Holaaa guys!! How are you all?
I know the updates are late but kya karu? Its writer's choice!!

Guys there is again a slight change in the story I.e "Manan navbhi and Fab4 are in std.XI and Mukbhi are in a relationship!!"

Sorry ab joote chappal mat fekna kyuki ab me kya karu? Har update kuch aisa vesa hota hai ki character sketch change karna parta hai!!
Chalo chalo!! Bohot baatein ho gayi!!
Read the update guys!! :)
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Some months later

In the school morning assembly

"students" thundered the voice of the principal through the speakers in the auditorium, and the students listened carefully , "as you all know every year we have foundation day ceremony in our school, celebrating its glorious past and bright future. so following the tradition , this year too, we are going to have a grand celebration( the students start cheering) and every student and faculty members are expected to contribute , so that the event goes down in the pages of history. Formation of cultural committee will start from today and after its first meeting the date for the event and other details will be announced but the preparations for cultural events should start straight away, under the guidance of music and performing arts faculty. Co -operation and assistance is expected , without a question, from the head boy (nishant, std xii) , head girl (ananya, std xii) , assistant head boy (manik , std xi) and assistant head girl (nandini, std xi). (four of them standing on the stage, nod in approval) . that's all for now. Further details will be duly given. Have a good day!"
...

As soon as the students entered their respective classes after the assembly, annual event became the buzzing topic. It was all chaotic in the std XI classroom, as the students were zeroing upon the events in which they would participate or volunteer.

Conversation 1:

Alia: mukti we will do something different from last year...

Mukti: you are right alia...but every year from last 7 years we are doing something new and all my ideas have exhausted, now...wait a minute ! the way you are smiling...its clear that you already have an idea...com'on...spit it out...quick!

Alia: you are right! Actually recently i saw a dance performance on tv and i think we can emulate it...you know the one like , telling a story through dance...what do you think?

Mukti: ummm...idea is not bad...but we need to think it through...like whose story? Which dance form? Number of members? With or without choreographer's help?...

Alia: hola mukti...hold on girl!! Let me speak...i have everything planned.

Conversation 2:

Cabir: Dhruv! You are ready na?

Dhruv: of course! See i have my guitar , right beside me...tu bas bol kab se practice karna h?

Cabir: arey bhai...uske liye pehle manik bhaisahab ko manana parega...kuch socha hai tune??

Dhruv: cabir tu janta hai...use manana itna difficult hai...kyu hype de raha hai matter ko..!

They hi-fived and continued planning.

Conversation 3:

Nandini: navya , tu kya karne wali hai?

Navya: co-ordinating committee mein volunteering ar kya! (navya said as if it was very obvious)

Nandini: navya ! kya yaar...every year the same thing! Koi cultural program mein participate kar le plzzz

Navya: nandini tum janti ho...i can't! Force mat kar plzzz

Nandini sighed in defeat, "ok fine!"

Navya : acha tum btao...what are you going to do...'the diva of the school' ??

Nandini: (rolled her eyes at the tag) chup kar...kuch karna toh hai...but abhi decide ni kiya hai..

Navya: ok ok..acha !

All the buzzing stopped as the teacher entered.

Later in the day

Free period

Manik was walking through the corridor when he met ananya (head girl). She stopped him to talk about something. Just then nandini too, happened to walk through the same corridor. From a distance she saw the two of them talking (although they had maintained quite a respectable distance between them while talking) and the sense of insecurity gripped her. She thought of walking past them without their notice as already the corridor was little crowded. But just as she was about to cross them, manik saw her and called out "nandini!"

Nandini stopped in her tracks hearing him and complained to her god that why can't HE just favour her once. She turned around smiling.

"yes manik"

"wo actually ananya DI...was asking for our opinion..thankfully you are here...we were about to call you" manik said and nandini's heart relaxed hearing him referring ananya as di'.

They explained her the matter and after discussing things, ananya left from there.

"why were you so sad...before i called you?" manik asked as soon as they were alone.

