It was nearly plus an hour that we drove. Silence surrounded each moment as I say inside the car with him. I looked at him quite a few times hoping he would talk but not once did he turn.
He kept looking at the road, his legs pressing the accelerator ~ towards our destination.
I decided looking outside would be a better option. I rolled down the window sheets allowing the cold breeze to strike upon my face. It was July though but as night crawled in with its dark assets the weather seemed to calm down with time. The breeze soothed my scars. My skin felt cold. I looked up at the sky and noticed thunder clouds build up above us. It would rain anytime soon. I looked down at the road again. The asphalt was front and back and it kept moving with us. It kind of fascinated me to be honest.
"Pull the sheets up Nandini!" I heard him say. I turned towards him.
"I like it like this!" I whispered.
"I don't care!....just roll it up!" he snapped coldly.
"What even is your problem! " I asked, furious.
" I don't have time for this!" he said and the next thing I knew my window sheets were going up on their own.
"Fine!" I sniffled as I pushed my self deeper into the passenger seat.
I looked up at the dark clouds hovering above us. And I kept looking at them, until I dozed off.
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~~~~~~~~~~
It was around 10pm that we finally pulled infront of the resort we had booked for the upcoming occasion.
ROYAL ORCHID CENTRAL
- Pune
I looked to my left at Nandini.
"Nandini!" I whispered.
"Nandini wake up!"
Not one move! Damn! Such a pain.
"NANDINI WAKE UP !" I screamed having no that option left.
"I'm sorry...it won't happen again...don't don't...." she said defending herself.
She was all startled. I found her sweating. Our of fear?! I didn't know.
"What?!" I asked pulling her back to reality.
She looked at me strangely and I could well guess she was trying to gain knowledge of her surroundings.
"It's me Manik!" I whispered as I held her by her arms.
Her eyes were red and her skin cold.
"Are you okay?!" I asked not knowing what to do.
"I...I'm fine!....I....I ummmn just....." she said looking outside and then back at me,
"Did we reach?!" she asked.
"Yes...." I said handing her the bottle of water I had inside the car.
"I...I don't need that" she said declining the offer. And with that she got down the car.
I watched her walk towards the entrance before I got down as well, handing my car keys to the valet.
I found her wait for me by the gate and soon I reached her as well.
"Are you sure you are okay?!" I asked again.
"Can we go in...I see your friends standing there!" she said rolling her eyes.
"I was just trying to be nice okay!" I justified.
"I don't need you to be nice....cause that's not what you are!" she said and pushed the door, making her way to the inside.
"Fine!" I cursed and went in as well.
~~~~~~~~~
Damn it! Why can't I just control all this! Why can't I have normal dreams!! What if Manik knew?! It would have been a mess! Damn Nandini Damn!
I kept cursing myself as I made my way to the rest of the members of the fab five. They stood in a kind of semi circle midway on the reception area.
"Hey Nandini!" greeted Cabir. I passed a smile and stood beside Aliya.
Manik had already made his way to the reception to get the keys I guess.
"Comfortable?!"Asked Cabir.
"Ya...." I replied taking in a deep breath, soothing the inner me.
I looked about.
The reception area of the resort was connected further inside to a garden that led to the cottages and other accommodations. The grass outside was differentiated with glass doors guarded by security. The place where we stood looked astounding. One would find themselves admiring the decors every now and then. It was beautiful!
"There!" I felt a nudge. I looked at Aliya and then in the direction where she was staring .
"Keys!" I heard Manik say as I glanced at him. He handed me over the object and soon everyone was heading their own ways.
"Ahhh...I " I called out and he stopped and turned back in my direction.
"I...I'm sorry for the car thing.." I apologised.
"Keep that to yourself!" He snapped back and walked off giving no sympathy and leaving me all alone in the reception area.
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I walked down the the hall until I reached the the glass door that led to the inside of the resort. At a distance I could see a moderate sized fountain surrounded by flowers of all kinds. I walked through the semi concrete path under the trees and soon my eyes caught the cottages by the side of the road. I glanced at my room number inscribed over the key.
"102"
"How far!" I asked myself and looked around when I eyes met the direction board.
My legs were tired of walking.
"Right it is!" I said glancing over the direction board.
I walked down the road in my right and in the next few minutes I found the door!
I found the door open and so I stepped in. My luggage was kept inside already. The room was bigger than I thought it would be. I walked round it's perimeters, discovering the balcony. I stepped on the exterior and looked about when my eyes caught the one standing next to my balcony.
