《Manan - Entangled》Part 26
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Nandini asked Harshad's dad why he married her mom and cheated her. Harshad's dad didn't see her as a threat to him, so he told Nandini the truth. Photos could be photoshopped and the certificates didn't have his real name, so she couldn't use it against him and do any harm to him.
Dad : "I was in a band which traveled from city to city and performed to earn a living. I had a family and my earnings weren't sufficient to make both ends meet. I met Meena (Nandini's mom) when our band was performing in her city. She was fascinated by my voice and she met me, and appreciated my talent. She used to attend our performances regularly."
Dad : "I came to know that Meena was very wealthy. She didn't have her parents or siblings. Moreover, she was a heart patient. What use would all that money be to her? I got an idea. Meena didn't know that I was married and I hid it from her."
Dad : "I made her fall for me thinking that I could convince her and get a large sum of money from her. But then I came to know that according to her parent's will, Meena could get full control over her wealth and property only after her marriage. I had put in a lot of effort and I didn't want it to go waste, so I married her."
Nandini : "You knew she was a heart patient and she needed money for medicines to survive, but still you took her entire property away from her .. Moreover, it is her wealth you wanted, you could have taken that and left. Why did you continue the relation and impregnate her? Giving birth only deteriorated her health further. You didn't love her, but don't you have any value for someone's life."
Dad : "Why would it matter to me if she is dead or alive? Whether it is her wealth or her beauty it wouldn't be of any use to her. She was bound to die sooner or later, so I made use of it. I didn't tell her to give birth to you, she chose to .. who knows you may not be my daughter after all. Who knows she might have slept with someone else and .."
Nandini curled her fingers together and used her fist to punch his face with all her might. Back then she wasn't weak, so it had hurt Harshad's dad badly.
Nandini : "You are like that, not my mom. You married my mom and cheated her as well as your wife. My mom's mistake was that she loved and trusted a cheat like you, and as a result she lost her life."
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Nandini : "A paternity test is sufficient to prove that I am your daughter, but I don't want a father like you. You are not a great man like my mom said, you are a devil who is responsible for her early demise. I am ashamed of myself for having spent my entire life searching for a cruel man like you."
With that Nandini took all her belongings and left from there.
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It wasn't only Nandini's image of her dad that had shattered that day, Harshad's image of his dad as his role model and hero had also come crashing down. He was in no mood to meet his dad, he too left from there immediately after Nandini.
Harshad's dad didn't realize that Harshad was there and had overheard their conversation. He was busy figuring out how to prevent the past from ruining his future.
Nandini always retorted when Harshad taunted her. His dad had done great injustice to her and her mom. He wanted to know what Nandini was planning to do because he was worried for his mom and sister. How would they react if they come to know about it? His mom considered her husband as god and his sister adored her dad.
Nandini went out of the hotel and looked for a secluded place in the garden and went towards it. Her eyes were filled with tears and she didn't notice the step in front of her and she tripped. Harshad who was following her held her from falling. Nandini thanked him without seeing who it was and went and sat in the secluded corner. Harshad joined her.
Nandini would have burst into tears, but she controlled herself after seeing Harshad next to her. He had never seen her like that so far and he knew the reason too. He passed his handkerchief to her without saying anything.
Nandini : "Something went into my eyes. .. What are you doing here?"
He didn't know how to start right away with what he had overheard, so
Harshad : "I wanted to talk to you about yesterday, so I followed you."
Nandini explained what happened the previous day. Both the incidents together felt too much to handle for Harshad at that time, so he thanked her and left. He could talk to her about the other matter at a later time. Harshad had taken a few steps, when Nandini's phone started ringing. She received the call and he stopped after knowing that it was from Arya.
Nandini : "How are you Arya? How is your uncle doing?"
Arya : "I am fine and he is feeling better. Are you alright? Why are you sounding so low?"
Nandini : "I am fine. You aren't here for company that's why I am sad, nothing else. So when are you coming back?"
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Nandini disconnected the call without sharing her sorrow with Arya because she didn't want him to get worried. She had controlled herself for too long, she covered her face and started crying uncontrollably.
If it was earlier, Harshad wouldn't have bothered about her, but now, he knew the truth. His dad hadn't accepted her, but it was clear that Nandini was his dad's daughter which also meant that she was his sister. Nandini had saved him from becoming a victim too and Arya also wasn't there to console her or provide moral support.
Harshad was used to taunting her, not consoling her. He hesitated at first, but then kept his hand on her head in an attempt to console her. Nandini lifted her head to see who it was, and tried to hide her tears.
Harshad : "You don't have to hide your tears. I followed you to the hotel room, and I overheard your conversation with him."
Nandini : "You were right. I was a big fool to think that my dad would be overjoyed to see me. Orphans like me can't be a symbol of love, we can only be born because of someone's greed or lust."
Harshad : "Don't say like that. So what if he doesn't love you, your mom probably loved you more than her life. That's why she gave birth to you in spite of knowing that her health will deteriorate. You went by your mom's words and she didn't know the truth, so neither is she at fault nor are you."
Harshad managed to console her though he himself was in a turmoil. He had thought of checking with Nandini as to what she was planning to do at a later time, but since he stayed back and she seemed a little better, he went ahead and asked her.
Harshad : "What are you planning to do with him?"
Nandini : "Nothing."
Harshad : "Why not?!"
Nandini : "What's the use, no one will benefit from it. Nothing is going to change for me. Mom left without knowing he is a cheat. In a way it was good, otherwise she would have had a heartbreak and died even more earlier. I came here looking for my dad but he turned out to be a devil. I don't have anything to do with him anymore."
Nandini : "If I do anything to him, it won't be only he who will suffer, his family also may suffer. It wouldn't be right to make them suffer for his deeds. If his family doesn't know about him, and I bring it up, it might break his wife's heart. It may affect his children too. I built castles in the air and it came crashing down. My life has already turned upside down, I don't want their lives to turn out like mine."
Harshad always felt that Nandini was trying to break others' relationships because she didn't have anyone. But she was thinking of the well-being of the family of the person who had ruined her as well as her mom's life. Nandini could have blackmailed his dad or she could have informed his family and broken his family easily if she wanted to, but she wasn't even thinking of it. Harshad's views of two people had changed that day - one was Nandini and the other was his dad.
Harshad : "The person you were talking to is my dad."
Nandini : "What?! .. Are you alright? .. I am sorry.. I didn't know.. I don't know what and all I said about him in my frustration.."
Harshad : "You didn't say anything wrong to apologize. He had to apologize, but he didn't. I am sorry for whatever you and your mom had to go through because of him, as well as for my past behavior towards you. I was wrong about you. You have a very big heart, if I were in your place I wouldn't have let him off the hook so easily."
Harshad : "You were right about his family being affected if they come to know about the truth. The image I had of him is shattered. I don't know whether to tell about this to my mom and sister or not. They both adore him a lot. I don't know how they will take it. It wouldn't be right to hide it, but if I tell them, our happy family won't remain so anymore."
Nandini : "Apart from us, no one else knows about it. I won't tell them or anyone else about it, you have my word. You are free to do whatever you think is right for your family. You know them well, if you feel they won't be able to handle it, then don't tell them about it."
Harshad hadn't made up his mind yet, but he felt that probably it would be better not to tell his family. He himself found it difficult to come in terms with his dad's misdeeds and Nandini, who he felt was mentally stronger when compared to his mom and sister, was also in a similar situation. Though Harshad and Nandini had disliked each other from the time they had met, they became each other's moral support at the time of their distress.
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