The next day is even worse.

I haven't seen Manik since our pleasant meeting in that classroom two days ago.

Every time I try to focus on a particular thing, Sam's words start to circle around my head. The conversation that the two us had has kept me up for the past two nights. I'm low on sleep and high on caffeine.

I sure am living the good life. 

"You're doing it again." Fingers snap in front of my face bringing me back to now. I turn my head sideways and meet an annoyed Natasha glaring at me.

"I'm sorry. You were saying..?"

"I was saying that I think we should try a different angle while we write this story." She points towards her notebook.

I look back and forth between her and the notebook, "What story?"

"The st—" She huffs out loud and slams her notebook shut. "Why the hell are you so distracted?" Her big round eyes stare at me through her big rimmed spectacles. "It's been two days since you have been in that zone again. It's the 3rd time this week! What on earth is wrong with you, N?"

'That zone' is a term that Natasha uses for when I blank out frequently in a day and that has been happening a lot in the past few days.

"I haven't. I'm sorry.. let's just take it from the top?" I take the notebook from under her hands and open it on my desk.

"C'mon Nandini," Natasha takes the notebook out of my hands and closes it. "Tell me what's wrong." She looks at me.

I turn in my seat and face her properly, "Nothing's wrong."

She narrows her eyes at me, "Yeah, alright. Nice try."

"No. I swear. Nothing is wrong." I lie.

Natasha doesn't know about the mess in my life. At least not yet. But I don't think she's far away from figuring it out on her own. Every time Manik walks by, my mood changes. Every time someone mentions his name, I light up. Or deflate, sometimes. It's not like she doesn't notice. She just hasn't asked yet, which I think might change anytime soon.

"There is something bothering you. I know it and you're hiding it."

"I'm not hiding anything from you. I just— it's complicated."

She gives me a defeated look saying that she won't argue further.

"Okay. If you say so. But I'm there if you need or if you've got anything to say."

"I— " I stop. I don't know anything about the mess that my life is right now. The more I try to let it go, the more it catches up with me. The more I try to distance myself, the tighter it holds me back. "Thanks." I manage a smile, "But there's nothing to talk about."

She looks at me for half a minute in complete silence. "Okay." She opens her notebook back and goes back to scribbling notes.

I begin to say something but before I can I feel someone slide in next to me.

"Hey, I'm in this with you guys. I can't do this alone, I don't understand a word Shakespeare says." Manav says leaning towards us from my right.

"We know it already." Natasha speaks for both us. "See, I wrote our names and now I will submit it to Professor Mehra. We have three weeks to read this piece of crap book and work our assignment out."

"Yeah, we can do it." I chip in.

Natasha looks at me and gives me a mild smile.

The rest of the period passes by as we indulge in discussion of our assignment in the middle of Natasha and Manav's discussion about the upcoming Fresher's event. Although I am not that interested in anything, the mention of a dance performance catches my attention.

"Are you guys gonna dance?" I ask the both of them as Natasha strikes that word off her list.

"Just struck that possibility off."

"Why? I think I might want to dance."

Natasha scoffs. "Sure, you might."

I frown. "What does that mean?"

"You can't even focus on what any of us says and you think you can prepare a dance for an audience of a few hundred students?"

"Nuts." Manav elbows her.

"I'm sorry but, it's true." She says.

"It's alright." I tell her as I collect my things and throw them into my backpack. "I get it I've been off and I haven't been up to date on the assignments as well—"

"No, I'm sorry. I didn't—"

"I know you didn't mean it that way, Nuts." I get up from my seat and Manav slides outwards to give me way. "The class is over and I've got work to do before I leave, so.. I'll see you guys tomorrow." I smile at them half-heartedly before turning away to walk out of the crowded class room.

I know I'm being weird and I might just lose these amazing friends I have because of it but, I can't help not being like this. Especially when Manik isn't making it any easier for me to think straight. With him being so difficult and strange, it's not easy to keep myself normal.

The voices grow louder as I walk further away from the class into the crowding corridor with my backpack hanging across my shoulder. I walk a little distance before I turn to the right and ignoring the elevator, I walk down the stairs.

The elevator in this college has never really been kind to me. The two times I tried to take it, I was locked inside it as the power went off in the college.

The first time it took them 10 minutes to get me out and by then I was almost dead. Or so I thought. The moment I stepped out of the elevator that day, I fell over someone and then woke up in the medical room an hour later.

