PART~2 for OS~9

MANIK's POV

"Do you know what I think at times ?" she sighed..

"No Miss Vardhan I don't. Will you please enlighten me?"

"Manik, You and your sarcasm uff.." and again she sighed...

"Really mukti, you wanted to say this" I rolled my eyes. This girl can't be serious.

"No yaar. I wanted to say I so agree with MY boy." she said and I wanted to bang my head somewhere..

"And can you please enlighten me with what your boy says?" and she again sighed..What's wrong with this girl? and what's with her this sigh? 

"Manik, from where have you learned this please enlighten me. You are using it now and then.."  And though I cannot see her from phone I am sure she will be giving that detective wala as in kuch toh gadbad hai wala as in ACP sir wala look..

Oh my god..iss ladki ne mujhe bhi dramebaaz bana diya...

"Hello manik..tu hai na.." wow..I started to zone out too..great na..

"Manik Malhotra, kar kya raha hai? Yaha mein itni important baat kar rahi hoon aur tu apni jaa-ne-dushman ke bareme soch raha hai..Mujhe tujse ye umeed nahi thi..My boy was right.." and she made that tch-tch sound over phone..really?

"Really?" 

"Not.." this girl knows how to shut me up..Obviously what to reply for this?

"Okay fine..what was the important thing you called for?  Wait wait..before that tell me what that your boy said?"

"MY boy has a name Malhotra. Yeh kya your boy laga rakha hai.."

"Okay fine , so tell me what that gadha said?"

"Don't worry I will get back when it's about your angry bird..My boy said that drunk manik is better than sober one" 

"What the.." and she laughed..laughed,,really 

"Nandini.."

"Nandini nahi Manik. It's mukti. " 

"Nahi, waha bench pe..park mein nandini hai..aur wo ro rahi hai..."

"What? kyun?"

"Aree mujhe kya pata. I will call later . I hope everything is fine." I was concerned. 

She is my colleague. Okay fine, my enemy with whom I always fight. Okay fine, I think I have feelings for her but it's just that I can't  accept it , you know Nandini Murthy is famous for her punch and I fear rejection too.

So what I am a boy? Can't a boy fear rejection? Narrow minded peoples. 

"Manik ruk ruk..ek free ki advice doon.."

"Kya hai jaldi bol..she is crying here and whatever you are saying it better be important..."

"Haan manju...it's important. So apni is best friend cum love guru ko acche se sunna..Wo ro rahi hai toh tu use console mat kar. Do the opposite as how much I have know about her from you it will work and she will get angry. Sayad confess bhi karde you know gusse mein dil ki baat nikal jati hai. "

"Do you want her to punch me?"

"Nope.." 

"Toh yese pitne wale ideas kyun de rahi hai..."

"Aree, it works."

"Kyun tune kisi ladki pe try kiya hai?"

"Nahi, mere ladke ne mujhpe try kiya tha tabhi toh ab hum saath hai."

"Now go, all the best bye. Aur aate hi call karke sab batana okay."

And the phone went dead. Mujhe toh bolne ka mauka hi nahi diya. Poor me.

Oh no..Poor Nandini. Wo ro rahi hai aur tu kya kya soch raha hai..Ja manik ja..

***********

I forwarded my handkerchief to her and spoke..

"You know it's better to go home and cry while reading book. Others will think you gone mad." Wow, I remember this line so nicely. This was something I tried on navya, my sister but it didn't work cause she was in home only..

Okay fine I know that was pathetic but I am nervous dude. 

And now don't even say Manik, be a man as I am already a man .

Also, it easy to fight with nandini but it's hard to console a person whose hands work faster than mouth and divert their attention from the thing they are crying for..

"I don't cry always but it's my first..."Saying so she took out her own handkerchief and wiped her face..

Aww, my sherni looks so cute na. How much I love her?

Did I just say love? Just scratch that love..it's like..

How much I like her?

Did I forgot to mention I have a huge crush on her ?

How much you ask then I can't even say about it. It's really huge.

More than anyone would have had on someone.

Now don't even call me  "Egoistic " 

"So what? Everyone has. And I have heard that The Manik Malhotra has the biggest ego ever."  Oh no, that was supposed to be in my head. How can you Manik Malhotra? How dare you speak it so loudly and she though it was for her. 

Why do I let my mind run so much? I think I should put it in rest mode?

But wait if I put it on rest what will I say as one cannot speak without using brain?

Did I just went mad?

Leave that but isn't it good. She is getting angry.

