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Nandini's daily routine was a complete mess..Thank god it's
sunday today,Otherwise she would have over slept and missed college..Chachi
even asked her earlier today "Nandu, tu so nahi rahi?..tere aakhon ke
neeche khatte pad gayi hai"..Who will tell her this is all because of her
'Sona Munda'..She never knew this getting to know each other phase will
prove to be so tiring for her..In college he meets up with her every
possible minute and after college he rings her up at odd hours..Today
morning he called her to know about her favorite food items which turned
out to be a pretty long conversation of 6 hours..
We are like chalk and cheese...she sighed..He likes italian and
she likes bisibelle bath..And how could someone not like icecream?!..Nandini could live her life just on a diet of icecreams..And of all people on earth she fell in love with one who hates icecreams like anything..Well who on earth would have thought that she would fall for ' the Monster Manik'?
Her phone beeped again displaying Manik on caller id..
"Again!" she laughed amusingly and took the call..
"Ha Batao manik"...
"Wow!that is such a change ..Doesn't nandini moorthi believe in pleasentries any more?"Came an equally amusing reply..
"Not any more, I think someone's habit rubbed off.."
"That someone is quite intelligent"..
"yeah,coz talking is waste of time, right?"..
"Well, depends on context"
Nandini could feel blood rushing in to her cheeks donning it with a shade of crimson red..Manik always tried his best not to cross the line after they reached in consensus to be friends..But If he doesn't try, he would not be manik malhotra..As much as he did, she also enjoyed his attempts to steal a kiss or initiate a touch or even tease through words..She craved for the warmth of his hands..She loved the silent conversations their etwined hands had with each other..
"So"
"So.."
"Come dressed..I am waiting for you at frontyard"
"What?!" Nandini rushed to the window expecting manik leaning against his car as usual..He was not there..
"I can't see you there.."
"I am here..Come fast..We have to leave fast.."
"Where?Its 8 pm Manik..And what will I say to chachi..?
"Kitna tension leti ho tum..I have spoken with chachi, so don't worry and come
fast..Duniya bharke time nahi hai mere pass.."
with that monster ended his 11th call of today..
"Ayyo..Kya karu mei iss ladke ka" Nandini as always complained to aiyappa about her monster to which aiyyappa rolled his eyes from heaven..day and night he was getting bombarded with complaints about this certain monster..For once he wanted to tell this little girl that he is not a love guru and is a bal bramachari for life!!
Continued
Within two minutes monster called again
"Ab kya hai"
"Kya kar rahi ho?"
"Deciding on what to wear"
"I called you to tell that..Wear something warm..Its pretty cold outside..Make sure to cover your ears..I don't want you to catch cold"
"Come fast, You have 10 minutes"
She stood holding the phone close to ear for good 2 , 3 minutes even after
he ended the call in usual manik style..She could feel her heart swell with
love for this monster.These small moments of care and affection made their dysfunctional relationship seem normal.They were poles apart..Like carnatic and western..Like contemporary and jazz..But the moment they were with each other everything felt perfect and in sync, like the two notes joined by a tie;their love!
She wore a jeans and woolen top teamed up with a stole and dashed out to the front yard within 5 minutes..There he was waiting impatiently leaning against a bike...
Wait! A bike?!!...
"Get on"...
He said while making wear her a helmet..
"Manik"..
"Hmm"..
"You said you don't like riding bikes"..
"I don't"..
"But then why?"..
"I don't know..I just felt"..
"Why manik?"..
"You ask so many questions..Now will you get on or you want me to do the honors?"..
Nandini climbed on the back seat ,kept her hands on his shoulder and asked again..
"Why Manik??"
"Well,riding a bike has perks you know..Like this"..
With that he took her hands off from shoulder and placed it around his waist..
"And I thought it's because I said I liked long drives on bikes"..
"I don't remember you saying that.." He murmured and started riding
She chuckled in amusement and tightened her arms around his waist..
With each passing day she could see how much invested he was in her..How he took care of her each and every wish..Never in life she thought that she would be the one who will change this monster.."Aiyappa, Thank you for bringing this monster in to my life.."
Aiyappa felt relieved for the first time in the entire day.."Finally a thank you instead of complaint"..He looked at her monster from heaven and said.."You better keep up this..I am tired of listening to her complaints!"..
Part 3
"Manik.."
"Hmm.."
"Where are we going?.."
"It's a surprise.."
"Really.."
"Well even if you are not surprised, act like you are.."
"Okay.."
Nandini couldn't help but smile at his childishness..She had realized long ago that inside all that angry hulk pretense Manik was just a boy, who craved for
attention..he gave but he never received..Until Nandini came to his life..At times she felt annoyed at his constant tantrums until the day he took her hand in hand
and said.."I can be myself only around you"..From that day nandini knew that what being a star in his life meant..she learnt to enjoy his tantrums with a silly
smile..Coz she knew at the end of the day he will come back to his star..
"Wow..Whats up with nandini moorthy?"
"what?.."
"You are hugging me so tight..Is it allowed in 'friendship'??"
"Some times it is..If you don't like.."
"NOO!..I like it..very much.."
"I know.."
