82• Happiness

As always, Ethan cleared his throat to bring Manik and Nandini to the earth. They immediately pulled apart, and she sat beside him, blushing hard.

"Guys, I'm sorry, but I can't give you privacy for a few days, because my sister is waking up after a month. I want to spend time with her," Ethan said, approaching them, while Nandini's cheeks became scarlet like a tomato, and she dug her face into Manik's chest.

"We can completely understand you, Ethan, but please knock on the door before entering inside. I don't mind, but you can see the condition of your sister." He uttered, engulfing her in his protective arms.

Ethan sat on the bed with them. Nandini asked him after coming out of Manik's arms, "Where is Ella?"

"She has gone to the office. Actually, she was on leave for a few days. She will come to meet you at night." As Ethan told her, she nodded.

"Shit!" Suddenly Nandini shouted, and Ethan and Manik's brows furrowed in worry.

"What happened?" They anxiously asked her in unison.

"I missed college classes because of the coma. Next month there will be the exams. How will I prepare? I don't even have notes." She cried out.

"Nandini, don't bother about this. You'll manage it, and we're with you to help you in your studies." Ethan reassured her, blinking his eyes.

"Kiddo, don't take any stress about anything right now. It's a big relief that you're no longer in a coma. What if you." He closed his eyes dejectedly, wondering if she was still in a coma. For him, all the problems and sorrow paled in comparison to the joy of getting her back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you sad." She instantly apologised, noticing sadness on his face.

"Hey, don't be sorry, and I'm not sad. I'm so glad to get you back." He told her, clasping her face, smiling with utter contentment.

"Guys, I'll be back after some time. I have some work." Ethan excused himself, rising from the sofa. He was going to collect all the notes from Nandini's classmates to take away her sister's stress.

"Why?" Nandini asked, pouting at him, and Manik's brows arched dubiously.

"I'll be back in an hour." He kissed her forehead and dashed out of the room.

"Manik, wear your jacket." As she ordered him, his brows narrowed in confusion.

"What?"

"Wear it, please." As she implored, he smiled because he understood why she was asking him to wear the jacket.

"Okay, I'm wearing it." He got out of bed and pecked her lips, making her smile, before going to the closet to get his leather jacket.

She rose from the bed and lumbered towards him as he wore the jacket. Before he could turn towards her, she slipped her hands into his jacket pockets from behind and buried her face in his jacket. He closed his eyes and smiled in rapture. He missed this thing about his kiddo the most, and he felt as if he had gotten his life back after feeling her hands inside the pockets of his jacket.

Her smile broadened as he slipped his hands into his pockets as well and entwined his fingers with hers inside the pocket. For a few minutes, they both lost themselves entirely in each other, and their lips were drawn up in utter contentment.

***

Manik was walking in the garden with Nandini, holding her hand to open up her body.

"Nandini, Mom and Dad are coming to meet you." She came to a halt as Manik took her Mom's name.

"Mom?" She asked in disbelief.

"I told you that I have forgiven her." He told her.

"I know you're saying this for my happiness." She wasn't ready to believe it.

"No, Kiddo, I forgave her with my whole heart when I read your diary and got to know that she was compelled to leave me. You said right, if she had chosen me instead of herself, I would never have been happy, seeing her sad and longing for the love of her life the whole life." He explained to her.

She signed. "Wow, my diary did the most difficult work and saved my precious time." She giggled after saying this.

He beamed at her and pulled her cheeks. "My crazy kiddo." She laughed.

Her laughter gave immense solace to his soul. He held her chin, raised her face, bent down and pressed his lips against hers.

After the kiss, they started walking hand in hand again.

"You know, I decided to see Mom when you woke up because I know how much you've longed to reunite our family." He told her.

She squealed with joy. "I'm so happy. When are they coming?" She excitedly asked him.

"In the evening."

"Wow! I just can't wait. And I just can't believe that you forgave your mother. It's the best day of my life." She squealed with glee as she hugged him. She was on cloud nine because she was desperately looking forward to the day when Manik's family would be reunited.

***

They came back to the room and settled down on the sofa.

