Nandini wanted to call manik to ask him if she was still invited to his party or not but she restrained herself to call him.
She knew he needed sometime to cool off so she did not call him or tried to talk to him. She didn't come out of the room the entire day.
It was later in the evening when manik came back home. Nandini was in the room as they both were sharing it.
Manik entered the room and glanced at nandini who was exceptionally silent. No one said anything. Not a single word was muttered.
"So when were you going to tell me that I wasn't invited to the party anymore?" Nandini asked patiently flipping the pages of the magazine she was reading.
"I thought we don't tell each other anything anymore. I mean it wasn't that important information, about change of plans or you moving across the country." He snapped.
"I was going to tell you manik!" She stood up with a jerk. She walked towards him and gently held his hand which he jerked away.
"When nandini? The day you were going to leave? You know what nandini Sush was actually right you are selfish." He roared in anger and left the room leaving nandini in a mess of her own tears.
He was the last person she expected to say stuff like that to her. But heartbreak really blind your vision sometimes.
***
It was late seven in the evening when manik came out of the room all ready in a jet black tuxedo with crisp white formal shirt adorned with a red tie.
All this while nandini was in navya's room in a gloomy state as cavya were out on a date. Not really they were just giving manik and nandini some privacy.
"I'm leaving!" Manik informed her standing on the room door and she looked up to see him looking handsome as ever.
"Is it bad that I want to kiss him desperately?" She muttered and looked down.
"What was that?" He asked raising his brows.
"Nothing absolutely nothing have a good time." With maira. She wanted to say but didn't. He turned around with a huge grin because he totally heard what she said.
Nandini lied down on the bed with a sigh but woke up with a jerk as she got an idea.
Manik picked up maira from her place and drove to the venue. No one spoke anything because let's face it, it was awkward. He just asked her to accompany her because he wanted to stay away from nandini.
He knew she was hurt but neither he said anything about it nor nandini.
The party was going on a full swing. Manik and maira weren't really interacting. Everyone just congratulating manik and she was just standing besides him giving them warm smiles.
They both were left alone when maira decided to break the silence.
"So what's up with your mood?" She asked sipping on her champagne and he chose not to answer.
"Nandini?" She suddenly said.
"Yeah how do you-----" He was cut off in between as maira started walking forward towards someone.
"Hey nandini long time no see" Maira greeted as she prolonged towards them and gave her a quick hug.
"You look gorgeous maira" Nandini complimented her genuinely and her eyes went on manik who was clearly shocked to see her.
"Why thank you?" Maira grinned.
"Won't you introduce me to your friend nandini?" Alec smirked. Yes he was nandini's date. Perfect recipe of a disaster.
Manik was too shocked to say anything. He did not expect nandini here forget about alec. And the fact he hated him.
Manik did not hear the conversation going on because he was too busy gawking at nandini who was looking absolutely stunning in a salmon dress which clung to her waist.
"Let's go for dance it's getting boring here!" Nandini suggested and eyed at manik.
Manik offered her hand to maira who's eyes got widened as she was clearly shocked. Well nandini half expected him to ask her but life doesn't go as planned.
Both the couples went on the dance floor joining others. Nandini wrapped both her arms around alec's neck and moved closer leaving no space between them.
Manik clutched maira's waist on which she winced. She noticed his eye's direction which was rested on nandini. She rolled her eyes at his man ego.
Nandini didn't leave any chance to make him jealous. She turned around and swayed her body against alec which shocked him.
"Nandini what are you doing? Manik will kill me and no one will ever find my corpse." Alec whispered in her ear on which she rolled her eyes.
"Don't be dramatic and go with it!" She glared at him and he just nodded meekly.
"Manik stop digging your nails in my waist it's going to bruise later." Maira whisper yelled at him whose eyes weren't leaving from nandini. He looked at maira who was glaring at him and his hold loosened on her.
"Um! sorry for this" Manik quickly said and before she can ask for what he dipped his face in her neck which made her gasp. He didn't really did anything but just hid his face in her hair.
"Manik?" Maira almost yelled at him seeing nandini ready to burst at them and the next thing she knew manik left her abruptly and ran outside.
Seeing him nandini left alec and ran behind him. Maira and Alec looked at each other and chuckled at their childish behaviour.
Manik was standing in the parking lot huffing in anger when nandini came running behind him and turned him around.
"What the heck were you doing with her?" Nandini shouted.
"Whatever you were doing with him. Now let me go." Manik said with a stern voice and started walking.
Nandini stopped him by hugging him from behind. He closed his eyes for a second to hide his sorrow.
"Don't do this to us manik please." She said with a small voice.
He turned around still holding her hands. He inched closer to her and leaned his face towards her. Their breaths were mingling with each other and she closed her eyes feeling the moment.
"You were the one who ruined us nandini not me. You were the one who hurt everyone's feelings, my feelings when you decided to be selfish." He said with so much vulnerability that a tear dropped down from her eye.
