~Life was smooth, without her. But...Life is never meant to be smooth~

-Affu-

In India

MruNi's Home

"I don't know why, but I felt like you're too lost because of the boner you're having, due to every other girl passing by your seat. Maybe, I can help?" Rudr laughed out, like a hyena, holding onto his stomach while reading from the piece of white paper.

"Damn! I bet, his face was worth watching. The amount of times he gets a boner, because of his freaking life with ladies and only ladies." Karan joined in, and Nandini just stared at them, blankly.

"I really don't understand what's there in to laugh so much. I mean, I just pointed out the truth." Nandini muttered to herself, rolling her eyes. "I know right. He was showing off a boner, right when he stepped inside the corridor." Mrunal agreed to her best friend's statement.

"And how do you know about these stuffs?" Viren questioned, narrowing his eyes at his little sister. And that was when Nandini's and Mrunal's gazes went up to the rest of the Murthy boys, who had their eyes squinted on Nandini.

"Come on, Bhayyu. You know Biology was my favorite subject since forever." Nandini rolled her eyes at her overprotective brothers, whose gazes went up to Mrunal from her. "I'm not even blamed for her love for Biology. That's her choice." said Mrunal, raising her hands in surrender.

"It's good that you didn't leave the paper in the Restaurant. Your handwriting could have traced by Mrs. Reddy." Asad said, smudging ink on the white paper, to destroy Nandini's handwriting from it, and then putting it in a glass of water to erase everything written on it.

"At last, a compliment from my Bhayyus." Nandini sighed out loud, and Asad chuckled hearing her. "You know we appreciate everything you did, Choti." Om commented. "So what was with the freak-out comments after reading from the paper?" she asked, raising her eyebrows, and Shivaay rolled his eyes at it.

"Because you seem to be using bad language? That's a good explanation, I guess." Shivaay commented, and Nandini grinned. "I'm 23. Old enough to use bad language when I meet bad people?" she questioned, and they nodded.

"Yes. But you're still that 8-year old little one to us." Rithvik said, and it didn't take another moment for Nandini to cocoon herself in his arms, as he was sitting right beside her. Rithvik chuckled, hugging her close to his heart. "You know, you open up a lot." she grinned up at Rithvik, before staring at others. "Learn something from him." she said, and they laughed out hearing her complaint.

"Sure. Sure. We must start speaking our heart out, every now and then so she gets an idea about how much scared we are for her safety, when Madam cares less about it." Sidhharth commented, who was sitting on the other side of Nandini. She stuck her tongue out, and Sidhharth ruffled her hairs.

"But you still agree to everything I say." she grinned cheekily, and held onto Sidhharth's arms, breaking away from Rithvik. "Besides, Grumpy coffee was with us. Mruno and I were safe." she shrugged, and Asad didn't miss the glint in her eyes when she took Manik's nickname.

She was so casual, like her usual self, but the way she said Manik was with her and they didn't have to worry about her safety said how much she trusted that man.

How is it that she trusts Manik so much when they just met? Nandini Murthy was never the one to trust people so easily.

So...what changed now?

"And he took care of you?" Sidhharth questioned, looking down at his sister, who was still clinging to him like a little bear. "Yup. And you won't believe what he did today." she jolted up from her previous position to narrate how Manik hacked into the Hotel's security system.

"I was shocked, you know. I didn't expect him to be this cool." Nandini gushed, and Mrunal chuckled silently on hearing the admiration in Nandini's voice. It was too much like a girlfriend who's proud of her boyfriend.

But her chuckle died down, when she saw Asad staring at her, suspiciously. She ducked her head down, and muttered. "Stupid fluffy! She wants her best friend to die, since now she had her grumpy coffee. Ugh. AI is suspicious. AI is suspicious. Alert mode on, Mrunal. Alert mode on." she mumbled to herself, and it was broken when they heard Nandini's mobile ringing.

"Hello!" Nandini answered the unknown number, on the third ringtone.

