MaNan FF - Heaven DISCONTINUED ON IF - Page 14

There is something extremely beautiful about their friendship. I am in love with your writing. Such well written scenes, Nandini-Manik-Harshad encounter was amazing. Haha. I am waiting for romantic scenes, I know it will take time..but still..😉

~ 7 ~

"So irresponsible..." "... The lazy swine..." "... so immature..." "...shameless..."

The familiar and gut wrenching voice of her step mother floated in the air. It gashed into her heavily scarred heart through the darkness. Nandini forced her groggy eyes open and struggled to focus. She had no idea what was going on or where she was. All what she knew was that she was dead tired and that she was hurting inside from the words that were forcing its way to her cringing heart.

Nandini, who was lying flat on her tummy, groaned and took a deep breath as some ruckus continued to wreck her sleep. Rishabh hurried into the room. He was all dressed up for high school. "Akka," he shook his sister violently to which she snapped viciously. "Akka, just get up. You're late. It's going to be 9 AM!"

9 AM! She got up with a start as his words detonated in her. "9 AM!!? Shhhiiit!!!!" She hissed and picked up her cell phone. Indeed, it was late. She couldn't believe that she had conveniently shut off the alarm before and went back to sleep again. Her under-eyes were heavily lined with fatigue as she registered Manik's relentless attempts to wake her up. "Shit yaar- shit! Goddammit!"

"Hurry up," urged Rishabh. "Aunty is very angry." That's how they addressed their stepmother.

"Tell her to f**k off," she dropped her first F-bomb of the day and paused to listen to the hustle-bustle that was being thrown up by her step.

"... Have you ever seen a mature, grown up woman walk in so late into the house? The height of irresponsibility and arrogance! At least have the courtesy to respect elders. No! She expects ME to follow her instructions! Does she think that I'm a beggar? No sir! She's got me wrong! I never barged into your miserable lives! You asked me to! You miserable lot had invited me! And mind it, I too was a working woman once! And I have made enough for myself. I don't have to depend on any of you people! And look at the way she's sleeping! Like an oaf! And the way she's kept her room!?? Shameless!!"

Nandini hung her head as she struggled to suppress the rage that was boiling over whilst Rishabh looked away quietly. Well, some of her words were true to an extent. Unlike Manik, Nandini couldn't care less about the state of her room. She was a messy person and simply flung her clothes and shoes to wherever she pleased. Books were carelessly scattered on the table. The sheets almost fell off the bed and she always slept with one leg in Mumbai and the other in Delhi. She never gave a damn about what some people thought. For her, comfort came first. People's opinions was something she gathered up and flushed down the toilet. And for people who had a problem with her sleeping style, she had put up a poster on her door, which looked more like a warning.

"MY TERRITORY, MY RULES. GOT A PROBLEM..? BUZZ OFF."

Manik however, was a very tidy and organized guy. His room was small, yet daintily decorated with dry flower arrangements, a small aquarium, beautiful flower patterned bed sheets and so on. He never failed to amaze her on how he managed to keep his room spotless clean at any time of the day. In spite of a hectic schedule, he always stuck to his timetable i.e. come home, change, do the laundry, take a shower, get into a fresh pair of pyjamas, gulp down a good meal and hit the sack. He took his own time, but he never stepped out of line.

Though a herculean task, Nandini did what Manik had time and again asked her to do. Ignore her stepmother's hurtful remarks and move on. And that's exactly what she did now. She bit up her tongue, shook off the rage and pain that kept on mounting in her and rushed off to get ready.

By the time she reached Manik's place, he was already outside the gate in his scrubs. He held his bag close to his chest (as if trying to hide his boobs from the world) and smirked at Nandini as she hit the brakes. "So..." he began victoriously. "Who was the late one today?"

"Hurry up," Nandini ignored his sarcastic comments.

"No... don't you want to drag me out? Come on drag me out of the house. Like how those dacoits in old Bollywood movies drag females by their hair and screw them."

"Will you just shut up and get on?" Nandini snapped irritably. "Or if you've got all the time in the world just stay there. I'm leaving."

