Iss Ishq Mein Marjawan (2~Manik Believes Fireflies?!)

Manik came to jail to meet Nandini. He saw that she was crying in her sleep and woke up suddenly. She got scared as he towered above her. ‘So? Had a good night sleep? Your morning didn’t end till now?’ He asked her and she was about to stand up from the floor but he held her shoulders stopping her. ‘No no, you keep sitting, take a deep breathe, huhhhhh, now let’s cut the crap and come to the point,’ he said and she rolled her eyes looking away. ‘I don’t want to hear anything, get lost,’ she said angrily.

‘Don’t forget that I am not less than anyone in anger,’ he shot back sitting beside her. He put his arm around her shoulders but she jerked it away and stood up. He too stood up and turned her towards him. ‘Why are you angry if someone has come to meet you when you’re lonely?’ he asked. ‘That’s because that mother of yours always says that keep your friends close and enemies closer, so you’re following her,’ she replied. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked. ‘What do I mean? I mean that you’re that mad dog who follows everyone’s orders and doesn’t have his own life.’

He looked down. ‘You’re a big mess. What do you have to do with me now? You got what you wanted, right? Putting Shivani’s sins on my head and then being happy with her. Wow! This was your love? She killed my chacha, he was like a father to me, my Rishab, he can’t speak and gets attacks and only I can calm him, but now I am not there for him, chachi must be worried, when I was going, they both were crying, but you, you’re a blo*dy monster, you go!’ she said shedding tears.

‘Nandini, please believe me, I love you and not Shivani, she’s just a..,’ he was cut in between. ‘Oh just shut up! Shut up! It would’ve better if you would’ve killed me than sending me here, was it so difficult? So difficult ha? After killing my chacha, you both didn’t got peace? You didn’t right? Then kill me Manik. Just kill me! Chop off my head, you know what? Do uncountable pieces of my body and eat it as you’re too much hungry,’ she said crying vigorously hitting him and punched her fist on the wall hurting it.

Khamoshiyan aawaaz hain
Tum sun’ne to aao kabhi
Chhukar tumhe khill jaayengi
Ghar inko bulaao kabhi
Beqarar hain baat karne ko
Kehne do inko zaraa..

Khamoshiyan.. teri meri khamoshiyan
Khamoshiyan.. lipti hui khamoshiyan

‘What the hell did you just do? And what did you say? Are you mad?’ he said holding her hand and she made him leave her hand and rubbed it all over his face reddening it completely. ‘You toh love me, now bear it,’ she said and coloured his hands in blood. ‘Go tell your family members that you’ve killed me. Show this as a proof. OK? Saala ghadda,’ she said angrily and he took her hand in his hand and tied his handkerchief on it. ‘Then tie this, because I hate weak enemies, bye baby,’ he said and went.

Kya uss gali mein kabhi tera jaana hua
Jahaan se zamaane ko guzre zamaana hua
Mera samay toh wahin pe hai thehra hua
Bataaun tumhe kya mere sath kya kya hua

Khamoshiyan.. teri meri khamoshiyan
Khamoshiyan.. lipti hui khamoshiyan

Nandini broke down. As Manik reached his house, he ran to his room and washed his face and hands trying to get rid of the stickiness of the dried blood. He remembered Nandini’s words.  ‘What do I mean? I mean that you’re that mad dog who follows everyone’s orders and doesn’t have his own life.’ He sighed and closed the door of the washroom. He banged his head on the wall several times, blood trickled down to his jawline and mixed with his tears.

Nadiya ka paani bhi khamosh behta yahaan
Khili chandani mein chhipi lakh khamoshiyan
Baarish ki boondon ki hoti kahaan hai zubaan
Sulagte dilon mein hai khamosh uthta dhuaan

Khamoshiyan.. teri meri khamoshiyan
Khamoshiyan.. lipti hui khamoshiyan

He wiped his tears soon enough washing his face and he got out of there. ‘You came? Did you meet Nandini?’ Shivani asked cupping his face. ‘Yes and believe me she’s in a very bad state,’ he said faking to be happy. ‘Oh really, thank you,’ she said caressing his hair from sides.

Her hand touched his wound, he hissed and she screamed seeing blood. ‘I hate blood, Manik I hate blood,’ she said almost shouting and he shut her mouth by his palm hugging her. ‘Bas Shivani, mummy ji will be scared seeing you like this,’ he said and moved his palm as soon as she was quiet. He looked at her face lovingly and kissed her forehead. Manik said in heart how should I tell you the truth? How should I break another heart? How should I just leave you behind when you’ve been what all I have always wanted? I am sorry Shivani.

He sat on the bed taking care of his own wound and took out a first aid kit. He recalled Nandini taking care of him whenever he got hurt but all Shivani does is scream. ‘How you got hurt?’ she asked resting her head on his shoulder. ‘Fell from my bike, by the way Shivani, you know what? I hurt Nandini today,’ he said faking hatred towards her. ‘How?’ she asked. ‘I took her fist in my hand and banged it on the wall hurting it and blood oozed out, maybe God gave me this punishment, who knows?’

‘Seriously? Haha! Oh and she must be crying after that,’ she replied. ‘Yes, nice guess, does she knows anything besides crying?’ he said with fake emotions and he laughed totally faking it and she too laughed. He stared at her face and had a strange feeling as he saw Nandini in her. Was he in love with Nandini? ‘Shivu, come let’s eat something,’ he said and she nodded. ‘You too come,’ she said. ‘You go. I will come,’ he said dressing his wound. She went. ‘I m damn sure Nandini haven’t eaten anything,’ he said to himself.

At night, as usual they drunk until they were high but little did Shivani know that the new morning will be for Nandini and not her. She slept before Manik and he stood at the balcony looking at the stars. ‘She always said that fireflies come when there’s true love, means the love between me and Shivani isn’t true but the love between me and her was true,’ he said and suddenly fireflies appeared. He smiled and got a jar to capture them. He watched as they got inside and he closed the lid. ‘Now you all will help me.’