"Nandini. It's Anjali. Manik's Anju Mom." Anjali smiled from the other side, and Nandini widened her eyes. "Oh! Hi...Anju Aunty." Nandini greeted, and the Murthy boys straightened themselves up in their seats, alerting Mrunal too.

"I got your number from Manu's mobile. In fact, he doesn't even know that his mobile cheated on him." Anjali chuckled, and Nandini nodded, while grinning. "Thanks. Sometimes, I used to feel that he's cheating on me with his mobile. I owe you, Aunty." Nandini said, and Anjali laughed out.

"You're welcome. In fact, you're welcome to Malhotra's place." she said, and Nandini frowned. "Dinner at our place." Anjali said, and Nandini bit onto her lips. "Uh...you won't mind having me there...at night? I mean, the traditions and all with girls being at boyfriend's place, at night times..." she dragged on, hopping Anjali would cancel the plan. She didn't want to be around them, and feed them more lies. She feels so hurt when she's lying to those people, who must be the only ones not hating her Appa for falling in love with her mother.

"Well, newsflash! We are not so traditional." Anjali chuckled, and Nandini smiled at it. "We just know that you're a part of family, Nandini, so you're welcome. Besides, your main Mother-in-law is cooking, and that's something you shouldn't miss." Anjali joked at the end, and Nandini chuckled.

"Aye, Anju. Stop trying to butter. Not working on me." Nandini heard Nyonika speaking to Anjali, and she giggled hearing her. "Nandini." Nyonika took the mobile from Anjali, and Nandini bit onto her lips. The only friend her mother ever had in her life. The only support her mother ever relied on. The only person who understood her mother more than she understood herself.

Nandini loved Nyonika so much that she finds herself all nervous around her if she's to feed another lie.

"Ji!" Nandini answered, and Anjali noticed the way her voice went softer than how she was taking to her. "Come home." Nyonika said, and Nandini smiled hearing her. Home, it was, for her.

"Sure." and she hung up on the call, and looked up to see scrutinizing gazes on her.

"Dinner at..." Nandini was about to say Malhotra's when she remembered Nyonika's words. "Home." she completed, and this time the entire Murthys and Mrunal knew why she's being so emotional.

Malhotra's Home

Kitchen

"Ma! Password?" Manik walked inside the Kitchen, and stood beside Nyonika, who was stirring the liquid in the pot, on the gas stove. "I don't know." Nyonika sighed, and shrugged, and Manik rolled his eyes at her.

"Oh come on, Ma! I know it's you who changed my password, after going through all my contacts and message lists." Manik cribbed, before looking down at his mobile where the time was showing. "I have to make an urgent call to Varun. You can scold me later for whatever you've seen in my mobile." Manik added, and Nyonika turned to face him.

"What's there in your mobile to scold you? As far as I know, talking to old uncles and aunties for making money through your Automobile business is no fun." Cabir chimed in, and jumped on the countertop, followed by Dhruv and Mukti.

"Cabir!" Manik glared at his brother, who grinned at him. "Stating facts is not a crime." and he turned towards Nyonika, frowning. "Waise, why do you keep tabs on Bhai's contact list, Nyo Ma? You know that he's not interested in girls or that-wala-movies." Cabir pointed out, and Dhruv smacked in his head, while Mukti giggled on seeing Manik shooting daggers through his eyes, at Cabir.

"Muku and moms are here. What kind of language are you using, Cabir?" Dhruv scolded Cabir, before grinning sheepishly at their mothers. "He was just joking." Dhruv tried to defend his brother, but it was too late that Anjali has already started to twist Cabir's ears.

"That-wala-movies huh? You watch them, Malhotra? I'm telling you that I am not bluffing but I will ask Navya to break up with you, if your answer to my question is gonna be a Yes." Anjali glared at her son, who was wailing in pain.

"Ow Ma! Lagi hai. Sorry. Sorry. I was just messing with Bhai. Ow, ow. No Ma, I don't watch them. Bhai would have killed me already if I did watch those movies." Cabir whined, and Anjali left his ear, with Dhruv and Manik glaring at him, and Mukti still giggling.

"Phir teek." Anjali said, and then turned to Manik. "And no, it's not your Ma, but I changed your password." Anjali grinned at Manik, who frowned. "You never had that habit, Anju Mom. But whatever. Tell me the password, please." Manik pleaded, and Anjali shrugged.

"That's something you cannot live without. Try to guess the password." Anjali teased, and Manik sighed. "Mums' food?" he asked, and Anjali nodded in negative. "Uh...cars?" he asked, but that wasn't the password either.

"Ma's name?"

"No."

"Food?"

"No."

"Dad's gulab jamun?"

"No."

"Computers?"

"No."

"Desire to kill Cabir."

"Hey, not fair."

"That's not the password, either." Anjali rolled her eyes, while Nyonika smacked in Manik's head for the last suggested password by him.

"Oh come on, Ma. Mujhse nahi hoga. Tell na, please. I really need to get in contact with Varun." Manik cribbed, and Cabir snorted. "Sometimes, I think Varun is your soulmate. Bechari your Lilliput." Cabir chuckled, and this time Mukti and Dhruv joined him in laughing.

"Cabirrrr! Shut the h---" and Manik halted in his tracks to smack in Cabir's head and then remembered Anjali's words, That's something he cannot live without.

"Lilliput?" Manik stared at Anjali, who raised her eyebrows. "The password...Is it Lilliput?" he asked, and Anjali grinned. "Try it." and Manik typed the password, but it showed wrong. Groaning, he looked up to see Anjali grinning. "Since you're way too possessive for everything and everyone that belongs to you..." she added, and he frowned, before looking down at his mobile and trying MyLilliput, and voila.

It worked!

"Seriously, Anju Mom! You could have simply said that." and Manik walked out of the kitchen in hurry, to get in contact with Varun, leaving the ladies grinning and a shocked Cabir and Dhruv.

When did Nandini become so important for Manik, that he cannot live his life without her?

***

"Good eve, Grand paaa!" Nandini grinned brightly at Raj, when he opened the door for her. "Good eve, Little oneeee!" Raj had a similar grin on his face, before he embraced her. Although, Nandini was surprised, she hugged him back.

"I know I'm too cute that people would like to cling to me, but that doesn't mean I expected you to hug me." Nandini said, breaking the hug and Raj sighed out loud. "For once, be a good daughter-in-law. Like, touching my feet but I stop you from doing so.." Raj suggested, and Nandini rolled her eyes at it, before entering inside the home, followed by Raj, closing the door behind.

"And then you say I'm not the daughter-in-law, but a daughter to you. I shed some happy tears, you pat my hair and say 'Awe, I made my beti cry' and I giggle and little and hug you again and call you Dad instead of Uncle. Whoa! Does that sound good to you?" she turned to look at Raj, to see his eyes widened.

"That's so...cliche?" he asked, and Nandini nodded. "And dramatic too. FYI, I hate too much of emotional stuffs, which includes drama too. That's why I prefer horror movies over romance or comedy genre movies. No drama, and just scream like you're dying." she stated, and Raj chuckled hearing her.

"Shekhs was right about you. One unique daughter he has." Raj said, and Nandini shrugged. "He also said that he and Ma were never as careless as I am." she said, and Raj nodded. "Yup. But your Dadi sure was." he said, and Nandini halted in her tracks.

"So...Appa wasn't feeling emotional and saying the truth? I am like...Daadi?" Nandini asked, curiously, and Raj grinned. "You have no idea how mischievous she was. No, actually, you may. Because, you're a lot like her. The way you take everything so casual, yet find the right solution to every problem, is so much like Manji Ma." Rakj spoke, lost in thoughts.

"I wonder how she fell in love with DJ." Nandini shrugged, and Raj didn't miss the distaste in her voice when she spoke about her grandfather. "So...where are the Malhotra ladies?" she asked, and as if someone was hearing her question, she heard someone squealing.

