Manan FF: The Sketch Artist

First

Nandini

Does everything in life revolve around love? I used to ask this question to myself just six months ago as I watched these couples in the flights with their heads resting on each other's shoulders. Cliché! Is it not? But now, When I also have the head of this oh-so-cute and-sweet man on my shoulder, believe me, Ladies and Gentlemen, my shoulder sure hurts but this feeling is so pure that I can get lost in this for eternity. I also used to think believe that people get so crazy in love that they don't care about their surroundings. I am now realising how foolish I was all along as he gently breathes against my hair.

Its not cliché, its beautiful. It is something that gives me a sense of total fulfilment. He made my life so lovely that I feel like I've genuinely begun living it now, like he is a part of me who took his sweet time to enter my life.

Hey guys, I'm Nandini Murthy from Midcross, a law student. You might be wondering about the man I'm talking about and what happened in just a six-month period that caused my views on love to change so drastically. No, it's not like someone just blew into my life and I fell in love with him the moment I met him. But I can tell that every day has been wonderful since I first met him. So, We must go back in time to know more about this.

6 months ago

I was relieved as soon as my flight landed from Virginia to Midcross. There was this elderly couple sitting beside, telling me their extremely cliché love story about how they fell when the first time they saw each other in college. I mean I've been in a relationship from last three years and I never feel like telling my love story to every other person and especially we don't eat from the same piece of cookie. Thank heavens, my boyfriend is mature enough to not do such embarrassing stuff and we both are more interested in our careers. Speaking of my boyfriend, Madhyam, Maddy as I call him, he graduated a few months back and is currently working in his fathers firm. He was my senior in university. So yeah he is self dependent and I'm not but I'll be a lawyer by the end of this year and we both will be settled in our careers and then we will probably think about getting married. What more of a sorted life I will ever need?

Its Maddys birthday next week, so currently, I'll go to my place, freshen up bit, and head to my best friend, Navyas home so that we can head together to find a gift for Maddy. Since from tomorrow our classes will start and I wont get much time to plan anything. Navya has amazing ideas when it comes to such things. We have been friends from kindergarten and her home is just few blocks away from mine.

Reaching home after so long is lovely, its not like I was not at home in Virginia but that was my grandparents place but this home feels like my home.

"Mom, Im home."

"Ma'am, Your Mom is not in the town, she and your dad went for a tour for a week." Jasmine, our maid answered adding after that,
"I've cleaned your room, you can freshen up, till then I can prepare breakfast for you."

"No, I'll have my breakfast outside, I've to go somewhere. I'll see you in the evening for dinner. When did mom and Dad leave for the tour?" I asked.

"Just few hours back ma'am." I nodded and headed towards my room.
So amazing of my parents. They couldn't even wait for me for few hours but they are them. As they say, Nandini, you've grown up now, stop nagging behind us all the time, so yeah I wont nag.

I got into my room and texted Navya that I'll be in front of her home within ten minutes and then we'll head out for breakfast first. Tossing my phone on the bed, I freshened up and changed in faded denims and a sweatshirt and slipping into my sneakers, I applied sunscreen, liner and nude lipstick and left for Navya's place and she is already waiting outside with a scowl planted on her face. I guess I took longer than ten minutes. She got inside the car and before she could say anything I hugged her and started rambling,

"Its been so long Navya, and I'm really sorry for getting late but I can't do anything about it. Every girl on this planet has the right to take her own time while getting ready." and obviously she had to smile.
"You could've just texted me while you started driving probably, that would've been much better." She said while giving me this stupid smile.
"I'll give it a thought from next time" I said chuckling.

We reached the Cross Café while discussing over my tour to Virginia and ordered coffee and sandwiches and started discussing about the possible gifts,
"Watch"
"I gifted that to him a lot of times already"
"Shirt"
"Again already gifted"
"Perfume, shades, wallet"
"Ive gifted all these many times. Navya, you already know."
"There is nothing you have not gifted him, just choose something from all these already."
"Think na, there must be something left."
"Yeah, a teddy bear is left."
"Seriously, who gifts her boyfriend a teddy bear."
"You"
"Shut up and think." I'll never think of gifting a teddy. Ain't that just too mushy.
"I dont even have a boyfriend, why should I think? Instead of finding a boyfriend for your best friend, you are wasting your time thinking gifts for your boyfriend who is not going to leave you even if you forget his birthday."
"Wait, the last time we talked about this, you were not interested in relationships. Is there something Im missing?"
"Not really, I just decided to move on." She started scrolling on her phone clearly avoiding the conversation but I'm getting positive vibes, its good if she is moving on.
"Okaaaayyy." I said dragging it a bit to get something in response.
"There is nothing about this Nandini, I just met him previous week and thought that I was sulking over the wrong person, he doesn't even deserve me." She said with an annoyed look.
"Happy Realisation." I replied with a smirk. I have been explaining this to her since six months and she was not getting a bit of what I was saying back then but I'm glad that she realized. Better late than never.
"Are you done?" She asked with a huge smile. Has she lost her senses or what? I was taunting her and she is smiling, that too this widely.
"No, I've to say a lot. How did you realized this all of a sudden, I mean I've been trying to knock some sense in you since so......" and she suddenly cut me between by saying,
"Not this, I meant are you done with your breakfast?"
"Yeah, why?" I answered.
"Found a gift for your boyfriend, lets go" she said with with a grin plasted on her face.
"But where?"
"You'll get to know soon, I'll drive." She said and ran with the keys and I followed her. God knows what she has in her mind.

Author's Note:
Hey guys so finally, I have updated this, sorry for the unintentional typos, though I've edited it twice.
So Midcross is the name of a fictional town which doesn't exist in map and why did I choose a fictional name, you will get to know that soon. Hope you enjoyed reading.
Inline comments are love.