It was a beautiful morning. Nandini was getting ready when Manik called her. She looked at her phone and remembered why he probably had called. Oh how could she forget yesterday when Raghav Sir announced them as partners for a music competition. Her bad luck was always following her. Out of all those students it had to be Manik who she was paired with. She rolled her eyes and received the call.
"Hello."
"Hello, Nandini?"
She paused for a while before answering.
"Yeah, it's me Nandini."
"Good morning or should I say good afternoon." He mocked her.
"Don't you know you were assigned my partner for this competition? Or are you waiting for an invitation from me to come."
Nandini felt like breaking her phone on his head. How can he be so rude?
"I'm on my way." She replied trying to sound calm.
"Well hurry up I have other things to do then waiting for you. You know I just can't believe how bad my luck is to have you as my partner out of all those students." He said in a mocking her again.
"Well excuse me, it's not like I'm..."
Before Nandini can finish her sentence he closed the phone.
"Can this guy get any ruder?" she muttered to herself.
"He definitely is monster Manik."
Just then she remembered two days ago when Manik had dropped her and Navya home after getting drunk in the party. She couldn't believe he can ever do something like that. Neither of them talked about it though. It seemed like Manik didn't want to hear anything about it, so Nandini never thanked him or mentioned the incident. But never the less, Nandini noticed that he wasn't that bad after all.
"I guess I was wrong." She mumbled to herself. "This guy will never fail to disappoint me."
With that she grabbed her bag and headed out.
She reached Manik's mansion and knocked the door. The maid opened the door and she entered. Nandini observed the place with her eyes. The place was very nice, but she didn't know why it didn't give a good feeling and lacked something. It lacked the feeling of warmth that is usually felt in every home. But again that's every normal person's home and Manik isn't normal. She thought to herself.
She couldn't spot Manik anywhere and wondered if he was maybe in the kitchen. She moved her feet towards the kitchen and just as she entered something hard dropped and hit her head.
"Ouch!" Nandini yelled.
She opened her eyes only to see herself covered with white paint. A guy on the ladder started to apologize to her.
"I'm very sorry ma'am. I didn't see you coming. I'm ..."
"It's ok." Nandini cut him. Even though she thought it wasn't ok.
"This is the feeling of warmth this house has given to me." She mumbled to herself angrily.
She stared at herself all covered with paint and touched her hair and face all sticky with paint. "Yuck! Aiyappa why do all these weird things happen only to me?"
Suddenly Manik walked into the kitchen and froze at the sight of Nandini.
"What happened to you?" He asked trying his best to hold his laughter that was very obvious.
Nandini glared at him with anger defining her face. "Your house is just like you!" She replied with an upset tone.
Manik couldn't hold it any longer. He burst out laughing uncontrollably that he had to hold his stomach.
Nandini was fuming now. Seeing her anger Manik held on to his laughter again.
"Are you going to stand there all day? Go take a shower. We have to practice for the competition today." He said trying to sound serious.
He stared at her one more time before leaving and continued to laugh.
Nandini stomped her feet in anger. "Monster."
She climbed the stairs all the way towards Manik's room. "Hey." She said trying to get Manik's attention.
I need something to wear. My clothes are covered with paint."
"I don't' have anything that would fit you and my clothes are too precious. I can't have you ruin them."
"What!" Excuse me monster Manik but if it weren't for your stupid paint I wouldn't be in this condition."
"Here she starts again." He rolled his eyes.
"Wait here. I will just come."
He disappeared for a few minutes and came back with a short-sleeveless black dress.
"Here wear this." He threw the dress in her face.
Nandini picked up the dress with her two fingers. "What's this? I don't wear such clothes. I can't wear this."
"We are not having a fashion show here. Either wear it or stay like this. I actually think this paint look suits you." He said with a chuckle.
Nandini grabbed the dress angrily and slammed the door shut.
After a while Nandini opened the bathroom door peeking in the room to see whether Manik was there. She was feeling so uncomfortable with the dress and fidgeting with the bottom of the dress and pulling it as if was going to get any longer. Not seeing Manik around she began to dry her hair. At exactly two minutes she heard the door handle twist and there was Manik standing at the door gazing at her.
He was dumbstruck at the sight in front of him. There was Nandini with a towel in her hand the black dress shaping her body and revealing her sexy legs while her beautiful wet locks hugging her cheeks. Drops of water were trailing down her neck and ending in her chest.
Manik gulped as he saw her. He couldn't' take his eyes off of her. Nandini looked at him with fear. He looked like he was possessed. He didn't even blink once and continued to gaze at her. Suddenly he began to take his steps towards her which made Nandini's heart begin to race. She took her steps backwards until she hit the cold wall. Manik was in her face still gazing at her. Their faces were so close that if she had turned her face a little, her lips would definitely touch his. To her shock Manik began to lift his hand towards her face and just as he was about to touch her, Nandini's eyes fell on a vase on the table next to her. She quickly grabbed it and held it in her hand.
"Wh...What are you doing?" she said with a shivering tone.
"If you think you are going to do anything stupid than I'm warning you. You won't have time because I'm going to hit you with this vase. Don't' think because you are rich and handsome you can do anything you want. I'm not afraid of you."
Manik gave her a weird look and rolled his eyes. He lifted his hand again and brushed something off her forehead. He showed her his thumb and it had white paint stuck to it.
Nandini felt so embarrassed that no words were coming out of her mouth. She shifted her eyes to the floor kicking herself mentally for doing what she just did.
"I...I'm sorry." She finally blurted out.