I hid myself immediately while my ears did the job.
"So what!" she screamed.
"Aliya...." the later spoke from inside.
"You know what...I need peace..so why don't you just get out!" she said in vexation.
"Why can't you just--" but she cut him off in the middle.
"Fine...I'll leave" I heard her say before she stepped out of the balcony back into her room and then out.
I ran to my door and watched her disappear. She walked out furious. I didn't know where she went. I waited for the other to leave and so he did in a minute or so.
"Dhruv!" I whispered as I saw him shut the door to Aliya's room.
"Why is she so furious at him!" I wondered.
I shut my door as they both left. I hadn't had the energy to do anything at the moment. All I needed was a place to crash and so I did.
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I looked about, registering my position. I found myself lying at one corner of a cozy and comfortable bed. I sat up with time and stretched my arms.
"Damn! My head hurts!" I whispered looking around to search my phone. I found it on the table just beside my bed. I reached out to it.
"It's 1!!....ahhhh!" I cursed putting it back in place.
My head hurt badly. I had overslept. I stood up unwillingly and decided taking a shower would provoke relaxation.
I walked towards the washroom in the following moments and stepped under the shower. I felt the cold water travel down to my toes and a tingling sensation travelled down my spine. I shut my eyes and stood there still.
There were certain things that needed my attention. Certain things I needed to find out. One,why was Aliya shouting at Dhruv?! Two, how come Manik tried being nice to me? And three, where would I find there new compostions for the album.
"Even if I could find the answer to the first and third but the second...understanding what was going on inside Manik's head was just out of my intel!" I assured myself as I turned off the shower.
I dressed up in my usual attire once i stepped out of the washroom and decided roaming about the place was a nice idea!
Or alteast I felt so!
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~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Bahar kya khada hai! Come in idiot!" I whispered to Abhimanyu who stood outside the door.
"I'm freaking nervous Manik!" he whispered taking a step toward the room.
"Dood we are already running behind schedule..... " I reminded him.
"I know....but...." he hesitated.
"No if's and but's ....dood she'll be back in the room anytime....make it fast"I said hell irritated as I pulled him inside the next moment.
"Fine fine...." he said and placed the silver wrapped gift box on the bed with the letter beside it.
"Done! ... let's go!" I said relieved.
"Ayye Wait!...." Abhimanyu stopped suddenly.
"Abhi jaldii bol ...." I asked in hurry.
"How do I know she saw it...And read it....?" he asked.
"Cabir has asked Aliya...." I told me about the plan.
"Ahh.. he did...okay..." he sighed.
"Abhi calm down!" I assured him.
"Yeah yeah!" he said taking in a deep breath.
We walked out of the room shutting the door behind us and just when we thought no one had seen us,there she was giving us looks from a distant.
"What are you doing in Mukti's room?!" she asked.
"Manik...!" pleaded Abhimanyu looking in my direction.
"Ahh....I'll take care of her....you go! " I said looking at him.
"This is really important for me!" he said.
"I know..." I said patting his back.
"Bye" he said giving me a side hug before he left.
I turned towards the former at a distance. She still held onto the look.
Nandini.
I walked in her direction and grabbed her by her arms. She winced in pain. It reminded me of the marks on her skin. I loosened my grip immediately.
"Listen....you don't need to know what is happening okay..." I warned her.
"I already do! I saw it...." she said.
"What even is your problem! And don't you dare tell anything to Mukti!" I said.
"Why would I?!..." she asked raising her brows.
She wouldn't?!
"Fine then...find yourself some place far away from me....do you get that!...." I stated speaking out each out with clarity.
"You are absolutely IMPOSSIBLE! .....like firstly I don't understand why you brought me here...And now you ask me to stay away from all this!...like what am I even supposed to do??!" she asked in vexation.
I looked at her for a moment.
"So you want to stay close to me huh!?" I asked her looking into the eye.
Her face changed colors. It turned from peach to crimson I noticed.
"You could stop manipulating my words!" she defended.
I pulled her closer in my direction. She was just inches apart to crash on chest but I made sure she didn't.
"Ahhh...could I?!" I asked with a smirk plastered on my face.
"Yes!" she said.
"Well we could work that out huh!" I spoke slowly as the idea hit me.
"Let's get you some work shall we?!...Spot! " I said with a devilish smile.
A/N:
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