Chapter 11
"Scary fort? Manik seriously! Why are we here?"
Time to tease you a little Miss. Murthy.
I walked to her side and stood right in front of her, close enough to see, no feel my effect on her. Her questioning face turned into frightened one.
"You were expecting something else? Hmm?"
I expected her to move away but she stepped even closer taking me by surprise. I was about to hold her but she acted smart and stepped aside to take out her bag from the car rubbing her arm with mine.
What just happened?
"Well, yes Mr. Malhotra, I definitely wasn't expecting you to get me here! Scary fort, it will be dark inside and monsters and deadly noises..iraada kya hai?"
She said and winked at me.
Wow! She's backfiring at me only!
I was staring at her with a blank expression.
She is so.. changed! The sweet, naive Nandini was teasing me in return!
How come?
'Triiinggg'
"Done staring and thinking how am I behaving like this?"
She knows?
"wha..what?"
Why was I stammering?
"Phone. Pick up your phone?"
Blank. Confused. Numb.
"Manikkk. Your phone!"
"Ohh sorry! Wait a sec."
I quickly took my phone and attended the call.
"hello!"
"Manik? We've reached."
"yeah. We're also here."
"okay. See you!"
It was Vaibhav. I was friends with Vaibhav, Rizwan and Rupali before meeting Maddy, Soha and others. Yeah! These were the people who always knew what I and Nandini felt for each other. When we were together in the same class, these 3 were after our neck. Teasing and irritating one with the other's name was their favourite past time. But that was all they did. Their scores were always low. They indulged in various bad habits. That is why when our sections were finally shuffled, the first thing I did was getting away from them.
But today, I needed them. I brought Nandini here because this was the first place where Nandini and I hanged out together and these three accompanied us. So, I had no option but to call them up and convince them for coming over.
"Come. Let's go."
I told Nandini and we moved ahead.
Nandini's POV
When I saw Manik has brought me to scary fort, I was stunned. This is definitely not a place where a normal guy would take a girl. But then I realised that our situation wasn't normal. We weren't simply hanging out, neither we were on some romantic date, he was supposed to make me remember stuff, so this might be a part of that only.
But then he began ribbing on me and I played along. I expected him to be surprised but no, he was shocked! And his expressions were somewhat funny. Why would anyone react like this? Before I could pick on him his phone rang and I had to make him aware of that.
After he finished his call, we went ahead towards the scary house. I saw 3 more people of almost our age standing there. Their smiling faces confirmed that they were waiting for us.
More new faces?
"Umm..manik?"
"Han?"
"You were supposed to remind me of things? Not to confuse me further?"
"I know what I am doing Nandu. Just come with me."
We reached where three of them were standing in front of the ticket booth. We greeted each other and one of them went to buy the tickets.
"Hi Nandini! How are you?"
The girl, who introduced herself as Rupali, asked me.
"very well. Thank you"
Such an awkward moment it was. I didn't even know hoe I should take the conversation further. I didn't know if Manik has told them about my memory loss or whether I should tell them. So I chose the safest way out and kept quiet.
Vaibhav soon got the tickets and then as soon as I entered inside the fort, the feeling I had was so weird. Nothing like the place was stinky or ugly but there was an unexpected feeling of similarity. I had come here before.
For sure.
We were in a row like, Vaibhav, Manik, Rupali and I was at the last. I was frightened. I was scared. Manik is such an idiot. He left me at last. I started shouting that I don't want to be at the last.
In the middle of our way someone held my hand and brought me further.
"Here you are"
It was Manik. He whispered in my ear and securely held my hand. We went further and a point came where I was about to trip and fall down but Manik held me from my waist and we quickly went outside fighting away all those artificial ghosts.
We stepped out laughing like maniacs. But all this was a Deja-vu moment for me and I could actually feel it but I didn't tell anyone.
"Up for another round anyone?", Rizwan asked us.
