Mananff - Iss Mohobbat Mein

chapter 27

The Next Morning, 

5:00 a.m.

Manik's eyes fluttered open taking their time, at first, he frowned softly to notice the unknown surroundings of the room, the classy whitish architecture of the fence, the giant window through which Sunrays directly hit on the bedsheets, over the surface of his body, illumunating the Olive skin to light golden as he twitched in little irritation when the glowing sun reflected on his eyes.

He turned around on his stomach and felt the slight pain on it as he was asleep all night on his back, when the slight pain vanished taking place of confusion seeing Nandini Murthy on the couch, just in front of the bed, staring at him with  soft honey eyes. Her brown hairs were falling out ghastly from her bun, as they burned under the warm rays through the window, and simultaneously he realized, this is her room.

"You're creepy." Manik casually spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from waking up, as he closed his eyes going pliant again and Nandini knew he wasn't sleeping anymore, just lying.

"And how is that?" She spoke with a tired voice, however she tried her best to cover it by pretentious enthusiasm.

"Because you stare at someone when they sleep." He smiled lazily looking at her, still spread carelessly over the bed and she smirked mischeviously, but miserably failed to hide her lack of sleep.

"You look like a zombie, Murthy." Manik sat up slowly observing the pale gaps under her eyes making a deep frown. "Come here."

She rolled her eyes showing off casualty, while taking lazy steps towards the bed and standing at the edge looking at him closely, "What were you doing whole night?" His brows twinges in pure dilemma.

Nandini could say something stupid like working or just creeping out looking at him whole night, so that's what she said, "Watching you whole night."

Because surely, you don't need to know I was out with that childhood enemy of yours in his warm shithole like home, studying the topics of your past, she thought.

Fortunately, he didn't enquire much and just sighed quietly, "Weirdo." He says before smiling.

there was a smile too sweet and with the right amount of innocence on her mouth that he couldn't help but brush his finger at her lips, and unconsciously his lips carved into the same smile.

"I couldn't sleep." She confessed honestly, grazing her finger at his light stubble.

"So you were busy all night staring at me? That's creepy 2.0. "

She laughed loosely at his words, tangling her fingers involuntarily under his hairs as the tiredness of her eyes were refreshed by a tiny glint of joy.

Manik could have just kept staring at her effortless, natural face when the faint smell of alcohol lingered under his nose, and he lightly sniffed her closer.

"Hell, you don't have to drink that much." There was a rough annoyance in his voice as he lectured her silently, while all she did was roll away her eyes from him.

"I'm serious." He  mentioned strictly, "I'm disposing all of those Scotch bottles and whatever brands you consume away from here."

There was a time when Nandini wouldn't wait a second before lashing out at anybody who tried to tell her what to do and what not to, considering it's her damn life and she owns it and nobody can have the authority to show her how to live it, but the softness under which this man scolds her, and the gentle creases his forehead forms whenever he sees her doing something self-destructive, all of it makes her feel cared, something that she haven't experienced in a good amount of years, and she could fight from all the hells if it meant sustaining this feeling forever.