"Bhabiii!" Nandini smiled at the excited Mukti, who was rushing towards her to hug her. For sure, she's being loved so much.

***

"What?" Manik asked, frowning, to the person on the other side of the call. "What are you even saying, buddy? A love letter? Seriously, Arijit?" Manik asked, only to hear Arijit groaning.

"I'm not even thinking about it, buddy. It was so embarrassing to find a bouquet of roses on my table, and all the florist said was, 'It's a wonderful gift from your girlfriend' Girlfriend? A freaking girlfriend? Like, which person doesn't know that I don't do dating? I freaking don't like to be involved with girls." Arijit barked out, and Manik rubbed at his forehead with his fingers.

"Maybe, it was a mistake from the Florist's side?" Manik suggested, and Arijit huffed out. "No, it wasn't. The so-called love letter that came along had my name printed on it, which includes my surname too. It fu**ing was ridiculous and embarrassing to see my employees giving me secretive glances and grinning like fools." Arijit sighed, and Manik pondered over this new secret admirer.

"Maybe, this girl is interested in you, and trying to gain your attention. But who in the world is this lady?" Manik questioned at the end, and Arijit agreed with a high pitch 'I don't know'.

"And that didn't stop there. I got a letter after coming back home too. It was in the mail box at the gate. The stupid letter was also typed, that I cannot even trace this lady." Arijit scowled, angrily. Whoever this girl is going to be, she will pay for it.

"Buddy, calm down. What if it's just a prank and not even a girl? We know we have some great friends." Manik chuckled, and Arijit groaned, nodding in negative. "It was a girl." Arijit's voice had firmness in it, and Manik wondered how he's so sure about it.

"The letter had..." Arijit fumbled with words. "Lip...lipsticks..marks. You know...what kind of...marks." Arijit muttered, stuttering, and Manik's eyes widened. "No way! Shravan and Cabir won't do that. That would be disgusting." Manik said, and Arijit nodded.

"Yeah! It should be some girl, and I'm gonna find her soon." Arijit seethed, and Manik nodded. "We should. I mean, what kind of decency does she have in her if she's putting such marks in a letter?!" Manik exclaimed, disgusted with the idea of receiving lipstick marks in the form of 'kiss' in a letter.

"Exactly." Arijit agreed. "Between, how's everything at home?" Arijit questioned, and Manik fell silent on remembering the incident happened in the kitchen.

"Buddy!" Manik's voice was soft, and Arijit knew he should be attentive. "What's wrong, Manik?" Arijit questioned, calmly. "I don't know. I-I find--everything so--stressful, and I don't even know what to do!" said Manik, sighing tiredly. He was tired of his feelings. He was so tired of pushing away his Lilliput, yet going closer to her unknowingly.

He was so tired of debating within himself to choose one among them.

"What is it?" Arijit questioned, and Manik began to explain the way he went territorial over Nandin, back in the Restaurant, and how he accepted unknowingly, to his mothers, that he cannot live without her.

"I don't know what's wrong with me! I keep telling everyone who even looks at Lilliput that she belongs to me, when all we have is a fake relationship to mend her broken family. Also, how can I do that, buddy? I loved HER. I still love HER." Manik said, sighing loudly and Arijit too sighed out loud.

"You know, you're in a complicated situation. As if, you're torn apart and trying to choose one over the other, but you really don't know who to choose." Arijit said, and Manik nodded.

"That's exactly how I'm feeling, but...what about my Love for HER?" Manik questioned, and Arijit fell silent before speaking. "Buddy, listen to me for once. Like, don't cut in, and listen to whatever I want to say. Okay?" Arijit asked, and Manik mumbled an 'okay' to it.

"Okay, so...when was the last time you met her?" he asked, straightforwardly. "About 15 years ago. And you know that. We were kids, back then." Manik replied, and Arijit nodded.

