~• PRESENT •~

M A N I K

All of us sat in my room. I had to go to office and we all had other works, but we all left everything we had and met because of Cabir's apparent message that said it was an emergency.

I and Cabir had grown apart since a year and even though I had a very important meeting, I couldn't miss it but it was Cabir and I am glad he wanted to talk to us.

We all looked at Cabir to talk ahead and he showed us his hand as if he was thinking something.

Mukti rolled her eyes as she lay her head in my lap. Cabir sat across both of us on the bed and Dhruv sat down on the bean bag. Aliya sat on the floor, leaning into Dhruv's lap as he held her.

Whenever I see Dhruv and Aliya together, happily, always kissing each other, they way he holds her, the way they help each other out, it always reminds me of Nan-.

My thoughts were interrupted by Cabir.

"So guys!", He said pulling attention towards himself. "A lot has happened over this one year." He said.

I closed my eyes. He hadn't called us again to mock at me for what happened one year back because if it was so, no one- no one will be able to stop my anger today.

"We have all moved quite distant. Aisi bohot saari cheezein hai that you all don't know anymore..", he said calmly and Mukti's eyes met mine. She held the same expression as me. For her, Fab5 was her only family just like mine. And the way Cabir has drifted apart from all of us, it hurt her the same way just like me.

"Cabir hum sab toh vahin the, You stopped talking to us!" Aliya said slowly with tears filling her eyes. Dhruv slowly back hugged her from behind and kissed her temple. It caused a piercing pain in my heart and I looked away from them.

"I don't think we should fight again about what happened one year back. Should we? The damage is done and my Nandini has left us!" He said, his eyes spitting fire.

Mukti closed her eyes tightly and I looked away, outside the balcony, away from their gazes.

"All I wanted to tell you all is that I am getting married." Cabir said with a sigh.

"Tune iske liye humein yaha bulaya!" Mukti said with an unbelievable look.

"Yeh baat toh phone pe bhi ho sakti thi na..." Dhruv said with a bored expression.

"I agree, everyone gets married every day-....", Aliya stopped in the middle.

We all stopped our bickering and re registered his words.

All I wanted to tell you all is that I am getting married.

I am getting married.

Cabir is getting married?!

"WHAT?", we all shouted together and he nodded.

"Aur tu humko ab bata raha hai saale!" Mukti shouted as she kicked him and he fell of the bed.

"We don't even know the girl, oh my god, Cabir is getting married!" Dhruv shrieked and threw a pillow at him which he caught.

"Exactly Cabir. Tum humko ab kaise bata sakte ho? We have to shop so much!" Aliya said and we all snapped our faces at her, rolling our eyes.

Everything, and all she could think of was what to shop. Great!

All eyes stopped at me since I was the only one who hadn't said anything since Cabir announced this news.

I gave him a weak smile. "Congrats buddy!" I said slowly as I walked towards him.

He himself gave ahead and hugged me. The space in my heart since a year got filled now. I had missed Cabir, my soul brother, my everything.

It felt so nice to be hugged by him after more than one year, just like old times.

They all pounced upon us and it turned out to be an emotional group hug.

"Saale when were you planning to tell us about your girlfriend. After getting married?", Mukti mocked as she kicked him again.

"Ouch meri choti Bheem, lag raha hai yaar!" Cabir cried falsely.

"But Cabir, who is the girl? Do we know her?", Aliya said jumping in excitement.

"Haa Cabir, pakka ladki hi hai na, kahin tu ladko se toh pyaar nahi.....", Dhruv's voice faded playfully.

"Haa Dhruv! Tune sahi pehchaana hai! Mein tere se......", Cabir said tracing his fingers seductively around Dhruv's neck only to be hit by Aliya.

"On a serious note, of course it is a girl. And mein naam nahi bataunga, because I want you all to meet her directly!" Cabir said beaming. The only talk about his girl changed his mood into such a jovial one, the smile on his face and the blush on his cheeks.

"Do we know her?" Mukti asked out of curiosity.

"Yes! You all do...", Cabir said and there was a silence, all of us wondering who that girl could be, "...all of us except Manik!".

When he completed his statement, I felt a pain in my heart. I don't know why I felt that the last statement was sarcastic, as if he was mocking at me.

Was he talking about Nandini?

