(A/N: Heyyo girls. I hope I am not too late. Well, it is kinda midnight but yeah, sorry to keep you all waiting. So just one question, who do you think is right this time? Who do you choose? Team Manik? Or Team Nandini? Comment below and let me know or tweet me your opinion.
Twitter: @torridtides
Drop your votes too, please? It really makes me wanna write. Loads and loads of love.)

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I undressed myself quickly and began changing into casual clothes. I was really annoyed at him. I slipped on a sleeveless coral pink top and black jeans. I just didn't want to be there with him. It was still just 10 a.m. and even if I'd leave then, I would be able to make it before the second class. No talking, no looking at him, okay? I said to myself as I packed my bag for college. I threw it over my shoulder, grabbed my phone and purse and left the room.

I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, ignoring Manik's consistent hails for me to respond, confident enough to push past him, for I knew he wouldn't be able to follow behind, with his 'so-called' baby at home. I pushed myself out of the house and walked away to grab an auto-rickshaw.

For some reason, as soon as I got inside, tears began to roll down my cheeks. It felt really painful to see Manik not even try to stop me. I suddenly felt less important to him and it hurt so much to even think about it, my assumptions.

The rickshaw came to a halt outside the college. I quickly paid the guy and rushed into the campus. I'd rejected and muted all of Manik's phone calls. I was just too upset and if he ever knew I was crying, he would create ruckus, as usual.

I paced through the corridors real quick and popped my head into class. Only a few girls and guys were there. Thank God I am on time! I said to myself and took a seat beside Navya. She saw my teary eyes and began to interrogate.

"Nandini, tum ro kyun rahi ho? Sab teek hai? Tere aur Manik ke beech kuch hua?" She grabbed my arm to make me face her and maybe for the first time, I found a similarity between Manik and her, which made me sadder than I already was.

"Nahi toh... Main teek hun. Bas mujhe dust se allergy hai." I shrugged, trying to act phlegmatic but she wasn't convinced. She placed her palm under her chin as she tried to read my expressions. I avoided eye-contact but not for long.

"Sure? Allergy se itni aasoon nahi aati hai!" She snapped and I sighed in helplessness. I huffed a huge breath. 

"Navya, I'm fine. I'm telling na?" I barked at her. I immediately regretted when I saw her smirking. God! Just then my phone started buzzing. As soon as I saw the contact name, I instantly tapped the 'Reject' option without even thinking about Navya's presence.

"Acchha... Toh Manik ka call answer karo na?" She spoke in a mockingly victorious tone and I pressed my lips together.

"Nahi karna mujhe. Navya, now will you stop or do I go find a different place to sit? Bol rahi hun na I am fine?" I roared and her face fell. I made a sympathetic face.

"Okay." She spoke softly and gave up, trying to help me. Why was I like that all the time? Whenever someone helped me, I pushed them away. I wrapped my hand around her wrist.

"Navya, sorry na? Don't be sad, please. I didn't mean to be rude. Voh bas Manik ka gussa tumpe nikal diya. I'm sorry." I confessed and she shot a faint smile that I reciprocated.

"Par hua kya hai?" I explained the entire story in short and she ardently listened to me. After I was done, I looked at her cluelessly.

"Oh the same baby, jiska naam tune Nina rakha. Voh kya logic tha... Haan... Manik ka Ni and Nandini ka Na?" She teased and I flushed. To avoid the embarrassment, I had to get back to being pissed off and that was something I couldn't pull off pretty well.

"Navya, please na? Uski behen ki wajah se Manik mujhse pyaar hi nahi kar raha hai." I frowned and she chuckled softly, before I gave her a glare and she coughed to mask it.

"Tumse pyaar? Kaisa vala pyaar? Se-" I cut her even before she could complete the sentence. Perverted friends.

"Navya! Tum na, mujhse baat hi mat karo." I threw my bag at her and she laughed loudly.

"Acchha sorry haan... Besides, do you know Maddy and I broke up yesterday?" She confessed with a tinge of pain and I couldn't think of anything else. Ugh. Stupid Maddy.

