(A/N: Chalo. New part. Thanks to all those who started liking my lines. It means a lot to me and now I'm working on romantic lines. As many observed, Manik here is a strong romantic character and I want to highlight him in this story. I'm glad you're liking my work. Hopefully, I'll be back with long updates soon. Till then, one part every day. Loads of love. Thanks for all your support. Peace out.)

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I propped myself on the banquet chair, exhausted. Aryamann and Evelyn were wedded. I took a deep breath. Aryamann made it through the wedding without the truth. Though I wasn't totally happy, and it could complicate situations in future, it was better than ruining their marriage. But what if someone tells Aryamann before her? What if he gets to know through other ways? What if...

"Nandini, what's wrong? Why so worried?" Manik pulled a chair and sat next to me. I turned towards him with a worried face and he looked confused. "Nandini... Hello? Nandu!" He screamed and I blinked my eyes.

"Haan?" I looked clueless and he got the idea that I was not paying attention to what he was saying.

"What's wrong?" He spoke in a soft tone, wrapping an arm around me. I put both of my arms on his waist and rested my head on his chest. I listened to his heartbeat while he caressed my hair, moving it away from my face.

"Manik, ghar chale?" I whispered and he bent to look at me.

"Kuch hua? Did those guys do something to you? I knew it. Tum meri baat kabhi sunti nahi ho. I told you those guys were..." He immediately let go of me and pounced up, to attack them. Before he finished his sentence, I pulled him back down.

"Manik, baat voh nahi hai please. Ghar chale?" I was exhausted, physically, mentally and emotionally. My life had no element called peace in it. Every day I think my life couldn't be worse, I am surprised with some drama.

Honestly, I need no YouTube. My life is filled with drama.

"Chalo." He said, with a small smile and helped me up. We bid goodbye to the couple and I gave a friendly hug to Aryamann.

"Will miss you buddy. Come home sometime okay?" I whispered into his ear in the hug and he hugged me tighter.

"I'll miss you too, sis. Love you." He whispered back. I could see Manik wasn't very pleased with me hugging Aryamann but he didn't feel jealous. He sure knew he was stuck with Evelyn and it was his wish to opt for that woman over his wife.

I smiled warmly at him, as I broke the hug and hugged Evelyn too. We shared a few fake smiles and Manik led me to the car. I occupied the front seat and he took the driver seat. We drove home in silence.

I stepped inside the house first and hung my keys. I changed into pajamas and a casual top and quietly settled myself on the couch. My head was throbbing hard for some reason and nothing helped make me feel better. I pressed my forehead with my fingers and closed my eyes. Just then I felt a few fingers touching my forehead and to my surprise, it was Manik.

He smiled at me and signaled me to sit on the floor, with my head tilted to the couch, for better ease. I did as he said and he began to massage my forehead gently.

"Bahut dard ho raha hai?" He asked in a cute tone and I smiled to myself. I just hummed and closed my eyes again, and he gently massaged. I was feeling relieved. Something told me to tell Manik everything. Everything about me. About my life. Things he didn't know. Things nobody knew. Things he needed to know. But I couldn't. I was scared to trust, scared to be judged, scared to lose him.

Perhaps if he shot a few questions, he would get answers. But the question was, how to let him know? How would he know I want him to know things, ask things about me?

"Manik?" I looked at him from over my shoulder and he bent down.

"It's better?" I wanted to tell him so much more than just that, but I couldn't. I found myself at a loss of words, for probably one of the only times ever.

"Do you wanna ask me something, anything?" I asked and I felt his fingers slowly leave my forehead. "If you want to, go ahead." I continued and his hands withdrew. I turned and sat on the couch next to him and looked at him for an answer.

"Yes. A lot of things. But I know I won't get answers. It's probably not..." I cut him mid-sentence with my fingers against his mouth.

"Sssshhhh... Ask me." He looked into my eyes.

"Madhyam." That one word brought shivers to me. Not because of lust, or love. But pure hatred.

"Manik..."

"I told na, you won't tell me. So leave. It's okay." He looked upset. I began to narrate, while he put my head on his lap.

"Madhyam mera best friend tha. Bachpan se. Navya, Maddy and I were close since a very long time and he was my childhood crush. We were friends for a really long time and then I slowly started developing feelings for him." He breathed a sorrowful sigh as he caressed my hair.

"I thought I knew him very well. I even thought of proposing but then, Navya confessed her feelings about him to me. And I let go, for her." He shook his head in despair.

"Why? If you really loved him then..."