But- No! Of course not! I mean, Cabir and Nandini? No-!

"Kab shaadi karne ki sochi hai?" Dhruv asked changing the topic as he read my facial expressions.

"Very soon. In a month or so!" He said beaming.

Mukti looked at him horror stricken. "Itna jaldhi? So many arrangements Cabir...." she said but she was cut off.

"Everything is done Mukti! The wedding is going to be held in Udhaipur. We'd get married there first, and then fly to London, where we will get married again, a white wedding, which was her parents dream", he said.

I felt my heart stop. Of course he was talking about Nandini! London. White wedding. Udhaipur. This was everything Nandini wanted.

Cabir and Nandini.

"Matlab tu sirf humein formally invite kar raha hai. Itne paraye ho gaye hai hum-.....", Dhruv teased but I couldn't heart anything ahead.

Anger over powered me. Even after knowing everything between me and Nandini, he was getting married to my Nandini?

I got up for the bed and held his collars taking everyone off guard.

"Manikkk!" Mukti shouted and they all pulled me but nothing helped. The monster was back.

"I swear to god Cabir! If this is anywhere related to Nan- Nandini, I'm going to dig your grave with my own hands..", I shouted. He smirked at me.

"Kyu Manik? As much as I know, you hate her! Then why should I be away from her?" He mocked.

But I had no answer.

"Saale thodi toh sharam kar! It was your mistake, yet you never apologised. She called you one month back, and what did you do? Act like you don't know her? Cut true phone rudely?", he mocked.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

"I. Don't. Want. To. Talk. About. It!" I shouted, my eyes spitting anger.

"Kyu Manik? Darr lag raha hai? Saale accept the truth, that you loved her. Kab tak bhaagega?" He shouted back.

"OUT". I shouted. Mukti showed everyone her eyes and dragged them out as I went to the balcony.

I opened the contact, the number with which she had called me one month back. Did she actually think I wouldn't recognise her voice?

I. Don't. Love. Her.

I took a deep breath and there was something in me that made me call her. The number dialled and dialled.

Finally, someone picked up but this wasn't the voice I wanted to hear.

"Hello?" Came a voice from the other end. It was manly and high pitched, not soft like Nandini's.

"Is that.. Nandini Murthy?" I asked keeping a heavy weight on my heart.

"Yes it is. Who's calling?" The man replied. I hadn't ever heard this voice before.

"Who are you?" I spat, not caring how rude I sounded.

"I'm her boyfriend, who are you?" The boy spat back but it seemed sarcastic. I cut the phone as soon as the words left his mouth.

Boy- Boyfriend?

So she had moved on. Moved on in one fucking year.

I face palmed myself trying to calm me but nothing helped. I wonder why she makes me feel this way when no other girl did. The thought of she being with someone else kills me from inside.

She deserves to be happy, to find love in her life.

I have so many girls around me, with whom I mess around every night, so why can't she have a boyfriend?

And yet, when no other girl makes me feel this way. She makes me go mad.

I definitely don't love her. It's just that I was used to her. I was used to her smile, her laugh, her voice, her comfort, her warmth, her lips, her body.

She loved me, but this doesn't change one fact:

I. Don't. Love. Her.

~

*FLASHBACK CONTINUES*

N A N D I N I

"Meri Nandini!" Cabir cried dramatically on seeing me as he came towards me and hugged me where I was sitting on the sofa of Manik's living room.

Mukti, Aliya and Dhruv has already met me as they are ten minutes earlier but Aryamman and Cabir were left.

Cabir hugged me tightly. "Tu theek hai na?" He asked and I nodded.

"Apna dhyaan nahi rakh sakti ho? Ek Tum hi toh ho jisse mein food se bhi zyada pyaar karta hu!" He said wiping his fake tears.

Everyone there rolled their eyes dramatically.

"Ho gaya tum dono ka?", Manik snapped as he held my wrist and pulled me away from Cabir.

Everyone looked at Manik amused, but before that, there was another sound, and Aryamman cane barging inside.

"Where is my pretty lady?" He shouted from the door as he came running towards me dramatically and hugged me.

I could see Manik rolling his eyes. Manik's hand did not leave my wrist as he pulled me behind from Aryamman.

"Why are you pulling my pretty lady away dude?" Aryamman smirked.