"Were you guys even together?" I asked confused and she sighed in despair, after shooting a fake smile.

"Just physically. There was nothing between us. I was dumb to not realize that he doesn't love me." She sighed and something engulfed me. Those insecurities. That pain, I couldn't point my finger at. I put an arm around her shoulder and pulled her in for a side-hug.

"Are you okay? Do you wanna talk about it?" I held her protectively, the way Manik always did, and it hurt me again. Though I probably seemed like I was overacting, I was always insecure about my loved ones because I knew I would lose them real easy. I wanted him to come to me and assure me I was wrong but he didn't.

"Nandu, no. Choddo. I never loved him either, I guess. It hurts but..." A tear escaped her eyes and again, that feeling of me being in love with Maddy made my stomach flip. What did I see in him even?

"You love him, Navya." I interrupted the thoughts going on in my brain and also the words that were slipping out of her mouth.

"Loved, maybe?" She corrected and I shook my head negatively.

"You still do, that's why it hurts." I explained to myself and mentally reassured myself that I was right. Manik changed me, my thoughts, my faith of love and that made me stronger.

"Nandu, you feel hurt too, right? Because of him, because of us?"

"Not after I met Manik." She grabbed me and hugged me tight. She whispered a 'sorry' to me and I smiled faintly. I pat her back gently to let her know I was okay.

***

"Oye, I wanth tho play! Chaloo na... Lesh play!" Aditi squealed as she pulled Manik's arm and sat him on the couch. Manik was calling me endlessly and all I did was reject his calls. He felt miserable but he couldn't do much about it either.

"Maniii, lesh play!" She whined and tugged at his phone. Manik pulled her into his lap and spoke.

"Aditi, babies phone pe nahi khelte. Lo, TV dekhlo. Teletubbies dekhogi?" She gleed and Manik quickly put the channel and left the room.

Manik tried to call me again and then turned to the only option he had, Cabir. Cabir was one of the closest to Manik, amongst his gang. He was the first one to figure out everyone's secrets and was trustworthy enough to not leak them.

"Bro..." Manik interrupted Cabir's sarcastic comment and brought the point.
"Cabir, please... Hold your drama to yourself for now, I need some help."
"Wah... Aaj pehli baar 'Manik Malhotra' is desperate for help!" Cabir teased and Manik growled.
"Cabirrr..."
"Acchha bol."
"It's about Nandini." Manik sighed. He always talked to Cabir about me. After all, nobody else could handle him the way Cabir did.
"Phirse Nandini! Yaar, tum dono itna kaise ladte ho? Thakte nahi ho kya?" Cabir said in an irritated tone. It was actually really surprising, how much Manik and I fought.
"Meri baat sun pehle." He told Cabir the entire story and completed with an annoying comment. "Aur Madam gussa hai ab."
"Toh jaa uske peeche-peeche, JKG." Cabir giggled and Manik made a 'have-you-lost-it' expression.
"JKG? Matlab?"
"Joru Ka Gulam! Vahi toh karta aaya hai aaj tak." Manik frowned and Cabir giggled again.
"Bro, it's not even funny, okay? She isn't picking my calls and I can't leave the house with this kid here."
"Alright. So?"
"Ugh. I don't know why I called you. I should've stuck with Dhruv."
"Acchha phir, kaattha hun phone." Cabir spoke, faking his sadness.
"Arre listen... Sun. Just go check on her na please?"
"What the f... Am I your beloved wife's bodyguard? Humesha uski dekhbaal karta rahunga, usse support karta rahunga..."
"Please! Teri Bhabhi hai na voh? Itna nahi karega mere liye?"
"FINE. I'll go."
"Thank you so much."
"Yeah, I love you too." Cabir joked and Manik slammed the 'End Call' button.

***

I stepped out of the room after the second class and Cabir was standing there, by the door.

"Tch tch tch tch tch tch..." He said, looking at me hopelessly and I stepped away from Navya to talk to Cabir.

