Hold On My Heart (Complete)

Manik’s POV

I came out of the room; I couldn’t breathe. No— I was crying. I needed air. I stepped outside the house.

How could this happen? I still can’t believe it. How will I handle this? Arghhhh!

“Manik?” I turned around, hearing her voice.
“What are you doing? Hey… you’re crying?” she asked. I quickly wiped my tears.

“No, Nandini. Why would I cry?”

“No, Manik, you’re crying. Tell me what happened.” She held my face in her hands.

“Nothing, my love. I’m fine. I’m just stressed, don’t worry. You go and change—you must be hungry, right? We’ll eat together,” I said.

“Are you sure you’re alright?” she asked. I kissed her hands and nodded.

“I’ll just come,” she said and left.

I went back inside and saw Abhi sitting on the couch, using his phone, while Mukti sat beside him watching TV.

“How can you sit so calmly, Abhi?” I shouted.

“What happened, Manik?” Mukti asked.

“How are you so calm, as if nothing has happened?” I was angry.

“Calm down, Manik. Watch your tone!” he said.

“After what you told me? You’re still asking me to watch my tone?”

“What happened? Manik, come sit. Let’s talk calmly,” Mukti said.

“Stay away from this, Mukti. You don’t know anything, so please.”

“Manik, it’s an old thing—it’s been five fucking years,” he shouted back.

“So… so what? You can’t forget. Whether it’s five years or five days, you can’t forget, damn it! You’re so shameless, dude.”

Nandini’s POV

I came out of the room, hearing the shouting, to see Manik and Abhi arguing.
Mukti was trying to intervene but failing.

“Manik! Watch your tongue!”

“What if I don’t?”

“Manik,” I called.

“Nandini, you go to your room.” I was scared. I had never seen him so angry.

“Why are you fighting, Manik? What happened? Please tell me… You’re scaring me.” Tears welled up in my eyes.

“My love, it’s nothing. Don’t tense yourself. Come, let’s go to the room,” he said, taking me upstairs.

Once inside, he sat on the bed, holding his head. I sat in front of him, holding his hands.

“Manik, you know you can share everything with me, right?” I asked.

“I know, Nandini. But trust me, it’s nothing. I’m just angry with him about some work issue,” he said. But I wasn’t satisfied with his answer.

“As you say,” I replied.

“You go and change. Then we’ll go for dinner, okay?” he said, and I nodded.

I took my clothes from the wardrobe and went to the bathroom. After taking a shower and changing, I came out—but he wasn’t there.

“Manik?” I looked out on the balcony, but he wasn’t there. I checked downstairs, then the study room, but he was nowhere.

He left the house?

“Mukti, have you seen Manik?” I asked. She shook her head.

I returned to my room, picked up my phone, and tried calling him—but his phone was on the bed. That’s when my eyes fell on a paper underneath it. I picked it up and started reading: