name:- Manik?
word count:- 3000 words
published on:- 28th January, 2019
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N A N D I N I
Talent Hunt.
For a person outside Space Acedemy, these were just two ordinary words; but for students like us, it meant everything. Talent Hunt was our fest, a musical gala that was an extravagant competition between students followed by a war of musical bands. It was famous for mending relations, breaking old ones and making new ones and as we all sat in the open area, I couldn't help but wonder what it had in store for me.
"I'm sorry you're not in my team Nandini, I really wanted us to all be together!" Aryamman walked to me and i smiled politely turning behind to see him with Mukti.
Today was Treasure Hunt, the first phase of Talent Hunt and the teams were already put up on the board.
"Oh, he's just scared he's going to lose without we smart girls!" Mukti showed him her tongue as she fled to my side. I was pretty satisfied by my team: me, Mukti, Manik and Cabir.
"Hey guys!" Another voice distracted us and we turned behind to see Manik walking in, who unlike all of us, just arrived. Everyone greeted him and he smiled past everybody, stopping at me.
"Hey!" He whispered, standing by me.
"Hi," I whispered back,"nervous?"
"Nervous? Nah, not really. I always win!" He smirked and I kept quiet this time, otherwise I would have lectured him for his over confidence but right now, I really needed the heat the words he spoke since we're in the same team.
"Who are you?" He asked again and I squeezed my eyebrows at him.
"Uh, Nandini?" I said in an obvious tone, "the girl you were sitting with on bandstand last night, having hot chocolate?" I reminded and he made an ahh face, as if realisation just struck me.
"No, that was my Nandini—," he said and my eyes widened as I looked at him, "I mean our Nandini," he immediately corrected.
"But this is not that Nandini. No lecture on being egotistic and no mood spoiling comment to start an unnecessary arguement? This is not her, what have you done to our Nandini haa?" He teased and I nodded in disbelief but I couldn't stop from cracking a smile.
I knew what he was trying to do— making me forget the butterflies and nervousness I was feeling and helping to lighten the atmosphere for me.
"You should smile more often, I know I just said this last night, but your smile is beautiful. Smile ke saath na, tum achi lagti ho," he complimented and I giggled.
"Tum thoda zyaada time aisi sweet baatein kiya karo, tum bhi ache lagne lagte ho," I teased winking as I walked away to Cabir who was standing a few hands away, looking at us like an old, gossipy aunty.
"Hey Cabir," I side hugged him and he did not smile. He continued staring at me with a look I didn't identify and his eyes travelled from me to Manik who was now talking to Mukti with a grin over his face which I am sure was from the conversation we just had because I couldn't stop grinning either.
"Nothing," Cabir said looking at me and I squeezed my eyebrows. Nothing?
"You can all come, take your first clues," There was a loud announcement by Raghav Sir. Mukti and Manik looked towards us, Cabir nodded and Manik went ahead to get us out first clue. Due to his height, he overshadowed everyone else and was amongst the first ones to be handed over the clue which he ran and got it to us.
I have some definite grudge against all the Eiffel Towers like him in the world. Socho, the world would have been so much better if we were all short and cute like me but no! Some tall and malfunctioning people like Manik had to be produced, huh.
Manik opened the first clue and read it out for all of us.
" I am big,
Big enough to hold the sun and the moon,
but still not bigger than this planet.
Who am I? "
We were all confused and just stared at each other. What is bigger than the sun and the moon and still not bigger than this planet?
While we were busy thinking, Aryamman read the riddle to his team beside us.
" I have a face, but no eyes;
I have a hand, but no arms;
I can fly, but without wings;
Who am I? "
I couldn't help but overhear their riddle and just as they said, I have hands but no arms, it stroke me. "It's the clock guys, it's time!" I shouted to them and then immediately bit my tongue. Shit.
"Nandini, tum humaare team mein ho!" Manik shouted and I closed my eyes tight. "Ya— so what? They're our friends Manik, you should always help your friends," I replied meekly.
"Thank you Nandini," Aryamman hugged me from behind and ran somewhere followed by Aliya and Navya and the fourth person of his team. Manik glared at me and although I knew it was my mistake, I glared back at him.
This ego is a terribly amazing thing. Apne aap hi cheeze karta hai.
"Think, you asses. What is bigger than the sun and the moon and still not bigger than the planet?" Mukti nudged is And I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate.
"Manik's ego!" I snapped back with a sarcastic smile and then bit my tongue again. Damn, what is wrong with me?
Manik glared while Cabir laughed and hi-fied me. "Guys, it's water!" I shouted as I got the riddle. "Water can hold the moon and the sun since it can reflect them, and water is still smaller than the planet. It's a water body, it's probably a pool!" I shouted and they nodded, Mukti hugging me.
"The nearest water body is the pool to the left and the artificial pond to the right. Can be any, we need to split up!" Manik said. "I and Mukti go the the right and Cabir and Nandini, to the left!" He instructed and we nodded, as I began jogging towards the left.
"Stop!" Cabir shouted and we all halted. "Manik, tu Nandini ke saath jaa. Actually canteen also comes to the right, until Mukti finds the clue, I'll pick up some cheese fries for us," Cabir suggested and I looked at him in disbelief.
"Cabir, you're not freakin' serious!" Manik gritted but Cabir just took Mutki's hand, "I live for food!" He announced casually, "and cheese toh is my zindagi!" He smiled dreamily and walked towards the left without giving a damn. Manik growled like a monster before he ran towards me, grabbed my hand and directed us towards the pool.
The outdoor pool wasn't very far, but we were breathless and just where the sun was shining into the water, there was a small clue attached to a transparent bag. As I took my phone to call Mukti, Manik kicked out his shoes and jackets, almost ready to jump in the pool.
"Hello, Mukti; we found—," my words dried in my throat when he removed his tee shirt as well. Although I had already seen him shirtless in the picture, seeing him like that suddenly, I was left speechless. He had well built biceps and six pack abs.
Hmm, he did have six pack abs. I had to call Abhimanyu and tell him about this—... Shit Nandini, what's wrong with you?!!!
"Manik you're getting naked!" I closed my eyes tightly when I realised he had even taken out his joggers and he was only in his boxers. He looked at me, giving me a sarcastic smile. "Sorry Nandini, I did not carry my swimming costume with me!" He jumped into the pool and I scrunched my nose in disgust.
How could he just strip his clothes down in front of a girl with no shame—— my thoughts were interrupted by Mukti, whom I forgot was still on the phone. "Cabir, hurry up. Manik and Nandini are getting naked!" She shouted loud enough for me to freeze in my place.
I hoped she hadn't shouted this in front of the whole canteen. "No, he's in his boxers," I whispered in a meek voice but the phone went dead from the other end.
Why me, God? Why am I always put in such stupidly difficult and embarrassing situations? Like am I your favourite person to embarrass? Millions of people in this world and you had to choose me to get embarrassed on a daily basis?
If there was a dollar for everytime I got embarrassed, I would probably be a millionaire by now, sitting in a palace and getting private tutions by Ryan Reynolds and having Tom Holland as my boyfriend Kylie Jenner as my best friend and instead of Zendaya in spider man 2, it would have been me and then I would have been famous, and most importantly a part of Avengers with Chris Ev— okay, I need to stop.
But instead of a million dollars, all God gave me was a half naked Manik Malhotra.
"Okay I'm done!" I realised Manik was almost dressed again as I grabbed the clue that lied on the ground, picking it up. "We should read the clue and get on finding it, let Cabir and Mukti come behind!" He said and I nodded reading it out.
" you're going to get nothing outside,
How about we start from the inside?
I am the strongest,
but I fall sometimes, even if it's not slippery
Who am I? "
"Eww whats this!" I was irritated. Manik seemed in deep thinking. "What can fall down when it's not slippery but when it's cold?" He spoke to himself.
"I feel the answer is you. Tum hi girti rehti ho har jaga!" He was irritated as well and I fake smiled.
"Really?" I was enlightened. "Really!" He faked enthusiasm. I mimicked his face frowning as we both walked the other direction.
"I feel let's go back. Yeh nahi milne wala!" He said and I nodded. As much as I hated to agree to this, I didn't know what the answer to this could be.
We walked back to the lawn where we saw Mukti and Cabir were walking to us.
"Hi Nakeds!!" Cabir shouted from the other end of the lawn, causing people to turn at us. I looked away in embarrassment and Manik rolled his eyes.
Mukti took the clue from Manik's hand, re reading it again. "Something that's inside, not outside; is strong but still slips!" Cabir repeated.