"nothing. Just like that" nandini answered crisply

"acha?" manik asked twitching his eyebrows.

"haa of course!...now i have to go...bye" nandini said and before he could reply, she ran away.

Manik shook his head amusedly "iss larki ka kuch ni ho sakta!!" he thought.

Next day

Free period

"uff ye cabir kaha hain...! kal se piche para tha ki baat karni hai...baat karni hai...and now when i am free he is all of a sudden, GAYAB!" manik was thinking and walking through the corridor. He was peeping inside every empty classroom and calling out "cabir!". Soon he reached the farthest end and without thinking barged in as it was an empty classroom. But the moment he got the view, he regretted entering there.

Mukti and abhi were kissing each other.

Manik for a second forgot all his manners and stood there petrified, but as soon as he recovered , he blurted a quick sorry' and literally ran away from there, while mukti and abhi stood too stunned to react even. Had it been alia or cabir or anyone else, the situation wouldn't have been this awkward, but it was MANIK...

Manik belonged to a family where while watching TV, if a girl and a boy are even hugging each other, channel would be changed. The word LOVE was never mentioned explicitly in his home, atleast as far as he remembered, it didn't. His upbringing was so pure, that manik had never thought about the things that boys of his age do , secretly. His world revolves around his books and nothing else. Cabir and Dhruv had once invited him to watch a dirty picture' but manik had refused and he was thankful that his friends never forced him for anything.

Watching such a thing' live, had disgusted him. He thought he needed some fresh air to clear his mind of the thoughts and went in the playground. He found nandini at some distance, talking to some girls. talking to cabir was a forgotten business now. He sat down at a solitary place and watched her. Suddenly his thoughts took a different turn and while thinking about her , his body had different reactions, which were quite alien to him. For the first time in these 5 years of acquaintance with nandini, today, manik observed her lips. Earlier he had never seen beyond her eyes , but today , strangely her lips seemed fascinating to him.

"knock, knock!! Is someone there??" suddenly he heard nandini's voice and zoomed out of the wierd thoughts that he was having. She was standing right in front of him. His eyes didn't go further up than her lips and he quickly looked away. Getting no response from him, nandini sat beside him and asked "kya hua?? You look distracted and worried.."

"nothing" he tried to avoid

"nothing?? Really?? Look at your face...chehra dekh kar hi pta chal raha hai ki kuch garbar hai...btao kya hua??"

"nandini"

"manikkk"

"ok fine...actually i saw something and it put me off guard!" he said avoiding her gaze.

"kya dekha??" nandini asked sceptically

"i can't tell it you"

"why? Is it a boy thing??" she asked
Manik paused for a while and then answered as he found her scrutinising his face "NO"

"then???" nandini asked confused.

"its a couple thing" manik spoke looking at his hands. He had been always avoiding the topic of love . he very well knew nandini's feelings towards him. She has been very open about it. He knew he couldn't feel the same way about anyone as he felt for nandini, but he also knew that he couldn't make promises that he wouldn't be able to keep.

But today, he had started the topic and strangely enough he didn't feel like backing out.

"couple thing?? Matlab?? Manik please clear bolo na.."

Manik rubbed his forehead a bit , then looked at her. He was feeling awkward , it was clear , so nandini took his hands in hers "manik, tum jante ho tum mujhse kisi bhi baare mein baat kar sakte ho. I won't judge you! You know that right??"

Manik finally gained courage hearing her words and said "i saw mukti and abhi, kissing...but i swear...ye maine deliberately ni kiya...galti se dekh liya!" he spoke and hung his head low as if he was ashamed of himself.

Nandini smiled and kept her free hand on his shoulder "its ok...manik...it were them who were kissing, not you...tumhe itna bura feel krne ki jarurt ni hai"

"no...tum ni samajh rahi ho...mukti and abhi...both are my friends...but i had never thought anything like that about them and today seeing them kiss...i ...i ...i don't know why but i felt disgusted"

"manik...they are in love...and its their expression of love...there is nothing wrong in that...but main.." nandini was cut off in mid by him.