The second time I luckily had Navya with me and we were stuck inside that wretched place for just a minute or so before the power came back.

Anyway, since I can't take anymore risks with the elevators I prefer stairs, even when I have to climb up and down four floors quite a few times in a day. Luckily, this is the last time I go down these stairs today.

I reach the second floor when I hear my name being called in a familiar voice. I turn around and find Karan running downstairs towards me.

"Nandini, I need to talk to you." He says as he stops in front of me, breathing heavily.

"If it's about that day, then I'd rather you don't. I already have a lot on my mind—"

"I didn't do anything, okay? I swear. No matter what he tells you, you need to know that I had nothing to do with it." He takes a step forward.

I frown, "What?"

"What?"

"What are you talking about? Who would tell me anything?"

Karan wears a confused look. "So, you're not mad a me?"

"Why would I be mad at you?"

"Oh, nothing. Where—where are you going?"

I eye him skeptically, "My class is over. I'm going back."

"I'll drop you back." He says.

I hold a hand up and place it at his shoulder lightly pushing him back, "Ah. That wouldn't be necessary, actually."

Karan moves back and looks at me, "You are still angry, aren't you?"

I frown in confusion.

"About that day when I left you and I acted... I was..."

"A bit inconsiderate? Weird?"

He sighs, "Yeah. That's exactly what it was and I'm sorry—"

"What happened in the corridor?" I interrupt. Right now the weird incident that happened between me and Karan is the last thing on my mind.

"With Manik?"

"Yes. What happened? Why were you guys fighting?"

"Nandini.. I—"

"Karan, look. I've been fed lies and lies and lies each time I ask something about whatever the heck is going on here. I could really use something here to not push me over the edge. Okay? I'm failing miserably. I can't focus, I can't eat, I can't sleep. I need someone to be a friend to me and help me out. Navya told me whatever happened with Manik and his friends and you guys. She told me about that incident but I need you to tell me something as well. What is going on between the two of you?"

I cannot seem to catch a break at all. I need to understand the mechanics of whatever is going on here. Why does Sam keep asking me to not give up? Why are Karan and Manik always at each others throats?

"Nandini, you need to stay away from Manik. That's all you should know. He is bad news for you. Heck, he is bad news for himself. He is self destructive and he is dragging you in the middle of something you shouldn't even be around. Something big. Nothing good will come out of you snooping around and trying to figure things out. You'll just end up hurting yourself." Karan takes a step back and leans against the wall, crossing his arms.

"Look at yourself, Nandini. You have missed all the dance auditions that I have arranged for you, you have got a huge pile of assignments pending. Thinking about Manik and what he's up to is all you do all day long. You keep trying to figure out the messes he has made but in that process you're messing your own life up. FUCKING it up." He pauses.

He's probably expecting me to say something and I am racking my brain for words. "You are better than this, Nandini, and you deserve someone who'll keep you sane not drive you to the brink of insanity!"

I am at a loss of words. 

"It's not all about you. Maybe whatever he does, or behaves like, or whatever goes on between us is not about you, Nandini." 

"Not about me?" I scoff. "Not about me, Karan? Ever since I have come back here everything happening to me and with me connects this to Manik. Or you. It's always either one of you in the mix. He acts like he can come and go whenever he wants, he's there when I'm in the need of rescue. You act weird one day, the next day you want me to forget about it and be normal. And to top it all.. I get attacked by some random guy saying things like I have had his people in circles  and I have bodyguards? What on earth is that about now? And what.. Manik.. and you.. And I'm not even okay about.. and there was blood, I stabbed him, Karan!" I shout.

I feel my heart starting to race. I feel the beats against my skin, beating hard. It takes me a second to realize what I have done. What I have said.

"What random guy? What attack? When did this happen?

 I step away from Karan and start descending down the stairs. 

"I have to go." I say.

"Nandini, what attack? Nandini!" He calls, but I keep walking away until I hear the sound of name fade.

A/N: 

To all my readers,

I know I haven't updated this book in a very long time (ok, 3 years) and I am extremely sorry for leaving Manik and Nandini's story unresolved. I know you have a lot of questions and a lot of theories about this story but I won't be able to resolve them anytime soon. I won't be updating this book for a long time. 

I don't know when I will get back to it but I would still say that if you liked this story just keep it in your libraries so that whenever I come up with an update, you'll be notified instantly! 

Thank you for your patience and love,

Your writer. 
05.05.2021