"How is your office going?"

Cabir asks in a baritone voice after not getting any response to his previous words. However, Nandini again remains adrift in her thoughts, doodling on her plate. For a while, Cabir minutely observes his sister and takes a piece of apple to forward it in front of her mouth. At last Nandini's trance breaks and she startles to lift up her face. Her expression is atypical as well as mousy.

"Thought to bring back some memories. Do you remember how you used to feed me when I used to become upset about Ajja's (Grandfather in Kannada) strictness? I often used to shut myself in the small storeroom of our terrace and you used to plead for hours sitting outside of the room. But at last, I had to surrender in front of your perseverance."

Cabir says in a heavy voice seems that suddenly he opens the closed door of his memories. A smile creeps on Nandini's lips. She takes a bite of the apple from his hand.

"After that, you used to lure me with my favourite Payasam and I used to give up."

Cabir grins while wobbles his head in affection.

"But when you used to feed me I always would vent out my frustration and tell you about Ajja's wrong decisions, about his over austerity and you would try to pacify my bitterness towards him. It was you, because of whom I perhaps didn't leave him."

The bitterness and disappointment are still lucid in his voice. Nandini takes the last bite from his hands.

"You are still mad at him...right Bhai? I agree that at some point he was over strict and possessive about us but maybe that time when our parents died at our tender age, it was a bit necessary. How could we forget that he protected us from the harsh world which could have destroyed us at that vulnerable stage? How could you maintain our Murthy Creation without his guidance and how could I achieve my goals if you were not there with me? So indirectly he also guided me to achieve my dreams."

Nandini nods with a bright smile drives him to shed his frown. Cabir pours some juice in the glass and gives it to Nandini.

"Your nature to justify him is still appreciable Nandi but in one thing he was right. He was right about HER. I wish I didn't defy his decision at that matter."

His tone abruptly deepens indicating his remorse. Nandini notices and immediately tries to light up the topic.

"First of all, stop calling me Nandi, Bhai...It sounds like I am a bull...Nandi Bull...you know the sacred mount of Lord Shiva. But not for me...it's ridiculous. Why don't you call me Nandu as our parents and Ajja used to call?"

She whines with affection. Cabir chuckles to hear her complaints.

"Because you are special to me. How can I call you by a name which is already used several times by others? It should be unique and weird just like you."

His eyes beam with a naughty smile. Relief floods through her. At last. her brother won't start his day with the bitter memory of HER. To continue the light mood she rolls her eyes.

"I am weird?...This is not fair Bhai..."

She again mewls.

"Of course you are...otherwise you would have told me about your days at ELYSIAN. You were supposed to hire someone as the chief architect and some days back there was the interview....right? So what happened? Have you selected anyone?"

Cabir's words push her back to the thought she was lost in some time ago. Nandini gives a pale smile. Manik's face and words start pulsating in her mind. All of a sudden, perhaps to rescue her from the discussion, her mobile rang. An unknown number flashes on the screen. If it is some other time, she would have cut the call. But now she has to divert her mind and the topic.

"Hello, who is this?"

She tries to quell her rising heartbeat. The answer furrows her brows. She springs up from her seat making Cabir perplexed.

"What Nandi?...anything serious? In the office?....should I come?"

He keeps on demanding answers.

"Bhai, I have to go...I will call you later...I have no time right now..."

Nandini somehow utters. Her eyes prick with tears. She turns her face to hide and propels herself towards the front door on her shaking limbs.

.......................................................

I am searching for the socks sitting on the sofa. It is again late and today is the last date of approving the final design of that over-experimental client. I curve my lips in peeve. All of a sudden a slender hand comes in front of my eyes holding a pair of socks. I lift my face smiling at the figure.

"What is this?"

Sometimes I intentionally ask these stupid questions to my sister just to communicate with her as much as possible. Because after that incident she hardly communicates with others with her words rather always prefers to indicate the things with her eyes or fingers, just like small babies do. As anticipated she indicates my bare feet through her eyes. She looks adorable in these times. I can't help but smile.

