MANAN: Living in Love [SLOW UPDATES]

Chapter:05

"Here." Nandini snapped out of her thoughts hearing Abhimanyu's voice. She'd been sitting on the terrace gazing at the sky, looking at the stars.

"Thanks." She grabbed the bowl of Payasam from his hands.

"What? Even Payasam couldn't get a smile out of you?" Abhimanyu, though teasing her, was shocked by the girl in front of him. Looking at how much she had changed in the matter of three months, truly surprised him. And he knew the arrogant, rude boy he'd met today was the one responsible for it. He'd even wanted to beat the guy black and blue for a second but then he was not much for violence.

"Nandini, tell me what's going on in your head?" He asked, sitting down next to her. Nandini didn't know what to say. There was a whirlpool of emotions inside her.

"I don't know. I'm feeling nothing and everything at the same time, if it makes any sense." Abhimanyu nodded, not that she saw it. He kept a hand around her shoulder as she rested her head on his shoulder.

"Why am I doing this, Bhai?" She asked after a moment of silence. These were such rare moments Nandini used to call him 'Bhai', when she was feeling like a little child lost in the huge world.

"Because he may be Manik Malhotra, but you are Nandini Murthy too. He may be rich but he needs to understand that you're not a toy he can pick up and throw away any time he likes. We may not be as rich or famous as him, but we have self- respect too. And you're not a commodity that he bought from the store but is giving to his best friend out of pity." Abhimanyu explained to her. Though these were the things that she already knew, but his words somehow reassured her to some extent.

"Do you remember your first month in college that you told me about?" He questioned.

"Where is that Nandini that came to Mumbai with dreams in her eyes, love and strength in her heart, and aware of her self-worth?" He continued.

"Liking or loving someone doesn't make you weaker, Nandini. It doesn't rob you of your own self. Instead, it strengthens you. It gives you the power to fight everything." He taught her like a little kid. Listening to Abhimanyu's words, she remembered everything that she'd learnt, be it from her parents, her family or experiences.