Nandini clutched on the curtain breathing a sigh of relief. She looked at her phone and noticed Navya's number.
"It's really not time for you to call. That was a close one. Aiyappa, ab mein kya karoon. Why does everything go wrong when I'm around this Monster? Am I going to spend the whole night here?"
She closed her eyes and gulped as the thought began to take over her mind.
Manik on the other hand was sitting down with all of Fab4 members. All were chilling out and enjoying their time while Manik felt like he was sitting on hot lava instead of a chair. "What brought them all here?" He mumbled to himself. "I need to do something and make them leave, but what should I do?"
"Ummm. ..Guys the weather looks pretty nice out there. I think it would be great if we all went outside and enjoyed the cool breeze. What do you guys think?"
"No, I'm not going anywhere until Dhruv comes." Mukti cut in killing Manik's hopes.
Manik raised his hand towards his forehead trying to wipe the drops of sweat that were beginning to form.
Just then Dhruv came in walking through the main door with his guitar.
Speak of the devil." Mukti said laughingly which made Manik's eyes light up.
"Hey Dhruv!, Buddy." Manik went to greet him looking as happy as if he just won a million dollars.
"So glad you're here." He said hugging him. The Fab4 members began to look suspiciously at Manik's behavior and Manik calmed himself as he noticed their looks.
"Ahhh..Ummm... Let's go outside guys Dhruv is here." Manik's nervousness was getting the better out of him.
"I'm feeling really lazy. Let's just stay here and enjoy some drinks."Mukti added as she spread her legs on the couch.
Manik cursed his fate for playing this wicked game with him. While Cabir was pissed off at having lost the chance to reveal his secret after collecting some courage to speak to Manik.
Nandini paced back in fourth in Manik's room waiting for him to come. She looked at the clock hanging on the wall. "Its eleven O'clock, aiyappa chachi will be so worried now. These dumb Fab5 people, don't they have a home to go to? Aren't their parents worried for them?"
After two hours, Manik came rushing through the door.
"Hey, commoner, they all just left." He said trying to catch his breath.
Now go before..."
"Honk! Honk!" The honking of a car interrupted him before finishing his sentence. He rushed towards the window and there was Noyonika exiting her car. Manik's eyes grew wide in disbelief and he lifted his hands towards his hair unable to believe what was happening with him. "This got to be some kind of joke." He muttered to himself. Seeing his pale face Nandini rushed to the window to see what he was talking about. "Aiyappa!" She gasped in shock.
"Even your Aiyappa can't do anything to help us." Manik eyed her angrily as he rolled his eyes.
Nandini clutched down her shirt trying to pull it longer. "It's your fault we are in this situation. " She managed to blurt out.
"I came here to thank you for helping Rishab. And what did you do? You drenched me with water."
Manik was beginning to lose his cool and was on the tip of losing the little patience he still had.
Nandini continued with her rant.
"Imagine if Alya had seen me? What would she have thought about me? Chiii! I can never imagine even in my dreams that I would do anything with a guy that is committed to a girl. I would have been responsible for breaking a girl's heart today because of you. How can you..."
"She is not my girlfriend anymore god damn it!" Manik yelled stopping Nandini from finishing her sentence.
Awkward silence took over the room.
"Nnn...Not your girlfriend? But why?" Nandini spoke breaking the silence.
Manik turned to her and grabbed her arm as the anger was taking over him.
"Listen you... Stop interfering in my life. You are beginning to know things you shouldn't now. Why don't you just get out of my house damn it!"
"Why are you blaming me? I just came to say a thank you and leave. I wasn't planning on staying in your house." Nadini replied as she freed her arm from his grip.
"Well why didn't you say a proper thank you and leave?!" Manik was beginning to really lose it.
"But...But I said thank you." Nandini looked at him with an innocent yet confused face.
"What is a proper thank you?" She added.
Manik stared at her amazed by her innocence. He moved his steps towards her and lifted his hand and cradled her face with his palm. How can you be so innoce..." He stopped himself from finishing his sentence and continued to lose himself in her eyes. He moved his hand and placed it on her waist pushing her into him, which startled Nandini as she continued to look into his eyes. He quickly yet seductively tilted his face eyeing her soft lips that were waiting to be embraced by his. Nandini could feel her breath leaving her body from the close proximity. Without giving it a second thought, he bent down and found her lips with hot urgent passion. She moved her hand to push him away, but her hand betrayed her and instead of pushing him away, her hand ended up behind Manik's neck pushing him deeper into the kiss. He raised his hand up to her hair and tangled his fingers in it. They continued to kiss passionately as if their life was depending on that kiss, completely forgetting themselves and their surroundings.
Slowly they broke out of the kiss both breathing heavily and gasping for air. Nandu looked at him in confusion as her mind was still unable to comprehend what just happened. Her cheeks were turning crimson red and she lowered her eyes shyly. A smirk decorated Manik's face as he saw Nandini's condition. He slowly tilted his face towards her causing Nandini to close her eyes thinking another surprise was coming her way. "Your cheeks are red." His husky voice whispered into her ear causing a chill to go up her spine.
Suddenly a knock on the door interrupted them. It turned out to be the maid telling Manik Madam Noyonika has arrived.
