Chapter 9 Once more Manik
"Main aa rahi hoon, Manik...main aa rahi hoon Mumbai. I don't know if we will meet...I don't know if I will be able to look into your eyes" Nandini thought as closed her eyes lying down on her bed. Watching the interview of Manik onscreen and the first eye contact she had with Manik made Nandini flustered a bit. She didn't notice when she switched off the interview of Dhruv and went to lie down on her bed.
"Mumbai...its going to be really exciting. But, how will I let him know that I am coming there? Should I inform him? If I leave here...I won't be able to talk with him till I reach there. Should I call him up??" Nandini thought. Nandini suddenly heard the phone ringing on the hallway. It was 11 P.M and the phone was ringing high and loud.
"Is it Manik??" Nandini thought as she rushed out of her room and picked up the phone breathing heavily. "It was just too rings and I hope Amms who is sleeping upstairs didn't hear the sound of the phone ringing" Nandini thought as she picked up the phone and breathing heavily into the phone and before even she could reply...she heard the voice she now recognized clearly.
"Hello...Nandini...???" Manik asked in a questioning tone. "Hello??" Manik was eagerly asking.
Nandini whispered into the mouthpiece..."Hello...". Manik could barely hear the "hello" it trailed off into the breathing that was heavy.
"Hello, Nandu...were you waiting for my call? Did U run a marathon or something?" Manik asked with a naughty smile as he bit his lower lip in anticipation.
"Hello...Manik..." Nandini completed the sentence. Her voice is so musical, Manik thought as he lay down rest his head on his hand. Nandini was breathing heavily. A few seconds passed as Manik continued to listen to the silence from Nandini's side...nothing could be heard except for her heavy breathing. Manik smiled...waiting for her to speak something.
"Hello..Manik??" Nandini continued as her breathing was returning to normal. "Are U there?" Nandini enquired.
"Hmm...I am here Nandu...just listening to the music of your breathing" Manik said with a little smile on his face. Nandini realized her cheeks burning from blushing. "Am I blushing?? Seriously...just listening to the voice and talks of the guy whom I disliked until 2 days back...Am I blushing?" Nandini couldn't just believe the change coming over her.
"Ok enough of silence now...tell me Nandu...kab mil rahe ho? Do U want me to come to Chennai? I am busy with my schedule here...but I can make up an excuse to come there and let you apologize to me. Want me to come there?" Manik asked curiously.
"Manik..kya mere sorry phone pe accept nahi kar sakte ho?" Nandini asked pleadingly.
"Na...accept nahi kar sakta ek aise apology. I want to see that you really mean it...I want to see it in your eyes that you are sorry for what U said about me" Manik continued with a little smirk.
"But Manik...kya tum mere awaaz main mere feelings nahi sun sakte?" Nandini asked softly.
"Feelings??" Manik's eyes grew wider. "Does she have some feelings for me?" Manik thought as his turned sideways on this bed and tapped his finger lightly on the teepoy kept next to him.
"Feelings..matlab...mere apologywaale feelings" Nandini corrected herself.
"No...I don't feel any apologetic feelings from your voice. I don't want to just hear the voice. I want to see the person who called me arrogant...made me give an interview without my sunglasses on." Manik continued in a husky tone.
"For me?? U gave the interview without wearing the sunglasses for me?" Nandini's eyes grew wide. She couldn't believe her ears. "The Fab 5 leader...the best music band in India..gave an interview without wearing sunglasses just for a simple person like me?" Nandini couldn't stop herself from feeling the burning sensation on her cheeks...as she felt herself blushing even more.
"Hmm...yes! U saw the interview today? Perhaps U didn't. Even if you were watching U must've skipped my parts and watched only Dhruv and Kabir's interview, right?" Manik asked in a complaining tone.
"No! I saw U! I saw you speaking and U look good without sunglasses" Nandini replied quickly.
"Achcha?" Manik asked biting his lower lips. "Tho aaj main kaisa tha? What do U think about me? Were I showing too much of attitude?" Manik continued his query.
"No...U were good today. Bahut achche lag rahe the...U look great in black, Manik" Nandini continued in a dazed mood.
"Thanks Nandu...tho aaj mere shirt colour bhi notice kiye? This is real improvement. So now am I your favourite, Nanduuu?" Manik crooned softly.
"No! NO!!!!!!!" Nandini shouted a bit loudly " Dhruv is my favourite, U are not." Nandini replied.
"Achcha?? Ok bataao...what colour dress was Dhruv wearing during his interview tonight?" Manik questioned Nandini.
"Hmm...I didn't notice..." Nandini lightly hit her head as she realized that she is giving herself in and letting Manik manipulate her.
"U didn't notice your favourite band member??" Manik's eyes grew wide with excitement, joy and disbelief "U really didn't notice Dhruv?" Manik couldn't help but feel happy. "She is really changing...and perhaps her attitude towards me too." Manik thought as he waited for a reply.