"She is not YOUR pretty lady", Manik clarified as he pulled me closer to himself and we all watched him with shock.

"And doctor ne usse dusre logo ke itne paas jaane se manna kiya hai...", Manik fake smiled giving him the lamest reason ever, leaving not only me, but the entire Fab4 confused except Mukti, who was smirking.

"Toh Manik, voh sirf tere hi itne paas the sakti hai?", Cabir asked pushing me closer to Manik.

I tried landing upon my foot but it strained and I landed up directly upon him, and both of us landed on the couch, with me over him.

My long hair fell on both our faces. His one hand wrapped around me and my back while the other hand put my hair tresses behind me ear.

He looked into my eyes and I into his and the world disappeared. His eyes held some intensity, and I blushed crimson under his gaze.

I tried getting up but his hand on my waist jerked me closer, and I fell back on him even harder.

Our faces were just inches apart. Our hot breath mingled and the butterflies of my stomach returned.

The love I held for him and the way he looked at me wasn't what was shared between just friends.

Fake coughs everywhere around us made us realise our position and we both got back, straightening our position.

We all sat around the round table to play truth and dare, although I was a little reluctant. Truth and Dare with Fab5 was the last thing I wanted to play.

I looked at Cabir giving him a puppy look m, maybe he understands me but he royally ignored it. I was forced to play it.

And just as bad luck dooms, the bottle rotated and landed up just on me. Arghh!

"Truth!" I replied instantly.

"Yes, Nandini is scared of dares", Manik, who was sitting to my left, mocked showing me his tongue. Not to mention, that inflated my ego.

"Dare!" I changed my decision as I picked up a chit from the bowl that said Dare.

As soon as I read the dare, the colour of my face faded. "What's it?" Mukti asked curiously and my eyes darted to Manik first, and then to Aryamman, who was on my right.

"Kiss. Kiss the person on your right, on their lips", I said in a slow voice looking at Aryamman, who was on my right.

The colour of Manik's face faded too. "Fuck. Aur bol usse Dare lene ko!" Manik murmered under his breath cursing himself.

Everyone cheered except me, Manik, and Aryamman.

"No guys, it's okay if she doesn't want to do it-...", Aryamman said taking my side.

"Yes, she doesn't need to do this!" Manik and Cabir almost agreed instantly.

"No way guys! Don't be a spoilt sport! Come on Nandini! Don't be scared...!", Mukti teased with an evil smirk.

Did she called me scared?

The next moment, I was leaning ahead and my lips touched Aryamman's, half of it on his lips and half of it on Aryamman's skin and stuble.

And then, I was back, leaving everyone in shock.

Fuck. This inflated ego.

My eyes darted to the ground and then at Manik's, whose face was pale.

"Guys! It's time for Nandini's medicines!", Manik said. And the next moment, I was in his arms a she carried me up.

"Haaa, toh tu uski nurse hai kya?" Cabir mocked from behind but Manik paid not head as he carried me to the room and then made me stand.

His face was neutral, no smile. There was anger in his expressions and I knew I had to face the monster.

"Manik!" I called out calmly but the next moment his hands flew across on my both my sides, caging me between the wall and him.

Before I could say anything, I felt his lips on mine.

My mind reminded me that this was wrong, we were just friends but my heart and stupid hormones decided against it.

He pushed me further into the walls until my hands found their way to his neck, and I started responding back.

His lips were cold and his mouth tasted of the mint drink that he had just had. His force and passion was too much for me to complete with and I gave him the entire domination.

His lips struggled with mine, his tongue entwined with my mouth.

I had closed my eyes tightly, surrendering myself to him and the beautiful kiss.

The first kiss of my life was by the boy I love the most in the entire world and I didn't think I could get any luckier.

When he broke the kiss, he leaned joining our foreheads, although I could see the confusion written on his face, his turmoil, undefined feelings.

I didn't want him to regret the most beautiful moment of my life so I decided to end the later of awkwardness between us.

"Why was this?", I asked playfully and he pulled me closer, finally smiling.

"Because I am monster, do I need to remind you?", his playful voice echoed in my ears as he pulled me closer and closer and I happily laughed in his arms.

~falling for you was like not falling at all. It was just like walking in and suddenly knowing you're home~

~•~