A Journey from Rejection to Forever

Chapter 8

“Cities were always like people, showing their varying personalities to the traveler. Depending on the city and on the traveler, there might begin a mutual love, or dislike, friendship, or enmity. Where one city will rise a certain individual to glory, it will destroy another who is not suited to its personality. Only through travel can we know where we belong or not, where we are loved and where we are rejected.”

― Roman Payne, Cities & Countries

Love. Depending on who you ask, it's a many splendored thing or it's all you need and sometimes it's even a battlefield. Love is a beautiful thing in every form. It feels amazing to give love and to receive love. Life may be plain and simple but the love you have for your partner will never be ordinary. Nothing can ever make you stop loving your partner. No matter what they do. Accept the truest form of love and understand how amazing it feels to be in love.

R O S E W O O D

Only Manik knew how he was feeling when Shree said about Nandini. Seeing her running away like that, Manik knew something is wrong but he didn’t know what. But now he knew and he was stunned. It felt someone has crushed all his hope and threw it away. Just like Shree, he was also shocked as he never thought that anyone can ever reject him. He had never felt any rejection like this before. He didn’t know what to say at that moment. He was actually blank.

It did surely hurt his ego…..

But more than that for the first time in life he had felt something like that seeing someone. He can't explain the intensity when he sees her in front of his eyes. He had felt something which he never felt before. He didn’t know how to face it now.

Akash and Shree looked at Manik being worried. They didn’t know what to say. They were not ready for something like this. Actually it was out of their thought.

“Manik? Are you okay?” Akash asked placing his hand on Manik’s shoulder after a long pause. He didn't find anything else to ask apart from this.

Manik nodded with a smile. “Of course. What will happen to me? I am totally okay." Manik took a pause and again started. "Leave me alone for a while, I need sometime to clear my head. Don't worry, I will be okay.” He assured them.

They were about to say something but Manik didn’t give them any chance to do so and walked away from there. Akash and Shree were still standing at the same place looking at Manik's retreating figure. They stared at each other face and left a breath. They couldn't do anything.

N A N D I N I

Being a girl is never easy. If you born in a conservative family, then it will make things more difficult for you. Things will turn worse. You have to let go most of the things, you will dream off or want in your life. It's never easy. Mom says women are stronger than men that's why only they can be mother and bear the pain of giving birth to a child. That's why may be we can face and handle other things too.

I have always stayed away from boys around me. I also never tried to mingle with the boys of my class. Because I don’t want to be in any kind of intimate relationship. Because I know my parents, I know my family. I know how much conservative they are. If they get any hint of this even a little bit, I can’t imagine what they will do to me. They are the reason I tried to hide the feeling which suddenly appeared in my heart. For MANIK.

Manik….

He is no doubt a charming man. He is the guy of every girl’s dream as much as I have seen till now. I also felt something seeing him. Something unfamiliar. He made me feel something which I never felt before. In these days, I have realized that it was not a mere attraction or infatuation which will vanish with time. If it was attraction, then I would have forgotten him when he was not in front of me. But he is always there in mind. He is never leaving.

I tried a lot. I tried hard to get him out of my mind but everytime I failed. It feels like he has made his permanent place there. We never met face to face neither we have ever talked to each other still he has managed to keep his effect on me.

I know I can’t have any kind of feelings not only for Manik but also for anyone else. My family won’t accept it ever. They will make me forget him more precisely leave him or throw him out of my life anyhow. I am scared of my father. I have never denied it. He is really strict and no one in my home has the guts to talk in front of him. Everyone is scared of him.

Today Shree told me, her friend has some feelings for me. I would have been happy, if it was Manik even if I can't reciprocate in that. For a moment, I had thought that it will be him only. I was flying at first thinking about that. But later at that very moment, it hit me that how can he like me? He has so many beautiful girls around him. How can he notice me leaving all of them? There is no way Manik has any idea of my existence.

Then I realized her another friend is Akash and my best friend is in love with him. I can never accept this proposal even if they never get into a relationship. Moreover, I don’t think, I will ever be able to be in a relationship. I don’t have the courage.

