*unedited*

N A N D I N I

*flashback continues*

I hated being in spotlight, and now, all the news channels had my picture on wondering who me, the mystery girl, is.

35,070 likes and 4000 comments

I sighed. This was the only picture on my Instagram and from 3 likes to 35,000 likes all thanks to the ever so generous Manik Malhotra.

I had become the talk of all the fandoms. The Manik Malhotra, who doesn't follow anyone except his four band mates and their official Fab5 page, followed a random girl. My followers had shot up from 50 to 50k and I couldn't do anything.

"You need to chill baby!" Aryamman said as he pulled me closer. The sun had already set and it was evening, I and Aryamman were out in the lawn.

No one had cared to check upon us, so we didn't even make our way out.

I nodded at Aryamman with a weak smile.

"You're still hurt, hmm?" He asked. Hurt was an understatement.

"No!" I lied smiling.

"You don't need to act in front of me, I've just met you a few days back, but aise lagta hai humara janam- janam ka rishta hai....", he said.

I was shocked onto how he felt the same.

"How cheesy Aryamman!" I said giggling as I hit his bicep and he laughed.

"Yeh acha hai haa Nandini, tumhe Aryamman kya mil gaya, tum apne pehle pyaar ko toh bhul hi gayi!" I heard Cabir shout as he ran towards us and made himself comfortable besides me.

Now I was in the centre, with my two guardian angels, Cabir and Aryamman on my two sides.

"Nandini, you can't ignore me for him. Yeh toh London vapis jaa raha hai agle hafte, mein hi tumhara one and only pyaar hu!", Cabir complaint pouring and I couldn't help but pull his cheek.

I ignored my heart falling down on the only thought that Aryamman will be leaving the next week. In just these few days, he had become a very important part of my life.

Aryamman. My first actual friend in Mumbai, my saviour, my guardian. Just like the light in my darkness, he had actually lit me up. He just emitted positive vibes like his contagious smile.

"Bothered about Soha, haa?" Cabir said slowly taking my hand in his. Have I become so predictable?

"No!" I lied with a weak smile. I have started lying too much these days, not showing my true feelings, not telling what I actually feel.

"Humare bina yaha!" We heard a scream and turned behind to see Mukti and Navya with their hands on their hips as they too came where we were sitting.

They settled themselves and we five were in a circle.

" so guys what's up!" Mukti said, pretending to smile. She was trying to hide the disappointment and anger behind Soha's return but she was failing miserabley.

"The sky is up, Mukti!" We heard another voice behind us and saw Manik walking inside followed by his new P.A- the dayan Soha.

Uninvited, they both settled besides us too, now in a circle of seven.

I couldn't stop staring at Manik and how much ever he was trying to ignore me, his eyes fell on Aryamman's hand on mine and stopped there.

I could see his face change emotions, as if he was hurt. But he had no right to be hurt because he is the one who hurts me and then he acts as if it is he who's getting hurt.

I held Aryamman's hand even tighter and Manik's eyes moved away, as he looked away and stopped at Soha, who was foolishly smiling at all of us. He gave her a weak smile and then looked away again.

I looked away from them, not wanting to hurt myself more.

The atmosphere was awkward, none of us knew what to say or talk.

I suddenly felt everything black out in front of my eyes and my head heavy. My hands reached my head, holding it tightly to prevent it from falling.

"Baby?" I heard Aryamman scream.

I held him for support tightly.

"Nandini?" Manik also screamed. From the blackness in front of me, I could see him hope from where he was to me, as he held my hand giving it support.

I jerked his hand away. I don't need him, I don't need his support anymore. I was done with him and his fake care.

The blackness disappeared, and I was fine.

"You're okay?" Manik asked and I looked away, at Aryamman.

"You're fine, baby?" He asked me putting my hair away which was falling on my eyes.

I smiled weakly and nodded at him.

"She's not a baby, she has a name. Call her that!" Manik said in a cold voice shooting glares at Aryamman.

Soha looked shocked and I could see Cabir smirking.

"Aryamman, tell everyone here, that you have the right to call me baby", I said looking at Manik.

Aryamman smirked at Manik and he rolled his eyes.

"Nandini, we need to talk!" Manik said in a strict monster tone. Otherwise, I would have been scared and listened to him, but not this time.

"Aryamman, please tell that Eiffel Tower that I don't want to talk to anyone!" I said, still looking at Manik and pouring at him.

He nodded his head in disbelief.

"Nandini, you can't be serious? Come, talk to me", he said getting up and wearing his coat buttons with his signature attitude.

"You are not my boss anymore, so stop ordering me" I said directly to Manik this time, my eyes piercing into his.

"I'm going to my room to take rest!" I announced as I got up.

"I'd help you go up?", Manik offered.

"You've already helped me enough, sir", I said smiling weakly at the sarcasm used by me as I limped.

"Oye, Jhansi Ki Rani, wait!" Cabir shouted behind me as he ran to catch up with me and picked me, taking me upstairs.

He kept me on the bed, and made me wear my blanket and I mouthed him a weak thank you.

"Never mind, jaane-mann", he sang dramatically, kissing my forehead, leaving me and Aryamman alone.

Aryamman sat on the bed corner besides me. I smiled at him and he smiled at me too, none of us knew what to say.

"I'm sorry about Manik", I said slowly.

"Hey, he should be the one to say sorry, not you", he said as he got up.