"Yes. Since then, there's no contact. You keep believing in the feeling that you loved her when you've never seen such an emotion in her eyes. Heck! You probably never could, because she was a kid too. She took you as a friend and you did the same. But somehow, your feelings turned to something more. Love, like you call it. I don't know much about Love, but I've heard from Nyonika Aunty that Love is not a careless emotion that you can love a person and then be with another." Arijit explained, and Manik fell back on his bed, to hear him attentively.

"You seem so relaxed when you're around Nandini. You don't care she's a stranger to you. A girl, in fact, when you keep a distance from girls. Maybe, like you said, she's different hence you're sharing your time with her. But what about the feelings you have for her? You go all possessive for her, when she's just a friend to you and you're having feelings for someone else. Is it possible, buddy? To love someone else and to be with someone?" Arijit questioned, and Manik felt tongue tied.

"So...what does it...mean?" Manik questioned, whispering, and Arijit sighed. "I don't know, but if I'm believing in Nyonika Auntie's words, I can say that..." Arijit hesitated, but chose to say the truth out. "That you may never loved Her." and Manik sat up straight. "Or maybe...you fell out of love with her." Arijit added, and Manik gasped out loud, before standing on his toes.

"No!" he yelled, and Arijit was surprised with the tone. "I've always loved her. She stood by my side, even when I asked her not to. She smiled for me, when I was busy blaming myself and crying for the pain I caused my Dad. Love is always about being each other's support and loving them the way they are, and she was there with me. When I needed someone, she was there. Even if she didn't know I was falling for her, she was there. She was there with me." Manik's voice turned softer, on remembering about her.

"Buddy!" he heard Arijit, and he realized he did shout at his best friend. Hanging up on the call, he threw it away.

"I will never love anyone, but her. Only her." Manik mumbled to himself, and the door to his room was opened by the same person, who was being a hurdle in between him and his Love.

"Um..hey Grumpy coffee. Actually, your mums were aski--" her words were died down in her throat, when he marched towards her, towering her. Frowning, she looked up at him to see his furious eyes.

"What are y--" she began again, only to get cut by his voice. "Its over." Manik said, and Nandini looked confused.

"What?" she questioned, and his eyes looked murdering, yet she was brave enough to face him. "I said, its over. The game that we're playing. It's over." he said, and Nandini stared at him blankly.

Manik ran his hands through his hairs, before locking his eyes with hers. "I should have known that faking a relationship with you would only lead me to this. This confusion. This stupid feelings. This stupid change of emotions. I hate it. I freaking hate it. I am only supposed to be with one woman." Manik mumbled, but loud enough for Nandini to hear. "And I love her. Only her." he looked up at her, and she felt a twitch in her heart.

"I can't be in this. I can't do this. I'm sorry." and he looked at her, with his heart trembling with what? Pain? He doesn't know. Even while choosing her over Nandini, was hurting him, and he hated that too. How could he fall for two women at the same time? That was so not him.

"Dinner is ready. Your family sent me up to ask for you." Nandini spoke, rather calmly, after a good twenty seconds, and Manik stared at her, expecting nothing but something too.

And she turned to leave, but halted in her tracks.

"Don't worry. I won't bother you again." she turned to face him, with a small smile on her lips. "It's over." and she walked away, leaving a heartbroken Manik.

This was what he wanted. Him staying away from her.

Yet, he felt broken.

As if it was not him who asked her to walk away, but someone else drifting them apart, and all he wanted was to scream. To scream his agony out.

At MruNi's Home

"Fluffy? You're back, already?" Mrunal saw Nandini rushing inside the home, and then drinking water from the jug, before sitting down and then rubbing at her chest.

Mrunal's eyes widened, before she dashed towards her best friend.

"Fluffy!" she took Nandini in her arms, and rubbed at her back. Nandini clutched onto her best friend, and tried breathing deeply. 

"Breathe in and out. Yes. You have me here. You have your Appa and Ma here. You have Rehan here. You have your Pops here. You have your Sweetest Uncle and Aunt here. You have Cad here. And the most important people. Your Bhayyus." and that did it's work. Nandini's heartbeat went normal from the frantic ones.

