"You will be staying here, acha" murmured Mukti first absentmindedly.

"Wait, what? Bhai you will be staying HERE? Like seriously!?" she responded a moment later in alarm.

"Umm..yes Mukku" Manik replied cautiously and looked at Nandini in confusion. It wasn't the first time he crashed at Mukku's; what was the big deal here? As Nandini stood there, her spirits were already lifted, now seeing Manik's innocent confusion she felt like she would burst in laughter.

"But bhai! How can you share my room? I am a girl remember?!" Mukti responded stoked.

"Um..I know. So? We have shared your room before also, right?" Manik replied reasonably.

"Yeahhh, but back then I was acknowledging only the male part of my sexuality, bhai!! Now I am a also taking into consideration my female biology!!" Mukti tried explaining indignantly, horrified that her bhai neede explaining, and didn't get it. Is this how you treat women, she thought savagely.

"Eh..Mukku, back then you thought you were a boy, but you actually weren't and I still stayed with you, right?" Manik tried again, not realizing why Mukku was acting all deranged suddenly.

"Yes but now I am acknowledging that biologically I am a girl! You can't stay bhai" she said adamantly with arms folded in her front. Nandini, who tried being civil so far, burst into peals of laughter seeing Mukti's fierce stand on her new foun womanhood vis-a-vis Manik's lack of understanding. Both siblings turned to face her, when Nandini pulled Manik into her room and excused them from Mukti; even though she pulled in innocence, he loved being dragged by her into her room; he had a goofy smile playing up his lips when Nandini faced him.

"Manik, Mukti is a newly turned wolman in her head; she will take time to settle her scores right. It's like adolescence all over, for her again; she is sensitive to her gender now, she is confised and the boundaries of do's & don'ts and social etiquettes are blurred to her now, she needs moe time to adjust, cope and accept; please be careful around her" she explained laughing.

"Oh" retorted Manik, clearly not understanding of course. "So I fail my exams? Because my baby sister just realized after 20 years of life that she is a girl?" he asked grumpily.

"Umm, no; you stay but you get to sleep in the hall at night; you cool?" asked Nandini chirpily.

"Why not in your room, I am sure you know frolm much beforehand that you're a girl" he asked with an innocent, angelic smile.

"Hawww" it was Nandini's instant reaction, and Manik toppled over unable to control his laughter.

"Just kidding Nandini; just look at you!" he laughed light heartedly. He was feeling awesome after a very long time. Nandini had that impact on him. He was happier then he was in days, and Nandini doubled up in laughter at his words, not realizing until that morning, every other word was bringing tears to her eyes.

***

"Aryaman, Manik is staying here at ours, for revision. I thought it is my duty as your fake girlfriend to let you know, lest you be fake jealous" she laughed over the phone, while Aryaman looked mildly surprised; moved in, desperate much Manik? He thought and hid a smirk.

"Oh, but as your fake boyfriend it is my duty to feel fake protective about you sharing your apartment with another man, right? So out of fake concern, I have to figure out a way to protect you soon" he laughed and Nandini joined in.

"Aryaman you're MAD" she laughed and hung up the phone and came out still smiling from her room. Manik noticed her smile and a frown covered his face.

"Informed your body guard, of me potentially breaching your privacy?" he asked darkly; Nandini just laughed, not even Manik could dampen her spirit today.

"Yes, he told me to keep pepper spray handy!!" she replied laughing and disappeared into the kitchen.

***

When Manik told Soha about his whereabouts, she shuddered; he was staying at behenji's? Like STAYING!?!?! Moved in? Well it was Mox's house too; she tried consoling herself, but something didn't feel right. She knew that the behenji had feelings for Manik, but she was keeping quiet for some stupid reason; but Soha couldn't depend on her, what if she made a move? No. It was time to mark her territory yet again and remind Nandini where she stands in their life; and this time she would use her bhai, Aryaman; he loved her right?

***

They were sitting in the living roof sprawled on the carpet and revising together, Manik was going through her notes and she was explaining them to him wherever he faltered; it was late and Manik had never felt more motivated to study; sitting by Nandini and sipping coffee and chatting and studying, he was in a delirious world and didn't want to come out of it. Sometimes he would deliberately pretend to not understand so that she explained to him, and when she would explain, he would get a reason to look at her mesmerising eyes without feeling silly. He was reading a note quietly for quite sometime, when he felt a soft thud on his shoulder, he turned to see her head resting on his shoulder, she had slept off; Manik looked at her tired face, there were slight dark circles around her eyes, but she still managed to look exceedingly beautiful in a different way; his eyes seem to filter her and present an enhanced portrayal of the real Nandini. He never noticed before, was she always this beautiful or was it his eyes? He sighed and carefully moved a lock of hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. She seemed so much at peace while sleeping, she looked like an angel thought Manik and carefully caressed the tip of his index finger on her cheek; she stirred in her sleep but didn't wake up. He decided to carefully remove her specs from her eyes, but just as he was about to do that her eyes gently opened, there was no shock there, she was gently staring at him, as if she always expected him to be there; he looked deep into her eyes, there was care and concern for him there, but there was more, was it lo.."

"Manik" she stuttered just then disrupting his thoughts, she seemed to realize how close they were.

Manik jumped back and mumbled that he was just trying to remove her specs because she had dozed off, and she just accepted his words and soundlessly pushed back.