"Take rest, I'd wait downstairs!" He smiled at me and I gave him a weak smile.

"No Aryamman, you're already doing a lot for me, you've been like a light shining in my dark life. Go home, you seem tired too, take rest!" I said to him and he hugged me, kissing my crown gently.

Suddenly, the room door opened and Manik, the great Malhotra, came barging inside.

"LEAVE!" He shouted looking at Aryamman.

"And what if I don't?" Aryamman said looking at Manik with an I don't care attitude, his hand holding mine.

Aryamman and Manik were childhood friends, college buddies, and I hated looking at them fight because of me. I felt like a complete birch whenever something like that took place but the fact was they weren't fighting for me, they were fighting because of Manik's attitude.

"I know better ways to make you leave!", Manik smirked.

"Try me!" Aryamman said in a threatening tone, glaring at Manik in the eye.

If I don't intervene here, they're really going to fight.

"Aryamman!" I called out at him. Both their eyes snapped to me, and I politely smiled at Aryamman.

"You go, leave! Let him be!" I said smiling at him and then looking at Manik.

"As you wish, Baby!" He whispered kissing my crown once again. "I'm just a call away!" He said before finally turning to leave.

He stopped when Manik and Aryamman came face to face and I bit my lower lip.

Manik smirked at Aryamman while he looked away.

"Keep your distance orelse....!" Aryamman warned Manik as he left.

"Orelse what? Your baby will cry?" Manik shouted behind Aryamman.

Why was he behaving so rude? So cold?

Does he have split personality?

His face turned back to me and his eyes met mine, I instantly looked away to avoid his look.

"Aww Baby gussa hai?", Manik mimicked Aryamman and I rolled my eyes at him.

"Don't call me that!" I said coldly and angrily.

"Why? Only Aryamman has the right to call you baby?" He barked and I conveniently ignored him.

"Nandini! You can't ignore me, you gotta talk to me!" He said coming closer to my bed.

With every of his step near me, my heart heated faster. I knew this wasn't my Manik, this was the monster. And this monster is rude, angry, and wrathfully dangerous.

"Talk. To. Me." He ordered as his fingers trailed my face, pushing my face from where it faced to him.

"I wouldn't. My life, my wish", I said looking at him in the eye.

Our faces were dangerously close, only millimetres away.

"Then this, is my wish", he staunchly ordered and I was confused for a second before i felt his lips lingering on mine.

Not this time, Malhotra.

He can't always do mistakes and kiss me and cover them up.

This time, it's what Nandini wants, and not what Manik wants.

I grabbed his collar and pushed him away from me. He seemed taken off guard by this step of mine.

He seemed hurt, I must be the only girl who just have denied such a hot face like Manik Malhotra. This might have really inflated his ego, as he stood there huffing in anger, his eyes shooting daggers at me.

Manik Malhotra hates rejection, and that's exactly what I had done. But not that I have done anything wrong, he totally deserves this.

"What? Stop staring at me?" I snapped at him.

It's not going to be so easy, Malhotra, not this time.

He walked to me and I was scared, I'd hate to accept this, but he was intimidating me.

He came dangerously close to me once again and I gulped my saliva in fear.

He held my shoulders, pressing me to the bed end. His nails digging inside my skin, causing the blood to ooze out. But I didn't say a work, I kept quiet.

This physical pain is much much less then the pain and hurt he's caused my heart.

"Why are you behaving so strange?" He shouted in a whisper. His monsterous eyes digging into my scared one.

"Oh, so you're jealous of Soha, is it?", he mocked at me. I didn't answer him, I let him assume an answer and speak ahead.

"Nandini Murthy, listen to me clearly. Stop acting as my girlfriend. You have no right to ignore me. Meine tumhe yeh kuch empty promises kya kar diye, tum mere sar pe chad rahi ho!" He said in an intimidating voice.

Though I knew he was speaking this in anger, his words hurt more then he intended it to.

His nails dug more into my shoulder skin, and then pain was unbearable.

"You are hurting me, monster, get away!" I shouted pushing him away with the little courage I had.

"Monster!", He said as he laughed evilly. "Yes, that is exactly what I am!" He gave me his cold look.

"So don't mess with me. I am not a person who will shine in your darkness like Aryamman", his voice was dangerous and small. My eyes snapped at him. So he had heard us.

"I am a monster, I will push you into darkness. I am the darkness people are scared of, I am the monster that will destroy you and you wouldn't even come to know", he shouted in a shiwper angrily.

His anger is wrathfully bad. His hands gripped a jar on the side table and he was all ready to smash it to the ground when I shouted.

"MANIK!"

The jar was immensely precious to me. It was full of fireflies, it was the last gift of me elder brother before he died in the blast with my parents.

Manik's eyes softened hearing my scream and he looked at the jar.

He extended his hand to me to give me the jar and I nervously held the other side of it, trying to take it away from him.

But the moment I touched the glass of the jar, and his hand was on it to, the fireflies glew.

"fireflies glow where there is true love, a live that lasts humesha", my elder brothers words rang in my ears.

" you might be a Juliet or a princess Nandini, but I can never be your Prince Charming. We all chose roles, I play that of a monster, a destructive monster", he said, his back facing me as he walked away.

But my eyes were still glued at the jar of glowing fireflies that promised me a forever that he just denied.

~if it makes you cry and breaks your heart, it's called love. But if you still have the power to love them with the pieces of your heart that they have broken, it's called true love~

~•~