"Your Bhayyus love you so much. They love you so much that they wouldn't want anything to happen to their little sister. Their little happiness. Don't you dare feel bothered in there." Breaking the hug, Mrunal cupped Nandini's cheeks and kissed on her head, like an affectionate mother.

"And I have only you here. My only best friend. My family. Don't you dare give up on our friendship." Mrunal scolded lightly, and finally there was a smile on Nandini's face.

She chuckled lightly, before breathing out, and then hugging her best friend. What would she do without her? Without her Mruno! 

Nothing! She knows she'll be nothing without Mrunal Singhania. Her best friend. Her secret keeper. Her heart soother. Her family.

"What happened?" Mrunal questioned, holding onto Nandini's hands, in a tight grip.

"I just realized something. Something that broke my already broken heart." Nandini chuckled, before looking up at her best friend, who was glaring at her.

"I am in love with Grumpy coffee." Nandini confessed, and Mrunal felt her breath hitching in her throat. Nandini just confessed.

Shit is about to lose it's tracks!

***

"He what?" Mrunal was seething. She was roaring like a Lioness. How dare any guy hurt her best friend? How dare any guy reject her best friend, who was asked out by multiple men, back in London? How dare any guy choose someone else over her best friend?

"I'm gonna kill him." Mrunal tried to stand on her toes, when Nandini pulled her back on the bed, where they were sitting. "You're not AI to go all angry like some fire spitting dragon, you khooni!" Nandini rolled her eyes at Mrunal, who glared up at her.

"You!" Mrunal seethed, and Nandini nodded, asking her to continue. "You are my best friend. Mrunal Singhania's best friend, and no guy is allowed to reject you for any damn girl. He should be dead, the next second." she growled like an Alpha female, and Nandini frowned.

"Oh! But it did happen. So..." Nandini shrugged, before nodding. "So what's gonna be your name, now? Rolanda Viking?" Nandini suggested, only for Mrunal to smack in her arms.

"What? You used to crush over that name. Remember the bi*ch in our High School?" Nandini rubbed at her arms, and Mrunal sighed out loud.

"For once! Act heartbroken." Mrunal said, throwing her hands in air. "Nah! I'm good this way." Nandini shrugged, and when Mrunal didn't buy her excuses, she let out a sigh.

"You know that's so not me." Nandini said softly, before scooting closer to Mrunal and taking hold of her left arm. "I don't like snatching something away from someone, which doesn't belong to me. Appa and Ma have always given me everything I wanted. Bhayyus are nothing less in that matter, either. I've never had a chance to snatch, because I always got what I wanted. And I truly deserved it, because it was meant to be mine. But...Grumpy coffee?" Nandini shook her head with a smile on her lips.

And Mrunal knew there was nothing joyful in that smile of her's!

"He was never meant to be mine. Never. Because, he is in love with someone else. And you know how he loves a person. How he's a one-woman man. A rare gem! He said it once, that he has some complicated story going on, with some girl and he would tell me the story some other time. I never knew what it was, because I never tried to know. But today, I got to know. He said it. He loves some girl, and this game is being a hurdle between them. A game it was. A game...I was." Nandini looked at Mrunal, to see her frowning.

"You're not a game, fluffy. That sounds wrong, you know." Mrunal said, softly, and Nandini nodded. "I know. But that's the reality, you know. He never took me serious. The stuffs happened between us, like the moments or conversations. It was just a part of the game we were playing. I would have considered it the same, if not for the realization I had when I heard him confessing his love for some other girl." Nandini spoke softly, before straightening herself.

"And that's exactly why I'm going to put a full stop to it." said Nandini, and Mrunal's head snapped towards her. "Fluffy, don't. You can't forget about the main motive behind your arrival in India. I won't let you do that to yourself." Mrunal warned, and Nandini shrugged. "Who said anything about forgetting my motive! I'll get that done." 