"Cabir, tum yahan...?" I questioned and his eyes drifted to Navya, as he passed a sly smile and then looked back at me.

"Your 'love' told me to stay here and check on you." He stressed on the word 'love' and I cringed my face in confusion.

"Manik?"

"Haan, aur koi hai, tumhara 'love'?" He shot sarcastically and I sighed.

"Cabir, please na?" Cabir passed an understanding smile.

"Chalo." He signaled with his eyes, to follow him.

"Kahan?"

"Don't worry. I wonder take you to him. Mujhe bhuk lagi hai. Chalo canteen chalte hai." I giggled and nodded as I followed him. He was one hilarious man. We walked to the canteen and found a table away from the crowd. He signaled me to sit first and then he sat opposite to me.

"Toh batao, hua kya hai?" I scrutinized for a while as I judged whether I could trust him or not.

"I know you and Manik are best friends and..." I trailed off and he nodded in understanding.

"Don't worry, I know he's a pain in the ass sometimes and it's completely normal. Your secret is safe with me." He assured and I smiled faintly. Somehow, his eyes told me he meant it. He grabbed a glass of water.

"I just feel Manik isn't interested in me anymore." I put it straight and he choked. He coughed vigorously and then made a ridiculous expression.

"WHAT?" He cleared his throat and adjusted it. "Okay, now that has to be the funniest thing I've ever heard. Manik and not interested in 'you'? No ways."

"I'm never in his priority list." I whined the way I did when I was with Manik. Cabir seemed more or less as understanding as a family member and it wouldn't be wrong if I said in this short span of time, I thought of him as a brother.

"You are. You always are his highest priority. He just doesn't know how to express it. He tries to act like a responsible adult though he is like a child. Always pampered, you see? That's why he's useless now." He lamented over his best friend's miseries and I shook my head as a soft giggle escaped my lips.

"He's not that bad, Cabir. He's just careless about me sometimes." I drooped and Cabir smirked.

"Now that's the reaction I expected. No matter how angry you are at him, you can't hear a word against him." He spoke like he was an experienced love-preacher, though it was partially true. Cabir had been in two relationships until now, one of which was a casual fling and the other serious relationship, which ended because her parents got to know.

It seemed stupid to me that one of the main reasons for breakups were because of parents. The moment parens get to know, everything ends. Why can't it last even after?

"I love him." I spoke, coming out of my world of baseless thoughts.

"He loves you so much more. Trust me. So. much. more. He just pretends to be really mature but he isn't and you know that. He is a child at heart. He doesn't know what to do. Usually I find you sensible but today, I'm sorry to say, I have to take his side. You're the composed one amongst the two of you, and more sensible usually." He spoke with that hint of humor which made me feel more homely.

"Yeah, it's just... Yeah, I acted kinda overboard, I guess? I'll think about it." I said finally and he heaved a huge sigh. Perhaps that was the sentence he wanted me to say.

"Please, please do. It'll save me some punches tonight."

"Hehe... Thanks." I giggled and bid goodbye as I left the campus and headed home.

I grabbed an auto-rickshaw and rushed back home. It halted in front of our apartment and I paid the driver and ran as fast as I could, to the fifth floor. As soon as I reached, I rang the bell a couple of times.

The door opened and without even sparing a second, I grabbed his face into my hands and kissed him roughly. I slammed him against the door, without even thinking if the child was still around. His hands grabbed my waist tight and I knew he missed me. I broke to meet his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I missed you." I whispered against his face and he pulled me closer to him, locking me in his arms. He held me tight and pressed his lips onto my forehead for a soft, assuring kiss.

"I'll love you always, Nandini. It was just that... Such situations are bound to come about sometime in our lives, right? Someday, we will have kids and they need more attention." He explained like I was a baby and I nodded childishly.

"I know I know. I was just being stupid. Sorry. Aditi kahan hai?" I peered behind him to see if the kid was around.

"Chali gayi voh. Her father came and picked her up, just like..." He lifted me effortlessly, with his arms under my body and I struggled to get out. "...this." He chuckled and I frowned.

