The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

18. A Special Friend

"My?", prompted Nandini.

"He is my everything and I would do anything for him", he told her. He was surprised to find a smile on Nandini. It was soft and unlike anything he had seen on the head girl's face. He realized it wasn't an expression on a person who would want to take his brother away from him. Nandini wasn't that. So, he blurted the words he wanted to tell her since he first saw her that evening. "Nandini, I love Manik the most in my life."

Nandini shrugged. "I guess even a blind person can see it."

"It's not that. We were already close, maybe because we just have 4 minutes difference between us but Manik had filled up some of the important voids in my life. In a way, he was my reason for survival. There were days, if not for him, I would have ended up in some prison or hospital long ago. He is selfless and isn't exposed to the world yet. I wanted to protect him from any kind of hurt. That's the least I could do for him and I have clearly gone overboard. I had never realized I was becoming my mother and stopping him from growing up as a person.

"If you hadn't put some sense into my brain on that day, I would have continued making the same mistake for years and Manik is too clueless to question anything. He would just accept anything anyone says", he explained.

"Cabir, I am glad you agree with me. I never gave it a thought before but after meeting you and talking to you on that day in the Dhaba, I saw the love between you two, and yet you both were poles apart", she said. "Doesn't your brother look exactly like your mother?"

Cabir raised an eyebrow but nodded in agreement. Great! She knows what his mom looks like too.

"Yet, I didn't know he was a Malhotra until the boy told me himself. I am not saying he is dumb. He is book smart but that would never help him survive in the real world especially if he has to take over your company someday. Or is it you who is the heir of Malhotra Industries, the next CEO?", she asked.

Cabir was taken aback by the bluntness in her voice. True, people approached him always because of his status but the question coming from Nandini was different. It felt as if she knew what she was talking about. "I am not interested in business. I am more into wildlife photography", he told and waited for her reaction. Generally, at this point, people didn't want anything to do with him and he crossed his fingers. He didn't want his Manik's first friend to be calculative while being friends with him.

She rolled his eyes beyond his rulebook. "Of course, Jungli", she muttered and took a deep breath. "Listen, Cabir. Manik needs to grow up and now that you have realized what's wrong, I guess you could help him."

"I will", he told. "But tell me. Are you interested in business?", he asked Nandini and explained further when she frowned. "I was wondering how do you know that Manik looks exactly like my mother?"

She rolled her eyes again. "The whole world knows how Nyonika Malhotra looks like and I am a Murthy. Of course, I am into business. I keep tabs on everyday updates." She stood up from her place. "Can I leave now?"

"NO, wait", he screamed. "I need to tell you something else too."

She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I guess your words got stuck inside my head and I blurted them in front of my mother", he told.

Nandini cursed under her breath and sat beside him again. "Shit, Cabir. Is everything fine at your place? I have an idea of how controlling your mother can be?"

Cabir was surprised. This was unexpected. "Who told you that?"

"Come on, Cabir. After meeting Manik, is it that difficult to guess?", she asked.

Cabir sighed and stared at a distance. "I misunderstood my mom all these years."

"What?" He felt, more than saw, Nandini snapping her head towards him.

"My mom was scared about Manik, that the world would take advantage of his innocence. While I kept him close, she hid him away from the world", he explained and saw the wheels running in her head.

"Did you just believe her in an instant? I know, it's your family matter but children are supposed to be innocent. Just because Manik was innocent when he was a child, she doesn't have to hide him from the world. If you are suffering from something, say lung cancer, you try to get some treatment for it instead of hiding it and wait for it to go away. Nyonika Malhotra is smarter than that..."

Nandini was in a rant and Cabir tuned her out. Lung cancer. The evil that took his father away from him.

Nandini must have noticed something wrong because she was shaking him to reality. "Are you okay?", she asked him.

Cabir managed a smile. "Yes, I am", he said and took a few deep breaths. It's not the time to grieve about his father. He needs to get his remaining family together. "Nandini, I thought my mom hated me since I was 14 when she scolded me in front of the whole office staff. I didn't accept that it was my recklessness that she was scared about. Our misunderstandings had cost us so many years. I am not saying I erased everything with a conversation of a few minutes. She might have manipulated the truth but she isn't evil."

Nandini winced. "Cabir, I don't know your mother but I know the businesswoman who runs the Malhotra Industries single-handedly. She is one of the women I admire the most in my life and I know she can't be evil", she explained and rubbed her hands across her face. "I have never met someone like Manik. Maybe he brings the instinct to protect him in people and combined that with a few people in my life, I hated your mom a bit. I am sorry."

He patted her hand. "I don't know what are all the secrets there are for me to find out but your words gave me my mother back and I will be forever grateful for you."

"Unlike some, you are lucky to get her back", she muttered and Cabir couldn't help but connect the link to those few people who were the reason behind Nandini hating his mom. "Cabir, I really need to go. I am happy for you and your family."

She forwarded her hand but Cabir went for a hug. The way she stiffened first and the awkward pat she gave on his shoulder made him curious. He didn't know if it was because she didn't trust people in general or if she was uncomfortable with the opposite gender like Manik. Whatever be the reason, he wanted to go to the bottom of the truth because even if she considered him no more than a stranger, she elevated herself in his eyes.

She broke the hug first. "Good night, Cabir."

"Thank you for listening to me today. I needed a friend real bad. You will always be special to me, Nandini. Good night."

As he watched her leave, he recalled the way she proved herself as a very good friend, who would listen and offer a shoulder to lean on during one's bad day. He understood why his brother, although unconsciously, might be smitten by her. Because behind the mask of a tough head girl, she wasn't too different from his Manik whose heart readily offered love to whoever was in need. 

Some more thoughts on Nyonika. Nandini doesn't fully trust the woman she admires. Do you? :P

Manik in the next chapter.