The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

47. The Outing

Manik nodded. Even if it sounded scary, that's how Nyonika Malhotra dealt with people.

"You are nineteen and smart enough to differentiate the good from bad", said Nyonika. "You don't need my approval to choose your friends. It's your life and I would only interfere if you are in trouble."

She sounded different and Manik frowned. "Just because I have friends and I have started coming out of my shell, doesn't mean I don't want you in my life. I could have a hundred friends but you are my family and my best woman."

"You sweet talker", she teased and punched his arm. "Come here." She pulled him into a hug. "I am not going out of your life. It's just that, I am trusting you to take care of your life. I am always there whenever you need me, even if you have achieved everything in the world or if the whole world is against you, one word from you and I am there."

Manik nodded into her shoulder. "Thank you", he muttered faintly.

Half an hour later when Manik returned to his room, the first thing he did was to change the contact name of Nandakishore to Nandini.

XXX

The group had first checked in a hotel near the forest where the boys shared a room and girls another. After refreshing, they packed their bags and went for a trek. It took them half an hour for them to reach the place Cabir suggested. They had set up the tents. Manik, Nandini, and Mukti collected the wood for lighting up the fire and preparing their food since Abhimanyu was the only one who knew how to cook food after Cabir mysteriously disappeared. He came back after two hours, flaunting his pictures of the night sky.

"Okay, did you take us to use as your servants? All I did since coming here is cutting woods, vegetables and whatnot", complained Nandini.

"I hate cooking", whined Mukti.

"I don't know how to cook", told Manik.

"I am the only one who is cooking here", informed Abhimanyu.

Cabir smirked at everyone. "Do you think my work is easy? We do everything."

"Kid, you are the most hardworking person but I know for a fact that mom threatened you to throw you out of the house if you try cooking", said Manik.

He glared. "Bhai, where are you getting all the wrong information from?"

Before Manik could either feel bad on behalf of his brother and pacify him, Nandini picked up a pebble and threw it at the younger twin. "Did you plan anything else except cooking and flaunting your experience of spending your days in the forests?"

Cabir rolled his eyes and threw back the pebble at her. "Yes, I did. We are stargazing as it's already getting dark. I have found an area nearby. We can set up the telescope and take a few photographs. Tomorrow morning, I will show you the glorious fauna of the forest, we will spend time here and return to respective houses by the end of the day."

"Glad", she told.

XXX

Surprisingly, it was Cabir who knew the names of random stars in the sky as he pointed them out. It was the first time when Nandini saw the most passionate side of his. She finally understood why Manik had fiercely argued to allow Cabir to go for his internship with his mother. Cabir had mentioned it to her once.

"Why can't we see them in the city?", asked Nandini.

"The light pollution in the city is too much and only a handful of stars are visible. Here the artificial illumination is less, hence more number of stars", explained Cabir.