"Oh shit!" He muttered as he remembered. He dragged Nandini to his closet and carefully lifted her and placed her there.
As he left the room, Nandini lifted her hands and touched her cheeks. They were burning with heat. "Yeh kya ho raha hai mujhe?" She mumbled to herself still confused from what just happened a couple of seconds ago.
Noyonika entered the house and ordered the maid for a cup of coffee. She plopped herself onto the couch and began to review a pile of papers in her hand
Manik descended down the stairs and noticed his mom sitting there. He took a deep breath and managed to put up a calm face as he walked towards her.
"Madam Noyonika here? what a miracle." He said mocking her as he grabbed the magazine on the table and acted like he was interested in it.
"Am I not allowed to come to my own house? Or do I need permission from you?" She replied to him with the same tone. "I have to review some paper work and I needed a calm place to do it, so I thought why not my own house."
"Aha of course your work is the only thing that brings you here."
Noyonika ignored him and looked into her papers while Manik had his eyes on the clock checking the time. After three hours of Noyonika checking papers and Manik staring at the clock, Manik gave up on Noyonika leaving the house and decided to head toward his room.
He moved his legs towards the stairs and carefully entered his room shutting the door behind him. Once he got inside the room he rushed towards the closet and pulled the door open. There was Nandini who had fallen asleep hugging her legs. Manik's eyes softened at the sight of seeing her. She looked like a sleeping doll. He carefully lifted her in his arms and continued to gaze at her. Nandini wrapped her hands around him comforting herself in her sleep. Manik felt his heart beat stop as he felt her little hands wrapping around his back. He tried to push away all the besharam thoughts that were beginning to invade his mind and walked towards his bed and laid her down.
After a bit of admiring, he lifted the blanket and covered her. He seated himself on to the right side of the bed and looked up towards the ceiling. Nandini started to toss and turn in her sleep which distracted him and made him turn to look at her. Her beautiful bangs fell on her face as she continued to sleep. Manik pushed himself closer to her side and lifted his fingers to remove her bangs. After doing so, he brushed his fingers on her cheek as he admired her angelic face. His eyes fell on her pink luscious lips and his hormones were beginning to lose control again. He bent his face towards her and slowly parted his lips to kiss her when suddenly Nandini blurted out "fireflies" in her sleep causing Manik to stop. He moved himself away from her in frustration and opened the window to breathe some fresh air.
"You shouldn't have kissed Nandini ." A voice inside of him said. "But I can't understand how can she be so innocent?" He replied back. "Her innocence doesn't give you the right to kiss her." The voice replied back. But Nandu wasn't bothered by it if she was then she wouldn't' have kissed me back. Arrgh! I think I have just gone mad." He told himself as he noticed he was talking to himself only. He brushed away all the feelings and warm emotions that were beginning to spread in his heart after that kiss and decided to go to sleep. He went towards the door and locked it before going to sleep on the right side of the bed. They both laid there fast asleep.
The sun was up and the birds were singing their morning tunes, while Manik and Nandini were still sleeping. Manik started to slowly wake up and to his surprise he found Nandini's head resting on his chest while her hand was placed on his cheek. He could feel her breath brushing his neck and a warm feeling took over him. He was too busy gazing at her that he didn't notice his hand was wrapped around her waist. Nandini began to wake up and the first thing she saw was Manik's face so close to hers. Her face lit up in shock. They jumped away in surprise both feeling awkward.
"Why...Why are you sleeping next to me?" Nandini asked hesitantly.
Manik looked at her with a serious look.
"Excuse me? What did you just say? You still haven't woken up after that shower have you? Do you need another shower? If you still haven't noticed this is my bed it's very normal for me to sleep in it. You are the one sleeping next to me."
Suddenly Nandini remembered yesterday's incident and yelled. "Aiyappa!"
Manik rolled his eyes. "You and your Aiayappa."
She quickly rushed to the bathroom and changed into her clothes. "What am I going to tell Chachi?" she mumbled to herself worriedly as she began to change. "I will just say I was working on a project with Navya and fell asleep. I don't want to lie but I have no choice. Just as she was about to open the door a flashback of her kiss with Manik played through her head. She lifted her hand to her mouth in shock. "What did I do yesterday?" She exclaimed. "I.. I kiss...kissed Monster Manik." A feeling of embarrassment and confusion took over her. "What will he thank of me now?" She closed her eyes and cursed herself for being an idiot. "I need to get away from here as soon as possible."
She opened the door and stepped out and noticed Manik standing in her face.
"Please leave now before someone else comes." He joined his palms together and acted as if he was pleading her. "Oh and about yesterday...Woh..."
Nandini continued staring at the ground not wanting to meet his eyes. "Oh god is he going to talk about the kiss. Aiyappa I should just go before he mentions it."
She moved her feet towards his bed without listening to what he was going to say. She placed his clothes on the bed without uttering a word and almost ran out the door. Manik gave a "what the heck" expression as he noticed her leaving.
His eyes fell on the clothes that were sitting on the bed and he lifted the shirt and reminisced how Nandini had worn it. A small smile appeared on his lips while he continued to hold the shirt. "I must say you are not too bad miss commoner." He said still eyeing the shirt in his hand.