Upd! MN FF - Love and all that jazz - Chap8 -pg17 - Page 6

Chapter Five

At the cafeteria , later that day:

Dia: "I cant believe your were secretly seeing mayank for a week and i never found out!!!! U guys are amazing, i mean u'll made it look like you hated each other. I did catch u'll checking each other out when u 'll thought no-one was looking, but i didnt read much into that."

Nupur: " I never checked him out!" She yelled making dia jump "I mean really i thought we were discreet." She added in a normal softer tone.

Dia: "Forget about all that...i cant believe you are dating him!!! Do you love him?"

Nupur: "Whoa..whoa! love him...no way...we are taking things slow...we are going to hang out and date and see where things go."

Dia: "Ok fine...i know this itself is a big step for both of u'll. Ur right take things slow, get to know each other, but just promise me you wont push mayank away like you push all guys away." Dia looked so serious and worried that nupur felt horrible lying to her.

Nupur: "I wont."

Dia: "Cool! So you and mayank are coming to the party with benji and me right? we will be taking the driver so we can let loose."

Nupur: "Driver?"

Dia: "Of course nupur , we aren't going to drink and drive."

Nupur: "No of course not..its just that i dont know if we are going to the party..i didnt even know..." She trailed off as mayank came and sat down next to Nupur .

Mayank: "Sorry babe...it slipped my mind to tell you about the party. The college has a party every year the first weekend of the new year. Dia we will come with you'll." Just then Dia's phone rang.

Dia: "Cool..oh i got to go now...i'll see u'll later. Bye. Im so happy for u'll!!" she said giving nupur an enthusiastic hug before leaving. Nupur smiled and waved to her and immediately turn to frown at mayank after dia was out of sight.

Nupur: "What was that about...im not going with you to any party."

Mayank: "Oh sorry ...i forgot you were socially challenged...well you see parties are a fun gathering of people and people like going to these parties with the person they are dating."

Nupur: "Dont be a smart ass...Dont you think we are pushing our luck a little bit."

Mayank: "On the contrary i think this would be a perfect way to show everyone we are together..." when she didnt look convinced, he added, "Ok we will make an appearance and if you aren't having fun we will leave early ok."

Nupur: "Ok...fine."

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Sushma: "Baby my answer is not going to change...u look amazing! And no it isn't much at all! Its ur first dance at this school! Im more excited about meeting this new guy of yours...i thought i was pretty observant but obviously i was wrong...i cant bileve u were dating someone under my nose and i had no idea. I got to say ur turning into quite a pesky kid afterall."

Nupur: "Mom!! I didnt tell you cos i wasn't so sure about it myself...and its nothing serious we are just hanging out." Feeling like shit lying to her mom. Just then the doorbell rang. "That must be mayank."

Sushma: "oh yeah!! Lets go!" she said jumping out of her chair.

Nupur: "MOM!! Please be cool ok...dont embarrass me or yourself!"

Sushma: "What are you talking about im the coolest mom there is! Plus i cant even remember the last time you had a date! Im excited!! I have my camera right here!"

Nupur: "MOM!!"

Mayank: "Hi aunty, i can see where nupur gets her good looks from."

Nupur: "Stop sucking up to mom...she doesn't need any ego boosts she does fine on her own." She said from behind her mom.

Mayank: "Dont get jealous nupur, i said you were good looking as well." He said winking at her, before nupur could retaliate her mother said.

Sushma: "Oh beta, dont listen to nupur, i love it! Come on lets go sit down and tell me about yourself as we wait for dia. So tell me mayank, have you always lived in Bangalore?"

Mayank: "No actually, i was born in the US..When my dad passed away my mom and me shifted here to Bangalore , i was 5 at the time." Nupur was surprised but didnt let on, cos a gf is suppose to know about the family...but no one had told her about mayank's dad passing away when he was just a kid...now she felt bad for him.

Sushma: "Im so sorry mayank, I didnt mean to bring it up..Nupur didnt tell me, so its just you and your mom right now."

Mayank: "Its ok dont worry about it. No its not just the two of us, Mom got married a couple of years ago."

Sushma: "Oh thats nice...so what do your parents do?"

Mayank: "Mom use to be a doctor but she doesn't practice anymore, my step-father is an industrialist ." Nupur sensed mayank clam up a little when he spoke about his step dad, her mom must have sensed it too so she changed the subject.

Sushma: "So you and nupur are in the same classes...so how come you took up commerce."

Nupur: "Mom, whats with the interrogation? Leave him alone!" Just then a car honk sounded off nupur's driveway. "That's dia mom...got to go...lets leave!" she said pulling mayank up from the couch.

Sushma: "Ok , fine run...have a good time but be back on time and keep ur cell on. Keep coming mayank."