He took her hand in his and apologised. "Kiddo, I'm extremely sorry for yelling at you that night. I should have listened to you. You suffered so much because of my anger. I will-"

She uttered, cutting his words. "And you suffered more than me, Manik. Please don't blame yourself, it was written in our fate, but never ride a bike when you're angry." She warned him in a stern tone.

"Never, I promise." He shook his head and placed a soft kiss on her hand.

"Anyway, when are you going to take me for a bike ride?" As she questioned him, his hands began to tremble from the terror of riding the bike.

"I need to pee. I-I am just coming." He stood up and rushed to the washroom before she could notice that he wasn't fine.

'Why do I have the feeling he's hiding something from me?' She wondered.

"Nandini, just relax! Don't overthink it. Why would he hide anything from you when he promised to share everything with you no matter what?" She responded to herself.

She had complete faith in him and knew he would never break his vow, but she had no idea he was breaking it.

Nandini went to bed and lay down, feeling sluggish and tired again.

"How're you feeling, Sweetie?" Ethan asked her, stepping into the room.

"Sleepy and sleepy." She pouted sadly at him.

He chuckled and sat beside her. "I missed my adorable sister a lot." He clasped her hand and kissed her knuckles.

As he left her hand, his eyes fell on her tattoo. She noticed this and swiftly hid her hand inside the comforter because she knew he would scold her for having the tattoo.

"Show me your hand." He asked for her hand by holding out his hand to her.

"Why? Have you started palm reading?" She questioned and giggled, and Ethan shook his head in disbelief.

"Just show me your hand, Nandini." He ordered her in a stern tone, and she immediately placed her other hand on his. "Your other hand, Nandini." He said, irked.

"Okay." She finally took her hand out of the comforter and kept it in his hand.

First, he looked at her tattoo, and then he glared at her. She looked at him, pouting like an adorable baby.

"It's beautiful." As he praised her tattoo with a smile on his face, her eyes widened in surprise.

"Aren't you angry?"

"I was, but seeing Manik's name inked on your finger took away all my anger. I'm glad that you both love each other so much." As he said, she smiled.

Manik came out of the washroom after becoming normal.

As he approached them, Ethan uttered, "I'm jealous of you, Manik?" He teased him.

"Jealous of me? Why?" He asked, his brows narrowed in confusion.

Nandini showed Manik the tattoo by raising her index finger.

"Nandini inked your name, but not mine," Ethan uttered.

"Offo! Ethan, I'll have one more tattoo." As she spoke, they both sternly said in unison.

"No."

"Why?" She inquired, swaying her eyes from Manik to Ethan.

"We love the tattoo, but we can't let you hurt yourself again, Kiddo," Manik explained to her, taking her hand in his and stroking the tattoo.

"But for Ethan, Manik." She implored, batting her eyelashes at him. He shook his head with a grim look on his face.

"And I was just kidding, Nandini. I can never get jealous of him," Ethan told her.

"I know, but now I want to have it for you."

"Why are you so stubborn, Kiddo?" He questioned her.

"And why are you both so overprotective?" She questioned him back.

"Because we can't see you in pain, sweetie." Ethan softly said, placing his hand on her face.

"Okay, I won't have it." She agreed, smiling, and Ethan kissed her forehead.

"Manik, when are Mom and Dad coming?" She asked Manik.

"Mom and Dad?" Ethan questioned, staring at Manik.

"I have forgiven my Mom, Ethan." As he told Ethan, he made an O-shaped mouth and couldn't digest it.

"What? Seriously?" He questioned in a startling tone, and Manik nodded. Ethan simply hugged him because he was delighted for his best friend's family to be complete.

"And this miracle happened because of me." Nandini grinned and self-praised, pointing at herself, and they together kissed her cheeks, making her giggle.

"I'm feeling sleepy. When will they come?" She asked Manik again.

"Sleep, and don't worry, I'll wake you up when they arrive." He blinked at her before properly tucking her in the comforter.

"I forgot to tell you something," Ethan uttered, looking at Nandini.

"What?"

"Don't bother about the notes because I asked one of your classmates to mail you all the notes." She instantly sat up and hugged Ethan, grinning with glee.

"You're the best brother. I love you so much." She pulled apart and placed a kiss on his cheek. Manik just smiled at them.