"Manik, put me down. Manik!" I hit his shoulder and he giggled.

"This was what you wanted na? Subah se yahi karne ki koshish kar rahi thi. Chalo karte hai." He smirked and gave me an excited look and my eyes widened. I shook my head rapidly and placed my hand over his shoulder.

"Manik, no. I promised to myself that..." I stopped midway to see his reaction and he still just smirked.

"That..." He stressed along with me.

"I won't..."

"You won't..." I cringed my nose and hit him.

"Manik!" I shouted and he made an innocent face.

"Arre bolo na?" He made a weird pout and I frowned. 

"Choddo." I hit the arm that was engulfing me.

"No. The view is good here." He said and I observed that my chest was directly visible to him and my top didn't really help conceal my defined cleavage. I hit his head hopelessly and he placed his nose on my collarbone and he pressed his lips onto the space between my chest and neck.

"Ugh. I promised myself to not get easily played by your tricks!" I crossed my arms against my chest and huffed. 

"Matlab?" He made a confused face and I pointed at the contact between our bodies.

"This... what you're doing to me..." I signaled and immediately let go of me and I jumped down.

"Acchha? So is it a challenge?"

"Certainly." I said with a confident smirk.

"Okay. We'll see who wins!" He winked and we walked away in opposite directions with attitude.

***

I was busy kindling the curry that needed to be cooked. I was humming one of my favorite songs while Manik sneaked inside. So, baby, pull me closer; in the back seat of your Rover... And just then, I felt two arms wrapping themselves around me and gave me a soft kiss right at my nape. I turned a little sideways and held his face.

"Manik..." I whispered and I felt his arms tighten around me. He moved his face slightly higher as he ran his nose along my neck. I was fighting with myself for too long already, but anything to prove I stick to my words.

Besides, which woman on the planet would try to stay away from Manik Malhotra? Duh! Every girl's weakness but only my man. I gulped and tried to act strong.

"Manik, jo tum kar rahe ho na, usse mujhe koi fark nahi padta..." I said in almost a whimper, that sounded more inviting than avoiding and he smirked.

"Acchha? Toh phirse bolo..." He said, while smiling against my neck and his stubble tickled me.

"Manik, choddo mujhe." I giggled and wiggled in his grip.

"Nahi chodd sakta tumhe. Pata hai na?" He rested his chin on my shoulder with one arm around my waist, and the other one helping me kindle the curry. "Dhang se cooking bhi nahi aati hai tumhe, jab main paas aata hun toh. Haar maan kyun nahi leti?" He nuzzled into my hair and his hand reached my kurti zip. I held his hand tight and slid from under his arms, leaving him flabbergasted.

"Because Nandini Murthy never loses. Ab chalo, khana banao mere liye." I said as I dusted my hands off dramatically and walked over to the couch. I threw my legs over the coffee table and turned on the television.

I heard Manik grunt and groan mournfully and I chuckled to myself. Good going, Mrs. Malhotra. His mother should enter right now, and see how her daughter-in-law rules over him.

I kept glancing at him every few minutes. In fact, that was the only reason I was still sitting there. I wanted to watch him struggle though it seemed sadistic, it was fascinating. Manik was one hell of a person when it came to cooking.

He had no clue about what curry I was making and he gave me a few glares in an attempt to scare me away but I paid no heed. That's one advantage of having such a trustable husband. You know he'll never do anything to harm you and that means, you're safe. I smirked to myself and peered to see what was happening in the kitchen.

All I could see was flour tossed into the pan, along with some oil and soya sauce. He tossed the pan like a pro and gave me another death stare, which was then replaced with a deadly smirk. He took out some brinjals and began chopping them. He tossed them into the pan and grabbed the sugar box, scooping three whole spoons of sugar and chucking it into the pan.

