Manik frowned as she let out a sigh, her grip tightening on the railing she was holding.

Nandini: Does it matter? It doesn't.

He stood silent while she kept staring at his face. Peace, was the only thing she craved for and she knew he was the only one who could give that to her.

Truth to be told, he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. Even more than her Appa. If he would have met her some years ago then she must have proposed him for friendship, if not for marriage.

No words were exchanged as they kept staring in each other's eyes. Manik was trying to find something in her eyes while Nandini, she was a mastermind in hiding her emotions. She looked into his eyes and could only see innocence, truth, honesty, care and something different, a different emotion which she couldn't understand anymore.

Breaking the eyelock, she sighed again and maintained her stern expressions or atleast she tried to.

Nandini: What are you doing here, in my room? As far as I know, I give my enough time to you people to discuss doubts regarding our deal. So what made you come here, in my personal space that too without my permission, Mr.Malhotra?

Her voice was so blank, that for a moment Manik didn't even know what to reply. He grew nervous. As his usual habit, he licked his dry lips before looking at her but still couldn't maintain the confidence he always carry.

Manik: Actually- I was passing by from the corridor and saw the lights on so thought to check.

Nandini: Checked?

Manik: Huh?

Nandini: I am asking if you are done checking, please leave my room.

Manik: Ar-Are you asking me to get out from your room?

Nandini: Yes, I am. Now will you?

Manik: Excuse me. You cannot be rude with me for no reason. I just thought to give you company-

Nandini: I don't need your company, Mr.Malhotra.

She interuppted in between and the way she addressed him irked him. Forgetting that he was supposed to be angry at her for asking him to get out, he gave her a childish look.

Manik: Why do you have to call me Mr.Malhotra? I have such a nice and classy name. Manik, call me Manik. Not Mr.Malhotra.

Nandini: Mr.Malhotra, go from here.

Manik, though annoyed but still smirked at her making her frown.

Manik: O-okay Miss.Murty

Nandini: I am Not a Murty!

Manik: Are you sure you are not, babe?

He said the last word carefully, looking at her expressions to see how she reacts and was surprised when she looked at him wide eyed before her whole face went red due to anger.

Nandini: How dare you!? How dare you call me that!? Do you even know who I am?

Manik: I do know who you are but I guess you don't know who I am.

Nandini: Get lost!

Manik: Okay fine. I am going. But please why do you have to get so angry? Don't you know anger isn't good for health?

His voice was soft and she knew he genuinely said this time but then, she couldn't let him in. No, that would be wrong.

However, she didn't get angry this time. She just stood still hearing him while he smiled softly.

Manik: Okay, Miss.NM, Will you be my friend?

Hearing this, her body stiffened. Manik noticed the change in her posture and before he could say something, she burst out on him.

Nandini: How dare you, Mr.Malhotra! What do you even think of yourself? How dare you even ask me for friendship.

Manik: Why, What is the problem in it?

Nandini: I don't believe in friendship, Mr.Malhotra. This friendship, it is a crap. People pretend to be your friends and when comes the times to show the friendship, they back off. Leave you in the middle and then you have no other option but regret. So, Kindly stop your bullshit and get the hell out of here!

She shouted at the end making him angry. How could she say friendship was fake? He could die for his friends and he knew even his friends won't step back when ever he will need them. Why was she so bitter? Why?

Manik: Look, Nandini, It is just friendship. Stop behaving like this. You don't want to do friendship with me then don't but dare you insult this pure and sacred bond. Friendship is a very beautiful-

He stopped in between as she let out a loud chuckle.

Nandini: Beautiful? You call it beautiful? The friendship that gave me so many scars, this darkness, loneliness, is this th definition of beautiful for you?

She breathed heavily and for a second, her condition scared Manik. He composed himself and looked at her softly.

Manik: Nandini, it is not necessary that if you got betrayal once you will get betrayal again.

Nandini: I don't want to talk about this!

Manik: Why? Are you scared that you will fall weak?

Nandini: Just shut up! Nandini Murty never gets scared of any-

Nandini stopped in between realizing she called herself Murty while Manik smiled hearing her sentence.

Manik: So you agree that you are a Murty. Nandini-

She looked at him, completely silent and he sighed.