Mayank: "Will do aunty, it was nice meeting you, and dont worry, we wont be too late."

Benji: "So guys! Lets get this party started! What would you ladies like to drink?" He said clearly excited to start partying.

Dia: "I feel like a martini...maybe an apple martini."

Nupur: "I think ill have a mojito."

Benji: "Cool, u guys wait here we'll get the drinks." Mayank and benji set off to get the drinks...and the girls found a table to sit.

Nupur: "So is this like a party for the freshers or is it a general celebration?"

Dia: "We use it as an excuse for the freshers but really its just a way to meet up after a long summer break outside of college...Plus we always have it off campus so that we could arrange for booze. This year its especially good cos otherwise we generally have it at sheena's farm house which use to be kind of a bore...she would always also invite some of her pretenscious friends outside of college..and not everbody wa invited."

Nupur: "Sheena is mayanks ex right? Where is she i haven't seen her."

Dia: "Thats cos sweety you were born with amazing luck...anyway you wont be lucky for long i hear shes coming back today so she might just be at this party. Every year her dad sends her globe trotting to these fancy international events for networking and broadening her horizons for her future endeavours" Dia added with actions of air quotations.

Nupur: "Networking? Doesnt that happen after we pass out and get into the real world?"

Dia: "exactly...right? But not for sheena and her dad...You have to seize every opportunity cos its a tough world out there, and to make your mark you have to start young and be focused! We thought we had lost mayank to that world till he broke up with her. She use to constantly push mayank into these social gatherings and meets with pretentious ceos of companies. It didnt help that sheena's dad and mayank's step- dad are really close friends so he really didnt have a way out."

Nupur: "But that would have been good for mayank right...i mean if he plans to do his mba next year.."

Dia: "He really doesn't want to do his mba...he is expected to do his mba...mayank wants to become a photographer...and hes really good. But photographers dont make as much money as financers or bankers..And since mayank's dad makes all the decisions in that house he doesn't quite have a choice."

Nupur: "I dont peg mayank as the sort who would give in like that."

Dia: "Yeah...but i think he just wants to make his mom happy by listening to his step-dad. Im surprised you didnt know about this already."

Nupur: "Well you know its a bit early in the relationship to talk about serious things." Hoping she sounded cool...mayank and benji arrived in the nick of time and saved nupur from dia's scrutinizing gaze.

Benji: "here girls! Man this party is awesome! Babe do u want to dance?"

Dia: "Ofcoruse lets go!" Dia and benji disappeared into the crowd and mayank looked at nupur looking at him.

Mayank: "What? Do i have something on my face?"

Nupur: "No...nothing." she said shaking her head and smiling.

Mayank: "You know im not used to this side of you...we have been together for almost an hour now and you haven't fought with me."

Nupur: "Well thats cos ur behaving urself today...and its a pretty night...i dont feel like fighting."

Mayank: "Good..it will be waste to ruin this party for ourselves...you look really nice by the way."

Nupur: "Thank you...you look nice to."

Mayank: "wow and your being politically correct too?" he laughed as he said it cos he was dressed like he always did whereas she had dressed up for the occasion and nupur smiled back.

Nupur: "No seriously, you seem relaxed today...whats up?"

Mayank: "your right...i dont know i just feel relaxed...its nice you know..new start to a new year."

Nupur: "Yeah...i guess it would be different for you...after how long are you single again?"

Mayank: "Ah that would be two long years...and im not really single am i?" he added winking.

Nupur: "Yeah about that, if we are going to pretend to date we need to know a few things about eachother, you know family and goals and such."

Mayank: "what about them."

Nupur: "I mean dia just told me you want to be a photographer...see i should know this kind of stuff. I should know why you broke up with ur ex. I should know about your family."

Mayank: "Well now you know that i want to become a photographer...as for sheena, we broke up cos we were just really different people, wanting different things out of life."

Nupur: "Thats as vauge as saying i left Bombay cos the situation demanded it...mayank if we are going to do this you have to give me something...ok ill start i am an only child...We moved to Bangalore cos my mom got a new job with a promotion. Shes now an editor in a fashion and decor magazine, my dad is freelance finance consultant. I want to become an architect but instead of joining art school straight out of the 12th my dad wanted me to get a commerce degree first so that i have some knowledge on running business and understand the financial aspect of it all instead of being just about the art. I found logic in that so i pursued it...and next year im going to apply for jj in Bombay. I haven't been in any serious relationships few dates here and there, but thats it. See it wasn't so hard your turn."

Mayank: "As insightful as that was..we have technically only been seeing eachother for less than a week...so dont worry no one is suspicious of you not knowing my deep dark secrets...so yeah we need to talk about that stuff but we dont need to do it now."

