It started with a kiss
Part 8
@ murty's mansion
Nandini looks out her window in her room wistfully. Sanjana and rishab sees a change of behaviour since she has returned to murty's mansion. They try several ways of cheering her up but it all goes in vain.
@ malhotra mansion
Nyonika is in a funk over nandini's departure. Manik tries to convince her to go out, but she doesn't want to do anything anymore, and nothing makes her laugh. She asks if he's okay (a little accusingly) and he answers flatly that he finds it peaceful.
Nyonika: Peace? What is that peace? Is it knowing exactly what to expect? Having everything in the palm of your hand? Isn't that why you were bored and suffocated before? I had seen that glow when you used to be with nandini even her stupidity would make your day. Your face easily told anyone that whenever you have nandini around you need nothing in life"
Manik: "oh come on you know I don't like nandini from day one...This shit is useless not going to work for me" he stood up and went on leaving a disappointed nyonika behind who still had hopes in her heart
Next day at Space
harshad decides to take nandini out on a date, in an effort to cheer her up, but she doesn't answer when he calls and tries to get her attention during the school hours. Manik takes out the present he got from nandini before their college exams, and thinks of her.
During lunch
nandini announces to her friends that she's not only left the house, but given up manik for good. She declares that she's going to find a really awesome new boyfriend, and says goodbye to manik in her mind.
They drag her to lunch, saying that she has to face manik at some point, and sooner is better than later. But everyone stares at them oddly as they walk into the cafeteria. When they walk in, they see why. Harshad has put up an embarrassingly giant banner that declares harshad's Current Love Mood: "Oh nandini got tired of manik so she said goodbye!"
The girls fear that manik will see it and assume the worst, but too late...he's standing right behind them, and with alya at his heels, no less. Alya further rubs salt in the wound by commenting on the childish ploy to get manik's attention, but nandini retorts that she's forgotten manik already. He doesn't say anything, but he doesn't look happy about it.
@ tennis club
aryaman asks manik to attend their weekend retreat, and when he refuses, he challenges him to a doubles match: manik and nandini vs. Aryaman and alya, and if manik loses, he has to attend the retreat.
Other Side in malhotra mansion
Nyonika finds out that manik went to a the tennis club for a meeting, deducing that he must've gone to run into nandini. She puts on sunglasses and goes herself, and runs into shahid and navya, who tell her about the ensuing match, and the fact that manik and nandini kissed the night of graduation.
Back to the tennis club
Manik and nandini lose the match, of course, due to nandini's inability to, well, play tennis. Aryaman rubs it in that it's manik's first loss ever, and challenges him to a rematch at the retreat, with the same partners. To nandini's horror, manik accepts, clearly because it's an excuse to spend time with her, though he wouldn't admit it.
Practise sessions of manan after aryaman and maniks face off
He trains her, even putting his arms around her to show her how to swing, and she tries hard in her mind to not think about manik as in a lover way.
After practise sessions
Alya notes to manik that nandini seems to be working at it quite fervently (in her condescending tone, of course), and manik smiles as he tells her that nandini is fun, and there's a "fun in raising her," because you can see directly that hard work equals results. She admits that it must be a new feeling for him, since he doesn't have to try to be good at everything. He notes that alya is the same way, which is again a nod to the pot-lid metaphor.
Nandini packs for her retreat, and harshad decides not to follow her. He tells her to always think of him as "home"—the place where she can come back to, and he'll always be there.
At the retreat
Nandini gets singled out for being late, and gets saddled with dinner duty, missing out on training. Alya also decides to tell her that she's interested in manik, and plans to tell him.
Nandini struggles with dinner prep, so she pouts at manik to help her. He totally caves, making the entire dinner (he even let's her take all the credit :P)
At practice
he works her to the bone, but she doesn't give up, sticking it through. He of course doesn't say anything nice to her, but he smiles to himself, impressed by her snail-paced brand of doggedness.
The next day
Manik has to attend practice during dinner prep time, so nandini has to go it alone. Everyone's bewildered at the table full of burnt food, wondering what on earth happened to the master chef from last night. Manik gets outed as the culprit.
Later that night, nandini keeps an eagle eye on alya, who is about to make her move. She calls manik outside for a private conversation, and nandini can't help but follow. She eavesdrops as alya confesses her feelings for manik
Alya (looking straight in his eyes and holding one of his hands in hers): "manik I don't know how you feel but since we met I started developing feelings for you and I just wanted to confess before its too late. Look I know you treat me just like a friend but just give me a chance"
What will be maniks answer?
Will he accept alya proposal?
What about maniks feelings towards nandini?
Is it love or just attraction (infactuation)?
To know the answer to these questions stay tuned.