"I don't mind", said Vaibhav and Rupali.
Manik and I looked at each other.
"You guys go. I am not coming!", said Manik disappointing me.
"Then I'm also not going or else, you'll again disappear"
I said abruptly.
Everyone except Manik laughed at this.
"Okay so we'll go for another round. Till then you guys go and have something. We've had food when we were waiting for you two." Rupali said and went to buy another ticket.
"Okay." Manik said almost immediately and dragged me for there. He was definitely holding something.
We went to McDonald's because that was the nearest eating joint we could find and we were literally starving.
As soon as we found our seat Manik spilled the question he was dying to ask.
"How do you know I disappeared last time?"
"Voh actually since I have come, I'm getting little hints of the last time when we came here and then, inside when you held me from falling since then I guess I remember everything about the incidents of that day!"
"Oh-kaaay! Wow! Come on. Tell me what you remember?
(FLASHBACK)
"Nandu? Tu phirse jaa rahi hai?"
"Haan yar. Rupali is insisting. She needs to go for another round with Vaibhav"
"And why do you care?"
"Rupali is my friend also and we're the only two girls here and I convinced her to come today. You want more reasons?"
"Okay then I am leaving!"
"Arey but why?"
"Because madam unlike you I didn't get permission from home. I am on school bunk! I need to go home on time."
"Whaaattt? Achha wait. See we're next. Will be back in 10 minutes. Please"
"Fine. Hurry up!"
We kept waiting for 5 minutes but the group that went inside didn't come out. Manik came back and stood behind me. He held me from my shoulders and shook me.
"Jaldi kar naaa", he pleaded
"Darwaza tod kar jaau kya andar?", I mocked at him.
Just then, people came out and he pushed me to go inside.
When we came out after that round Manik was no where to be seen.
"Where is Manik?"
I asked the other people standing out.
"He left", one of his friends told me.
I was somewhat agitated. How could he leave me like this? I don't even have my real friends here and I came only because he fixed this, still he left me. I was so angry at him.
We went on to take back our stuff and then I saw that Manik left his bag.
"Bag toh yahin chhod gaya. Ab ghar jaa kar kya bolega yeh ladka?"
Stupid.
I carried his bag and we went to McD. His friends kept teasing me after the happenings of the day and I was definitely liking it.
(PRESENT)
"Why was I so upset when you left and oh my god I can't believe I was attracted to you!"
In my mind I always knew we had some sort of connection. I knew I liked him but I didn't want to accept or acknowledge it right in front of him.
"Huh! What do you mean? Why can't you be attracted to me? I am good looking, hot, intelligent, smart, what else do you want?"
"Mr. Manik Malhotra you're so self obsessed. Do you know that?"
"Yeah I've been told. But no use madam. Hum jaise hain waise rahenge."
"wow! Chalein ab? It's evening already"
No matter how much I was enjoying my time with him, I had to leave before all of this grows.
"Arey aise kaise? Our date isn't over yet."
He said. Did he just call this a date?
"You call this a date?" Now I really doubt I liked him ever!
"If this is your idea of a date, I wonder if all your girl friends left you after the first one itself?"
I said and giggled.
"Very funny. Okay. Earlier it wasn't a date but now it is. Come on."
We sat in the car and drove off. After almost 45 minutes, we halted outside Odeon Cinema.
"Movie?", I asked.
"Movie", he replied.
"Two tickets for 'The longest ride'. Corner. Thank you"
Manik bought the tickets and I hurriedly bought something to eat as we were running late.
"How the hell do you know I badly wanted to see this movie?" I asked him excitedly as we took our seats.
"Because my dear Nandini you've always been a sucker for romance. So obviously!"
I grinned at his statement and we watched the movie.
"Indian men are better kissers"
Manik whispered while their was a kissing scene going on.
"Definitely not", I retorted.
"Really?"
"Of course. You have no idea."
"And you do?", he asked and my eyes widened.
