ARE YOU ONE OF THEM?

V's SURPRISE TO NANDINI

To this, we all nodded and left the principal's room. I was going to the canteen to have some lunch and inform Navya about all this. Manik came to me and said, "can we discuss the duet?"

I replied, "Manik, sir has just informed us about the duet, we have one month to prepare. How about we do this we think about the duet tonight at our places? We have already sung romantic duets before, so, it won't be a big issue. But let me be clear, I will just practice for 2 hours every day with you plus I won't be practising on the day before the exams. Are you fine with it or not?"

Before Manik was able to reply to me, FAB4 came and Dhruv said, "still being a slut I see, why don't you understand that Manik left you?"

Alya: Why are you still sticking to him? Do you really think that he will fall for your seductive tricks once again?

I was so irritated on hearing them, I looked at Manik and said, "you know what now I don't even care what your stupid friends think of me. I'm done with all this shit, I'm going to the canteen. You explain to them whatever you want and I want an answer regarding my previous question by tonight. If I don't get any reply by tonight then tomorrow morning I will go to the principal's office and inform him that we are not performing the duet. I don't want any album, it's yours and your stupid arrogant friends' careers on the line."

With that, I pushed Mukti and Alya out of the way and went to the canteen, Navya who saw the whole thing asked me about it. Once I explained the whole situation she told me about what happened in the class. 

I then asked Navya how were her preparations going regarding her entrance into Masters in Fashion Designing. She said that it was going good, but she is scared about the fees as many fashion designing institutes have very high fees and she is not sure if she will get a scholarship or not. 

Then I told her to relax and that everything would work out just fine. After having our lunch, we attended one more class and then we went to our places. 

As I entered the suite I saw Anika di busy studying, her books and notes were scattered all over the bed, which I know generally happens when Anika di gets stressed."

So, I asked her what is the matter. She told me that after her so-called marriage she had been so busy because of some or the other drama in the Oberoi family, that she had completely ignored her studies and now there is so little time and so much to study. 

I relaxed her and assured her that she would be able to do it and that she shouldn't spend her time worrying about it, rather she should just study. After some time she eased a bit and started studying, then I also got fresh and started preparing for the exams. Late in the evening, I received a text from Manik, in which he confirmed that we would agree to my conditions for the duet. 

--------TIME SKIP 1 MONTH, THE DAY OF THE PERFORMANCE-------

ANIKA P.O.V 

It has been a month and a half since I left the Oberoi mansion. In the beginning, I hated Shivvay for what he said to me, I pitied myself for trusting that man, but as time passed I just got over it and I felt freer since I left him. I felt thankful that he accused me because it gave me a proper reason to leave him, now I realise that after our so-called marriage, Shivaay slowly made me dependent on him. While I was with him I started to feel like a damsel in distress who needed to be saved by him, I felt as if had lost my identity. But now staying here for over a month I have started gaining my identity, I am in the process of gaining my independence back. Since I was a kid I have seen my parents installing the value of independence on Kartik Bhai, Nandini and me. Our parents always said that no matter which gender you are, you will never depend on each other both in taking decisions and economically. We three loved, each other, supported each other, discussed our hardships with each other, yes we took help from each other, but we always fought our battles in our own way. Now I realize how trapped I felt in the Oberoi Mansion.