Hello Fam :)

Sorry for the note earlier. But I am fine really. I just needed to get out of all the news that was going around. The accusations and predictions. Otherwise, I am totally fine. The situation I had explained there is about a few years back and it's in the past. I am grateful for all the things that happened in life because it gave me writing which has been my greatest source of peace and happiness. It gave me you guys who have showered me all the love. YOU ARE AMAZING. :)

Happy Reading...

Nandini bunked the college again but unlike other times, she asked Mukti to meet up at the Thakkar house to get a headstart on the preparations for the exams. To avoid misunderstandings, she took a picture of them studying and sent it to her English professor, making sure Abhimanyu is clear in the picture. Nandini and Mukti managed to pass their exams because they had Abhimanyu who had organized notes, almost all of them. It worked for them previously but the current semester was tougher than the previous ones and they realized it one hour into the study.

"Do you think we should take external help?", asked Nandini, from her position on the bed. Her head was already aching.

"You know, after bunking all those classes, the professors would definitely kill us if we go to them", told Mukti.

There was a ping in everyone's mobile. Cabir had posted the pictures from some forest. He had an assignment from his internship guide.

"Does that mean Manik is the only one who is attending the classes today?", asked Abhimanyu.

Nandini frowned. "You know who could be our external help? Our very own genius textbook", she exclaimed, grinning. She knew the boy would have compensated all his missing notes through some video lectures.

XXX

Since their first class had been suspended due to some meeting, Nandini had asked Manik to wait for them in the canteen. She saw Cabir at the parking lot.

"Why aren't you hanging off your brother's arm?", she asked as a greeting.

The boy, who hardly took offense at her words, grinned at her. "I am coming directly from the forest. Did you see my pics? Tell me you are impressed with them", he said, almost jumping at his place in excitement.

Nandini rolled her eyes. Wildlife suited him well. She wouldn't be surprised if he would turn into an animal someday, not that he was any short of one. Abhimanyu slung his arm around Cabir and exaggerated praises about his pictures while Mukti gave a thumbs up before walking beside Nandini.

She stopped herself from running into Cabir's back just in time as the younger Malhotra halted in his steps but before she could react, he stalked forwards, his footsteps heavy. Confused, Nandini glanced at the direction he went and was surprised to see a girl really hanging on Manik's arm. Her unfamiliar face told Nandini that she was in her first year. Manik had a confused smile on his face as the girl talked his ears off.

Nandini exchanged glances with her best friends and when they shrugged, they all followed Cabir.

"Soha, stay away from my brother", yelled Cabir.

The girl, Soha, pouted and tugged at Manik's hand. "Baby, he is insulting me."

Baby?

"Cabir, she is my girlfriend", informed Manik.

"Interesting", muttered Abhimanyu before pulling one of the chairs to sit down. He was far too amused about the whole situation.

Nandini rolled her eyes at her best friend. "I am not sure if he understands what a girlfriend means and he too has one now", she whispered to Mukti earning a chuckle from her. They took the seat and let Cabir unfold the drama.

"Bhai, you didn't have a girlfriend till yesterday. When did she become your girlfriend?", asked the younger boy. He was outraged and was shooting daggers at the girl.

Nandini felt the whole ordeal hilarious as the overprotective younger brother tried to protect his innocent brother.

"I have proposed to him yesterday which he accepted. Hence, I am his girlfriend now. Cabir, stop being jealous of me", she told and leaned on Manik. The boy smiled awkwardly, trying to maintain a distance between them. "Baby, we don't have privacy here. Let's go somewhere else."

"Baby?", yelled Cabir. "Bhai, I thought I was your baby. I am sorry, I ignored you but I was angry at so many things. I didn't want to reflect that on you. Please, stop this joke now", he blurted.

Of course the baby term. This is getting way more fun. They were just missing the popcorn now, thought Nandini. She was finding it difficult to control her laughter on seeing the miserable puppy dog look on Cabir's face.