"N...N...No.." Nandini stammered a bit. "I didn't notice."
"Why Nandu...were U thinking about me while watching Dhruv? Did I impress U that much?" Manik asked biting his lower lip once again with excitement.
"No...I didn't notice the dress of Dhruv...because...because...because I was looking at his face. He has such a cute face. I never notice Dhruv's dress because he is very handsome..the most handsome" Nandini retorted back trying to hide the fact that what Manik said was indeed true.
"Most handsome??" Manik's smile faded away as his face lit up with frustration.
"Yes most handsome...and that is what I think. He looks so handsome onscreen and I love his smile a lot" Nandini continued to tease Manik. 😆
"Meet me and I want to see what U feel about me when U see me face to face. I want to see if U will blush seeing me. If U blush seeing me, I will assume that U will find me handsome too! Do U want to try?? " Manik asked feeling frustrated that Nandini doesn't think of him as handsome.
"No...I cannot meet you", Nandini retorted sharply.
"Why cannot U meet me?? If U can talk with me...if U want my apology...what is the harm in meeting me? I am willing to even come to Chennai and we can meet." Manik continued to try to convince Nandini to meet him.
"No don't come to Chennai coz tomorrow I won't be in Chennai. I am leaving Chennai" Nandini replied quickly.
"Leaving Chennai?? Where are U going??" Manik asked quickly.
"I'm going to Mumbai! So we won't meet" Nandini retorted quickly.
"U are coming to Mumbai????" Manik asked his eyes widening.
"Aiyooo...what did I do? I gave myself off!" Nandini thought as she realized that in the speed of the conversation she told the secret that she wanted to hide.
Manik got up and sat on his bed with excitement filling his whole self.
"Nandiniii...so it means we can meet. Please tell me Nandu that when U reach Mumbai U will call me up and come to meet me. Where are U staying? Why are U coming here? Is it a short visit?" Manik started shooting questions in excitement.
"No...I am coming there to study music. I am joining SPACE. So I will be busy and I cannot meet U" Nandini retorted trying to make up an excuse to avoid meeting Manik.
"Nandu...I think U really don't want to meet me...U want to avoid me?" Manik asked his voice dropping in tone...as if he was disappointed.
"No..its not like that. I...I..." Nandini was searching for an answer to give Manik.
"Please Nandu..promise me...once U reach me U will call me. Note down my number before leaving for Mumbai. Please...I want to meet U" Manik asked in a pleading tone.
"Ok...I will try..." Nandini replied in a whispering voice.
"Not try...promise me. Promise me that U will give me a chance" Manik replied quickly.
"Give U a chance?" Nandini asked not understanding what Manik was intending.
"Give me a chance to see U...I love your voice...I loved talking to U the two times we spoke. I really want to see the girl who criticized me...who dislikes me...who was bold enough to show me that I am not all that great...and U are first to do it..Nandu" Manik replied.
"I want to see this girl...who made me sleepless...made me restless...made me lose my concentration. I don't want you to apologize. But I want U to meet me...so that I know that U don't dislike me any more" Manik continue.
"Please meet me...so that I can show the real Manik to U...not the Manik who shows attitude..who wears sunglasses and runs away from his fangirls...I want to show U the real Manik...can we meet?" Manik asked in a pleading tone. Manik's hopes were high and he just wanted to hear a "yes" because Manik Malhotra never takes "no" for an answer.
"Ok...Manik...its too late. I must leave tomorrow early morning for Mumbai. Amms is sleeping right now..so I must sleep too" Nandini suddenly changed topic as she turned back suddenly aware of her surroundings to look back at the stairs to see if Amms or anybody else was coming down and there was noone there.
"Ok I will let U go to sleep...but don't let me lose this ray of hope...don't let me feel lost. Tell me..Promise me...that when U reach Mumbai..U will call me up..Promise me Nandu" Manik continued in a persuasive tone.
"Ok I will...Nandini promise and go to sleep now, Manik...good night" Nandini said quickly.
"Good night..Nandu...thanks and have a safe trip to Mumbai...I will be waiting for your call...good night" Manik replied with a relieved smile on his face.
"Good night.." Nandini said and quickly cutting the call. She placed the receiver on the cradle and returned to her room. She took her pen and paper and jotted down the long mobile number on the phone onto the paper and look at it.
"This wrong number...was the only number I don't want to lose or forget" Nandini thought..."I will call U on reaching Mumbai..Manik...I promise U...because main bhi dekhna chahti hoon...abhi dekhna chahti hoon...real Manik Malhotra ko" A soft smile spread across her face as returned to her room and placed the paper in the side zip of her suitcase and shut the zip closed.😳😛
Chapter 10 is updated and on--->
pg 38 of this thread.
Edited by priakachan - 9 years ago
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