"Manik, mujhe uss waqt friendship se zyada aur kuch important tha hi nahi. You know, we guys were like you and your friends. So close. Ek ke bina adhura rehte the." A tear trickled down my cheek and he brushed it gently.

"Nandini, it's still not fair. Did he like you?" He spoke softly and I nodded.

"Yeah perhaps. He still does."

"I can see that." He avoided eye contact with me and I cuddled into his lap. "If you don't mind me asking, do you still, like you know..." He was trying to search for words that could not possibly hurt me and I got the idea.

"Not anymore." He ran his fingers through his hair restlessly.

"Love is seriously deep shit, man."

"Manik, ek baat puchu?" I looked into his eyes and questioned and he nodded.

"If one day, someone says they love me, tum kya karoge?"

"I'll kill that jerk." He already looked angry.

"Agar voh Cabir ya Dhruv hota toh?" His expressions changed from angry to upset.

"Aisa nahi hoga."

"Agar hua toh?" He took a deep breath and looked at me.

"Then I won't leave you the way you left him."

His words lit a smile on my face. He would never leave me. Ain't I the luckiest girl on the planet? My smile could tell it all.

"Manik, I'm lucky to have someone like you in my life." I laid in his lap, looking into his eyes and he blinked slowly, probably dreamily as he registered my words. He smiled and turned away shyly and I found him too adorable. I pulled his cheek and he blushed.

"Manik, you're blushing?" My eyes widened and I sat up to have a closer look. He shied away and turned and that was perhaps the first time I found a man shying.

"What? Not at all. I don't blush. That's so girly." He tried to keep a straight face but he knew and even I knew, that he was blushing. His attempts were merely futile.

"Look at you." I poked his cheek and Manik cringed his eyebrows in annoyance, with a creepy smile and walked to the room to have a look at himself. I followed and poked his cheek again and he nudged me with his elbow.

"Okay shut up." He turned to the side and smiled to hide his blush.

"Whoa. Manik Malhotra cannot handle a compliment made by his wife. Now that's something eh? Kal college main announce kar lungi, don't worry. Manik Malhotra blushes when girls compliment him." And that pricked. He wouldn't mind acting dumb in front of me but according to the terms and conditions of male ego, their respect should never be meddled with in public. I had struck the wrong chord. 

"WHAT? That's ridiculous. It's nothing like that okay? Just stop making stories. It's not even true. God! There is a difference between a sarcastic smile and a blush. Learn the difference Nandini." He spat and I smirked. What he was saying wasn't making sense and perhaps, he did know that. But then, men never give up easily. Ego I tell you. Ugh.

"Oh sarcastic? Well, it didn't look sarcastic to me. Oh perhaps I must be blind. Hallucinating. Of course, I am crazy na? I keep hallucinating about you. Dreaming about you. I have no other job hai na?" I tried to mock him in a pathetic way. He just rolled his eyes, shrugged his shoulders and walked away.

"Yeah. Whatever."

"Accept it Manik. You blush also." I said, enforcing my point onto him and he just gave in to avoid arguments.

"Fine. Yeah. But don't announce in college and all please haan?" He begged and I tried to tease and play along.

"Then, for that you'll have to tell me your story. Your life. Your crush." He looked at me with an evil glare and I chuckled. He rubbed the nape of his neck and twisted uneasily.

"Ahh. Okay. Uhh... Well, I had a crush on this girl in 9th. I guess her name was Naina. She was a pretty girl, probably your height only. Short and sweet." He stuck his tongue out adorably and I adored him. I leaned a little closer to hear properly.

"Yeah... So we had consecutive roll numbers. I was 15 and she was 16 so we were always paired for every activity. And eventually I started liking her. There were rumors that she liked me too. During 9th summer, I asked her out upon Fab 5's persistence and she politely rejected, explaining herself and that she didn't feel for me. I was a little heartbroken for a couple of days but then again, I wasn't that deeply affected by her. And then 10th, she left the country and now God knows where she is." He fake sniffed and I laughed.

"Awww... So cute." I pulled his cheek again and he grit his teeth to conceal the blush.

***

I was fast asleep on his lap and he caressed me hair gently, moving it away from my face. For the first time, he probably felt something different that just attraction. He wanted to care. He always did. But this time, it was more than just his duty. Caring for me became something he wanted to do, not just out of responsibility. He knew my past. He knew me a lot. Yet, he didn't judge.

I couldn't feel his heart changing, but he did. He knew he was getting softer for me. He was becoming sweeter to me. He was experiencing a beautiful feeling.