"I did nothing manik" She yelled at him. "If you wanted to go somewhere I would have let you because I don't want to come in between your dreams but you are cribbing like a child. I'm doing this one thing which makes me happy but you've got a problem with it." She knocked some senses into him.
Manik opened his mouth to say something but nothing came out because she actually made some sense.
Nandini turned around facing her back to him. She was really angry at him.
"Um! I'll text maira that I'm leaving with you!" He said taking his phone out.
"You brought her here and it's your responsibility to take her home you jackass!" Typical nandini cursing when she's mad.
"She said alec will give her a ride!'' Nandini gasped in shock.
"That traitor left me with you? Alone." Nandini whisper yelled at him.
"It's not like I'm going to murder you or something and throw you in an alley." Manik shrugged.
"Well I don't want to breathe the same air as you." She declared in a no-nonsense-tone.
Manik chuckled and started taking slow steps towards her.
"Roses are red," Manik whispered taking a step towards her and confusion blinded her.
"Foxes are clever," He continued and she was still confused.
He was now in front of her towering her.
"I like your butt, let me touch it forever!" He finished and pulled her holding by her butt making her gasp. Her hands lay flat on his chest and her eyes widened at his sudden action.
"Sto-Stop trying to melt me okay?" She stammered and looked down not able to meet his eyes.
"Well you already did!" He whispered softly and put her hair behind her ear. Such a small gesture but it gave her a giddy feeling in her insides.
He inched closer to her and she closed her eyes in anticipation. Their breaths mingling with each other but nandini's eyes snapped open and she backed out breaking their trance.
"We should head back home." She said as if they were not going to kiss.
Manik nodded and went to bring the car.
The drive was silent nobody was willing to break the defeaning silence.
Nandini looked at manik who had a stern expression on his face. She took his hand entwined with hers and kept it on her lap.
"Don't fight with me I hate it!" She whispered looking at him and he nodded kissing their entangled hands.
They reached the empty house as Cabir and Navya weren't back. They both got changed and lied down on the bed.
"Nandini?" Manik asked and she hmed.
"Nothing" He suddenly said.
After a moment nandini rolled to his side and threw her leg on him and put her head on his chest.
He wanted to cuddle and it was his way to ask for comfort and she understood which made him smile.
"Goodnight" She kissed his cheek and slipped into deep slumber.
|||
Nandini was sleeping when some hustle bustle outside disturbed her sleep.
She woke up and it was 7am on the clock. She rubbed her eyes and went outside to check.
"What's going on?" Nandini asked as she saw packed bags and navya serving food to manik and Cabir half sleeping on the floor and half on the couch.
"Manik is leaving and he woke us up just because he wanted to say bye. Talk about selfishness." Cabir explained yawning.
"Why are you leaving and why no one woke me up?" Nandini asked in a low tone.
"Manik said not to!" Cabir shrugged and manik didn't meet her eye.
"Navya even you didn't wake me up you know he's important for me right." Nandini said clearly hurt with their actions.
"I'm sorry Nandini but manik really forced us not to wake you up." Navya said apologetically.
"Why are you leaving?" Nandini asked manik sitting in the front chair from him.
"Navya I'm full!" Manik said with mouth full of food as navya can't stop feeding him.
"Okay fine" Navya said and put the spoon down.
"I asked you something manik!" Nandini gritted her teeth frustrated by him.
"And I'm not answerable to you nandini" He said getting up from the table.
"Brutal. What twisted your panties in the morning?" Cabir smirked.
"Shut up cabir" Manik and nandini said in unison.
"But seriously manik can't you just few more days?" Navya asked in a low as she really got attached with him.
"Yes I have to go and i promise I'll come back soon to meet you okay?" Manik said holding her by her shoulders and she finally smiled nodding.
Manik made his way to nandini's room to see if he left something. Nandini followed him closed the door with a thump.
"What is wrong with you manik? Don't test my patience okay! I know you are mad at me but please don't leave me alone." Nandini whispered and manik closed his eyes because he was guilty.
"I won't go to New York but please don't go. You're the only person whose silence I can't bear." She said dropping a tear and hugged him from back.
Manik held her hands and turned around so that they were facing each other.
"Why nandini?" He asked looking straight in her eyes.
"Because I----I---" She couldn't comprehend words.
"That's why I'm leaving. I can't handle these unrequited feelings, I can't handle this separation and I can't handle this bond between us anymore." Manik merely whispered leaving nandini shocked.
Tears starts flowing from her eyes and all she wanted to do was scream at him for saying non sense but she was choked due to her tears.
"Goodbye nandini" He kissed her forehead and she felt his touch for the last time maybe.
He gave her a last glance and left from there. She was rooted on her place with tears flowing from her eyes.
She couldn't stop him. She couldn't tell him that she loved him.
*****
Few more chapters left in this book.
And this month is so busy I wasn't able to update early for you guys.
I'm sorry for boring you guys but next update will be good I promise.
And the response is so bad I don't even think people are even reading it like seriously.
By the way thanks for the patience though!