The Rake

Chapter Twelve

Manik and Nandini were silently sitting on one of the tables in the college canteen while the other three- Mukti, Dhruv and Alya were stealing glances and were quite shocked eyeing the FOREVER enemies sitting together.

“Wo..!” Both of them spoke at the very same time and looked at each other. They gulped down the lump forming in their throat and looked down at the table, blushing while the others were smiling secretly.

“Cabir!! Chaabi do! (Cabir,give me the keys!)” Navya shouted at Cabir who rolled his eyes and went to join the others while she followed him with irritated looks.

“I said! Give me the keys!” Navya shouted yet again and Cabir rolled his eyes yet again to which the others- Fab4 sighed.

“Manik, why is she asking for keys?” Nandini whispered in her newly bonded friend’s ear who whispered back “They are in a live-in!”

Nandini widened her eyes at the piece of information. She was quite modern but a live-in? Her family won’t allow for sure!

Manik hid his smile looking at her widened eyes and looked back at Cabir who had that ‘what-is-happening’ look on his face to which Manik blinked his eyes and gave him ‘I-will-tell-you’ Cabir twitched his eyebrows ‘You-better-do’

“Cabir! Give her the keys na!” Multi interrupted seeing their usual bickering to which Cabir signed “No Mukti! This Drama Company is trying to remove my x-box from our house! And that’s the only reason I won’t give her the keys.. and I have stolen her keys too!” Navya had tears brimming in her eyes “Fine! Mr. Cabir Dhawan..you be happy with your x-box! I am toh a drama company na! FINE” She banged the table to which Cabir sighed “Are sweet heart!” And he followed her.

“Don’t you think you all should follow them?” Nandini interrupted to which Alya smiled “Are Nandini...You don’t know! They have been in a relationship since Class 7! They fight like this only! We know them! They will come back soonish!” And Nandini smiled widely eyeing the depth of their love. Even she wanted to experience such love but her convent school didn’t help either.

“By the way, what about you Nandini? Don’t you have a love life?” Mukti asked all or a sudden to which Manik who was playing with the salt sprinkler halted his movement and his muscles hardened. He looked at her and she looked back at him and then softly at Mukti “No Mukti! No love life..No past/present nothing..”

“What do you like? I mean the type of guy in your list?” Dhruv asked to which Manik again glanced at her.

Nandini was very well known of the strong glare from her right side, so she chose to ignore it and continue PLAYING “My kinda guy will be a well-mannered, not short-tempered,um..Patient enough...and well spoken one!” She stopped and looked down hiding her smile as she noticed him thinking very deeply.

1.Well-mannered? He wasn’t one. He was a hardcore bully! s**t. Need to change.

2.NOTshort-tempered. He was HELL OF A short tempered MAN! Manik wait. You can control your anger. BREATHE IN, BREATHE OUT. A BIG SIGH.

3.Patient enough? GODD! He was one of the least patient men in the world!!

4. Well spoken! Yeah, he comes from a humble background so he knows how to speak well,not use slan-

“Abe saale!” Manik laughed at CaVya coming hand-in-hand and quickly held his mouth with his palm. WELL SPOKEN MANIK! CONCENTRATE.

He quickly excused himself and ran away while the others were quite confused except one who hid her smile.

“Guys! I shall come..” Nandini excused herself and followed his way to which Cabir smirked.

“Manik” she called out as she entered the vacant room where he was sitting.

“Nan-dini” He got up from the table he was sitting on and looked at her.

She walked to him and smiled at him “Thank you Manik!”

“Thank you for?” He asked looking at her. Her jhumkas were looking so beautiful on her.

“For the frame!” She smiled at him to which he widened his eyes “Wh..What frame?” He looked at everything but her.

“Oye! Don’t act haan! Amms called me up and said that you were in Mangalore and was even enquiring for Sree Frames..” He widened his eyes but soon guilt overpowered him “Nandini..trust me! I didn’t want to break your heart..I didn’t know that the!” She slowly cupped his right cheek and his orbs moved at the right side as she caressed his stubble

“I know you Manik! I am the happiest that you worked so hard to work on your mistake! And trust me, I am not angry anymore..! And the Manik I knew was not this heartless monster but a lively and caring sweetheart..” He looked at her like a dream. Her lashes were fluttering so was his heart. He was able to feel so many butterflies in his stomach. He could feel his heart literally dancing.

“And this is for my punch! I am making up for my punch” she said as she stopped caressing while he couldn’t even speak. He was so LOST in her. She hid her smile and walked away while he kept looking at the direction without even a single blink.

“And the Manik, I knew was..” Her words rang in his head as he quickly got aware of the situation. She knew him from before? WHAT?