A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-19

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Throwing the 5th dress in some aloof corner of her room, she brought out fresh pair of dresses out of her wardrobe. It would be a lie if it was said that Nandini was having a good morning. Sleepless nights hardly give good mornings. She had measured the size of her bed drawing random pattern of it and that was a first. Nothing in world could make her toss in bed, not even stupid fights of their parents. But now when she had played a strange tune previous day, she ought to dance no matter how stupid it was. She was still in disbelief that she had asked Manik to ask her for ball properly. What had she said? Oh yeah! He had to ask her out like she is a girl and he the man. Now what this girl category was supposed to mean?! She was apprehensive about the day already. Imagining Manik doing all the stupid stuff was going to be so much embarrassing. 

She picked a denim and white frilled top after undoing her entire closet. White overcoat should do just fine with it,, she thought. She stomped inside restroom to have a shower to finally have some peace of mind. 

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"Girls like white lilies?" Manik asked Harshad as they tried to read in library.

"They do," Harshad answered without even looking at Manik. 

"She would certainly not like it then," Manik murmured to himself totally losing himself to one and only topic in his life. 

"She would like it," Harshad remarked and Manik turned the pages of book rapidly to sound very busy.

"Don't worry I won't ask," Harshad assured and Manik sighed. 

He held his head in hands giving up. He closed the book and walked out of library making a mind to consult the brigadier. He had to do that. 

Knocking the cabin of Daadu, he rubbed his palms to gather all his might. 

"Come in, Manik," Daadu replied. 

"How did you know it was me?" Manik asked baffled closing the door behind him. 

"I knew you would need me," Daadu replied taking a deep breath. 

"You are too naive to pull this off," he added. 

"Pull off what?" Manik asked all nervous. There was no way now Daadu too knew what Nandini had asked him. 

"She would hate white lilies," Daadu uttered making Manik all shocked. 

"I heard you asking that dickhead," Daadu himself cleared making Manik relieved. 

"Think original," He suggested. 

"Think what she would like," He added. 

"She likes to make me cry. Shall I sign an agreement to be her subject for life?" Manik quipped. 

"She is a girl at end of day who is very much a girl at end of day," Daadu said and Manik frowned. 

"What does that even mean?" He asked. 

"Think Manik," Daadu said. 

"I am thinking, Daadu," He answered and again dived into his messy mind. 

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Nandini entered the academy all dressed to kill. No matter what she wears, she has to be most good looking person in any given arena. Boys sighed aloud as she passed by bunch of idiots. She smiled shaking her head to greet the obvious. That day was going to be even more awkward. More flowers, more boys, more stupidity and on top of that Manik, she had to put up with everything. She reached Daadu's cabin to drop his medicines and saw two men all lost in thinking something very serious. Manik and Daadu were sitting quietly with fine-lines on their foreheads and that was hilarious to watch.