He gaped at my face for minutes together, admiring my features. Perhaps he didn't know what it was. But he, was falling in love, with me.

"You're beautiful, Nandini." He whispered. "I promise to never break your heart." He pressed his lips onto my forehead for a kiss to seal the promise he'd made and carried me into our room.

***

I was in the middle of a class when I got a text from Manik.

Manik: Could you sneak out for a minute? Surprise.

I peeped into my phone and read the message and immediately locked the screen. I adjusted my hair and dress and got up, walking out of the class. That was one cool thing about college. You don't need anyone's permission to do things. As soon as I stepped out of the class, I saw Manik, all dressed and with shades. I panicked and pulled him to a corner in the corridor.

"Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho?" I whispered gritting my teeth angrily and a cute smirk appeared on his face.

"Chalo. We're going to the beach." He pulled my hand and my eyes widened. I braked by pulling him backwards until he stopped.

"What? Manik, abhi class hai. Voh bhi Raghav Sir ka. I'm so sorry. I can't come. Bye." I struggled out of his grip and headed back to class, making hopeless hand gestures. Soon, I felt a strong tug on my arm and I was pulled back. I glared at him and tried to unfasten his fingers.

"Manik? Choddo." I struggled to fight against him but evidently, he was too strong for me.

"Nahi choddunga." He clicked his lips and smiled and I had lost hope. The only way out was emotional blackmail. I started what I was good at.

"Manik..." I called softly, in a hurt tone and he let go of me. He stomped the floor like a cranky kid who needed his chocolate.

"Chalo na? Please? Vaise bhi last class hai. Bunk karke nahi chal sakti mere saath?" He pouted and whined and I have in.

"Ugh. Fine. Let me get my bag at least." I just needed a chance to get inside and not come out until class is over but Manik was way smarter than I thought.

"Oh hello? Stay here. Navya will throw it out in 2." He held my hand and we waited there patiently, or rather impatiently as Navya sneaked my bag out through the window.

"Enjoy your time." She winked at me stealthily and I whispered a 'shut-up' to her. Manik waved a goodbye and led me out of the college.

I went out of the college premises to find his bike, parked there. I looked at him suspiciously as he sat on the bike and then, signaled me to climb on. I stepped on the paddle and crossed my legs over the seat, taking his shoulder for support and for a moment, his world froze.

"Yeah. I sat. You can leave." No reaction. I repeated my sentence but it didn't seem like he paid attention. I snapped my fingers in front of his face and he came out of his world.

"Haan?"

"I said, I sat. You can leave." He nodded helplessly and drove away, losing himself in the beautiful evening breeze.

***

"Manik, yeh dekho." I called out for him and pointed at the sandcastle I had made. He was leaning back on his arms, sitting on the sand with his legs on each other. He leaned forward, pulled his knees to his chest, wrapped his arms around them and tilted his head dreamily at me.

"It's beautiful, just like you." He screamed and I instantly flushed. He was one of the first people who'd called me beautiful and that made me smile. Don't get it wrong. Not blush. Just smile. 

He joined me and we stood next to the sandcastle. We wrote out names on the sand, took pictures of them and took a few selfies.

"It's surprising how we never took any pictures together. Selfies and stuff. Girls are always, you know, 'click', 'click', 'click'." Manik commented, making dramatic gestures and I chuckled.

"We'll take from next time. Vaise bhi, it's not that hard. We can even take some today, changing our clothes." I winked at him and he shook his head in disapproval.

"Yeah but it won't be the same." I looked at him and nodded. It can't be the same obviously. Memories are memories.

"It won't. Nothing can be the same." I shrugged and the breeze blew a few strands of my hair on my face. He looked at me intently and smiled slightly.

"Nothing can be the same, anymore." He looked at me dreamily and I sneaked some sand into my hands. I threw it on him and ran away and he immediately got out of the trance. He chased me into the sea until the water went above my waist and then pulled me out of the water, by lifting me from my waist. He took me towards the shallow end, dropped me and ran away, laughing hard.

"Manik! Jerk. I won't spare you. Moron." I screamed as I chased him and ran into someone. "I'm sorr..."

"Nandini?"

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(Cliff again. Guys, don't kill me yeah? I am trying to make the story interesting and perhaps adhura events get you guys hooked up for longer. Loads of love to all of you. Stay blessed. Do shower a few comments and votes to the writer who struggles to write a part for you. 🙈 Okaythanksbye.)