And to nail it I raised ny eyebrows as if challenging her as I know she don't know to do that..

How I knew then did you forget I have a "very" huge crush on her.

But what she did next amused me. She made her eyes wide. How much I love her doe shaped eyes. I feel like getting lost in the deepness it holds.

What will nandini do if she knows what I am thinking?

She will surely faint?

And I laughed at this thought but when I looked at her I realized I just made her embarrassed..

Manik Malhotra, why in this heaven do you think so much that you always land yourself in hell ? I face palmed and this time luckily in mind only.

"You don't have any work that you are here to time pass.." and the answer came to me like this..

"I am not like you who cries while reading a book. I have lots of work. " Why did you speak without thinking manik? If only you have though maybe you would not have made her more angry..Tu nahi sudrega manik.

"I was not crying reading a book. I was crying over someone's death." 

"Oh really. Let me guess it must be some love who dies at the end and one lover is crying over other's death.." did I just mock her? Oh my god, what did I do?

 You think when you don't have to think and you don't think when you really have to think..Now I am realizing why they say to think twice before speaking something

"No you are absolutely wrong . I was crying over the death of Godfather." Oh fish. My baby is having such a emotional time and instead of consoling her I am following that Mukti's advice?

Mukti I so will kill you. It's all happening because of your not so applicable word..Ignore the word for I can't think of anything else..Did you again forget that I am  nervous?

Uff..

Now, don't think and apologize..

 "Oh I am sorry . I didn't mean to.." 

"But wait, you are not christian then.." wow, though I didn't thought but it was logical. 

This proves sometimes we should speak without thinking too.

"So what, can't I have one? " I shivered. I guessed I made her really angry. Obviously, I just played with her emotions then what will she do pat your head..Ask forgiveness now..

"I didn't.." I just didn't know what to say and on top of that she again spoke angrily..This is not fair here I am stammering and she is scolding me too..Thank god I am pouting in my head. 

It won't look good pouting in front of my crush. I have some image yaar..

"What haan? These are relations of soul not religion or blood and I can have one. "

"Does it mean your.." I wanted to ask but she cut me..

"No . For now he is harry's ." Harry. What ? Does she love someone? Oh no. Does she call her sasurji godfather? But how can she love someone? She is mine. But I just have crush on her, it's not like I love her.

But again. who the hell is this Harry?

"Who Harry?" I finally asked..

"You don't know Harry. Harry Potter." Aww, how cute she looked when she looked at me with those big eyes etched in disbelief..

And then she showed me the cover of book and it read "Harry Potter and the order of phoenix"

What's there? But then realization struck..

Harry..

"You seriously were crying over fictional character's death..." And I laughed..Oh come on I am happy  yaar..It was just a character not some real wala boy whom I would have beat anyway..

How can you forget I "like" her..

"You don't understand others emotions. So what it's fictional, when some pure bond breaks one who has heart feels like crying. So, yes I am crying. " I tried to speak but she didn't let me..This is so not fair ..

"And you Manik Malhotra, you know I had a crush on you. My first crush. But you yourself crushed it. Now I don't want to see you face. Just never come in front of me again. I will crush you with the curse. " and before I could say anything she went away..

Why is it always the girls who speak and I don't get to in my life? 

First Mukti

Now Nandini

Now what do I do?

Yes,

Muktiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

//

"Once more Manik..Then I won't ask promise..Once more"

"And you Manik Malhotra, you know I had a crush on you. My first crush. But you yourself crushed it. Now I don't want to see you face. Just never come in front of me again. I will crush you with the curse. " manik again repeated the same dialogue for 10th time..

"The more I listen , the more I feel like listening. "for the information  mukti was also telling  this for the  10th time..And she again stated to laugh..

"Manik tujhe pata hai, I have this 99.9% confidence that she will be best for you but not that o.1% doubt which I had is also cleared and I can confidently announce that Yes, My best friend , Manik Malhotra has fallen in "love" so deeply to the girl called Nandini Murthy ..." but before mukti could continue manik cut her..

"O hello, I just have crush on her, a crush, t's all about like. Not lo..."

"Baba Manik, I cal you baba does not mean you are seriously experienced. Just remember I call you that as sarcasm. And baby, you have zero qualification in this love matter..."

"You are saying like you have don't PHD in it.."

"Nope. I have not but I am sure you are in love. "

"And how can you be so sure?"

"I am sure cause I have gone through that phase."

"And may I know what's the symptoms?"