"tumhe isme kuch galat ni lagta??? You mean..if you have a boyfriend toh you will kiss him???" manik asked angrily but jealousy was dripping out of his tone.

Nandini intertwined her fingers with his and showed it to him and then said, looking direct into his questioning eyes, "for me...this is also an expression of love!"

He smiled. She blushed at her own boldness. Silence prevailed but their fingers still were in each other's embrace. Manik was waiting for nandini to talk about their relationship status, which he had always stopped her from doing, in the past. On the other hand, nandini had decided she wouldn't ask anything out of the questions storming her mind, fearing that he might go away and that beautiful moment would end abruptly.

When manik found her unusually silent, he spoke up "nandini"

"hmmm" came her reply.

"like mukti and alia...you must have imagined having a boyfriend na jo tumhe...gifts de...ghumne ko le jae...shopping karae...movies dikhaye?"

Nandini was afraid to answer. What if she said something that put him off. so to be on a safer side, she tried to pass it in a joke, "wow manik...! tumhe physics k theory of relativity aur chemistry k organic equations k alawa aaj ye topic mila discuss karne ko??" and she laughed at her own joke, while manik spoke seriously , "nandini...!"

She stopped laughing and looked angrily at him. she took her hands away from his. What does he want! Jab main kuch bolti hun toh chup karwata hai...aur abhi khud hi...oh god ab main kya karun!!

"what manik?? You really want me to speak the truth...as if you don't know.!!..i am confused ...should i speak or not? because whenever i raise this topic , you end it abruptly and i have always to be cautious of what i speak, which is pretty difficult for me because i always speak what is in my heart without a filter upon my lips. And you know what? Its only you , who is in my heart. I don't know about you...but I LOVE YOU!..did you hear me? yes i love you...and i am not afraid or ashamed of it" speaking her heart out, she didn't wait for his reply and started walking away from there.

Manik for a moment replayed her confession in his mind and the three magical words did their magic on him. He got up and followed her. As soon as she was within his reach, he held her wrist and stopped her "nandini, wait!!". She, without turning, tried to free her hand but his grip was of steel.

"kya hai manik, leave me" she spoke in anger but she knew her heart was melting.

"listen to me please...ek baar sun lo...phir chali jana...i won't stop you!"
"bolo" she replied.

"nandini , you are right...main hamesha tumhe rokta tha..you want to know the reason why??" as he said that nandini turned to face him, looking curiously at him and he continued "i don't want to give you false hopes, nandini...i can't promise you eternity...i will never go against my parents and i am quite sure they won't approve of you...you know if it comes to marriage , then. My heart breaking into pieces will not matter, but a single drop of tear in your eyes and that too because of me...will be intolerable.." he wanted to speak further but nandini stopped him.

"manik...i don't want a promise of eternity...but i will try to be with you for as long as i can..and rest is in the hands of destiny"

"so if i can't give you gifts and don't take you for long drives...will it be fine with you??" manik teased.

"are you trying to confess...that you too love me??" nandini asked with a glint of hope which was visible in the way her eyes shone.

"whatever...its upto you what you wanna make out of it" manik spoke mischievously and started walking, leisurely.

Nandini's eyebrows twitched in confusion. She paced up to him, "what do you mean , manik??"

"what, what do i mean?? Annual function is on our heads and here the assistant head girl is wasting her time. You remember na that head boy and head girl have given all their responsibilities to us because their board exams are near! Jo karna hai sab hume karna hai...so get going...mujhe cabir se baat karni hai...bye!" he ended his lecture and started walking away but after a few steps he stopped and turned around , "nandini" he called and she looked at him with what expression.

"i am damn sure you know it...yet i will say...YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL" he said with a smile and then walked away.

Nandini couldn't believe her ears. Did he really say that?? But a moment ago he was lecturing me! uff! Ye larka ...he is so confusing!

Nandini grunted and then she too walked away.

While nandini was annoyed, manik was smiling to himself this is going to be fun' was his last thought before he spotted cabir and went to talk to him.
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Credits to the writer-Manini Mehra