Manik
Damn! This girl is driving me fucking crazy with her antiques and mood swings. One moment she's happy and the other moment she is sad like a freaking damsel in distress as if all the stress and sadness of this world is only for her. We made our way to my car when I realised that everyone inside there would be wondering where did we vanish suddenly so I quickly text fab 5 and Abhi that nandini wasn't feeling well so I was taking her to my place and did not inform them because we did not want to bother them. I was just about to make her sit in my car when I saw her covering her mouth with both her hands. Oh no she's gonna puke any moment now. That's what she did, she puked on my shoe drenching it partially with the sticky substance that she was throwing out. My shoe! Nandu ke aiyyappa why me!? I asked looking up and turned to face nandini but damn! Can this girl ever stick to a place!? There she was trying to climb on top of my car with her heels in her hand. Drunk nandu is fun but handling her is like banging your head to death. I sighed and raked my fingers through my hair getting a bit anxious now. Aah I must have it somewhere here.....umm where is it? I started searching for it everywhere in my car and finally got it. Here it is! This will hopefully help her. "Here have this lemon slice....you'll feel better." I offered her a slice of lemon to make her a bit stable. What? Its not surprising okay that I have lemon slices in my car....I mean I'm a party animal and its common for me to get small hangovers so these lime slices are my need. "Manik! Help me na.....I wanna sit there" she said pointing on top of my car while taking the lime from my hand. I nodded my head in disbelief and helped her lie down on top of my car and I settled beside her.
We were now lying on my car and the view was breathtaking. The clear dark blue sky with these twinkling stars is a blissful sight to watch. I have always loved stars. Its because they shine for us even in complete darkness. It fills light in our dark world and that's what I love about them. These stars reminded me of the time when nandini was drunk for the first time. We had went to a party where she by mistakenly had my drink and got drunk.
Flashback
Manik and nandini were at a friend's party where nandini accidentally had manik's drink and got drunk. She started laughing maniacally and it was then that manik realised what had happened. He bid a bye to everyone in the party and took nandini to his car with great difficulty. Nandini was not wishing to go home so manik made her sit on top of his car and he himself settled next to her. They were silently gazing at the stars when manik broke the silence.

"Nandini look na these stars are so beautiful....they always shine for us in the dark." "Manik tumhe stars pasand hai because they shine for you?" Nandini asked him innocently, shifting her head on manik's arm which surprised him. Nandini usually didn't do such things. She had never got so cozy and close to him in these years of friendship. They never crossed their lines of closeness. They always had made sure to give space to each other. Hence, this behaviour of nandini shocked manik. He was staring at her intently but nandini was very much oblivious of the fact. She then turned towards manik and said something which made him smile genuinely, not that half smile or smirk or not even the sarcastic smile, it was a genuine one. It was very rare of manik to let out such a genuine smile. He was not used to show this side of his to the world but only to his close ones and nandini was obviously one of those close ones of his. She was his best friend since childhood, that childhood which was the most valuable part of his life and nandini being a part of that valuable time was really close to his heart. One scratch on nandini and he could turn the world upside down. He was arrogant since childhood, well.....perks of being a malhotra but the caring Angel that was hidden within him could come in picture only and only because of nandini. She had turned this monster into a human. She was always his strength when he felt weak and his light when he got lost in the dark. No matter whatever the situation might be, nandini was always there for him. Hence, he used to call her his star.
Anyway getting back to what nandini said that bought a huge smile over manik's face. "Tumna manik inke chakkar me mat pado (pointing at the stars) tumna humesha mere saath rehna......humesha! Okay? and I will......I will shine for you!" Even though she was drunk at that time, she meant each and every word that she said. She was his shining stars thereafter and had always proved whenever it was needed.
End of flashback
I was remembering this beautiful memory with a sweet smile on my face, gazing at my shining star who was sitting right beside me licking the piece of lime I had given her. She was making weird faces due to the very sour-bitter taste of the lime but yet was licking it somehow. She is really a shining star.....MY SHINING STAR! I thought proudly. Whatever the situation may be, even if I stand on the worst phase of my life, her one glimpse can make me forget all my stress. It can erase all the bad memories which have ruined me. Her being with me rather her only sitting by me silently without any exchange of words is enough to fill my loneliness....the emptiness in my life. Her one smile can bring a smile on my face and her one tear can tear me apart. Her tears are like daggers to my heart. I can't tolerate the person who is the cause of her tears, scratch that.....I cannot even let that person breathe in the same air as ours. I was busy admiring her when she did something making my eyes go wide in amusement. "I hate you manik! I hate you! I hate you so much!!" She said hitting me on my chest. I was numb to react. A person when drunk always speaks the truth. But why does she hate me!?!? I'm her best friend god dammit! She can't hate me.....noooo I can't let that happen. I can't lose her.....she's my star....i can't lose her.....never! In the process of her hitting me, I did not realise when she dozed off tightly clutching my blazer. I sat there clueless trying to register what just happened. My mind was not functioning. She was fine now then what happened to her all of a sudden!?
What happened to nandini? Why does she hate manik? Is it for real or its the effect of her drunken state? To know.......stay tuned!