~Let's walk hand in hand and overcome all the oppressions, without holding any inhibitions.~

---

It's me Nandini Murthy, transforming to Mrs. Manik Malhotra in a period of two-three hours. The feelings meant for the present situaton by convention are anxiety and nervousness but what I feel is the complete opposite, pure happiness and love. There are numerous fears prevailing like- How to adjust, compromise, habituate et cetera. For me it's like deja vú. Surprising, right? But, that's where the line between me and other brides come. I and Manik have been in love since a forever; rather he was, for I was late as usual. Since the time when our wedding was announced by our respective families he, on a daily basis came up with his fantasies. They described how will it all be, our attires, the venue, the decorations, theme, guests and of course his second BAE, food. Excited as he was. He says that it's me his fancy doll, who tempted him and made him head over heels with me but it's the truth, universal that the way he loved remains unmatched and extraordinary. It was a fairytale, our love not those clichè Disney stories, but it was surely a love story of this era, an inspiration for me and for the people 'round. I feel so lucky and blessed to having get this privilege of attaching the two M's with my name, when I exactly know the number of people and especially girls who are in love with him. God knows what did he see in a vague mess like me, that he went on his knees and gave me this opportunity on his own. But, this isn't it my mind runs the flashbacks to the time when I did THAT, that which was the most unjustified and cruel act of humanity.

~FLASHBACK~

I was running down the stairs in order to hurry to Prof. Mittal's MAT class, once in a while I thought to be careful but didn't follow. At the very next moment I felt the floor beneath me shifting along with me bumping into someone and thus falling along with him and landing with a boom, over the floor that followed the last three-four stairs. I looked into that someone, anticipating my Prince Charming like those actresses in movies. But, wait a second. It was a nerd, a effin handsomely sexy nerd. I heard him apologize while I was busy ransacking his beauty. He nudged me on my shoulders and somehow I heard him muttering to himself about being late to Prof. Mittal's class. Bingo. He's my classmate. I grabbed his left hand and dragged him till the third classroom from the stairs. He eyed me weirdly and in reply I signaled him to look where I directed, it was the gate of our MAT class. He gave me a lopsided smile and ran a hand through his thick black hair. Without wasting a second I opened the gate and entered the class to find it empty. I looked around to find a notice on the black board saying that the class has been cancelled. We took a sigh of relief together.

"So, a studious boring nerd? Like me?"
I heard him saying. Nerd, me? Oh! My those glasses. It was a dare, shit. Now it'll get me some of his attention. Damn you Mukti. Ah! Love you Mukti. So, let's play along.

"Yeah kind of. You are, by the way?" I needed to change the topic before he asks any question related to my spectales or rather, books and studies.

"Manik Malhotra." He forwarded his hand for a handshake and I did too.

"Nandini Murthy." I replied.

"Up for a coffee?" Who wouldn't with you?

"Um..yeah! I don't have classes till the last period now." Maybe we could extend the coffee date to -. Ah! Dirty Nandu! Think straight, he won't get all this. Still, I wanted him to.

"Oh! So come." Savage af. Koi nahi. What more can we expect from a nerd? Oh, but he atleast asked for the coffee. He ain't a regular nerd.

This marked the beginning of my friendship with him besides the start of The Game too. Let's see how it turns, hope for the best.

We met each other in a gap of two-three days in the following month. The next month was September, that meant exams. The frequency of our meets somehow increased and we opened up a lot with each other. We shared notes, had meals together and moreover got introduced and quote gelled-up with each other's family. The end of our exams marked us as kind of best friends. Fast much? Yeah. Well, we too were attractive for the both of us. Not to forget, I had to keep on those fake eye-sight glasses for the most of the time, which gave the impression of me being a nerd too lately, to the world. Manik was convinced too. Hence, I decided to continue my game, by then rest of my friends knew what I was in. By the mid of October, after vacations I felt a kind of frenzy when I met him. It was like self-guilt. I was still oblivious to the fact of me liking him, but still those unnamed yet undeniable feelings rushed through my body always when I used to catch a single glance of him. His effects were high and that seemed dangerous, what's dangerous is Nandini Murthy. Still, playing with fire all around didn't seem to be a good idea.

The confusion and restlessness grew galore. So, I decided that it was time, time to do the right. It was our annual day, the following day. I had reached the saturation point and had now made up my mind to confess the BIG secret to him. I did not want to push him further into this black hole of lies and only lies.

I called Manik and asked him to come over to my place. As my parents were out of town, it wasn't a big problem to conduct the show, that's irrelevant, the justice, yeah. I had made sure that I dressed like what I really am and not what he thinks of me. I wore one of my regular crop top and shorts instead of those long tops and capris, which I used to blind him in the game. I didn't even put on those fancy eyesight glasses, also went ahead to put up a little make-up which I usually did before meeting him. I was dressed like what I was in REAL, the fancy doll of the college. Manik came an hour later. He was standing in the lawn, calling out for me. I entered the lawn from the kitchen with two glasses of water, manners. Yeah. With the showdown, I tried to show some etiquettes which I thought weren't required, but still went ahead with them.

I thought that his expressions will change when he'd see me dressed like that but instead I saw his face relieved and straight. I heard him sigh. Wasn't that trouble? Yeah, it unfortunately was. I guided him to the couch, kind of ignoring his glances, which were capable enough to make me collapse any moment, especially then. We sat down and coincidentally we both gulped down our glass of water together, I mean picked it together, had it and kept it back at the same time. Wasn't that a sign? An indication?

I inferred that it was the time and I couldn't back out then, atleast.

"So here it is, Manik it's me Nandini, Nandini Murthy. And it's the real me. Am sure you know-" He debated my sentence, quite fast. Unexpectations coming true are deadlier that momentary shocks.