"And how exactly are you gonna do that if your G--If Manik is not going to be in the picture? You are a couple, for Yashjeet Murthy." Mrunal corrected herself, sooner which Nandini did understand, but never pointed out. "We'll see about that. But for now, I wanna put a full stop to Manik Malhotra's entry in my life." Nandini said, while leaning back to the head board of her bed.

"You wanna forget him." Mrunal's voice was nothing, but soft and calm. "I cannot forget him, Mruno. He's already a part of my life." Nandini smiled softly. "I just want to stop this feeling and get over it, already. Is that possible though? Like...in one day? As soon as you realize?" Nandini asked, pouting, and Mrunal scooted closer to her to hug her.

"You know, it's not bad to shed a tear. At least, a curse?" Mrunal suggested, and Nandini sighed, before resting her head on Mrunal's shoulder. "I wish to, but I remember the promise I made to Appa. That I would never cry for a guy, because that's too mushy." Nandini said, and Mrunal let out a long sigh.

"Sometimes, I wish you didn't love your Appa so much." Mrunal mumbled, and Nandini chuckled before picking up a small photo frame of her parents, from the side table.

"You have no idea how I live here...away from them, Mruno." Nandini said, caressing their picture. "I don't think I need any guy, Appa. You're enough to pamper me. Ma is enough for me to share love." she closed her eyes, ready to sleep, when his face clouded her mindset.

Manik Malhotra's face, and his confession of love for some other girl.

And that was how the traitor slipped her eye, even without her knowledge, breaking the promise she made to her Appa.

She did shed a drop of tear. For a guy. For Manik Malhotra!

***

"Buddy?" Arijit stared at Manik frowning, who was standing at his doorway in a dishevelled state. His hair wasn't combed well. His eyes were red. His face looked exhausted. 

In fact, he looks exhausted.

"What's wrong?" Arijit stepped out, worrying for Manik. This is the first ever time Arijit has seen his best friend, all tired and worked up. As if, he's done with the sorrows happening in his life.

When did his best friend become a twin of Devdas?

"I broke up with Lilliput!" Manik mumbled out, loud enough for Arijit to hear and let out a gasp of shock. But unfortunately, the gasp wasn't from Arijit but from someone behind him.

"But..but..but...You were in a relationship?" Shravan shrieked, freaking out and walking towards Manik, in utter confusion.

"I kinda...support him." Arijit scrunched up his face at his brother, before looking at Manik. "You know...you weren't dating...Nandini. I mean, it was a...fake relationship. Yeah?" Arijit asked, sounding confused as if he doubted that Manik might have gotten in a relationship with Nandini without his knowledge.

How silly can these Sinha brothers be?!

"I don't know!" Manik threw his hands in air. "I really don't know anything about the s*it happening in my life, except for the fact that I cannot think about living a life without Lilliput, now." Manik shouted, exasperated, flinching at his own tone.

And all Shravan and Arijit did was to stare at Manik, blankly.

"Oh!" Shravan deadpanned, gaining the guys' attention. "Let me make some coffee." And Shravan turned around to walk inside the house, which just lead Arijit and Manik to stare at his back, blankly.

"And I'm gonna call up Cabir and Abhi to visit us at..." Shravan turned around and looked at his wrist to have a look at his watch, only to realize that he doesn't wear a watch to sleep. "Oh! My bad. I don't have a watch...but anyhow, they'll be here. I can't think properly if I don't have my best friend and coffee beside me." and Shravan grinned at Manik.

"Come inside, Bhai. Feel home, and let me feel calm." and Shravan walked inside, leaving the boys, all blank.

People need energy boosters. What better is than a cup of coffee and a best friend?!

***

Hey people!

How's the chapter? Did you like it?

Well, I remember reading a comment on the previous chapter about someone wishing for me to write a book on werewolf. Trust me when I say it, I'd love to. But I'm not getting a good plot. My first ever paperback was a paranormal royal romance, yet here I am, without a plot for a werewolf fiction. *Sighs*

With love,

Affu.