She raced a couple of inches forward but Manik was quick to hop on. "Wait-wait-wait-wait," he laughed.

"Keep your silly jokes to yourself," she spat angrily. "And don't piss me off."

"Arre yaar, I was just kidding," he chuckled.

"I'm not in the mood for all this shit," she snarled.

"Okay-okay. I'm sorry," he grabbed her shoulders and squeezed it playfully. "Sorry babes. Let's go."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nandini was driving pretty fast. She wasn't a reckless driver though. 50 km/hr was the maximum speed she dared to hit. Rather, she knew that Manik was terrified of rash and fast driving. The last time she'd seen Manik board a guy's bike was ages ago. And he had screamed like a sissy girl and clung onto the guy when he had throttled to 80 km/hr. So she stuck to the limits. Moreover, she didn't want to get into an accident and end them up in trouble, or worse... dead.

"Didn't sleep well?" asked Manik with concern as he noticed her yawning a couple of times.

"Not much," she replied and stifled another gaper. "So dead tired, really wish I could sleep."

She had grabbed a shut eye quite late last night. By the time she had walked into her house, it was already close to midnight. Blame her stars, her stepmother was the one who opened up the door for her. Needless to be said, a short spat followed, but thanks to Manik's advice (i.e. keep quiet and let her talk), the same ended pretty soon without much of a scuffle. And then, she took the liberty of chatting to glory with Manik till 1 in the morning followed by a nice, relaxing movie and God knows when she had finally fallen asleep with the television on and her legs spread wide like a dead chicken.

"I'm sorry I kept you awake," said Manik guiltily.

"Will you shut up?" she snapped. "I swear if you apologize one more time, I'm going to knock your block off."

"Okay, I won't, sorry," replied Manik and bit his tongue as he realized that he had accidentally apologized again. "Oops. Sorry. Oh sorry again. Oof... sorry for sorry... Arre yaar!"

"You dumbass," she smirked. "Just stop it alright? It wasn't you, it was me. I slept late. Was watching TV and stuff. I don't mind being on the line forever, as long as it's you on the other end. You know that."

"Yeah, I know," he answered with a sheepish grin. "Even I could keep talking to you forever."

Nandini was all smiles now. The anger that had consumed her earlier seemed to have been replaced with a nice, warm feeling.

"By the way," Manik started off. "Missed out to tell you yesterday. I will be doing nights going forward."

"What!!??" she shouted in surprise. "What do you mean nights?"

"Like night shifts," he replied feeling a bit uneasy.

Her chest was thumping so hard now. Anger, helplessness and frustration began to mount at an alarming rate. She quickly pulled away from the traffic and turned off the engine. "Get down!" she ordered sternly.

"Why? What happened?" he asked nervously. He knew what was coming. Trouble.

"I said get down!" she spat.

"Alright-alright, chill," he didn't keep her waiting.

Nandini hastily pulled off her helmet and hung it over rear view mirror. "Why didn't you tell about this earlier?" she hissed.

"Yaar, I wanted to, but it just slipped off my head. But what's wrong?"

"What's wrong?" she retorted in panic. "You're asking me what's wrong!!? Everything! Do you know what this means? You doing night shifts means that we will be talking less to each other. Seeing less! And you're asking me what's wrong?!!!"

"Hey come on. It's not going to be so bad," Manik pointed out. "We can still talk and all that. So don't worry."

"Couldn't you have at least tried to get some other department?" Nandini retaliated.

"You know that it's not possible," he remarked. "We can't chose what we want. We have to do what we are given. You know that! Even you're a working woman! And right now, they need guys in casualty. Lot of bad cases pop in at night."

Nandini seemed to have calmed down at this. She crossed her arms and leaned onto her scooty as she fixed her troubled eyes on nothing particular. "Ahh great," she sighed at last and clenched her teeth. "Guess I'll play marbles till your shift straightens out?!" The pain in her eyes was obvious. Besides Rishabh, Manik was her major source of comfort. From the pain, fear, anger, loneliness. Everything. He was like a pillar she could lean on. A tree under which she could feel soothed. With this piece of information, she felt as though that privilege had just been struck off her list. Forever.

