A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-20

"Okay," Manik said elated and hung up. 

He collected the basket from van and gestured Harshad that he was leaving. Harshad smiled ragingly and Manik shot him a glare. 

"Someone is behaving so weird," He announced grabbing everyone's attention and Manik hid the basket behind him. 

 "Shut up," Manik snapped and Harshad giggled. Hopping out of van, Manik waited for van to go. 

______________

"Nandini," Daadu called her for 5th time only to get a growl from her. She was in bad mood for sure. 

"You still didn't decide a dress?" He asked only to make her more angry. 

"No, No, Go ahead. Taunt me like Mom is doing. You all know I suck at this girly things and still you all have to be so so insensitive," She whined making Daadu all kind of stunned. He surely didn't know ball was that important to her. 

"Come here," He said stretching his arm. She reluctantly walked to his loving embrace. 

"It's just a stupid ball. Right? So why are you so stressed out?" Daadu tried to calm her down. 

"You know it isn't that simple," She whined coming out of his embrace. 

"You very well know how girls get ready for army balls," She grumbled. 

"But no, everybody has to be so insensitive about me only. Mom won't help when I need. You won't understand," She said walking towards the wardrobe. 

"And that idiot Manik doesn't even think I am a girl," She roared throwing her arms in air. 

"He didn't even feel it necessary to give me official invitation," She added throwing one more dress in air. 

"Who treats a girl like that?" She grumbled and walked from one end to another literally mapping his grave. 

"Why am I even going with him?" She added and Daadu looked at her with this helpless face. He was surely not the one to help the little girl out of trouble. He cursed her mother more as she wasn't his favorite anyway. He thought how she should be rescuing Nandini out of this severe looking matter. 

Door bell rang and Daadu got reminded how Manik was supposed to come. 

"I swear if it's one of another clown designers of mom, I am gonna break his head," She mumbled and walked out of her room. 

Storming towards the main door, she was ready to blow head of whoever was there on door. 

"Nandini," Daadu called but it was in vain. 

Opening the door, she opened her mouth to abuse the person but stopped in course seeing a Manik standing there. A Manik? Well, he looked very nervous, obviously not so him. 

"Hey," He wished and she folded her arms across her chest looking away. She narrowed her eyes thinking finally he remembered that she had asked him something. 

"You look..." He said looking at her angry features and then got a glare from her. 

"What's that?" She asked looking accusingly at bags in his hand. 

"Well, that's my suit," He informed lightly. 

"YOU HAVE GOT A SUIT WHEN I AM HERE NOT FINDING A DRESS," She roared making his eyes open wider than ever. He didn't know what was wrong with her. 

"I.." He tried to say something. 

"You what?" She said walking towards him making him walk back.