name:- Just Friends
words:- 3500 words
published on:- 2nd December, 2018
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N A N D I N I
"Nandini yaar ek baar sun toh le meine kya discovery ki hai. I'm sure tujhe bohot achi lagegi, I toh loved it!" Abhi persuaded me for the tenth time and I nodded negatively, not looking at the Skype screen. I was still angry at him, of course. But Skype call toh uthana padega na, best friend hai after all.
"Acha dikha!" I pretended to be uninterested when actually, my mind was racing to see what he had 'discovered'. "Whatsapp check kar!" He smiled showing me his thirty two teeth as if he was doing some Colgate add and I left my iPad aside and picked up my phone.
He had probably sent some attachment but the moment I clicked on the picture, my eyes would have bulged out of their socket if they could. What the—..... fuck?
I'd be lying if I saw I took my eyes off this picture before one whole minute because I just couldn't look away. Once again, this was an undeniable fact that he was incredibly hot and moreover, he was so beautiful that it made me wonder how much time God had taken to create him in a way he created no other man.
"What—.., what discover is this Abhi?" I asked in a daze tone as I started composing myself. He was hot, but so what? Doesn't change the fact that he called me a potato!
"Seriously Nandini? Tumhe itni achi discovery ki koi value hi nahi hai! Tu voh nahi dekh rahi jo mein dekh raha hu, ab dhyaan se dekh usko, okay?" He sounded frustrated and I nodded as I stared at the picture once and again and still what I saw was just him looking beautiful.
But I saw another thing this time. "Yes Abhi! You are right...," I replied, surprised. How did I miss this before? "His eyes... they look sad, or moreover they look tired, as if he's unhappy with something. How did I not see this—..," I self talked and Abhi's shout broke me off.
"Nahi stupid! Voh nahi dekhna hai! Look he doesn't have abs. He has zero abs while I have four abs which still makes me better than him. So you're not falling in love with an ab-less man, you rather stick with me!" He seemed rather proud of his so called discovery and a smile broke out on my face. Should I laugh out or be angry at him?
"But tu— tu mujhse pyaar hi nahi karti! I know that! And silly me, always thinking about you," His voice faded and I looked up, almost fearing if he was serious but how could it be? He was The Abhimanyu Thakkar after all, and a fun fact: Abhimanyu and seriousness don't come together any time!
"Yeh tu kya bol raha hai! I love you na!" I frowned, stating the obvious. I loved him so much that I could give away my entire life in a second for him without even having to think twice.
"Bas, Bas! Mujhe nahi chahiye aisa pyaar. Sach bata, you like Manik na?" He asked and my eyes snapped at him, even wider than it was when I saw his naked picture— mind that, half naked picture.
"N-No!" I immediately stammered.
"Nahi matlab, I don't understand. You kiss a guy, then you punch him, phir tu usse raat ke do baje mukti hai and you both go for some stupid coffee date, and then tu uske not-so-abs wali body ko aise dekhti hai as if you're stargazing. Also, you look at his eyes and you say he's tired and he's sad. You notice him, Nandini! And then you say you don't like him?!" He scoffed slowly and I bit my lower lip.
"Tell me, do you have a crush on him?" He asked and I widened my eyes more. Do I have a crush on that giant?
"Abhi—... I have to go!" I said in haste and before he could reply anything else, I cut the video call, sighing in relief.
How can I crush on Manik Malhotra? I mean look at him, he's a giant. And look at me, I'm so short and sweet and cute and he looks like a monster. Hot hai thoda sa, but anyone can be scared by just looking at his height and that frowning face that he makes. And abhi was saying that I'd have feelings for him. Kuch bhi bolta hai yeh, huh.
No, I don't have feelings for Manik Malhotra. The little crush I had in my heart has thereby got crushed. I don't like him——... I don't, right?
My eyes diverted from staring at the blank wall to the picture on my phone screen and I gulped. He was hot. So, so hot.
"Manik Malhotra, get it straight. I don't have a crush on you!" My shout echoed in my ears.
"Nahi hai toh chalega. Thode din mein aa jayega. I'm very hot, aisa hota hai ladkiyon ke saath. I'm experienced with this" his voice ran like a musical chime.
"Hot hai, nahi?" I heard a voice from behind.
