The Devil in Boots - Manan ff

Chapter 4

Days were passing normally. Cabir and gang didn't rag him. They did approached him for the daily dose but would back off with a horrified expression on their faces. Manik tried to find the reason for their weird behaviour but ignored as he was safe and didn't have to go through their tortures. Nandini came to college everyday. She always wore a black T-shirt that hugs her curves perfectly, full sleeved and high necked. She wore a black jeans with a knee length Boots and a black shades. It was her everyday dressing. No accessories adorning her except a long black earing. She kept her long hair open.

But no one knew where she disappeared after entering the college. Everyone sees her entering the college but won't see her after that till next morning. Manik was the one who was very curious about the behaviour. 'Agar gayab Hi hona tha toh college kyu aate ho?' He thought to himself while he saw Nandini entering the college in her favorite Harley Davidson. It's been two weeks and still boys drooled over her and she as always ignored. 'She is something different. Yaha har ladki chote kapde pehenthi hein ladkon ko phasane keliye aur ek Nandini hein poora kapde pehne ki baad bhi boys drool over her like she is something to eat. Agar mere haath mein hota toh sabka haddi todthi mein' manik thought to himself. Nandini passes through there giving manik a 'i-know-what-you-are-thinking' look making manik look here and there out of embarrassment. 'Did she understand what I was thinking?' Asked his heart. 'Arre how will she know, vo thodi na mind reader hein. Plus tumne uske baare mein galat thodi na socha.' His mind argued. 'Ya you are right. Vese why am I concerned about it and why are we fighting' his heart agreed and shook hands with his mind.

After a mental argument with heart and mind he moved to library to collect some notes and references. He entered the library and took his usual seat that is in the right most corner of the library where no one came. He was engrossed in a huge pile of books when he heard a chair screeching infront of him. He looked up to see Nandini sitting there, her legs as usual on the desk, head resting on the back of the chair, eyes closed and hearing music with her headsets on. Manik was constantly staring at her. "Mujhe ghoorna bandh karo aur apna kaam karo" Nandini said with her eyes still closed. "I..I..didn't..s..stare" manik stammered again moving his eyes into the book infront of him. "Oo then why are you stammering if you were not staring" Nandini said opening her eyes looking into his icy blue eyes. As soon as his eyes looked into hers, he remembered the deep red eyes he saw last night. He don't know why but he felt both the eyes were of same persons. But he mentally slapped himself making a point 'dude yesterday night you saw deep red eyes and nandini's are dark grey eyes. Plus how will Nandini end up in your bed that too at middle of night'.

"Were are you lost?" Nandini asked snapping her fingers infront of his eyes. "Kuch nahi..just.." Manik looked back in his book leaving the sentence incomplete making Nandini giggle. "What's funny?" Manik asked looking up from the book. "You are" Nandini replied still giggling. Since they were in the corner most seat their conversation was unnoticed. Manik frowned on her answer. "Vese aaj kya hua tumhe?" Manik asked "Matlab?" She again sat back with her legs on the table and head resting on the back of the chair and eyes closed. "Matlab you always disappear once you reach college and today you are here. So just asked" manik explained camly and resumed his work. Both were doing their own works but keeping the convo intact. "I dnt disappear from clg. Am always in clg" Nandini said still her eyes closed. "But I dnt see you anywhere?" Manik said looked into a book trying to figure out some thing. "Ooh so you look for me in college?" Nandini asked teasingly. Manik blushed and to cover up he said "main?? Nahi toh. Why would I look for you?" Manik replied sighing that he managed to cover up.

Nandini smiled knowing he was just covering up. "Okie" Nandini replied hiding her smile and resumed to hear music and manik concentrated on his book. Manik was stealing glances of her and Nandini was smiling all the way knowing what Manik was doing. They sat there like that for a long time. Neither of them talked but just sat there with others presence covering them with an unknown warm feeling. Soon the lunch time approached. Manik kept all his things in his bag and was going when Nandini stood up and called him "Manik", he looked back and hmmed. "Am coming to your home today evening with you" Nandini said coolly leaving a dumbstruck manik.