Nandini threw her bag on the table and plopped herself onto her bed. She had just returned from Harshad's house after bumping into Manik again.
"Urrggh I just hate this monster. Why is he always in my face wherever I go. He thinks he can scare me with his big talks, I...". Just then her eyes went wide as she saw Manik standing in front of her. "You!" she stood up yelling in disbelief. "What are you doing here?!" He stared at her with a smirk and began to move his legs towards her direction, while she began to take her steps back until she hit the wall. Manik continued to walk towards her until his face was just a few inches away from hers, that she could feel his warm breath brushing her cheek. He slowly lifted his hand and caressed her cheek. Nandini felt her heart beat had just stopped.
Manik on the other hand was playing his guitar when suddenly the flashbacks of how he pulled Nandini towards him began to invade his mind. He stopped playing and placed his guitar down. What was happening to him? Why is he thinking about this trouble now? He brushed his hand through his hair and lay on the grass gazing at the sky. "This girl is trouble." He mumbled to himself. Suddenly he remembered the storeroom incident when both of them were locked inside. The way she started screaming and running around as soon as she saw the rat. A small smile appeared on his lips as he remembered it. Oh how beautiful and innocent she looked that night. The way she held on to him as he was helping her get down. Her face was glowing even though the place was absorbed by darkness.
Just then reality hit him and he noticed what he was doing. He angrily clutched on the grass beside him and ripped it out of its roots. "What the hell is wrong with me?" He mumbled with frustration and headed towards his room.
Nandini was working on her homework when her phone started to ring. She picked it up with a smile after identifying it from Navya.
"Hello Navya?"
"He...Hello."
"Hello Navya, what's wrong with your voice and what's that loud music. Where are you?"
Nayva began to laugh hysterically and then she started to cry. "Nan..Nandini my heart broke today." Har...Harshad broke... my heart. He said he ... He doesn't love me." She continued to cry through the phone.
"Navya it's ok calm down. Just tell me where you are."
"I don't' know where I am." She continued blabbering something and Nandini couldn't' understand what exactly she was saying. After a couple of minutes of blabbering, Navya hung up.
"Oh god I have to know where she is. She might hurt herself" Just then she remembered the music being played and she identified it as a place for a party. Could it be the same place where Manik had brought her to once? It had to be it because that was the only party place her and Navya knew. She quickly grabbed her bag and headed out the door.
She reached the party place and pushed herself through the crowds. And there she spotted Navya sitting in the corner with a drink in her hand. She quickly ran to her. Navya!" She hugged her as Navya held on to her and cried.
Maniv was sitting in his bedroom when Mukti messaged him telling all Fab5 that there is a party today and they should all meet there. He didn't feel like going and was about to message Mukti and tell her he can't come, but then he made up his mind and thought it would be better for him to go maybe it would stop this Nandini from invading his mind. He grabbed his keys and headed out to his car.
Mukti and Cabir were the first ones to reach the party.
"Hey Mukti what's up. Where is everybody else?"
"Aliya texted me just now saying she can't come." I guess Manik is on his way and Dhruv said he wasn't in the mood for partying. I guess he is too tensed about the music competition."
"Wow I guess it's only us then."
"Yep, let's wait for Manik though."
"I will just go and get a drink then." Do you want me to bring you anything?"
"No I'm fine."
Cabir went to grab himself a drink when his phone began to ring. It was no one other than "R."
He moved himself away from the crowd and the loud music and attended his phone.
As Mukti was enjoying the party looking around she noticed Cabir in the corner talking and noticed him going through the back door and exiting the place. What is he hiding? She wondered to herself. She decided to follow him and see what he was up to.
After a couple of minutes Manik showed up. "Where is everybody?" He muttered to himself.
On the other hand Nandini was trying to calm down Navya while Navya continued to cry and drink.
"Give me that glass Navya. Please stop you've had enough. Don't to this to yourself."
"No!" Yelled back Navya. "This drink cools do..down the fire that's raging in my broken heart. If you are my best fri..end.. then you should also drink with me. Here." she handed a bottle to Nandini to drink.
Nandini tried to stop Navya but Navya was adamant on making Nandini drink along with her. "What should I do?" Nandini thought to herself. She decided to drink juice instead and lie to Navya. "Wait here, I'm going to get a drink for myself and come." She went to the counter and asked the guy who was standing there for a juice. Jaldi!"
The guy misunderstanding her spikes the juice and hands it to her. Nandini runs to Navya and drinks the whole glass in front of her. "Are you happy now?"
"Nandini I knew you are my be..st fri...end." She hugs Nandini.
"Navya we have to go or else..." Suddenly the drink begins to take its' effect. And Nandini feels her head is so light and begins to feel dizzy. After a while she starts laughing uncontrollably.
Manik is looking around the dance floor looking for Mukti and Cabir when his eyes fall on Nandini who is in the middle of the dance floor dancing on Engine Ki Seeti." His jaw drops open on this sight. He lifts his hands to his eyes and rubs his eyes to make sure it's not his imagination and there he continues to see Nandini dancing in front of him. He moves his legs towards her while he is still in shock. Once he reaches to her he stares at her. While she is too busy dancing, he grabs her arm and turns her to face him. She stops dancing and stares at him in fear, and starts bursting in laughter.
"Stop. What are you doing? You are still here. I told you to go." He ignores her talks and continues to walk with her in his arms, until he reaches to a room and places her on to a big blue chair. He stares at her and notices that she has fallen asleep. He tries to wake her up and stops himself. "Why is she always in my face?!" he mutters angrily. He lifts her up from the chair and decides to drop her home. Just as he was about to leave, he notices Navya sleeping in the corner.
He shakes his head and continues to walk to his car while Nandini is in his arms. He places her in the front seat carefully and goes back to get Navya.
After dropping Navya to her home, he reaches Nandini's house. He carefully lifts her and moves his feet towards the door. Just then Nandini begins to snuggle her face into Manik's chest while her hand is holding on to his collar. Manik couldn't help but get affected by her gesture. He gazed at her lying there cuddled into his chest. His heartbeats began to increase as he gulped.
Manik reached his house and slowly walked to his room replaying what had happened today. He threw himself to his bed and covered his face with his hands. His lifted his hands off his face and began to carefully examine his hand remembering how he brushed Nandini's bangs off her face. What was happening to him? He punched his bed angrily and closed his eyes trying to forget what happened.
Ishaani
Cricket