Nupur: "why are you being so difficult...U want to become a photographer but ur applying for an mba, is it cos of your step-dad..i know u seem to have a tough relationship with your step dad..it doesn't take a genious to figure that out...but..."

Mayank: "Nupur...drop it ok...i dont want to talk about my step-dad...if you want to know yes i want to become a photographer but its more of a hobby, its got nothing to do with him. Sheena and i broke up cos we were different people wanting different things. Thats it...there are no deep secrets to my life and u know ur really starting to sound like an annoying girlfriend...your getting a little to deep into your character. Lighten up!" sounding really pissed off..but nupur was pissed to...he wanted to do this...did he not think that she would need to know a certain things about his life. S**** him

Nupur: "Whatever...i need another drink, ill be right back."

Mayank: "Ill get it for you.." said getting up.

Nupur: "Dont bother im not really your gf remember." With that she stormed off.

As mayank watched nupur walk off he knew he had been a little too harsh on her. But there were some things that were so screwed up in his life that even he didnt know how they had gotten to be like that. After his dad had died, his mom had immersed herself into work. As a small kid he thought she didnt love him...but as he grew older he realised that she loved him a lot its just that she had also loved his dad a lot and the pain of loosing him had affected her deeply leaving her completely heartbroken. So when 3 years back she met and married Rahul Modi he was happy for his mom. Rahul modi was a man used to getting his way, he always drove for perfection and success. Mayank knew that Rahul loved his mom but he also knew he didnt much care for mayank and tolerated him for his mother's sake. Which to be fare was exactly what mayank did. In rahul's eyes mayank was kind of a slacker..he wasn't driven enough, he wasn't passionate enough to make something of himself. The truth was that what mayank was what he was passionate about was perceived as a hobby by rahul and not a profession. The only thing that mayank had done right in the past two years was date sheena...thats why he had carried that for so long. Sheena was more of a child to rahul than mayank could ever hope to be. Sheena was very ambitious, she knew what she wanted and she had no inhibitions using someone to reach that goal , which was exactly what his step-dad admired about her. So things had gotten worse at home after Mayank had broken up with her. He wanted to cherish this time he had when sheena was away before things got worse, but nupur was making that very difficult. But then again before sheena came it would be better if he told nupur everything...it would only be fare for her to know what she had gotten herself into. So he decided on talking to nupur about it tonight after the party.

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Nupur didn't really want a drink, she just wanted to get away from mayank, but as she had put some distance between herself and mayank, from the corner of her eye she saw dhruv making a headway for her so she quickly turned to head to the bathroom for some refuge.

When she entered she saw a very attractive classy petite girl touching up her makeup. She didnt look like she belonged in a college party, instead she looked like she was going for a benefit somewhere. Nupur gave a quick smile and started to wash her hands.

Girl: "Hi, you must be new here, i haven't seen you before in college...are u in the first year?" she asked nupur with a friendly yet haughty look...nupur had no idea how one could manage looking both at the same time.

Nupur: "oh no, final i just transferred from Bombay...im nupur btw." Extending her hand to shake the girls...but withdrew it as the girls expression changed from friendly to hostile in a quick second. *Now thats the combination im used to * nupur thought as she felt the girl giving her a once over from head to toe.

Girl: "So your nupur...you are the one spreading rumors of dating mayank..Sweety i got to say, thats really not a smart way to start in a new school. Its a little desperate dont you think?" Comprehension dawned on nupur.

Nupur: "Nope im pretty sure being delusional is desperate. Which is what you suffer from. Those aren't rumors, mayank and i are dating and he broke up with you. Your sheena i take it?" Sheena's face tightened.

Sheena: "Look girly. Mayank and i had a tiny miscommunication before i left and thats all it was, now that im back you can go look for someone elses bf to steal."

Dia: "Oh sweety thats not how mayank tells it. But you know what its ok, u'll confirm it from him soon enough." Said standing in the doorway as she saw the exchange between nupur and sheena. They both looked over and dia. Then nupur smiled and looked back at sheena.

Nupur: "A word of advice sheena, its really tacky for a girl to chase a boy after he dumped her so give urself some dignity and move on." Sheena gave her a menacing smile and said.

Sheena: "Oh you poor thing. You see now i just feel sorry for you. Because when mayank sees me, he will apologise and we will makeup like always and you will be the one getting over him. So if i were you id know when to give up." With that she left.

Dia: "Wow...are you ok?" Said asked laughing.

Nupur: "U know mayank was wrong."

Dia: "Wrong?" she aked frowning.

Nupur: "That is a whole lot of crazy. She isn't just glenn close she is the swim fan combined with glenn close!! What the hell did mayank see in that woman?" Dia started laughing and said.

Dia: "i think he claims temporary insanity. Come on, i dont know about you but i need a drink." Both laughing as dia tugged on nupurs hand to head out.

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