"What is in my feet?"

I purposely fake indifference. But she is as stubborn as me. She kneels down in front of me and tries to pull my leg on her lap, trying to slip the sock. I immediately hold her hand and make her sit beside me.

"Navya, how will it work sis? Dr especially has told you to speak to others. Otherwise, your improvement will be delayed. Are you a baby that you always communicate with hand or eye gesture?"

My tone somehow has some urge which makes her look at me.

"Where is my baby, Bhai? He said that he will come with toys and chocolate for my baby. Did he come?"

Her words again push me to a never-ending topic. I close my eyes, controlling my pique.

"Who is he? Whom are you talking about? Tell me the name...I will get him to you...who is that man?"

I again take a chance but she keeps on looking at me with vacant eyes. I sigh in despair and get up to leave. When I am on the threshold a line startles me to turn back.

"I will not tell anyone or else Ajja will never let him come to me."

...........................................................

The words are still resonating in my ears. Who is this Ajja? But I didn't get any answer from Navya despite kept on asking the question again and again. It seems like she seals her lips after that abrupt revelation. But I will not stop here. After a long time, a flint of hope is there...I will not let it faint. All these thoughts are spiralling in my mind. I step on the road...unmindfully cross the path...totally oblivious about that the signal is already green. Suddenly something hits my back and I crash on the road, flinching...I am feeling giddy...there are so many voices, muddling...though I try, I can't open my eyes...there are a lot of darkness, hushed words in the gloom....I prefer to sink in darkness...Ahhhh....peace. My eyes slowly shut...a faint voice comes from a distance.

"Dial... the last.... number... of his call history...."

I can remember...it's Nandini's number....

"Will she come?...."

My subconscious questions for the last time before I drown in the darkness.

............................................

I open the car door with a jerk. My limbs are shivering with an unknown fear.

"City Hospital...quick..."

I command the driver by anyhow. The caller said that he is unconscious.

"I don't know anything about his family. How can I inform them? But it's necessary."

I quickly calculate.

"You can find it out in his CV. He must have his address in it."

My smart inner Goddess suggests. I immediately call Ayesha.

"Mail me Mr Manik's CV...and by the way...I will be late today, so cancel my all appointments scheduled in the morning."

I order her professionally. Within a second my mailbox pings with a new message. I open it. He has his address. But it is some Mukti Vardhan's address.

"Who is she?...."

My brows furrow.

"Maam...we reached..."

The driver breaks my train of thoughts. I get down and rush to the emergency. As I enter, the strong smell of disinfectant invades my unwilling nostrils. I just hate this smell. It makes me numb and weak. Waving away the unpleasant feeling I take a deep breath and propel myself forward to the reception desk on my shaking limbs.

"An accident case...some Rajen Sharma called me that he admitted someone here around half an hour back. Where is he?"

I ask with a nervous tone. The receptionist checks the register and tells me that Rajen Sharma already left after admitting Manik but she tells me the bed number and orders a ward boy to usher me to there. I follow him with a spiked heartbeat. I don't know why is this beating so fast? Within a couple of minutes, we enter a room, having three beds. Two are empty while one has a person lying motionlessly. I approach with baby steps like the slightest sound can disturb him. He is lying folding his hands on his chest. It is rising up and down with slow rhythm. A bandage is neatly tied on his head. I rove my eyes on the rest of the body and exhale a sigh of relief. He doesn't have any other plaster or bandage in any other part of his body. I smoothly pull the stool and sit when an unclear muttering catches my attention.

"Will... you come...Nan...dini?"

Author's note: Plz do inline comments. 🙏🙏🙏The lines in bold and Italic are the thoughts of the characters. Be positive and keep hope. We will overcome this dark phase too.🤞🤞🤞♥️♥️♥️