Manik could sense her inner turmoil. He knew what she was going through, though she never voiced her words. "We can still talk in the afternoon yaar," he said quietly and gently stroked her arm but she slapped it off. "I'm not kidding... nights doesn't mean that I'll be off the radar for good. Moreover, I might get a little bit of time to sneak you a call. Sounds good?"

"How will you get to work then?" she asked in a clogged voice, her face grew sulkier by the minute.

"Don't worry about that," he replied. "Will get a lift from one of my workmates. Or I'll get the bus. Doesn't matter. Won't be for long anyways."

After what seemed like an eternal silence, Nandini finally uttered a groggy "fine" and mounted her scooty.

"Fine? That's it?" Manik was surprised at the abrupt fashion in which she had chosen to end their conversation.

"We're getting late," she said grumpily without giving another glance to Manik and stuffed her head into the helmet.

"Aww gawd! Are you mad at me? Like seriously?" Manik chuckled and stopped her from putting the helmet on.

Nandini tsk-tsked and looked away with a disgruntled expression. "Nah. Why would I be mad at you? It's your job. You don't have a choice."

"Look at the bright side," he smirked. "The position may not be permanent. But on a serious note... on a serious note... you need to get this thing clear. Really straight. And don't hit me."

"What?" asked Nandini quietly. She was getting worried at the suspense in his words.

He held her shoulders firmly as he spoke. "See... this might be a start. Maybe all this is happening for the good. This staying away from each other thing? So that we can get used to it. The separation. Get what I mean?"

Her face fell at his words and the uneasiness in his voice was clear. When it came to Nandini, the word separation packed a lot of painful layers and memories. Being attached to something or someone that she loved was her greatest weakness. And the biggest test that the Supreme Creator put her through? Separation.

"No..." she snapped in a low voice. Her voice was getting really heavy and wet and she knew that she would break down crying if she let go of herself.

"We're not going to be together forever buddy. Understand? Someday... you're going to get married. To a really hot Brahmin dude. And by default, I'll have to step back. That's the only choice. There's no question about it. I can't be around then. Then it's just you and your guy. I would only be an unwanted thorn amongst the bushes."

"Just stop this shit," she shot back and slapped his hand off viciously.

"Hey what..."

"No seriously..." she snapped. "Maybe I don't want to get married to such a guy! If that guy... whoever he's going to be... has a problem with you being around me, then I don't need that guy in my life."

"Nandini... Be sensible. Do you even know what you're talking about?" he pointed out.

"No!" she scowled stubbornly. "I don't care! And don't ever bring up this bullshit anymore." Saying this, she quickly mounted her scooter and put on her helmet whilst Manik just stood and watched her his hands anchored on his hips.

"Are you coming or what?" she growled to which Manik nodded his head with a smirk and got behind her.

As usual, the tension between them didn't last for long. Manik very well knew that it was easy to make her smile, so he kept irritating her throughout the rest of their journey with his silly, corny jokes and by the time Nandini reached her workplace, she was all set to face a new day.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nandini collapsed into her chair, leaned back and took a deep breath. She was very late today, but she didn't really care. Though she had calmed down, she was very disturbed. She crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she tried to push out the sapping thoughts out of her mind. Suddenly...

"Hi..." a solid male voice startled her out of her wits.

She jumped back on her chair with an almighty gasp only to realize that it was... Aryaman. "Oh God!" she heaved and relaxed. "It was you!" A huge wave of embarrassment began to surge through her. Shit... why did this guy pop up like a ghoul? He must have thought that I'm some crackpot!

"Sorry, didn't mean to scare you like that." Aryaman chuckled, pulled out an empty chair and settled down close to her.

"It-it's okay..." She couldn't help but realize that she had been checking him out from the corner of her eyes. He was looking damn hot today with his solid red and black checkered shirt and dark jeans. Nandini... are you... um... admiring him... a voice in her head teased.

"So!" Aryaman started off energetically. "Are we ready to go?"

