Moreover this chapter is dedicated to suranjana_nandi for all possible love on the ff, it's almost as if she loves it so much she is marketing my story more than I myself am doing it 😂❤️ So a special thanks to you Suruu😘❤️

(Hoping you find a dialogue/quote for your next edit 🤪)

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Sonakshi let the fresh news sink in as a lone tear left her eye. It's true, you don't understand how much people mean to you until they are gone- Sonakshi realised it then. Her Ashok uncle had supported her since the day she started off with her practice, encouraged her, helped in every way, long before she became acquainted with Manik. 'Manik..how do I tell him?' she thought nervously as beads of perspiration formed on her forehead. She looked around her for a moment or two before leaving for her house. All she could think about was Manik- should she inform him? When? How? On text? On call? Or should see directly inform the police, and let Manik know through the news? She was confused, now more than ever. She didn't know what to do, only she knew how she managed to go to sleep that night, with so many questions flooding her brain it almost seemed impossible at first.

***

Sonakshi woke up the next morning and spent most of it procrastinating about texting Manik. After hours of contemplation, she finally gathered the courage to text Manik. She nervously picked up her phone and asked him to meet her. He agreed to meet at her 5:30. Sonakshi grew nervous by the hour, facing Manik would be difficult, and given his relationship with his father it was really tough to predict how he would react.

***

Manik greeted Sonakshi very cheerfully when they met. Sonakshi managed to force a smile as she greeted him back. She then looked at him nervously and grabbed his hand. She took a long breath and shut her eyes for a moment before she went on to tell him about how she continued to look for Ashok inspite of his firm decision. She told him about the notes and the secluded entrance and the high possibility of Ashok Malhotra being dead...she mentioned about the smell in the river and that she had found Ashok's watch where the sewer began. Manik heard her earnestly throughout, his emotions going from being tensed to completely inconsolable. He collapsed onto Sonakshi and began crying. Sonakshi thought to herself, 'Well maybe, Manik did miss his father, no matter what, he was his father at the end. Sonakshi let Manik hold on to her while he cried like a baby, she said nothing, because she knew he needed to let it out. After Manik had let his emotions out to his will, he slowly pulled away from Sonakshi. He then looked at her, his eyes reflecting weakness and pain since the first time Sonakshi had met him. After a moment of silence, Manik asked her, "What should I do now? Do I let my mother know? Inform the police?" Sonakshi softly replied, "What do YOU feel like doing?" "I don't know Sona... I don't..." "Think it through Manik, make this decision for yourself. I don't want to impose my opinion on you. Do what you feel like."Sonakshi suggested. Manik nodded and then hugged Sonakshi tightly. He held onto her for the longest time before finally parting away. He then said "happy endings either aren't actually happy or aren't actually endings, in real life, some things get better and some things get worse. And then eventually you die.I've learnt that." Sonakshi nodded in disagreement and corrected him, "You pick your endings and your beginnings, you get to pick the frame. Maybe you don't get to choose what's in the picture, but you get to choose the frame you know?" Manik smiled and said, "You always have a different,out of the box perspective, even for negative things." "I wouldn't want it the other way. Bye Manik, you need some time with yourself." Sonakshi replied. "Bye Sona."

***

After two to three days, in the morning Sonakshi woke up the news of Ashok Malhotra's body being discovered. A reporter said that authorities believe they've found Mr. Malhotra's body in the sewer tunnel, next to the site and that he likely died of exposure within a few days of his disappearance. The body was discovered after an anonymous tip.

Sonakshi then checked her phone to see if there was any text from Manik.

M: My mom and me agreed to inform the police.

S: That's good. I hope aunty is able to cope up with it. My heartiest condolences to both of you.

M: :) Meet me today. Need to tell you something. At 8. The golf course, under the stars just, how I like it. See you. ;)

S: See you.

***

Manik impatiently waited for Sonakshi at the golf course. He hated to break it to her, he wanted to spend most of his time with her today, he couldn't afford it otherwise. He was upset, scared- he couldn't afford to lose her, not now... But he had no other option... Life had to go on anyway.

He hugged Sonakshi tightly when she arrived. He signalled her to lay down besides him on the grass, and look at the stars. He then spoke, pointing at the stars "My father is one of those now." Sonakshi didn't say anything, she didn't know what to,a good listener was all he needed now. Manik reached for her hand and looked at her, "Sonakshi... My mom and me...we are moving to Delhi. We're flying out tomorrow... My mom's sister stays there, she needs the change of place...so do I." Sonakshi felt her heart break into pieces as Manik mentioned about leaving. She turned her face to the other side as tears filled the brim of her eyes. Manik got up and whispered, "Sona...no don't cry, please don't make this difficult for me..." Sonakshi got up and faced Manik, "Please stay." "I can't...I need it." Manik replied "I need you..." Sonakshi argued. "I'm there, I'm not leaving you Sona. Please just don't cry. Take my hand and look at the stars with me, stay by my side tonight. And enjoy each moment with me before I go. Please." Manik requested as he forwarded his hand. Sonakshi let out a few sobs before placing her hand into his.

They lay in silence for a long time before Sonakshi finally asked, "Anything special in the sky today?" Manik smiled and answered, "You can see Jupiter, partly. The one giving out a red light, that's it." He then added, "I wish I could stay in this moment forever, the stars, you and me- my happy place." She replied with a soft me too. They never really talked much or even looked at each other, but it didn't matter because they were looking at the same sky together that night.

Then Sonakshi looked at his face as she thought lying there, that she might love him for the rest of her life. They did love each other—maybe they never said it, and maybe love was never something they were in, but it was something they felt, something that grew amidst their comfortable silences, under the star lit sky, something they didn't need to express. She loved him, and she thought, maybe she will never see him again, and she'll be stuck missing him, and isn't that so terrible? Manik stared back at Sonakshi until he finally bent in to kiss her, first her forehead and then her lips. Sonakshi closed her eyes, letting him explore each corner of her mouth, not fighting back, just cherishing the tenderness of his kiss...maybe for the last time.

They pulled away and got up. They hugged each other as Manik whispered "Goodbye Sonakshi." "Goodbye Manik." Sonakshi replied...and thought to herself as they turned to leave, 'no one ever says goodbye unless they want to see you again.'

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NO JOOTA CHAPPAL EPILOGUE IS COMING STAY PATIENT PLEASE 😬❤️

AND ALSO PUT DOWN YOUR VIEWS ABOUT THE CHAPPYYYY 💃🥰