"Cabir", started Manik but Soha interrupted him.

"Baby, can we leave now?", she asked.

"Soha, I have classes after this", told Manik. "How can I leave?"

"Bunk?", she suggested.

"No. Why don't you go ahead?"

"Baby, can I go shopping with my friends?"

"Of course, Soha, it's your wish. Why are you asking me?", asked the boy.

"What an ideal girlfriend. Asking permission to go shopping", whispered Mukti in Nandini's ear.

The girl's grin widened on getting 'approval' from her said boyfriend. "Baby, where is your credit card?", she asked.

Ahan, there it is, thought Nandini, the ultimate climax.

"Manik doesn't carry his credit card with him", said Cabir, gritting his teeth.

"Kid, I have it today", he chuckled embarrassedly and removed his wallet to take out the card.

Manik handed the card to Soha but before the girl could get her hands on it, Nandini, who thought it was about time to wrap up the drama, took it out of the boy's hand.

"Ah, not so soon, Soha baby. Why do you need Manik's credit card to go shopping?", asked Nandini, crossing her arms.

"Nandini, it's between Manik and I. I am his girlfriend", she told.

Nandini chuckled. "That doesn't answer my question, baby."

She stomped her foot. "Manik, say something."

"Arey", exclaimed Nandini, "I just asked a simple question and you want your boyfriend to answer it. It's okay, I will ask him again." She turned to Manik. "Manik, if she is your girlfriend, won't you be insulting her by giving her money instead of love?", she asked.

She smirked inwardly when Manik frowned. She could see the gears turning in his head. Really the only way to make the boy learn anything was to provide him with logics which he couldn't counter-argue and wait for him to smarten up. 

"But Nandini, how could I give love? Aren't gifts a medium to show love?", he asked.

Nandini chuckled looking at the girl. "I am damn sure, baby, you defined this to Manik yesterday, right?"

"Nandini, it's none of your business", she said. Nandini could see the fictional fumes coming out of her ears.

She banged her hand on the table, startling Soha. "Ae, don't you Arts girls have any other work than trapping innocent guys? First that Alya and now you. Give a break, dammit." She took a breath before leaning on the table, intimidating her further "You know what? Manik loves books. If you really love him, spend your day with him in the library. Say, do you accept it? A 24 hours date in the library", told Nandini.

Soha scrunched her nose in disgust. "Who the hell spends their time in the library?"

"Your so-called boyfriend. Manik, would you willingly spend your day in the library", asked Nandini, without taking her eyes off the girl.

Before he could reply, Cabir stood beside her and replied while glaring at the girl who tried to trap his precious twin. "My brother would happily spend 48 hours in the library", he told.

"Did you hear him?", asked Nandini and took a threatening step in front of her. "If I notice you asking for credit cards of any other boy in this college, I will see to it, the lesson is stuck inside your head. Understood? Don't you dare come near Manik again", she warned quietly. She waited for a minute for her to escape the canteen before rounding over Manik. "And you?", she started but trailed off on seeing the eyes of every other student on them. Yeah, free drama and free entertainment.

Rolling her eyes, Nandini dragged Manik out of the canteen and to an empty classroom, all the while ignoring his protests. She bolted the door and pushed him lightly on a bench, making him sit down. "How the hell did she become your girlfriend in a day?", asked Nandini.

"She proposed she wanted to be my girlfriend", he told.

"And you accepted it?", asked Nandini, in disbelief. This boy can't be real. "Dude, what do you even understand by 'girlfriend'."

Manik shrugged. "She said she was a girl and she wanted to be my friend. It's simple", he explained.

Nandini crossed her arms in front of her and leaned back on the table in front of him. "So, according to your definition, I am a girl and we are friends. That makes me your girlfriend, right?"

He grinned proudly. "I know you would ask me this. I have thought about it. You are my half girlfriend."

"How?", she asked.

"Remember, you didn't ask me to be my friend. You just suddenly declared one day that we are friends. It's not mutual", he told.

