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• Mehndi •

" Do you want me to write any initial on your hand? " The mehndi artist asked me and I stared down at the place she had left between the design for the initial. " No. " I replied and she nodded her head.

" Is it taking too much time? " A voice interrupted and I looked up to see Manik standing there. " Just a little bit is left. " I replied and he sat down beside me.

Taking the mehndi cone from the artist he asked her to leave making me confused. " But why? " Ignoring my question he took my hand in his and brought the cone near my hand as he started to work on the design.

I didn't object further cause I felt that he wanted to do my mehndi himself. I liked him, I liked him very much! Even after telling my heart and mind so many times that I can't have him, I still liked him.

But I was still scared, scared that every relationship in the end, ends. I neither expected a forever nor an ending, but I wanted some relation with him which will be more than friends. Something which made me his, and him mine.

If I could have stopped myself that day from asking him to leave me. Would have everything been different from today?

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While I had sat there with her hand in mine and I worked on the mehndi design, I could feel her gaze on me throughout the time.

The way she stares at me makes my heart do things it hasn't done in years. It's odd, but I am getting familiar with it and something I am determined to get used to.

I watched her sit and chat with her best friend Navya to whom Cabir was totally smitten with. I shifted towards them a little more, to eavesdrop their  conversation. " I seriously don't know what letter ' M ' refers to! " Nandini spoke while staring at her hand with a frown on her face.

" I had told the artist not to write any initial but still she wrote! " She added but Navya still looked a bit suspicious and I could not help but chuckle loudly gaining their attention. " What's so funny? "

She questioned, she looked mad. I shook my head with a straight face and she turned her attention back to Navya. " Bro, I fucked up " Cabir whispered as he sat beside me.

" That is your favourite thing to do. " I rolled my eyes turning my eyes back to Nandini but he shook my arm. " Bro navya seduced me to tell that whether we were having a bachelor party or not. "

He spoke and I narrowed my eyes at him. " So what did you tell her. " I knew the answer but I just hoped that the fool wouldn't have said what I was thinking. " I said yes. " He spoke and hung his head low in guilt or maybe fake guilt?

" You fucking idiot. " I yelled at him and hit his arm hard. " I am sure now the girls will also keep the party now. " I rubbed my forehead and looked up at Navya who was already staring at me and smirked.

I wish I could bury him alive!

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" So you are telling me you seduced Cabir to tell you about the bachelor's party? " I turned towards her with my mouth wide open due to shock. She nodded her head while applying mascara on her lashes.

" So I arranged bachelorette party too. " She replied casually and I rolled my eyes. " I am not coming. " I replied knowing what all crazy things they will do in the party and she laughed.

" I don't need to know your opinion. You are coming. " She shook her while smiling and I heaved a sigh. " And God, his face was worth watching. He literally looked like a tomato! "

She told me and I nodded my head. " What did you do about the initial? " She questioned and I looked down at my hand. " I used lemon and it worked. " I replied showing my hand to her which was a bit red due to continuous rubbing.

" Manik was also applying mehndi on your hand right? " She asked and I nodded my head. " But why would he write that?It was the artist who wrote, I am sure. " I responded.

Thinking about Manik, I went back to the memories of yesterday of the mehndi function. I swear, his hands were the steadiest ones I have seen. It felt he was professional at applying mehndi even though he wasn't.

I knew he kept taking glances at me throughout the time. Like I didn't do the same. He legit looked Adonis, yesterday!

" Nandini? " I heard Navya calling out my name and I realised I had zoned out. " You look so lost these days. " She complained.

' Yeah, lost in Manik. '

' Shut up! '

" Yes, I am just stressed about all the work you know. " I lied and she nodded her. After that she told me about her jewelleries which she would be matching with her sangeet outfit.

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🌚 No guys. I am not dead. Infact I had kept myself busy with the book ' it ends with us '. Go read it if you haven't, it's amazing!

I seriously need to improve my writing skills, don't you think?

Anyways, thank you so much for reading. ❤️🤓

• Manan's Mehndi Outfit •