"Nandu, what are you doing here? This is a party for Fab5's win. Okay I get you did help us a little by screwing up your performance, but don't give up now...NH3 is still..." smirking, he trailed around her, " ..a loser group. You fool." He jibed purposefully.
Manik watched her walk away with nothing but dead silence as her response. Ever since they had parted ways last week, she resented even looking in his direction. Whereas, he spared every glance, he could catch of hers. He craved her presence even if it was just being in the same room as her. Which was not a lot, he thought miserably. If she did speak to him, it was nothing but vengeful words spewed from her delicate and warm lips. He had caused her to become a bitter person. It was he who broke her heart, shattering it into little pieces, without an ounce of remorse. But, that's what she thought. She didn't know the truth.
Nandini didn't know the turmoil that was wretchedly gnawing at his insides. She wasn't aware that every word that had sliced her heart had also wounded him. She would never understand how he forced himself to stand there and make a mockery of what they had shared. She would always be oblivious to his heart that continued to sway in her direction whenever she was nearby. No, she wouldn't know any of these things, but perhaps it was for the best.
Dhruv.
His best buddy loved her. Dhruv loved Nandini.
He had to walk away because she deserved someone like Dhruv. Her innocence was a perfect match for Dhruv. They would be good together. He was certain his friend would take good care of her and always ensure she was happy. And yet as he tried to quell his heart into believing the lies he kept on reiterating, his misery only increased in manifolds. He could walk away from her, send her to Dhruv, but his obstinate heart still refused to let her go. He felt everything but still he was increasingly empty on the inside.
She was to him a bright star that lit up every dark corner in his heart.
Now there was only darkness, which once again was gradually engulfing him with every breath.
"Hey dude! What's wrong?" Cabir placed a comforting hand on Manik's shoulder. "You're oddly quite."
"Nothing's wrong." Allowing his shoulders to take a stringent fall, Manik smirked. "Any future prospects here for a rendezvous tonight?" He concealed his sadness with a facade of mirth. "I see a lot of hot girls here."
"Nandini just left with Dhruv."
Manik felt uneasy broaching the subject of Nandini, thus he tried to divert their conversation. "Dude, who cares about that loser?" You do, his heart screamed. And by true measures he was the real loser tonight, because he was the man who broke her heart. She had every reason to hate him. But still, it was painful to see the bitterness in those saucer-like-eyes which had not too long ago looked at him with tenderness and warmth. There was still so much of her lying away in every corner of his heart.
Cabir read the unease in his friend's voice, which only confirmed his suspicion. "Manik---"
"Cabir why are we talking about her there are so many hot girls here tonight? I know you are taken, but I am free man. Alya and I are not together anymore." He strengthened his aloof composure and tried his best to display interest in the many girls who filled the party hall. Unfortunately his eyes still searched for the girl dressed in a drab of a long black top with blue tights, and her hair knitted plainly in a french-braid. She wasn't here anymore. She had left with Dhruv. "That one---" He pointed towards a girl clad in a short black dress. "She's pretty hot. What do you think?"
Cabir sighed and shook his head. He stepped in front of him blocking his entire view. The first time since he'd know Manik, he found his friend averting his gaze. He was hiding something. The gloss in his eyes from far masqueraded itself to be sheen, but the closer you came...those hazel brown depths lost their luster. "I thought we were no longer going to hide anything from each other?" He questioned.
Manik pushed his hands inside his jeans pocket and frowned."I told you before I don't have any secret to share."
"You're lying."
"Dammit Cabir! Why would I lie to you?" Manik argued.
"I don't know Manik, you tell me! I know you are hiding something from me, from Fab5!"
Fab5. Five lives each interconnected with each other. Their bond stronger than blood tied together with individuality that sparked elusiveness. Everyone at Space Academy feared them. Or, at least they had feared them, until a nimble chit-sized girl named Nandini Murthy, clobbered him on the jaw for breaking her Appa's pen. She had nerve and credit was definitely deserved. Maybe somewhere deep down, really deep down then, she'd also earned some of his respect. She had not only bruised his ego, but also challenged his pride. In plain words she had challenged Fab5. After that day there seemed to be a silent but dreadful truce of some sort, but it didn't remain for long. As he'd had other plans for her, and she lived through every challenge with her head held high. Her pride lay in her ability to take on the world, or him for his face value. She also believed no one could demean her, but herself. She was proud of who she was---her innocence was still as pure of white lilies on a midsummer's day. He couldn't taint a single petal even if he tried.
"Manik, I am still waiting."
"Cabir, I swear there is nothing to say. I don't know what you want to hear."
Cabir was still not convinced. He knew the truth there was no doubt now and he was going to force it out of his friend. It occurred to him a while before that maybe he had misjudged the entire scenario, but Manik's eyes never lied. He could tell the entire world to go to hell including his mother, but in his eyes shone a silent desperation for someone to come rescue him. "You sure about that?"
"Yes, I am sure. Now if you don't mind I am going to go and see what that pretty lady is up to." Manik drawled, taking a step forth with his slender legs, only to stopped by Cabir's hold on his arm. "What?"
"Okay before you go just answer one question. Do you still trust Nandini after what she did to me? She told Harshad about Raghav and me. She is the culprit. Isn't she deserving of some punishment?" Cabir inquired. It was a test. He wanted to see if his friend would pass and prove him correct.
Manik smiled remorsefully. Hadn't he already punished her enough? He had taken away her faith, her innocence and her dreams. He trampled upon them without any regret. "Cabir, Nandini did not tell Harshad anything. Think about it, she saw you with Raghav by accident, Harshad could have also seen you two together." He defended her. This was the least he could do after the avalanche of emotions he'd unfolded upon her. "She is not like that I told you..you can trust her like..."
"...like I trust you?" Cabir completed.
"Yes."
Cabir smiled genuinely because in that moment he understood what Manik had yet to understand about himself.
"Wipe that goofy smile off your face." Manik said tersely. "Anyway, I am gonna leave now! You keep on smiling." He announced and walked away. The longer he stayed, the easier he was becoming to unravel. It wouldn't have been long before Cabir would have realized what he felt about Nandini. But that's what he thought---what had happened was entirely different.
Cabir had already read his friend like an open book. The fierce man who didn't trust anyone outside of their social circle could easily place his impeccable faith in a girl who was termed their 'enemy'. Why did he trust her? The answer was simple; Manik Malhotra was in love with Nandini Murthy.
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I blame it on Manik Malhotra. He deserves to be written about.
Anyway, I hope you guys like it.
Do leave behind your thoughts because I would love to read them.
Take care :)
Shiv Shakti
