MaNan FF- Nandini's lifeline( ch17- pg61) - Page 31

"Nandini! Get up dude, we'll be late!" A loud voice said and there was vigorous knocking on the door.

Nandini almost fell off her bed because of Cabir's shouting. She checked her bedside clock, it read 7.01 AM.

Rubbing her eyes with the hands she shouted back, "Late for what? There's three more hours for college, bhai!"

She rolled back into her bed and tried to snuggle up to the guy sleeping next to her only to realize he wasn't sleeping anymore. He was awake and watching her intently with his hands below his head.

"Mom's flight will be here at 10.30 you bimbo. Unless you don't want to come along to receive her get dressed fast." He shouted from the other side of the door.

"MOM IS COMING BACK!" Nandini exclaimed happily, all the adrenalin kicking in.

"Yes my love. She's on her way back." Cabir said laughing and then she heard his footsteps retrieve.

Nandini was about to pounce with excitement but she calmed herself down knowing that Manik was looking at her as if she was a cartoon.He looked divine for one thing. All he needed was a halo at the back of his head and he could easily classify for a Greek God.

"Morning beautiful." He said and pulled her on top of him.

"Don't get all mushy-mushy. My brother is right outside my door." She said trying to struggle out of his vice-like grip only to fail.Giving up, she placed her hands on his chest and kept her chin on them and looked up at him.

"Sorry if we got too ahead last night." He whispered.

"It's alright. I actually enjoyed it as much as you did." She replied quietly and was awarded with a jaw drop.

He pulled me closer to him and I knew he'd want to kiss her, just then her phone started buzzing.

"Who's calling this early?" Manik sounded annoyed.

She rolled off him and checked the caller id, Rian.

Nandini mentally prepared herself and touched the answer button, "Good morning Nandini." A happy chirpy voice said from the end of the line

"Morning Rian." Nandini said as nicely as she could looking away from Manik. She turned the other side but she could feel his gaze boring into her back like hot lava. She knew he didn't like his cousin and for reason unknown to her. But she would find out soon what they were.

"So, how have you been?" Rian asked in a very firm yet soothing voice.

"I've been too good to be real. You?" she was being as courteous as she could.

"I've been miserable. "He actually sounded cranky suddenly, all the firmness gone.

"Why? Are you all right?" Nandini tried to get up and sit but was overpowered. Manik had pulled her back on the bed and was lying on top of her. Luckily Nandini didn't scream and immediately Manik covered her mouth with his hand and whispered, "What does the jerk want?"

Rian had been saying something but due to Manik's intervention she couldn't listen and neither could she speak, so to throw Manik off his guard she kissed the palm covering her mouth. That did the job and he took his hand off within no time.

"Sorry Rian, I got distracted. What were you saying?"

"I was saying that I've been miserable since you left and I would love to take you for lunch sometime."

Nandini's jaw dropped and she was silent. Manik knew something had happened so he just grabbed her phone from her hand and cut the call. This brought Nandini back from her shock to a new one.

"What did you do!?" she almost shouted.

"He annoys me and clearly he said something that wouldn't please me so yeah, I did that." Manik challenged her as he held both her hands on either side.

"Get off me you jerk." She tried to push him but failed.

"Don't be so rude my Nandini." He pecked her on her nose and rolled off her but she stayed there.

My Nandini, when he said that, it gave her a weird sensation of warmth, like she belonged somewhere. It felt good and suddenly she was overbought with joy. But resisting jumping back onto him, with a heavy heart and all her self control, Nandini got up and started fretting around the room.

Manik just stretched himself on her bed and looked at her as she walked around arranging things. She was a sight to behold and after years of waiting in the dark, being with her only in the dark, literally; he finally had the peace of knowing she felt something for him too, something that she had never felt for anyone and he felt like the most blessed man on the planet. After all how many of us get to claim that the ones we love, love us back too?

"So what plans for today?" he asked her casually while she was setting her desk.

"I think I'll stay home. It's going to be a quite Sunday."

"Good then, I'll arrange for Cabir to leave us alone and we can spend all day." He said winking at her with a smirk.

Her eyes widened. "Why would you arrange for Cabir' to be gone?" she asked quoting what he'd just said.

"C'mon, you want me to kiss you in front of him and then end up in the hospital?" he answered her question with a question and threw one of the tiny pillows across at her head.

She blused deep enough to put a tomato at shame but then exclaimed when the pillow hit her. "Why can't we tell Cabir? It's not like this will be hidden from him right?" she tossed the pillow back at him and went to sit on the corner of the bed.

Manik got up and sat too, he looked serious now, "Nandini, I want to tell Cabir in my own way and in some time."

Nandini felt like something stabbed her. She clearly knew what Manik meant, he didn't want to tell his best friend anything until he was certain of her. He wasn't sure of her. immediately her eyes were staring to moisten but she didn't want to show it to him so she just got up and walked off towards to washroom and said, "Okay, I think you should head back home now, I have to get fresh." saying that she closed the bathroom door and slumped against it with her head between her knees.

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Stay tuned for Friday y'all.

love.