"Yes!" I agreed in daze and then immediately came back to my senses. "NO! No I mean no!" I shouted startled, getting up from my bed and turning behind to the source.
"Manik—.... tum- tum yaha kya kar rahe ho? And don't you know you're not supposed to enter anyone's room without permission? And why are you eavesdropping? Don't you know it's bad manners, aise chup chupke kisi ki baat—......," I could go on if he hadn't stopped me by walking towards me.
"Oh hello! Nandini Express, chup!" He giggled keeping a finger on my lips and some kind of a jitter passed down my spine as my huge eyes travelled from his finger on my lips to his beautiful face while he remained unaffected.
"Yes. No. Yeh sab kya bol rahi ho? I was talking about my coffee!" He smiled his breath taking smile taking his warm finger away and I battled my eye lashes, looking at him keenly as he turned.
"And I am not intruding your oh-so-privacy. Yeh meri best friend ka ghar hai!" He returned to his normal tone and I flushed in embarrassment. This reminds me, I have to find a new house for myself until my old house gets renovated. I couldn't stay with Mukti forever. Although she would have no problem with it, I came to Mumbai to get independent and staying with her would make me dependent on her all the time.
"And mein yaha tumhaare liye aaya hu!" He shrugged casually and I once again looked at him in a way I never had.
"Mere liye?" I asked biting my lower lip as if this was a fairy tale, with some imaginary background music placing and me being the heroine.
"Before you get thoughts, I've come to pick you up!" He blasted my bubble and I fell back to reality. "Cabir ke ghar jaana hai, ab chalo!" He called walking downstairs already and I followed him behind.
"Kyu?" I asked.
"Kitna baat karti ho!" He rudely complimented me and I fake smiled, battling my eye lashes at him. "Pohochke dekh lena na!" He informed and I nodded getting into his car quietly as he drove off.
The Five minute drive passed away in silence and I kept wondering why were we going there but again and again, my mind would keep getting diverted by Abhimanyu's talks.
Kuch bhi bolta rehta hai! Mushkil se toh I could involve Manik into my friends circle and Abhi just put such stupid things into my mind.
No crush. No feelings. We were friends. Just Friends.
And plus, I don't even think anything could ever happen between us. He's too egoistic for me to ever fall for a boy like him. And all these thoughts would go in vain.
Maybe I would end up falling for a boy like Aryamman.
I don't mean Aryamman. I meant a boy LIKE him—.... a boy who's flirty but sweet, careless but careful—... such a boy would perfectly fit into my life, and not some egoistic and grow my guy. I don't mean to say that Manik is bad while Aryamman is good, all I feel is that Manik is very different from all of us, or from what I want in a guy.
I feel Manik is more than what he just shows. There's more to his story, the way he couldn't sleep at night or the way his eyes speak more than he does. Maybe I'm overthinking. Or maybe I'm right. This doesn't make him wrong or bad, it makes him mysterious and darker than what he is. And mysteries and darkness scare me, always.
And all these thoughts that have suddenly appeared are all thanks to Abhimanyu. He loved feeding things into my mind that have no existence. Had he not said anything like that, I would have easily been happy with the idea that I and Manik co exist peacefully as friends.
"Do you know how to swim?" His sudden question broke my bubble and I snapped out of my thoughts.
"No!" I replied honestly.
"Expected," he murmured. "Don't worry, I will teach you how to swim," he smiled and his sudden kindness made me suspicious.
"What?" I snapped back.
"Nahi! I mean, don't worry, I will teach you how to swim. So that next time, tum mere thoughts mein dubbo nahi! You know, it makes me very conscious agar tum mere baare mein itna socho toh," he faked innocence and I rolled my eyes.
"Manik, you're just getting lamer day by day. I'd suggest you to improve the qualities of your jokes," I suggested, faking seriousness and he raised his eyebrows. "And I wasn't in your thoughts okay!" I justified, lying.
"Yes yes, totally! This is why tumhe pata nahi chala that we have reached three minutes back aur mein tumhe two minutes so bula raha hu!" He enlightened me and I flushed into the deepest shades of embarrassment as I flung out of the car and he laughed, mimicking me as he got out behind me.