When Shree said me about her friend having feelings about me, I was not able to gather proper words to say something to her. It actually came like a shock to me. All this was so sudden for me. I didn’t know how that line escaped from my mouth but I didn’t realize that then. I thought about it later.

After I came back from canteen, I was not able to concentrate on anything. I was all restless and worked up. Tirtha noticed that. She asked me so many times that what’s wrong with me but I couldn’t say anything. I didn't know how to say things to her. I was feeling guilty. At first I thought of telling her about my encounter with Shree but I couldn’t. Something was stopping me. I also knew it will hurt her so I thought of telling her later.

Right now I am sleeping on my bed and it’s late night but still I am not able to forget all this. Things have changed so much around me since I have been here in Dehradhun. I don’t know where it will lead me at the end of this.

I just hope everything goes well.

E N D O F N A N D I N I’ S P O V

M A N I K

I have always believed in love. Maybe because it's in my genes. I have seen my parents being in love all their life even though I was quite young when my father had died. But I can still see how much my mother loves him. Even now. She is living with his memories when she had option of getting married once again. Seeing them, I have also somewhere thought of being in love.

Today was supposed to be the most memorable day of my life. Indeed it is still memorable but in a different way. For the first time in my whole life, I felt something different for a girl. It’s something which I never felt before. For the first time in life, someone made my heart flutter with her mere presence. For the first time, seeing someone in front of my eyes, I felt I need her in my life.

I was so excited about Nandini. I never thought that I will be rejected like this. There will be someone who can reject me. It was something new. I felt, if she doesn't accept the direct proposal, then at least she will take sometime. Then we can at least get to know each other. But nothing like this haooened. She directly said 'she hates the word love.' Seriously?

But it did hurt me. My ego was hurt more.

Right now I don’t know what to do and how to face it. I have never gone through something like this. So, I was doing in which I am good at. Hitting the ball with my bat with all my strength. It always helps me to calm down my anger. But today it was also not helping me. I don’t know for long how I was doing this. I was sweating like hell still I was not ready to stop. I kept hitting the ball till my hand started paining.

I didn’t notice that bhai was standing there watching me but he didn’t interrupt me in between. He took his seat beside me when I sat there being all drained out. My face was all red which was hidden behind my palms. I was breathing heavily trying to calm my nerves.

Bhai forwarded me a towel and a water bottle when I noticed him. I looked at his face who was already smiling at me. He gestured me to take the towel and wipe my sweats. I didn’t try to ague with him nor I did ever. That's simply not my thing.

We both sat there quietly for a long time before bhai finally decided to break the silence. “I won’t ask you why you are so angry today. What must have happened. Because I know the reason must be really big else you would not have behaved this way. But let me tell you, you won’t gain anything with this anger. It will only ruin things. If you want it, then work hard for it and be patience. Try harder and if it’s meant to be yours, then it will be yours at the end.

Life is not easy, Manik. You have to work hard to gain everything here. You have to learn how to face failures. You can’t always be angry any let out your anger like this. Because anger is the biggest enemy of anyone and it will lead you to your ruin. I am sure you don’t want that. Manik, life is not as you see it. It’s much more difficult than what you think of it.

Try harder, Manik. Don’t let your hope down. If you like it, then you have to cross all the extent to have it in your life.”

I heard everything carefully. I didn’t say anything to bhai but still he managed to solve my problem. That’s how he is. I don’t need to tell him anything. He already understands it all and asks me to do what’s the right thing to do. I don’t know what I would have done without him.

“Thank you, bhai.” I said and hugged him.

I heard him chuckling. He broke the hug.

“Now go and freshen up. You are stinking.” Bhai said to tease me.

I nodded and went to my room.

Nandini Basu…..

I won’t let you go so easily. I will make sure that you reciprocate to my feelings and you hate the word love, right? I will make you fall for it as well. I have loved someone for the very first time and I won’t let my story remain incomplete. I will fulfill it.

Be ready to fall in love with Manik Malhotra, Nandini Basu.

E N D O F M A N I K’ S P O V

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