"It's love!" Mukti shouted. "It's the heart," Cabir corrected. "Heart is strong but it falls sometimes," he said eyeing me and I hid my eyes from him, and my eyes unknowing flickered to Manik.
He looked at me too, smiling casually. He raised his eyes asking me what and I nodded negatively, looking away as I bit my lower lip. What the fuck was wrong with me?
Mukti tore open the envelope of the previous clue to show a blue heart sticker, which she removed to reveal a key. We all smiled.
"Let's go and unlock our lock?" Cabir said and we all nodded enthusiastically, walking back to the gate when a girl approached us, Manik specifically.
"Hey!" She called out at him, looking nervous. "I'm Inaya, a new student and I have no much idea about this college. Can you please help me out with this clue?" She said shoving the clue in front of our— his eyes, and I saw it was the same clue that we had.
Manik seemed in daze. "Oh, the answer to this is—," Manik said and we all widened our eyes.
"We can't say!!" I jumped in between stopping him and we all breathed in relief. Mukti came ahead to take care of the girl while I pulled Manik behind, glaring at him with crossed hands.
"Kya? Have you never heard, 'never say never' and especially not to a hot girl you know," he gave the worst excuse ever and I narrowed my eyes at him.
"Never say never!" I repeated after him casually nodding as I hit his bicep. "Nandini! Kya kar rahi ho!" He was shocked.
"Never say never!" I repeated hitting again and his expression was worth seeing. Inaaya's eyes flickered at us and she laughed a bit.
"Sorry buddy, I didn't know you had a girlfriend," she called out and Manik nodded negatively. "No!" He called but I hit him again.
"Nandini!" He scolded. "What? Never say never!" I teased and I knew he had enough when he held me by my waist and pulled me closer to him, as I banged against his chest.
"Manik! Tum kya kar rahe ho? Log dekh rahe hai," I smiled nervously struggling in his grip and he smirked. "Never.... say never," he repeated his words and I gulped my saliva.
"No Manik you should say never!" I whispered and he laughed looking at my face as he left me. "Whenever I hold you close, your face...," he laughed. "It was white, as if you've seen some ghost," he laughed and I didn't even find it funny.
Cabir had already opened the lock indicating we had done it, we were the first ones to complete it. Everyone in the audience who waited clapped having the first team back but I couldn't stop staring at Manik who was laughing.
"So guys, lets go home then! And meet in the evening to celebrate?" I asked and they nodded. "Celebrations in Manik's house," Cabir informed. "Manik's mansion is the most beautiful house y'all know, we're gonna love celebrating there!" Cabir said and we nodded but Manik's face was straight with no expression.
We left, having nothing much to talk about and I took a cab directly to my new apartment. Cabir and Manik offered to drop me but I didn't accept, I was over excited. The movers had already shifted my luggage in the morning and I had spoken to Mukti about it at breakfast. She didn't like the idea at all but she was totally supporting my 'getting independent' phase so she agreed, not without warning me how mad Abhi would get. But we decided upon not telling Abhi anything as of now— as of now.
I hated keeping this from Abhi. He was my best friend and as the quote goes— if you can't tell your best friend what you're doing, then you should probably not being doing it. But he was overprotective about me and I would tell him when I'm settled, after having my roommate.
I entered the house and I loved the familiar smell it welcomed me with. I was ecstatic about the idea of walking into this house every day and calling it home. I was tired after the treasure hunt and immediately went for a shower, taking nothing but my lingerie and a spare towel.
My roommate wasn't home yet. I dipped myself into a warm water shower and after rejuvenating myself, I wore my lingerie and wrapped a towel around myself as realisation struck me.
This was a common bathroom and I wasn't supposed to be moving naked from the bathroom to my room. Well, not naked, since the towel covered me from my chest to my mid thigh.
Leaving my wet hair behind loosely, I stepped out, praying that my roommate wasn't home yet. I didn't want our first encounter to be with me being half naked.
But all my hopes died when I walked out to find a familiar set of hazel brown eyes gawking at me in shock as all the blood in my veins dried. My breath was almost stuck in my throat as my roommate moved ahead towards me, and I was pinned to the wall with hardly a distance of a feet. My heart beat faster since I knew the familiar brown eyes that stared into mine with an intensity that was unbearable. I clutched my towel around myself in reflex and finally left the breath I didn't know I was holding as I whispered,
"Manik?"
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Thank you for reading!