Let Me Love You ✨|| Completed

8. Opposite Sides of The Coin

~ there is always a secret to everyone! No matter it's the girl who laughs less or its the guy who laughs out loud at his own jokes. Everyone have their own battle to fight.~

Manik and Nandini sat on the couch as Manik brought back his copy of 'until you'.
Nandini noticed him running a soft hand on its cover and instantly her smile widened.

" So I fathom that even you are bitten by its charm now?", She asked thoroughly amused at his dreamy-schoolboy face and he gave out an embarrassed laugh.

" Yeah, totally smitten by its charm", he smiled, "just like by yours", and then whispered the last part with a smile and Nandini couldn't understand his hidden meaning.

"So, tell me about it. How did you find it? And the ending?", She asked and he looked up at her. This was what he had been itching to discuss with her.

" The ending was rather dramatic but I am happy it was a happy one. And the plot is actually intriguing. But then Stephen is a hidden romantic if we look off the fact of him being a womanizer. And Sherry is just so shy and actually cute. And their past stories are also so linked and it's just an awesome read", Manik exclaimed and Nandini couldn't help but be excited herself at his overexcited demeanour.

" Yeah, I agree. But you know why this is my favorite? Because it shows that there is always a reason behind everything. Stephen was womanizer because his heart was already broken. Sherry's past and her parents etc made her the way she was. Their lack of mutual trust and finally overcoming all disasters, it was like a hope to be hopeful about hope....", She trailed off and he looked at her in awe. No doubt she was so good at her work. She always tried looking beyond the superficial facade that people usually put on.

" You are an amazing person, you know that?", Manik said suddenly and she gasped, unable to comprehend the reaction.

"Umm...", She was stuttering when she heard him laughing.

"And you suck at taking compliments", he laughed harder and she eventually followed him, laughing with him.

"Come, I will show you around", Manik dragged her with him, showing around the whole mansion, the rooms, the pool all the time blabbering about his parents and his brother. Nandini listened patiently without complaining but as usual kept mum. After half of an hour of the tour, both were sitting in the drawing room having juice when something striked manik.

"Nandini, if you don't mind can I ask you something?", He asked hesitantly and she nodded.

"Have you ever been in love?", Manik asked, his heart pounding inside his chest, afraid to know her answer. This one answer was going to define so many things for him.

" In ishq wala love never, though I do love my family", Nandini answered with a straight face, trying to hide her smile. It was funny to see him so worked up, and It took a minute for manik to comprehend her answer and when he did, relief washed through him. Seeing the change in his expressions, nandini couldnot help but giggle and Manik looked amused.

"Won't you ask me back the question?", He asked, smirking at her.

She shook her head. He raised an eyebrow at her and she kept the glass of juice down.

"I know you haven't. For the kind of person you are, If you would have then she would have been here, as your wife", she answered and Manik was shocked as how well she had read him. But he couldn't give her the upper hand, could he? So he replied with her own words she had used on him earlier.

" In three meetings you know the kind of person I am?", He quizzed and she smiled. It wasn't easy winning over Nandini who saw and read things through a whole glass of practicality.

"Well if you have forgotten so soon, let me remind you, you have spent literally the last half an hour talking about your family and your home. So its not difficult to know you", she shrugged and he sighed.

" Yeah, but it's too difficult even trying to know you", he stated, kind of complaining and she gave him a small smirk.

"That's because there is nothing to know about me", she replied and he frowned at her.

" That you let me decide", he retorted and she smiled at his faking-angry-glare.

After spending the entire day, Manik decided to drop her to the library, finally and as a record, for the first time in her job of one year, Nandini entered the library at sharp 5 pm. But instead of leaving, Manik chose to stay with her, discussing other books and authors they have both read, but making sure not to disturb her. After her shift, as he walked to the metro, he decided to ask her one more question.

"Nandini, you are so passionate about love stories, how do you want your own story to unfold?", He asked tongue in check. Nandini looked at him amused before bursting out laughing.

"Yes I love LOVE STORIES, Manik but I also realize that they are stories only. And real life is not a fairytale ever. Finding such pure love in real life is really difficult. I have no such dream until. I don't keep false hopes. And I have never till date witnessed a real life happy ending kind of love. So I never give it a thought", she replied and he could feel his world falling apart.

The girl he is hopelessly in love with, is actually so hopeless about love.

" So, marriage?", He asked again and she sighed.

" I don't really know. I don't want to marry if it's upto me", she answered and he nodded.

Manik said nothing and they kept walking in silence. On reaching the metro station, as Nandini was about to board the next train, Manik held her hand.

"Nandini, if life gives you an opportunity, give love a chance. I promise I won't disappoint you", he said softly but before she could reply, the next train came and she had to leave him standing there, alone. He wasn't sure if she had even heard or understood the later part of his sentence.

" I will make you believe in love, nandini. I won't back out. One day you will surely fall in love, the fairy tale kind of cliche love, I will make sure of that", he promised himself before leaving for home. Almighty smiled at the two different sides of the same coin!

Reviews awaited. ❤️