Manik: Nandini, I know your experience in friendship is not that good but that doesn't meant you will get the same result everytime. Don't be so hard on yourself. Life is beautiful, enjoy it. Don't torture yourself. You don't deserve pain. Please, be my friend. Trust me. I won't-

Nandini: I don't beleive in all this. I don't trust anyone. I don't trust friendship. It has given me so many scars that even today I am not able to get rid of them. I am a broken mirror and the more you will try to pick up my pieces, the more they will prick you. Don't try to heal me, you will only get pain in return.

Manik went silent hearing her. He couldn't even imagine the amount of pain she was holding in her heart at that particular moment. All he knew was, he wanted to heal her. He wanted her to be happy. He wanted to see that smile he saw in the picture, on her face again.

Manik: What if I say I can make you trust on this friendship again?

Nandini: Why would you?

Manik: Because I want to. If making you trust me means bleeding due to those zillion glass pieces, then also I am ready. Give me a chance, I will show you what friendship really is.

Nandini: I don't want to give you any chance.

Manik: You have already given me a chance.

He smiled as she stared at him surprised.

Manik: You didn't realize it was our conversation without including buisness. And it has been more than an hour I am here. Today, You let this stranger inside your heart. Maybe it was for a short period of time, but you did. Now all I need is a little signal from your side and I will prove it to you that friendship is still beautiful and real, not only in books and novels.

Nandini: Go from here!

Manik: Nandini-

Nandini: Get lost!

Manik just sighed at her rude tone and nodded. He reached the door and spoke turning towards her.

Manik: You know, it is better to cry sometimes. Crying doesn't make you week. It gives you strength to fight more pain.

Nandini: Sadly, I have no tears left in me. Not anymore.

Saying this she turned her face again and Manik again sighed and left from there.

Nandini locked the door and sat on the bed thinking about the past memories.

"Bhai, Bhai dekho na Harshad bhai is teasing me!' she pouted.

"You wait, Barbie. I will teach him a lesson. How can he tease my Barbie." He held her hand and started walking.

"Yes yes Bhai, come."

Reaching there they found Harshad sitting on the bed with a grumpy face.

"Harshad, Why were you teasing my Barbie!?"

"Abhi, you also came in her talks? I didn't even say a word to her. Instead she canceled all my meetings calling my P.A. that too without asking me. And when I tried to say something to her she ran away calling for you."

Abhi looked at Nandini while she showed him her full 32 teeth smile. Abhi chuckled looking at her baby face.

"So what Harshad!? You can attend all that meetings some other day too. If Barbie has done something like this than there must be a reason behind it.."

"Saale! Are you even my bestfriend or just your Barbie's chamcha?"

At the same time, Siddharth came inside and smacked Harshad's shoulder while taking a seat beside him.

"Oye! Mr. Why are you troubling my cupcake?

Nandini grinned inwardly and secretly showed Harshad her tongue or atleast that's what she thought. She was unaware of the fact that all knew she was just fooling around them.

"Haa bhai say say! Sid bhai is asking you something.."

Harshad looked at Sid and gulped as he was giving him angry glares. Messing with Sid's Cupcake can be really very costly and none of them could afford it.

At the same time, Navya came inside.

"Stop scaring, Harshad, Sid. Your innocent cupcake is at fault this time."

"Mine!? Haww Navu, What did I do? You were the one who said let's have some fun and mess with Harshad bhai. Did you forget?"

Navya passed her a death glare while she also passed a glare. Navya looked all around her and found everyone glaring her.

"What!? Don't scare me. Okay, I understood." She took some steps back.

"What did you understand, Navy Davy?" Nandini asked innocently even though she knew her answer.

"that I should run away from here." With this, she ran away from there with jet speed while all the boys ran behind her.

Seeing the scene Nandini started laughing loudly. Hearing her laughter all of them looked at her and smiled. Later she realized that all are looking at her so she smiled sheepishly. And everyone started laughing the next moment.

She soon came out of her thoughts and realised what she was doing. Anger took over her and she closed her eyes to calm it down.

Nandini: Never! I will never ever forgive you all. This friendship, it is just a trap. I won't trust anyone again! I so want to prove my innocence to you all but you all, you guys don't deserve it.

Thinking all this she fell sleep in the sitting position only. Sometimes later Manik, who was standing behind the door all the time, came inside. He kissed her forehead and made her lay down on the bed properly before leaving from there.

While two people were seeing all this hiding behind the door.

To Be Continued.