"Manik!" I shouted from the living room, as I saw him creating ruckus in the kitchen. I stomped towards him as I tried to stop him from being dumb but physically, he was much stronger which meant my efforts were useless. "Manik, tum... kya kar rahe ho?" I growled as I grit my teeth hard, glowering at him almost frightfully. He pressed his smile and continued to put disgusting things into the curry. He put some ice-cream, salt, jaljeera and topped it with coffee powder. He stirred the mixture, which was now like milk, with a few ugly vegetables floating on top.

I hit him incessantly as he ruined my favorite dish. He laughed as he poured the mixture into a bowl and put a spoon into it.

"This is for you, love." He said with a cheeky smile and I got so angry. I was literally burning the soul out of him with just my eyes as it took everything in me to not lose my temper. Unable to do so, I grabbed a little of the mixture and smeared Manik's face with it hastily and rushed to save my life.

"Chee! Nandini!" He shouted as he came running behind me, to take revenge. I was literally laughing so hard at Manik, who was making disgusted faces with the fact that he had accidentally tasted the dish since it was smeared onto him. He grabbed me into his arms and pulled me back into the kitchen, with me caged between his legs and the countertop and he scooped the mixture in both his hands and rubbed it all over.

"Manik, no. MANIK!" I shrieked as the yucky thing was put onto my face. In reflex, I grabbed his top straps and brushed my face against his cheek, spreading it over his stubble and in the process, we fell down, with me on top of him.

A soft gasp escaped his lips as I fell over him, almost straddling him and he gripped my waist, to ensure I was not gonna fall off. I was immediately pulled onto him and his nose touched my cleavage. I looked down at him and he tried his best to rub the thing off him, by rubbing it on my kurti, right at the hem covering my chest.

"Manik..." I merely whispered and he grabbed me tighter, assuming I was going to cock-block him like I usually do.

"Nahi choddna hai mujhe." He fussed like a toddler and I smiled to myself.

"Teek hai, utho ab. Chalo. Utho." I said as I tried to pull the two of us up. I pulled him by his waist to the sink and turned the tap on. I wiped his face, hair and shirt with the water to clean it and his hands were still on my waist, claiming his possession. I removed the mixture, almost soaking his clothes with water. He wiped the water away with his fingers and I nudged him, pressing my dupatta to his cheek, drying him off. I ran it through his hair swiftly and he pulled me closer.

He used the water and wiped my face too, cleaning the mixture off. He wiped me clean and pulled his handkerchief, patting me dry too. I locked eyes with him as he leaned closer to kiss me. Just then, the door unlocked and I pushed Manik away, trying to occupy myself with some other work, to avoid being embarrassed.

"Uh-oh... Umm... Kuch chal raha tha kya? Did we miss something?" Cabir stumbled and paused as he looked at the two of us. The girls giggled and Dhruv pressed his lips in a smile. Cabir looked around and then back at us. "Nahi matlab... Tum dono ko dekhke aisa nahi lagta ki aap dono kuch... Nahi, rehne do." He cut, after getting a glare from Manik. I tried to hide my embarrassment as I turned to the other side.

"Mom kahan hai?" Manik said as he brushed his hair with his fingers again after giving me a quick glance.

"Ab Maa ki yaad aayi. Kyun Manik? Jab tum dono ka scene chal raha tha tab..." Manik blinked in annoyance and huffed.

"Cabirrr..." Dhruv intervened as pulled Manik.

"Bhai, tu chal. Kapde nikalke rakhta hu. Tu change kar." He suggested to relieve the tension between Manik and Cabir. Manik was being pulled but he turned to me.

"Nandini, tum..." Cabir clicked his lips.

"Don't worry, hum usse kha nahi lenge. Tu hi khaale acchese jab mann chahe tab." Cabir assured and my jaw dropped. Manik looked equally surprised and the rest of them began laughing loudly. Manik grabbed a cushion from the couch and chucked it on Cabir and Cabir started laughing. "Abey, mera voh matlab nahi tha!" He dodged and chuckled as I flushed in embarrassment.

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(Ahh... Who loves Cabir? Let me know how you liked this chapter. Vote. Comment. Share.
Twitter: @torridtides
Okaythanksbye.)