"Yes Nandini, I know Alya Murthy, the ex-diva of SPACE. And you are her little sister." I was smart enough to understand that he wasn't much oblivious to my reality. Wait. Much? He's fully and widely aware. I swear I don't wanna lose him. "Manik, it was all a bubble. I need to confess it all before it's too late." I said, expecting courtesy when I knew that I deserve hatred, pure hatred. "Yeah. Go ahead, qm all ears." His blank statement became the reason of tears welling up in my eyes. That patience, which this guy hold in almost all the situations is one of the atrractions in him. It's gonna be hard but it'll be harder if I went round and round with my talks. It's always good to be straight, so let's get away. "That day when we first met, you actually misunderstood me, nerd. I am'nt a 'nerd', those glasses weren't some real eyesight glasses, I had actually put up a fancy pair to complete a dare. That moment, I decided to play along with you. Trust me the reason's still unknown but one thing I can assure, it ain't bad. Yeah. Many a times, in this period of two months I decided to present the real me but I just couldn't. The reasons are-." He broke-in, in the mid of my rant. Rant, that I was absolute clueless with the reasons. Reasons, ah! "Why?" He questioned. Him being so straight, calm and patient wasn't helping. Another stream of fresh tears rolled down my eyes. I could be unreasonable too, henceforth.

"I didn't have that strength. And on top, I was habituated to your company. I would have lost that if I would have done that. You are too worthy to loose. You should know that, Manik." Here goes a train of reasons-uh, the most unvalid 'reasons', it's just me who can call it reasons, it's pure self-rant by definition.

"No. You wouldn't have." He took sometime to reply which melted my insides more and more, but then his reply froze all of them. Need to know more, should go on.

"Manik am sorry! I know I have hurted you there, but I know you are caring and understanding in there too. Yon't let my feelings in vain, right?" I said with tears racing down my eyes with a speed that of an olympic athlete. I pointed his heart while speaking and he as expected he inquired, "Feelings?" Feeling? Nandini? I felt goosebumps rising, it's an indication. I'll surely do something unexpected, now.

"Yes, Manik. Je t'aime. I love you." Wait. The french wasn't unexpected, the confession was. It wasn't late, my heart was late to understand. Nevertheless, I love him and he needs to know. "I know right?" He continued "Well. Me too." Here goes a bombshell, the opposite of expected, now I'd say. I went numb. Sore. Silent. Above all, shocked.

"I love you too. Yo también te amo."
What words? What language? Cluelessness replaced the unexpected-ness, if that's a word. I'm missing out something important. Sure.

"Huh?" Now it was time for me to put forward my share of questions. This came as a reflex, not anticipated. "So you knew the real me all this while, eh? You were aware of my trap, weren't you?" Questions and questions took queue, waiting for some relevant answers.

"Yeah, of course. It's nothing but love, love. I've been crushing around on my fancy girl, for 6 years. It's expected? For me to know my crush to this extent, atleast. Hmm?"

Blank Space, baby. Yeah. Taylor Swift rocked those lyrics right in my mind after I exactly heard of what he said in his answer.

"Crush?" Let's expect another answer.

"St. George's, fancy." Okay.

"Oh!" An approximate one minute silence followed, which I ended with me hovering over him. It's show time not questions. He's there forever, we have ample of time to get our share of questions answered.

"Smart. Very smart. With me dieing with self-guilt and loathe, you were having a nice show out there. Wow? Punishment required, ain't it?" Can't believe if this was happening. It's real. I was getting my fairytale, finally. I heard his light-hearted laugh, which gave extreme solace to my heart. It was like music to my ears. Shit, am deep, deep in his love.

"Oh-kay! If that's the case, so that goes for you too. Hmm? Justified, much? For playing around with me." This can't get more cuter. Or clichè? Well, I'm having the time of my life and I can't waste it in thinking.

"Smart. No punishment. Fair enough." Yeah.

"Okay. Now c'mon lemme go. Bye."
But why? It's just five minutes back we sorted and confessed, here he's all set to make a move. Weirdo. I grabbed his arm to restrict any movement from his side.

"You aren't going untill to propose me and make me your girlfriend."
Of course. He need to complete his unfinished business.

I felt a sudden jerk annd felt my lips being taken for a seal. Omfg! He kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. We kissed and kissed like typical teenagers who had just started dating. He left me when I was breathless.

"Still, you need to know whether you are my girlfriend or not?" He said, quoting the word girlfriend and teasing me with his statement and wink.

"Yes. I need to." That goes without any doubt. And hesitation, as I knew the answer.

"I love you." He said.

Wait.

"What language was that?"
"Was it French?"
We burst into a laughing session, for these kind of coincidences happened damn frequently between the two of us. Those questions were important in their part, though.
"Yeah." I answered. "Spanish." He answered. As soon as we completed, he ran out of the couch area and I followed him, laughing all the way.

~~~

Long story. Right? That was the day, 18th August'12. It was the beautiful beginning to our journey, which we happily walked, are walking and will keep walking, hand in hand.
Now since, we were graduates and earning quite enough with our respective jobs, we are getting married. It's 25 February'16. We have bought a penthouse together and will be moving into it right after the wedding.

What could be more romantic than a wedding in the month of February?Yay! Fancy Doll weds Sexy Nerd. I reached the venue along with my bridesmaids. I was extremely impatient to reach the stage and have my nerd reserved all for me, for the rest of this life and the remainig births.

~~~

-Expect the unexpected.-

It's an old one. Have edited it long back but got time to update now. Still not proof-read, ignore the glitches. Have made it longer too!

Love Loads~
IWishINever

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