With that nandini snuggled closer to him..To Nandini, Manik gave the best hugs in world..Whenever he hugged her, she would rest her head close to his chest and listen
to his heart beat..It thumped in sync with her..Always..
"we have reached.."
"Beach?!"
"Hmm..You are supposed to be surprised.."
"I am surprised.."
"I can't see it.."
"Haww, Manik..It's a beach..Is this enough?.."
"Better.." He said with a smirk..
She loved when he smirked..It always reminded her of their whirlwind relationship, their fights, their hatred and those days when he was her monster and she was his
spot..Now she could look back to those days and see
how they seeped little by little in to each other's life..
He clasped her hand in his and walked towards the sea..
"Come.."
"You remembered.."
"Well it's not mangalore beach..It's juhu.."
"I know..But it's still a beach and it's night time.."
"Are you happy?.."
"More than you could imagine.."
"It's just a beach.."
"It's not..I always dreamed of walking hand in hand in a beach at night time with my.."
"My..?"
"lover!.."Nandini squealed
"Nan..Nandini.."
"Manik, Look , it's lover's constellation.."
With that she started talking animatedly about the myth behind it unaware of her 'friend's' current mental state..
Manik shook his head in disbelief..He never believed in words..He was never good at it..And she never asked for it too..That made them one sort of dysfunctional couple in the eyes of world..Cabir always said to him.."Dude, you're in love with her.." to which he always argued.."It's not love.." But today after hearing her utter that word, he realized he was disappointed that it was not about him..
"Nandini.."
"Yes, Manik.."
"Yes, Manik.."
"Does your ayyappa answer your questions?.."
"he does..Just close your eyes and ask him"
Manik closed his eyes and silently inquired.."Then,is this love?!"
"It is, why can't you get it dude!!..Accept it , and spare this bal bramachari from your girl's nonstop complaints about you.."
Aiyappa had enough for today...
Nandini and her quirky likes!" He sighed..
last part
"Manik, what are you thinking..?"
"Me?..Nothing.."
"Manik?.."
"woh..haa..I was thinking that you don't like stars na?..and now you are speaking a lot about them as if you are an astronomist..
"I don't hate them anymore.."
"Coz , I...I like them?"
"Hmm.."
"Why my likes matter to you?"..
"Why mine matter to you..?"
"Because you are..You are nandini.."
"And you are manik.."
He clasped her hand even more tighter and she smiled at him..One of those sunny smiles that she kept only for him..Manik remembered how once he was desperate to get
her smile at him..How he felt jealous that she smiled at all but him..A lot have changed since then..She became his star and he became her firefly..He looked above at
stars and thanked them..For sending down a star for himself..
"You should thank me..ungrateful monster!.."Aiyappa pouted and said
"Manik..
Ice cream khana hai.." Nandini pointed at the ice cream stall at a distance..
"Which flavour do you want?"
"Strawberry..tum nahi khaoge?.."
"Hmm..Let's try strawberry icecream..
"But you hate icecream"..
"If you know, then why would you ask?.."
"Aise hi.."
"I said na, I want to try..You stay here,I'll go and get it"
Nandini couldn't gaze away from manik..This guy who said he wouldn't change for anyone was keeping aside his dislikes for her.
She sat in sand and looked above at starlit sky..Was it this beautiful, always? she wondered..She felt him sitting beside her..
"He had only one scoop left..Share kare?"
Nandini looked at him suspiciously.
"what?.."
"really?"
"You have it..ALONE.."
Manik pouted and said..Nandini felt like pulling his cheeks..
"Acha, share kare.."
"I don't want it.."
"Mei kaho, tabhi nahi?.."
"On one condition.."
"What condition?.."
"That we will have it together.."
Her cheeks flushed looking at the mischevious glint in his eyes..
"nahi.."
Manik looked away pouting, sulking like a little kid...
"Okay baba..Share kare.."
"Together?"
"Together.."
He moved close to her and placed his hand over her hand which was holding the cone.The air felt charged as they slowly went from taking turns to eating ice cream together..With ice cream melting aside and their lips getting closer,They could feel their breath brushing each other's cheek..The first brush of her lips against his, manik's eyes flung open.He could see her eyes shut and face lit with a serene aura..His other hand went around her waist and her around his arm..He closed his eyes and moved in for a kiss..
"OUch!.."
"Sorry, bhaiyya.Galti se ball lag gaya.."A boy around 8 years said to manik..
Manik felt rage thinking about his 889th missed kiss and wasted ice cream cone only to be pacified by nandini..
"It's okay.."
"Thank you didi.."
"Tumhara nam kyaa hai?.."
"ManiKandan.."
"Wow, That is my aiyappa's other name.."
"I am named after him..Okay didi..Bye.."
Up from the heaven Lord Aiyappa laughed at sulking manik.."I will fail your every attempt till you confess your love..I can't handle your girl's complaints for a life time!!"..
So did you guys like it??Please leave your comments..It means a lot!!!
my other works
Lessons we learn from each other(mananbir os):https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4281166
Myriad of stars (cabini os): https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4269136
Who am I to You(manan os) https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4212984
Manik Malhotra's weather forecast #1https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4239063
Manik Malhotra's Weather Forecast #2 https://www.indiaforums.com/forum/topic/4264699
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