"Umm.. I don't know. I mean I don't remember."
"So you don't remember how it feels to be kissed?" He asked again. Shit!
What is he doing?
"No"
"Wanna try?" He said and my face flushed. I looked at his smirking face and then continued watching the movie without replying.
After the movie got over, we had dinner in the 'Open house cafe'. It was such a beautiful place. And the view was outstanding. The cool breeze was making things even better. We were standing at a side watching the outside view. There weren't many people around.
It was all dark by now. The day had ended but we were still together. I didn't know when our palms joined together and our fingers found way to each others' entwining our hands together. If anyone can really explain this feeling, I'm definitely not that person. The only word I could use was, heavenly.
He began caressing my skin by his thumb, drawing circles, making my heart rush! We turned to look at each other. Our eyes met and my heart stopped beating. We flew to whole new world. Our world. Just ours.
Manik's POV
We were drown in each other's eyes when suddenly the wind caused a tiny dust particle entering in her eye breaking our eye-lock.
"Ouch!"
"Hey are you okay?"
I took her hands away and stepped closer to help her. I stretched her eyelid a little and blew air in her eyes. Her hands reached up to my chest and she held the hem of my V-neck T shirt. Her long nails pinched my skin sending a ticking sensation. It was, may be the first time, I felt ticklish!
"Is it fine now?"
"Yes. Thank you!"
"Nandini can I ask you something?"
My mind was constantly sending me signals to not say what I was about to but my heart had no control. I knew this might end everything before it actually begins.
"Hmm"
"Will you again leave me if I kiss you like you did the last time I kissed you?"
I waited for her to look away but she didn't. I waited for her to push me away but she didn't. I waited for her to say how shameless I am but she didn't. Instead, she shook her head in a No.
A plain simple No.
She slid her hands from my chest to neck, cheeks and finally locked in my hair.
I held her waist and stepped closer. I traced the index finger of my left hand from her right arm to her neck till her jaw and finally held her face in my hand. She came closer and our chests met. It created a magic so powerful that all of me wanted to press all of her. The proximity we were having felt as if we've created our own personal space and nothing from this inside world can go to the outside world or nothing from the outside world can get inside our world.
Her breath fell in waves against my lips and that's how our heart beats inside our chest. I let my forehead fall against hers and the voice of my breath caused her lips to part in a gasp and in no time my mouth connected with hers finding the relief I was desperately longing for.
I pull her closer and her fingers tighten around my hair. She let my tongue slip inside her mouth to find hers. She was warm and soft. She let out a slight moan causing havoc in my senses. My tongue measured every nook and corner of her mouth and she responded evenly. The desperation in our kiss proved how much knowingly or unknowingly we both have wanted this. We both have waited for this.
We tore off our mouths in order to catch our breath. Our foreheads stayed joined and eyes closed, inhaling and exhaling in rapid succession.
We finally parted ourselves to look at each other and I saw a lone tear trickle down her face.
Why is she crying?
"Hey! I am sorry. Why are you crying?"
"I don't know."
"What? They why are you crying?"
"I said I don't know why am I crying."
I didn't know what to say after that. I knew she was recovering. And I knew she was remembering things that I might not like her to remember. I knew every day she was fighting with her own self. I knew it wasn't easy of me or anyone else to understand what she was going through. In fact, no one can ever understand her state of mind. And this time too, I knew this kiss must have pulled some string inside her brain. She must have remembered something. That's the thing about loosing your memory. It goes missing in a jiffy and then returns back even before you know. Once incident can make you remember million others. That was the one spark I am waiting for. And I know it will happen. Soon. Very soon.
A.N.: I hope you like this. I've written after a long time. I will still hope and wait for your support and responses. Thank you!
P.S. I have started posting the story on wattapad too. 5 chapters have been posted it by now. theunexpecteddream is my account name and the story is with the same name as here
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Asmi <3
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