Manik bent his face closer to her. Ummm, what did you just say a couple of minutes ago? Aha yeah that don't think because you are rich and handsome you can do anything you want." He repeated her words.
"Well I'm rich and that's something so obvious but I'm handsome too? Wow so you think I'm handsome?" He asked with a smirk decorating his face.
Nandini didn't know what to reply. She was caught again because of her stupidity.
"I... I didn't say you are handsome."
"Oh so you think I'm not handsome." He said closing in on her.
No I mean you are...I mean you're not... I mean...I"
Nandini couldn't imagine how dumb she looked being put in this situation. Her face was heating up in embarrassment.
Manik was enjoying seeing her like that.
"Ok let's get to practice." He said breaking the silence.
Nandini slowly moved herself away from the wall and settled herself into a chair. Manik began discussing what they were going to sing and how things were going to be while Nandini was too busy pulling on to her bottom of the dress trying to stretch it longer. Just then Manik noticed what she was doing and stopped talking and stared at her instead. Nandini moved her hand nervously and muttered a small sorry. Manik continued with his talk.
He couldn't' help it but peek at her secretly while talking. She was looking so beautiful in that dress. He tried to brush those thoughts away from his mind but having her in front of him made it impossible.
Suddenly the door knocked and interrupted his thoughts.
"Knock Knock."
"Manik?" it was Manik's mom.
Nandini was startled. She jumped from her chair in fright and began searching the room with her eyes as if she has lost something. Her eyes fell on the closet and she quickly ran to it and entered shutting the door behind her.
Manik was confused by her reaction. "What the..." He mumbled to himself as his mother opened the door.
"Manik, do you have anything in the evening?"
"No." replied Manik with a cold tone.
"Good. I have to discuss something with you this evening, so will see you then." With that she closed the door.
Manik turned his face towards the closet just as he remembered that Nandini was inside.
"Hey you get out. What the hell made you get inside the closet? Get out now. We already wasted a lot of time."
"Sorry, but I didn't want your mom to see me in her dress and in your room. What would she think?" She said in a nervous tone.
"Oh god you are impossible." He replied to her in anger.
"Just get out from there. She left already. Are you planning on living there?"
Nandini tried to get out when she noticed something had caught the back of her dress. She tried to pull herself but it was no use.
"I think I'm stuck." She managed to blurt out.
"What? Nandini stop testing my patience and get out right now."
"I'm very serious here. I can't get out. Something caught the back of the dress."
"Unbelievable." Manik rolled his eyes.
He opened the closet door and stretched his hand to her. Nandini hesitantly caught hold of his hand and Manik puller her so hard that he lost his balance and ended up falling on the bed with Nandini on top of him. Manik gazed at her while Nandini had her eyes closed in fright. Her still wet hair was falling on his face. He inhaled her beautiful jasmine scent and was totally lost in her. Nandini opened her eyes slowly only to find herself on top of Manik. Her eyes locked on to his eyes as if she was searching for something. Her hand was holding on to his collar while his arm was wrapped around her petite waist. Their faces were barely inches apart. Both can feel their breaths embracing each other.
Manik was definitely not in his senses anymore. He couldn't push her off of him. In fact he loved her being there. Nandini on the other hand didn't know why she wasn't moving away from him. They stayed gazing at each other for what seemed forever. Slowly as their thoughts began to revert them to reality, they began to move away from each other. Just as Nandini began to move herself away something pulled her. She noticed her necklace was stuck on the first button of Manik's shirt. She bent her face closer fearing for her necklace might break. Manik couldn't control himself any longer. They were even closer to each other than they already had been.
They tried to move themselves away but it was useless. As if their bodies were casted by a spell or paralyzed. Manik's eyes fell on Nandini's luscious lips. They looked so enticing. Nandini stared at his eyes and noticed him staring at her lips. Her eyes began to search for his lips and once she found them she couldn't help but gaze at them. Her heart began to race like never before and she could hear his heart racing too since she was on top of him. Manik could feel her bosom attached to his chest. He felt electricity going through his whole body. Never in his life he had felt this weak and enjoyed the feeling of it.
His strong arms were wrapped around her waist holding her close to him. Nandini's heart was speeding in adrenalin. She was lost in the arms of this guy. It was stunning, better than anything she has ever felt before. Slowly their lips began to move apart. Both panting heavily and gasping for air. They gazed at each other's eyes. Just then reality struck them. They couldn't believe what they just did. Nandini quickly yet nervously untangled her necklace from Manik's button and moved away from him.
Manik got up from his bed still in shock. Both just stood there staring at each other without uttering a word. As if someone had hit their head with a rod and seized their memory. They turned their faces away in confusion. Nandini quickly entered the bathroom and changed from the dress into her not fully dried clothes and came out. Manik was still staring at the floor unable to comprehend what just happened. Nandini carefully placed the dress on the bed and barged out of his room. She ran down the stairs and quickly went out the door. "What did I just do?" She thought to herself. She stopped an auto and left. Manik was still standing in his room. He was dumbstruck. "I just kissed Nandini." He thought to himself. "What happened to me? Why couldn't' I control myself?"He hit the wall with his fist angrily causing his hand to bleed.
Nandini was still inside the auto thiking about what happened. She lifted her hand and touched her lips with the tip of her fingers and thought about the kiss. "I kissed Monster Manik." She thought to herself. "Nandini did you lose your mind? You kissed Monster Manik and this time it's a real kiss. How could I do that?" She covered her face with her hands and shook her head in disbelief as the auto vanished into the road.
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