"Chubby cheeks, dimple chin, rosy lips, teeth within.... curly hair, very fair—....." he sang following me, which just annoyed me more than what I already was.
"Manik!!" I shouted turning behind, walking backways. "Can toh stop it?" I shouted showing my finger as if this petty warning could ever scare the monster.
"Stop what? Meine toh bas apni favourite nursery rhyme gaa raha tha!" He teased and I looked at him squarely. Isko toh vapis mein nursery mein hi bhej deti hu. Oh, how can I? All the kids will get scared looking a monster between them.
"Manik! Don't act over smart—-....." I was still speaking when I felt my foot on the lace of my second foot and my eyes widened as I tumbled backwards, touching the ground.
"Nandini!" I heard a shout from behind and within the next ten seconds, Aryamman and Mukti were around me, checking if I was okay— except Manik of course, who was laughing as if he had seen a clown.
Don't worry, I told you right, it keeps happening with me. The ground loves me a lot, it keeps calling me to itself to hug and kiss it once in a while. And then see, it's been twenty four hours since I hugged the ground, it must be missing me.
"Don't worry guys, Nandini is just giving us some major inspiration about how to be down to Earth!" The monster commented and then laughed at his own joke as I got up rolling my eyes and dusting myself.
I got up, but Aryamman was still at the ground and his fingers touched my feet, carefully tying my shoe laces making me and everyone present there go aww on this gesture. "Thank you!" I murmured with nothing but sweetness in my eyes once he got up and he smiled beautifully.
"Don't thank me. I was just trying your shoe laces, you know... I don't want you to fall for somebody else!" He winked making me giggle and Mukti rolled her eyes. They were used to him being a flirt all the time.
"Cheap!" Manik commented from behind which I conveniently ignored and he stormed off into Cabir's house as we followed him. Weird ladka, I wondered.
We entered inside to the wailing noises and my heart beated faster as we walked in to see Cabir on his couch, throwing all the cushions everywhere. There were no tears flowing off his eyes but he was wailing as if he was crying, Aliya sat beside him doing her make up. Manik seemed disinterested and Mukti rolled her eyes. I looked at Aryamman who was already looking at me and he passed me a weak smile as I tried to comprehend. What the fuck was happening?
"Hey Nandini! Tum bhi aa gayi mere life par hasne!" He cried or he laughed, I couldn't understand as I gulped.
"Break up? Again?" I whisper guessed under my breath and Mukti smiled. "Inka har roz ka hai! She must have broken up again" She assured and I nodded.
"Acha! Tum log batao, kuch peeoge— chai, coffee, paani, anything?" He fake sobbed and I bit my lower lip.
"Coffee!" Manik commented still looking into his phone and I rolled my eyes mentally. When he came to pick me up, tabi bhi coffee hi pee raha tha. What is he? A coffee drinking, fight creating, comment passing, phone addicted, egoistic machine.
"Coffee powder expire ho gaya hai!" He sniffed.
"Acha, toh tea is also okay!" Mukti replied politely sitting next to him.
"The milk got over last night!" He replied blankly.
"Water is okay" Aryamman replied softly as he stepped ahead and stood beside me. "Haa pani sounds very good!" I supported in the worst way possible.
"Hot or cold?" He asked, finally hopeful.
"Hot, and ho sake toh boiled. You know, it's good for maintaining your figure!" Aliya looked up for a mini second before looking back into her mirror.
"Mera stove repair pe gaya hai!" Cabir broke down into fake sobs and tears again and I sighed loudly.
"Cabir, agar kuch nahi tha toh pucha kyu?" Mukti punched his shoulder and he stared at her.
"Mannerless girl! Meri daadi ne mujhe sikhaya tha, atithi devo bhava! Yeh meri daadi ki last wish thi. And I will always obey my heavenly grandmother!" He replied stubbornly.
"Oh shit Cabir! We're so sorry for your grandmother, yeh kab hua?" Aliya looked up, closing her things and I felt bad. Everyone became serious, leaving their respective works. Poor Cabir. This is why he is so emotional.
"She is not dead!" He shouted and we squeezed our eyebrows. "This was her last wish before she left this house and went to her kitty party with her friends. Aur jab bhi maregi, she will go to heaven only! After all she is Cabir Dhawan's Grandmother!" He replied proudly and I left the breath I didn't know I was holding.
