Kismat Connection

Part 23

It was morning and sunlight fell on their eyes. Nandini woke up first,  she was still leaning on to Manik. Manik woke up feeling some movement.

        Nandini : "I didn't realize when I dozed off. You also ended up staying here because of me."

        Manik : "That's fine. For a change, I slept under the stars and woke up under the sun, instead of the ceiling of a room."

        Nandini : "Thanks for yesterday! Probably, I would have spent the whole night staying awake if you wouldn't have been here."

        Manik : "When will you stop thanking me? What is the use of being called as your savior, if I can't even do that much for you?"

        They went to their rooms and freshened up.

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        It was a big day for them. Fab5 and Nandini rehearsed their songs. Before they left to the venue of the competition, Nandini brought a tray which had small bowls of curd with sugar mixed in it.

        Cabir : "Are you so confident that we will win the competition that you are celebrating with dessert already?"

        Nandini : "Celebration comes only after we win the competition. Then, why only dessert? I will prepare a full fledged dinner for you. This is curd mixed with sugar. My grandma always tells me that it is good to have this before we go for an exam or a competition."

        Alya : "Villagers and their superstitions."

        Manik and Abhi came forward and took the bowls. They knew Nandini will have a reason to support it.

        Nandini : "It might appear to be superstitious, but there is a scientific reason behind it. You don't have to take it if you don't want to."

        Cabir : "You know I am always ready when it comes to eating. It doesn't matter if it is superstitious or not."

        Dhruv and Mukti also went ahead and had their share. It was a very small thing for them to do, when compared to what Nandini was doing for them. She had agreed to participate and had put in lot of efforts to be ready for the competition in a very short time. She also got along well with them. Of course, Alya didn't bother to take it.

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        The venue of the competition was outdoors. The competition started and participants started performing one after the other.

        It was Fab6's turn. They completed all the other genre and it was time for classical music. Nandini and Fab5 coordinated so well that Alya was pricked by jealousy. Though Nandini was only helping them, Alya couldn't digest the fact that Nandini was an excellent singer. Alya hadn't attended their practice sessions since she wasn't well. She had spent the time at the spa when they practiced earlier during the day. So what she saw and heard came as surprise or shock to her.

        Fab5 and Nandini's hard work paid off and they won the competition. They were called on stage and the judges gave them the trophy and congratulated them. Nandini ended up being next to Manik by coincidence on the stage during that time. No one else paid attention to it, except Alya, and she couldn't bear the sight. Normally, it would be her on the stage, but this time she wasn't able to join since she wasn't one of the participants.