitting beside him.

As she engulfed him in her arms, he began whining like a baby, digging his face into her chest. "I want my sister back, Ella. I can't live without her. Please bring her back."

"Ethan, she'll wake up. We have to be strong. Please handle yourself." She consoled him, rubbing his back.

"I can't. It's difficult. I want my sister back." He cried hysterically, and she also cried with him. They had no clue when they would get their little bundle of joy.

After a few minutes, Ella and Ethan both stepped into Nandini's room. Manik was sitting, holding her hand and staring at her with profound sorrow in his eyes. James was sitting on the sofa.

Ethan's heart cried, seeing his sister's condition, and he lumbered towards her bed with a heavy heart.

"She's gonna be fine. She has to be fine for us, Manik." Ethan uttered, placing his hand on his shoulder.

He stood up and stared at Ethan with guilt in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ethan, I couldn't protect your sister. All this happened because of me." He apologised and whimpered, hugging Ethan.

"Don't blame yourself, Manik. This grief was written in our fate. It wasn't anybody's fault." Even in his worst condition, he tried to take away the guilt of his best friend.

"No, Ethan. It is all my fault. I'll never forgive myself." It was clearly visible how much guilt he was carrying in his heart.

Ethan broke the hug and yelled at him. "Shut up, Manik. Stop worsening this situation by blaming yourself. Please."

Manik cried miserably, closing his eyes and pursing his lips. "I can't help it, Ethan, I'm sorry. Everything is falling out of my hand like sand, and I'm trying but failing to grasp it." He spoke in a dejected tone after opening his eyes.

"She'll wake up, Manik. Everything is temporary, this bad time is also temporary, and it will pass. Happy days will come. Our happiness will come back." Ethan said the last line, staring at unconscious Nandini with hope in his eyes.

"You're right, Ethan. She'll wake up, and I won't leave her side until she wakes up." He leaned down and kissed her forehead while a lone tear rolled down his cheek, and they all stared at him with moist eyes.