"Yeah, right", she muttered to herself. She was one sentence short of facepalming herself. "Manik, will you be my friend, please?"

"Yes, Nandini", he replied.

She rolled her eyes and slapped his head. "Dude, are you serious? What do you understand by love?"

"Love is.."

"Manik, if you are uttering your stupid Wikipedia nonsense, I will dig your grave right here", she warned.

He gulped before thinking hard. "Do you want me to say the age-old line about the thunder striking and rain and flowers falling down? Let me warn you, it's not very realistic", he said, looking at her skeptically.

"I asked for love. Not a weather report", she said. "Don't you read your romance novels?"

"Those are mushy and make me feel uncomfortable. Also, most of them lack logic", he pointed out.

Nandini shook her head in disbelief. "Malhotra, listen carefully. Love isn't about holding hands, or handing over your credit cards and passwords or buying expensive gifts. It's about protecting each other. Even if you buy the smallest of the gifts, the only thing you expect is to see them happy. It's about staying with each other and standing for each other. Love is never about money, Manik. It's about making them comfortable around you instead of making their life even more difficult", she told.

Love is something that she would never get inside her house and she was not brave enough to find it outside. It is everything she had ever craved for and everything her parents denied.

"Nandini, do you love me?", asked Manik, bringing her out of her thoughts.

"What rubbish? Where did you get that from?", she asked.

"You protect me always. You stand for me. Even if I am not entirely comfortable with you, you don't make me uncomfortable. And the chocolates that I give you, I swear, I only wanted to see you happy. They aren't expensive even", he told.

If she would listen to one extra word from his mouth, Nandini was damn sure she would have punched him. To avoid the impending bloodshed, she stormed out of the room.

She was surprised to find Abhimanyu and Cabir pacing outside the room. Nandini grabbed Cabir's collar. "I don't love your brother. Explain it to him." When he nodded scaredly, she stalked off.

XXX

Cabir was still gaping at the direction the head girl went. "When there is an explanation without a question, there's something fishy."

'What if everything is fishy? You know like a bigger fish", asked Abhimanyu.

Cabir stared at him until his words registered in his brain. "Bhai", he screamed.

"Bhai Bhai", said Abhimanyu in the same tone.

They both hugged each other dramatically, excitement written all over their faces. Cabir was the first one to break the hug. "You go behind her and make sure she doesn't kill anyone. I will handle my brother."

Manik was sitting, bouncing his knees and his face hidden behind his hands when Cabir entered the classroom. He put a tentative hand on his brother, startling him. "Bhai, I am sorry about ignoring you."

"Kid, I apologize for Soha. She isn't my.."

"Bhai, I know. I understand", assured Cabir. "But what's up with Nandini?", he asked, taking a seat on the table beside his brother and started swinging his legs as Manik explained his conversation with Nandini.

"Bhai, I have to be frank, I saw you acting differently around Nandini than you are with any of your friends. You are comfortable around her, she protects you and you get sad when she is sad or hurt. I can't say what that is but follow your heart. Follow only if that makes you comfortable, yeah?", he told. He knew he was confusing the boy further but he could rewrite everything and hold Manik's hand forever but he could never interfere in his brother's love life. It was something Manik had to realize himself. That's how he found Navya. Prior to it, when he dated girls to flaunt in front of his friends or because he thought it was cool, every such relationship was a failure.

"Manik, I know you have imagined your ideal life to graduate and help mom in business and hide in your fictional world but love just happens. The person you love becomes one of the most important ones in your life. You can't control it. It doesn't mean you have to replace mom or me. You don't have to come to a conclusion now. Just be free and your heart would tell you when you are in love. Come, let's go to the class."

XXX

Nandini managed to avoid Manik for the rest of the day. When she reached her house, she took a long shower but Manik's question kept on popping in her head. She blamed his perfect logic to explain every argument of his. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She understood what she had to do and went to sleep, feeling satisfied. 

Guess what the idea is. :P