Inka kuch nahi hoga. Sab ke sab paagal hai yahan. "Acha Cabir, Tell me why did Navya break up with you?" I asked. He was back to his normal state as if he hadn't been wailing a few seconds back. "Navya did not—....." But before he could complete, Manik put in his comment.
"Dekha! I knew it. How can a sensible girl like Navya stay with a monkey like you for so long even? And phir bhi, usne toh three years nikal liya. Mein hota toh three days bhi nahi reh paata tere saath" Manik added.
"Nandini! Dekh lo haa, he's being rude to me. Samjhao apne boyfriend ko!" He complaint like a little child and I shook my head.
"Manik—!" I scolded when I re registered his words. "BOYFRIEND?" I and Manik screamed together. What the-.....?
"Haa toh. I meant, a boy who is a friend is a boyfriend! And tum dono to friends ho na! Varna why would you have gone for a coffee date at two in the night with a stranger...." He teased and all eyes turned towards us. I looked down while Manik looked everywhere else.
"Just friends!" I specified in a slow voice.
"Were you spying upon us?" Manik asked squarely.
"Doesn't matter! What were you two doing alone?" Mukti seemed angry and I kept my face down. This is one reason I hate lying.
"Alone? They weren't alone. If they were together, how can they be alone?" Aliya interrupted and I didn't know if she was being sarcastic or dumb but I didn't like it either ways.
Everyone rolled their eyes at her but no one said a word. "Nandini, Navya did not break up with me!" Cabir said in a soft and composed voice. His grandmother did not die. Navya hasn't left him. Then—.... what?
"The fireflies did not shine for me and Navya!" He whispered slowly. "So she thinks that I don't love her. So if I don't marry her in the next one month, she will marry the first guy her mother introduces her to!" He completed and my mouth hung low while the other members of his band fell off laughing at their places.
"Fireflies did not shine—.... matlab?" I asked, confused.
"Fireflies shine where there is true love or if it is blossoming!" He informed and I frowned. Of course I knew that because I loved fireflies. My mother used to tell me this when I was a little kid but as I grew up, I always thought it was a myth and never paid attention to it.
"Cabir, aisa kuch nahi hota!" I laughed walking to the jar of fireflies kept on the side table, staring at it keenly. I had one such jar in my room too and it makes me so happy to think that there are people who believe in such naive and innocent things like I once did.
But famous for what I am, as I walked back lost in my thoughts, I missed a stair and flew into the air clumsily embracing myself for hugging the beautiful floors for the second time this morning but I didn't end up on the ground. A hard hand held my over my waist securely and the jar of fireflies in his second hand as I stared into his eyes, lost in his perfect moves. Manik Malhotra. My saviour.
Our bodies touched eithers and he held me securely in his arms and after more than a decade, I felt safe again. A mere contact or his sent someone unknown warmth down my body which I knew I shouldn't have felt but I did feel. Him and I were wrong. But suddenly, everything had started feeling right when he was near.
Distancing myself from him, I stepped away. He smiled his normal smile, unknown of the war raging inside me because of him.
My only quick decision was, I was never talking to my best friend again. He is the reason I am thinking such stupid things everytime I am seeing him.
"Thank you!" I whispered trying to smile back but I knew I failed. I could stop my mouth from telling him what was happening but my expressions and the nervousness was giving way to my heart. He pressed his eyes in assurance passing me the jar in his hand and I smiled, taking it.
But the moment my hand touched the jar and our fingers brushed over each other's, there was illumination inside it, and every small firefly glew within the dark place, like small stars in a night sky, and my breath accelerated as my eyes met his eyes that danced in amusement, twinkling under the little lights of the fireflies, making everything in me flutter.
"Just friends!" He whispered to me breaking my bubble for the second time today as he left me with the jar and walked down to the people who stared at us crazily.
"Just friends," I whispered, reminding my heart that beat a chanting rhythm I hadn't heard until now but my eyes were glued to the glowing fireflies that flew around creating magic in that room, that our eyes couldn't see but our hearts could feel and I knew that as I staring at the flowing fireflies that promised me a forever that we just denied.
~ don't look for love; just wait for it and it would happen to you at the right time ~