"Manik, it love not some poison that it will show symptoms as it reacts . Also if it was labeled a poison also people will drink  it without a second thought.  Aur meri jaan, I won't say anything cause that happiness one gets to experience at realizing that they are in love on their own is too much than one discovering it from other's help.  So, just wait."

"Kya bol rahi hai..It's going above my head. Forget it..Now tell me what should I do now since she is angry on me..."

"It's simple Manik. She accepted your crush now you too accept your feelings in front of her."

"Mukti , it's 11th time I am saying, she didn't accept my  crush but she crushed it ."

"Does that matter?"

"Shouldn't it?"

"It should Manik. But does she not having saying these things affect what you feel for her?" manik nodded in no..

"Rather it has increased..She is so adorable." manik said with a wide grin..

"Apni battisi dekhana band kar..." and manik shut at once..Best you know can know what you are doing even if you are talking in phone and they can't see you.

"Ab do only think you never were able to do, Go and ask her for date ." 

"But.."

"No ifs and but. It's high time THE FEARLESS MANIK MALHOTRA should do something.."

She exactly know how to struck the right chord..

"But how?"

"That's for you to know.."

"And That's my time , bye." and the phone went dead.

Where we having some stand comedy show that she cut the call with That's my time. Manik though but whom was he kidding.

Mukti Vardhan was the rarest specimen on earth and his best friend.

//

She was so lost in jogging and listening to the music in her earphones that she hadnot noticed me yet. 

Thinking all night I came to conclusion that "Kal kare so aaj karo aaj karo so ab." So here I am to ask her out for date. 

With flowers if you think then no. If I give her flowers I am sure she will kill me. And this is just the beginning so for now I want to be just me so here I am.

And she neared me I pulled her behind a tree, took out her earphones from her ears and hold her hands behind her back but not tight that it will pain.

"What the hell Manik? My favorite song was being played.." she  shouted at me but damn my tigress looked so sexy , so fresh like a morning dew.. 

"Also, if you want to talk then also , you could have just pulled one side earphone. Why both? Because of you my song too got missed. I am feeling so proud of my decision of crushing my crush over you." she ranted not caring the look of disbelief in I had on my face which changed into smirk listening to her last sentence..

"So you accept you have a crush on me?" I smriked..

"No manik..ek baar haath chodna.." and I simply left her..I know she won't run. I just know..

She put one of the earphones back in her  ear and looked towards me  again and spoke....

"So where was I , yes..No manik, I don't have crush on you. I "HAD" which I crushed just yesterday ..." Should I feel bad? Nah..She may have expected me to scowl but I gave her my full blown smile..

Yes, smile not smrik..

"And what if I say my crush for you got increased by ten folds after yesterday." and it is true.

"You had a crush on me? Me, Nandini Murthy." she asked all bewildered..

"No Nandini, I still have crush on you."  And she was shocked would be an understatement..

"Why do you have that? "

"Do we need to have reason to have crush on someone, nandini"

"No but.."

"Then no more questions."

"But why didn't you say me earlier?"

"I can ask the same. Why didn't you Nandini?"

"Aree, what do you think I will go around telling the person I have crush on that 'Hey, you may not know me but I have crush on u.' " she rolled her eyes but I replied while smiling..

"May be we were on same page Nandini."

"So what now? "  after a moment of silence she asked..

"I don't know... " I was nervous as well as confused.

I was in dilemma whether to ask her or not for what I was here for?

"Maybe we can continue jogging?" she tried to ease the awkwardness that we were in..

But I have made my desicion..So without thinking more I went with what Mukti had asked me to do. just confess it.

"Nandini, I don't know if it's right to say it now but if I don't say I will go mad. Nandini, I think I like you more than as a crush. Will you come on a date with me tonight?" I said all at one breath. 

Oh, that was easy man. But w

Please don't say no..Please, say yes. Please. *fingers crossed

"Yes..." and I felt like I was on the top of the world. 

This feeling was too much to bear.

I don't know what made her say yes, But it like a ray of hope for me and maybe mukti was right. 

She was sailing on same boat as me.

And without thinking anything I hugged her..

Breaking the hug, I quickly muttered..

"See you tonight.." and left.

I know that was quiet rude maybe but if I would have stayed more I would have surely done something to piss her and what if she had refused. 

Can't take the risk.

So I just left before her mind change.

Also, I have to prepare.

Prepare for my..

Nope.

Our First Date Together.

//

I don't know what I wrote but Manik is so cute.

And Mukti..She is love.

How  was it?

//

Love,

CrazyButSweetReader