"I think you should call it a night Nandini; it's quite late" he mumbled not looking at her

"Yes. Yes, I think you are right Manik. I will go. You also sleep; we will take it from here from tomorrow"she replied quietly.

As she left, Manik breathed out in relief, things were much tensed for a few moments he sighed. Then he turned to look at the couch that was going to be his bed for the next few nights and sulked, he would surely have a stiff body tomorrow morning. Just then Nandini came back from behind,

"Manik I don't think you will fit here, you go inside and sleep on my bed, I will sleep here" she begun. Manik turned around to see her standing with a pillow and a duvet in her hand.

"No way Nandini, it's your room. Don't worry about me, I will manage." He retorted and took the duvet and the pillow from her hand. Even though she insisited, Manik didn't budge and finally Nandini retired to her room for the night. Manik also settled in the couch with the pillow and duvet and tried to sleep, but for some reason, for a very long time, Nandini's gentle stare when she woke up some time back continued to flash in his mind; beautiful eyes she had...those were the last thoughts he remembered before slipping into slumber.

***

Abhimanyu was sitting in his room and fiddling with his football, could it be? Was he wrong all along? Was everyone else always right about him? He was always she, Mukti? Than the kiss? Was it okay for him to kiss him er.. her? Well he was definitely not gay, that was done and dusted. About the liking the kiss bit, that was tricky; he liked kissing her, and she was a girl, that was okay, but then who was Mox? Was he gone forever? Would he never be able to see his friend again? The friend who kissed him and he abandoned in the middle of a night on the football field? He felt hollow inside; and Navya, should he hide all this from her? Abhimanyu felt restless. If he pacified his mind consoling he kissed a girl and it was okay, it meant Mox was a figment of his and Mukti's imagination and he never really existed; but Mox was a very big share of his life, suddenly realizing he would never be around, choked him; it felt like Mox had died. But if Mox was true then it also stands firm that he had kissed a guy and enjoyed it too; he shuddered at the thought. Why did life have to be so complicated thought Abhimanyu miserably? But the girl Mukti was nice, he had liked her he realized; but accepting Mukti was equivalent to killing Mox; was he ready for that? Accepting Mukti also brought Navya's stand in his life into question, but what choice did he have? When he himself accepted Mukti; he was feeling forced, he hadn't reached a decision whether he wanted to accept Mukti and forget Mox; Mox was too special, but Mukti didn't really leave a choice for him did she?

"Miss you Mox" he mumbled all alone.

***

When Manik woke up in the morning, it was quite early, after a lot of tossing and turning at night he did manage to fall asleep, but the couch was so uncomfortable that he woke up very early; after grumbling for a few moments he decided to give up on sleep and freshen up and start his studies. As he trudged towards Mukti's room and tried opening the door, he realized Mukti had locked it from inside.

"I am your brother you idiot" he mumbled at the door and turned around to realize the other washroom was in Nandini's room. He knocked on her door cautiously, only to realize she hadn't locked it. He slowly entred the room to see her cuddled on the bed without a pillow or covers; Manik frowned and looked around, not only was she not using any, there were no pillows or cover anywhere; realization dawned on him that he was using her stuff and she didn't have any. He felt guilty suddenly and went back to the living room to fetch the pillow and duvet; he fetched them and covered her delicate body with the duvet, once his fingers brushed her back and he felt a current pass through; but he didn't want to wake her up, so he just tucked her in and placed the pillow by her side and left for the washroom.

He had just taken a shower and was in towels when the door to the washroom opened and a sleepy Nandini walked in; she paused for a second and squinted her eyes for a better view and then screamed at the top of her lungs, "Aaahhh...Bhooottt"

Manik who was equally startled clutched his towel hard and tried to shush her frantically, "Shut up Nandini it's me!!! Manikkk" he tried telling her desperately. After a few times she heard and became quiet and tried looking at him again.

"Why are you even trying to use those showpieces up there silly Nandini"he refuted annoyed.

"Which show pieces?" she asked confused.

"The ones you keep on the shelf of your face refer to, as eyes!" he complained, and then seeing her confused face clarified, "I meant, why you weren't able to recognize me Nandini? You know our lives would have been much easier that way!!" he scowled.

Nandini laughed, this was going to be the best morning in her life, waking up to bump into Manik. "Do you mind moving out Nandini? I am standing here in a towel with a bare upper torso; and in case you didn't notice, you honey, aren't wearing your undergears!" he chuckled.

Nandini's eyes widened in understanding, and she immediately put her hand across her chest for cover before running away in embarrassment, but she realized, as a matter of fact she was wearing her things indeed; of course she was, last night she was too lazy to take them off, then? She squirmed hard to focus on Manik's face and realized he was doubling up in laughter holding the sides of his stomach.

"Urghhh" she muttered and left the washroom to Manik, as he called out behind her, "I was only kidding Nandini!!"

Manik laughed as he remembered her squirming her eyes and scrunching her nose for better focus - she was too adorable - that Nandini - it's got to be the best day of his life, waking up to a adorable Nandini, he thought.

***

A/N : Well, di we have enough Manan in this update? Does this make my readers happy!

I'm happy when my readers are happy! :)

Please folks, do read, support, like, shared and vote!

Thanks!

WORD COUNT : 2,222