MaNan: We Aren't Meant To Be Together

Chapter 9

#Unedited
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Nandini

Five days.

Five days, since I last saw Manik.

He hasn't been coming to school since the last goodbye we had.

After realising that he won't come after me, like I had thought, I was certain that he will atleast try to be around so that I can see how sorry he is.

But I guess, like everytime, I judged him wrong.

I wish it was so easy for me to forget him and move on, but for some reason, I can't.

I haven't been able to do so in these past six years when he wasn't there, and after having him back, it seems impossible to do so.

No matter how many times I try to make myself understand, my mind always stops me and I hurt my heart, yet again.

"Nandini." I look from the book I was supposedly reading before drifting to memories, as soon as I hear mom scream my name again.

"Coming!" I shout back as well, once I've put my book aside and looked into the mirror to make sure I don't have puffy cheeks from the earlier crying.

I walk down the stairs and see mom sitting on the dinning table making a list of something.

"What's up mom?" I hug her from behind, trying to sound as happy as I can.

"This." She shows me the notepad with a list of things written on it, mostly kitchen stuff.

"What is this?" My voice lacing with confusion.

"This is a list of things we have to buy, because some guests are coming tonight for dinner."

I open my eyes as wide as oranges, "Who?"

"Someone very close to your heart." I furrow my eyebrows in pure confusion along with lifting my head a little bit asking her the same question again.

"You'll see." With that she pushes her chair back and gets up with me following her to the kitchen, "Mom! You can't do this. Tell me, who are these guests?"

I stop waking, but she keeps moving ignoring me completely, "Mom."

"Stop disturbing me, Nandini. Jab aayenge, tab dekhlena." With that, I know she has put an end to this conversation, so I just huff and go back to my room.

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I spent the whole afternoon with my book and but mostly wondering who are these guests.

And in all the options I had thought of, I could never imagine them as the guests.

Them, as in Manik Malhotra alongside Nyonika Malhotra.

Who are currently sitting across me, lost in their own conversations whilst mom has just gone into the kitchen to bring the dinner.

Awkwardness would be an understatement compared to this uncomfortable situation.

I wide open my eyes, when the woman in front of me looks towards my side and I have to give her a forced smile, which she mirrors.

Don't.

Don't.

Don't.

Don-

"So what have you been doing these days, Nandini?" And there you go.

I tight my smile and open my mouth to respond, but mom interrupts it, "Dinner's ready."

Suddenly my eyes turn into fictional hearts while looking at her and thanking her a million times mentally.

We all get up and move to the dinning table where everything is placed in order and just by the the smell lingering around, I know I'm going to have a delicious meal.

We settle ourselves around, with mom and Nyonika aunty sitting in front of me and Manik who had the audacity to sit beside me.

I glance at him for less than thirty seconds, before turning my face and focusing on the food placed in front of me.

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Manik

This was a bad idea.

A very bad idea.

But then again, how would have I known what mom had been planning!?

I mentally glare at mom while she's talking to Nandini's mom without bothering about anything or anyone.

She tricked me into saying yes to go for dinner at someone's place, but if only little did I knew whose house she was talking about, I wouldn't have agreed.

I take the last bite of my food and feel someone's eyes, Nandini's eyes to be specific on me.

When I look her way, she stays intact, not moving any muscle in her body, but just staring with so many emotions lingering in her eyes.

I glance towards our mom's who are now busy in picking the utensils we just used, completely ignoring the tension between their kids.

I stop feeling the burning glare once I hear her voice for the first time in so many days, "Mom, leave it. I'll do it."

It sounds so weak, Manik.

My subconcious snacks me all over again and the smile that was threatning to break on my lips fades away completely.

"Arey nahi Nandu, we'll do this. You can go and show Manik around the house and talk, after all, you are meeting him after so long." With that they both enter the kitchen at the same time I hear a sudden gasp right beside me.

I don't need to check if she's fine or not, because I know she is, she's had this habit of gasping loud when someone says something unexpected to her.

After some seconds of silence, I hear a deep breath in-take, before hearing a, "Let's go."

A small smile comes to my lips as I get up and follow her up the stairs and then down while she explains with one or two words what I could expect.

After the whole house tour she leads me outside from the back door which lead us to a small backyard filled with different kind of flower pots placed all around.

"Wow." One word. Only one word I could utter looking at the view.

I look up to the sky and admire the millions of stars shining right above us, when I feel her eyes on me again.

"Just say it, Nandini. We both know you'll eat your brain alive if you don't ask." I glance at her way who, now looks at the ground, possibly re-thinking her questions, before looking at the stars again.

"Why are you here?" Her voice comes muffled and delicate, as if she was scared to ask this.

"Oh, mom tricked me into-" I'm unable to complete my sentence, because she cuts me off, with an unexpected question.

"No. I mean, why are you back?"
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Here you go!
I hope you like it, even though it's just a filler.

Sorry for the delay.