"Always," she replied as enthusiastically.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Moments later, both the reporters hit the streets in Aryaman's car. "There's a protest going on five kilometres away from here," began Aryaman as he manoeuvred the car. "A political group has accused Dawat restaurant of serving contaminated meat. We're going to check that out."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Aryaman parked the car farther off from Dawat Restaurant and stepped out with his camera and other equipment. Nandini was out in the scorching sun already eyeing the large group of protestors that were shouting rude slogans outside the huge, classy restaurant.

A truck load of policemen armed with long batons stood around to restrain the protestors and also to keep a check on the situation. Nandini had switched into her reporter's avatar already. "Camera's rolling," signalled Aryaman to which she took a couple of quick steps backwards and advanced towards the restaurant energetically with the camera guy on her trail. "We're here before the most popular restaurant in town which has been rumoured to store and serve contaminated food, especially meat. We from the Dailyflash are here to check it out."

As the duo went about with their work, taking visual reports from the protestors, police guys and restaurant personnel, a shady character joined the group of protestors with a huge rock ambushed in his hand. He took a couple of nervous glances around before he curled up his fist and rocketed the stone straight at the commanding police officer's face.

"Ahhoowch shit!!!" the commander cried in pain and stumbled back whilst clutching his bleeding face.

"Sir, what happened?" his concerned and confused subordinates quickly gathered around him, still unwary of what had happened.

He straightened up and grimaced at the patch of fresh blood on his hand whilst heaving in profuse agony. The protestors had dared to lay their disgusting hands on the cops, and now they would pay. "CHARGE!" he screamed with fire in his eyes.

At his command, the battalion unleashed hell on the innocent protestors while the shady offender took to his heels and made it to safe haven.

THWACK! SMACK! SMASH!

"Hit them!"

"Throw them in the bus!"

"Put him down!"

"Kick them!"

"Break their backs!"

It was nothing but pure terror. Furious cops mercilessly whipped the protestors with their humungous batons. They kicked them down to the floor. Smacked them. Booted them.

Amidst the unexpected confusion, Nandini was nowhere to be seen. Lost in the chaos with his camera, Aryaman tried to run for cover whilst searching for his colleague in vain. "Nandini!!!" he yelled at the top of his voice. "Where the hell are you?"

THWACK!

"Ahoowff!" He collapsed along with several others from the vicious, excruciating blow of a police baton.

Six hefty cops, circled around the fallen protestors (including Aryaman) and began to thrash them brutally. "Stop! Ahhooww! I'm a reporter! I'm a reporter! Stop! Please!" He cried out in vain as the baton continued to crush his flesh and bones.

SMASH! Aryaman's camera was busted to smithereens right before his very eyes but there was nothing he could do! Nothing was in his control. The rate at which the blows and kicks went on, he could pass out very soon.

"Stop! Stop it!" A little someone screamed her way through all the confusion and made it to the circle. It was Nandini. "I said stop! He's innocent! Stop it you dumbass morons!"

THWACK!

Nandini reeled and collapsed onto Aryaman as one of the cops gifted her a blow from hell.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Next: Chapter 8

I loved the Manan part.

Oh god. Nandu😭
That's why I hate these stupid protests. One does the deed and every has to pay.
MaNan in your story is pure bliss to read.
Manik being sensible on top is like I want to kill him along with Nandu.
Continue soon

I just luv this story
Its awesome
Plz continue soon
its so realistic

Oh god... Nandu is hit.. Nw why will Manik do..

I sooo luv ds ff.. Really really enjoyd .. Manan r sooo cute especially manik.. Diff manik.. I really luv nandini.. The messy messy type.. Nd luv d way she sleeps, one leg in Mumbai n one in delhi..more lyk me..lol
Nd d pain f separation.. Yaar, evry problm gt a solution..so gys na jst gt married.. So u can stay tghthr lwys..

Woh!!her mom is seriously hell
N that chatting session was so sweet.. I was going all aww over their conversation
N last was scary..hope they were not much hurt
Cont soon

What kind of woman is nandu's step mom hate her bt gd that she listen to manik and ignored her

Manan talks were bliss and the last part was a dreadful reality but the story is so beautiful and i am blessed to read such a beautiful story :D