Married to my best friend

20. D-

N A N D I N I

"Will you?" he asked in a soft tone, gently holding my face in between his palm. Our eyes met and at that moment all I could think about was how warm his touch felt against my already heated cheeks.

"Manik stop-" I unwillingly stepped away, holding onto the last ounce of self control I had left in me. "stop teasing me."

He let out a chuckle, looking away from me. "Ahh leave it."

He looked hurt and this time he didn't even try covering it up with a smile. I felt guilty and the stinging pain in my heart just increased. I walked away from him and out of the balcony with a heavy heart.

"Dare. Dare. Dare." Jeff had been shouting in her slurry tone.

"I'll go with truth." Smaran said nevertheless. I went on and sat beside Navya, the game no more felt interesting to me.

"If you had to confess to anyone from this table, who would that be?" Alya asked.

"And we need you to get dow-down on your knees and confess too." Jeff added, clapping.

"Ohh, absolutely." Alya and the others agreed.

Smaran smiled before his eyes locked on me. "Nandini." he declared.

"Me?" Surprised, I pointed a finger towards myself. He nodded before getting up from his seat and making his way towards me. He lightly scratched the back of his neck when he stopped a few step away from me.

"Can I get some space? I need to confess right."

I looked at Navya and she looked back at me. "I think the confession wouldn't be needed." Navya said in my favour, probably on sensing my nervousness.

"No, it's needed. C'mon confess." Jeff pestered.

"Confess. Confess." The others joined in and Navya had no other choice but to move away. Smaran came down on his knees. His cheeks were red, probably from embarrassment.

He gently held one of my hand. "I-I-" he began and that was when I felt a warm touch on either side of my shoulder. I looked up to see Manik standing right behind me.

"Do you have to stand behind her like that?" Smaran chided on seeing Manik. Manik's side lips twitched upward. "Yes I have to. Just make this confession or whatever quick." he said, lightly squeezing my shoulder.

"Possessive much." I heard Mukti say and the others let out a soft chuckle.

"Fine." Smaran took a sharp breath in."I have liked you ever since the first day I saw you in college."

"You serious?" I interuppted.

"Let me finish. Don't interrupt na."

"Okay! Okay!!" I agreed. Navya always said I was very dense when it came to realising someone's romantic feeling and I never thought I was but now this really made me think may be I was.

"I liked you so much and I am telling you if not for this jerk that's behind you, my numerous attempts of confession-"

"Hey don't call me a jerk." Mank cut him off.

"C'mon you are." he said.

"Stop spouting nonsense and just stick to your confession. Don't go off track." Manik argued.

"Off track. Fine." Smaran smirked. "I liked you a lot and I tried confessing to you so many times but I failed every single time because of that jerk-"

"I am not." Manik interuppted but Smaran continued. "behind you. You know Nandini on Valentine's day Manik-"

"I think the truth is over." Manik interuppted yet again. "Next turn." he tried reaching for the bottle but I held his hand and laid it back to my shoulder. "I want to listen. What did he do?" I asked.

"Spin that bottle."

"C'mon he's not done." Mukti said.

"Yeah let him complete Manik." Alya added.

"A confession ends with I like you. That's it."

"Smaran you continue." Cabir added this time. Manik glared at him giving him that 'are you even my friend?' look and Cabir swiftly ignored it.

"On Valentine's day, I wrote a confession letter to you and slipped it into your English book. I got the same letter back the next day in my English book. You know what he did. He graded my confession letter a D- with a remark 'Too corny. Too old fashioned. And absolutely not her type. Better back off.'"

The room filled with laughter. "He was like your admirer blocker." he added and though I tried to fight back my smile, I couldn't.

"Was it that bad that you graded it a D-?" Navya asked in between her laughter.

"I don't have that much free space in my mind to remember content of such a letter." he shrugged.

"I really really liked you and I still do admire you a lot." he smiled, getting back on his feet. "but now just as a friend."

"Ouch. Now that hurt." I said in a dramatic tone and he chuckled, leaving my hand. "You really are an amazing girl. Manik is lucky to have you."

"No, I am the lucky one to have him." I raised my head to look at Manik and he looked back at me. "I don't ever want to lose him."

M A N I K

Those words of hers had my heart racing. I lightly ruffled her hair, the frustration from her previous action in the balcony had totally left my brain.

"I don't ever want to lose you either."

"Too much PDA." I heard Navya say but I was too busy staring at her to even be bothered by that remark of Navya.

Nandini affected me so much and it had always been that way. She had the power to make me feel low but then one sweet gesture of hers and I would forget why I had even been feeling low in the first place.

"Let's just continue the game love birds." Alya said, spinning the bottle. We both let out a soft laugh looking at each other before both our gaze shifted to the bottle.

The bottle stopped and this time at our direction. "Manik and Nandini. Two victims in one spin." Jeff clapped.

"There's no such rules of two victims."

"Oh come on new rules can always be added." Mukti said before asking, "Truth or dare? Oh yeah and if you choose dare I would let you two continue your previous dare but this time-" she paused before adding,"in reverse."

"Reverse. Manik you shouldn't miss this chance. C'mon dare." Alya hooted.

"Dare. Dare. Dare." Everyone cheered along and I could feel my cheeks heat up. I already had a boner from the previous deed. One more time and I knew I wouldn't be able to last. Also I had no intention to force myself on Nandini.

"Tru-" I began, only to be cut off by Nandini. "Dare." she chose, leaving me in a state of shock. Did I just hear it right?

*****
"Dare" XD. Isn't Nandini way too unpredictable? She might as well give Manik a heart attack this way XD.

And if you had to grade this story, what grade will you give it? Do tell me.

Also drop your comments about what you think about Nandini and don't forget to vote as well.

Love ❤️💚
Aaku