MaNan ~ Chasing Life

3. Ego Clashes

Her eyes shook in utter disgust looking at her husbands best friend right in front of her eyes. Closing her eyes, she could just remember Chandni's tears.

Chandni had gone through a lot, right from childhood. She had seen her family break apart, her loved ones leave her, her life tear apart. Everyone she loved had left her- except Nandini of course. And after everything, Chandni had stopped believing in the only idea of love. Commitments meant nothing to her. And after everything, when she dared to fall in love again, she fell crest fallen which Nandini couldn't bear, no sister would.

"Manik, Why did you bring him home?" Nandini glared at her husband as Chandni seeped from behind and Gaurav was just witnessing the situation, his eyes on Chandni.

"Jaan? What happened?" Manik asked all of a sudden eyeing a weeping Chandni and an infuriated Nandini. "Why is she crying?" Manik walked to Nandini when all of a sudden Nandini bursted out "Manik!! Why did you bring him home?".

Manik was unknown to this behaviour of his wife. She had always been calm and polite, even with the ones whom she hated. And suddenly seeing so much venom in her eyes and words for his best friend wasn't digestible by him.

"Ah! Gaurav! Nothing much.It's just that she's little stressed up..!" Manik faked a smile as he grabbed a fuming Nandini and walked to their room despite of several protests by her.

"Nandini! What's wrong?" He cooed calmly. His wife never got so hyper, and now that she did, there had to be some reason behind it.

"Manik!! How can you leave my best friend with the rapist!" She shouted.

Manik squeezed his eyes at her. Did she call his best friend a rapist? What did she even know about him?

"Nandini! Don't..Don't you dare say that again!" Manik said in a dead angry tone. "Joh bhi hua tha, it was between Chandni and Gaurav. It's their past. We don't have any rights to interfere. And whatever happened, it was with Chandni's concern. He hadn't forced her!".

Nandini faked claps "Wow Manik Malhotra!! You are taking the side of your friend..!"

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had to be the calmer one now that his wife was losing her nuts, "Jaan! Why are you speaking all nonsense? See, if you're like stressed up..we can just talk..but!" He tried to come closer when she pushed him "No Manik!! You are supporting all wrong! You don't know what he did!"

"Gaurav told me everything Nandini!" Manik adjusted his voice to a low pitch, yet cold and distant, while Nandini just stared at him, trying to figure out. Was the man in front of her his best friend or her husband?

"That was their past Nandini..", he tried again but she was too blinded by her anger and protectiveness for her bestfriend.

"Chandni had feelings for him", she shouted back as the argument just heated up. She wished she could hear herself, how unreasonable she sounded. The only rule with one night stands is no feelings involved and that was like universal without actually mentioning it.

Manik rolled his eyes, "That was wrong! One night stands me koi feelings involve nahi rehta..don't you understand?"

"Really? Tumhe bohot pata hai one night stands ke baare mein?", Nandini laughed dryly and he looked at her in shock. The girl who stood in front of him didn't seem like the understanding girl he had loved, she seemed a completely second person.

"Haa. Bohot saare one night stands kiye hai maine. Shaadi ke pehle hobby thi meri...! Stop sounding so ridiculous! You have known me very well ", he snapped back and she laughed sarcastically looking away. Somewhere deep down, she knew he was right and she was wrong. But what she also knew was that Chandini had done a lot for her already, and now it was her turn to stand up for her best friend. And she would have given up to anything Manik said, had it not been Gaurav, the same guy who had questioned her and Manik's relationship.