Hello Fam :)

So, I want to clear two things. 

1. Manik isn't an introvert. He was just sheltered and would open up pretty well once he is out of his shell. In fact, there might be situations where he proved that previously. 

2. If we are considering the start of the semester around Jun or July and till December, the 2nd semester would start from January. Right now, we are in Feb, so don't be confused. :)

Happy Reading...

It was almost February and Nandini thought the climate couldn't get any better. Valentines' day was around the corner which meant her parents were again out on an extended romantic break. If only Goverdhan Murthy were alive, he would have sacked them long back but instead of complaining like she wanted to, Nandini enjoyed her stress-free life. Of course, Valentines' day meant there were so many heart eyes around and it almost gave her a headache. Almost. Since she was Nandini Murthy, she ignored it like a pro.

She went to the canteen after talking to the Principal, who had stopped her to chat about her well being when he had spotted her. Maybe even he was in high spirits. Inside the canteen, the scene was almost normal. Cabir was eating, Abhimanyu was poking at Mukti's hand, who was ignoring him in favor of her mobile, and Manik had his back towards her with a book in his hand but even from a distance, she could see he wasn't reading which was odd.

When Nandini was a few steps away from their table, someone clapped on Manik's back.

"Yes, what can I do for you?", asked Manik, slamming the book on the table.

Nandini frowned. Manik sounded upset. The boy's hand was still around Manik's shoulder and his back was facing towards her. He probably hadn't noticed her which might explain the next words that came out of his mouth.

"Manik, we were wondering what your Valentine's day plans are?", he asked.

"I don't have any", told Manik.

"Come on, Manik", whined the boy, "if someone is celebrating, it should be you. You have Nandini Murthy wrapped around your little finger. We never thought you had it in you but it's quite a feat."

Is that what's going on around the campus?", thought Nandini to herself. She didn't want to ruin her mood by punching someone but he was asking for it.

She took a step but then Manik removed his hand and smiled at the boy before standing up to face him properly. Nandini was curious. Manik passed on things like that with an awkward smile. He didn't grin like it was the happiest thing he had ever heard. Something was cooking inside his head and she was right when Manik forwarded his hand to the boy, startling him. She took a seat beside Mukti silently and asked their friends to keep quiet.

"Here, take a look at my fingers", told Manik.

"What?", asked the boy.

"No, I just wanted to know if you can find Nandini wrapped around my fingers. Don't hesitate. Come on, take a look", he told.

"I am sorry", muttered the boy.

"No, you aren't. Listen, I don't think I am capable of wrapping a person around my fingers. I don't want to. So, please do inform everyone who asks you to ask me about this too. Thank you", he told.

The boy gave him an awkward nod and left the canteen in a haste. When Manik was shooting daggers at the boy even after the boy left the place, Nandini pulled him down.

"What the hell was that, Malhotra?", she teased. "Where were you hiding this side of yours all these days?"

It took Manik a moment to recognize her. "When did you come here?", he asked instead.

"When you were blowing my mind with your sass", she told smirking.

He groaned. "I apologize for that. I just..."

"Bhai, are you okay?", asked Cabir, cutting him in.

"I am not okay. I don't want to be in college. Everyone is getting on my nerves", he informed.

He looked like a kid afraid of punishment. Nandini shook her head and pulled him from his chair. "Then we aren't staying in college anymore. Guys, follow me."

"Nandini, I don't want you guys to miss classes because of me."

"Manik, you are hardly able to concentrate on your novel which is saying something. So, let's get you back to normal."

"People are hardly teaching today, Manik", assured Abhimanyu. "We wouldn't be missing much."

Mukti wrapped her hand around Manik from the other side. "Anyway, I would rather have my sweetheart back than listening to all the shit going on inside the college."

Manik blushed at that. The girls dragged him around the campus as the boys followed. They ended up at their cabin. The first time when Cabir came to the place, he was out of his mind worrying about his brother. So, it wasn't a surprise when he exclaimed.

"This place is nice to bunk", he informed.

Manik was about to snap at him but Nandini pushed him onto the floor. She didn't want him to comment about it when he was not in the right state of mind and regret later. Instead, she cuffed the younger one's head upside. "Cabir, I discovered this place, hence, until the time I am in college, this belongs to me and I would break all your limbs if you try to use it for your twisted unfair means."

"Bhai, she is threatening me", complained Cabir.

The complaint distracted Manik enough from his mood and he burst out laughing. Cabir only complained more.

"Not done, bhai. Out of everything you could laugh for, you find Nandini abusing me funny", he said.

Before Manik could defend his 'baby' brother, Nandini punched Cabir lightly. "Jungli Malhotra, shut up." She flopped down beside Manik and bumped their shoulders. "So, hero, what's wrong with you?"

The laughter died on his face and he tensed up again. "I apologized already."

"But it's still bothering you", pointed out Mukti.

Manik nodded. Abhimanyu and Cabir sat in front of Manik on the grass.

"Manik, you don't need to apologize for your state of mind but if you are sharing it with us, maybe you could happily go back to finishing your book because I am sure, you were only staring at the page", said Nandini.

Cabir whistled. "I am impressed, Murthy. Your deals are terrific", he told.

Nandini smirked.

"Shut up, you two", said Manik and gave sighed heavily when Nandini continued to mock glare at him. "Okay, you have heard about the guy in the canteen."

"What about it?", asked Mukti. "You tackled him well."

"Mukti, he isn't the first guy I have encountered since morning and everyone has almost the same thing to say. That I have wrapped Nandini around my little finger. I am making her dance at my instructions. I have finally managed to control the arrogant head girl", he told.

Nandini rubbed her face beside him. She had heard the same but she was used to it. Nandini has always been the center of gossip since she had joined the college and she had learned to ignore them. It might be new for Manik and she could imagine why it bothered him. He wasn't used to rumors with his name attached. She was just surprised Cabir didn't punch half of the college for gossiping about his brother.

Abhimanyu tugged at Manik's hand. "Manik, don't let them get to you. They have been spreading rumors about Nandini since forever and she doesn't care. We, her friends, know the truth and we wouldn't ever believe it."

"But they shouldn't be doing that. It's none of their business whom Nandini listens to or not. They shouldn't feel that I should be controlling her. Nandini is a human being just like all of us and not a robot that we need to control her. And congratulating me? That's so cruel and rude", he argued. He turned to Nandini. "Did you ever feel like I am controlling you?", he asked, "Why are your eyes glistening? Nandini, let me explain to you, please."

Nandini didn't realize she was crying. All her life, people had tried to break her by controlling her and there was this boy whom she had met a few months ago, who wanted the world to notice her as a mere human being. He didn't know how much his words meant to her. She heard Abhimanyu and Mukti trying to calm Manik as he grew frantic with every passing second when Nandini couldn't work her brain to frame a sentence.

After a while, she wrapped her arms around Manik and pulled him into a hug. "I am fine. Thank you", she muttered in his ear. She repeated her 'thank you' wishing desperately that it would deliver the message to Manik about how grateful she was to have him in her life. When she broke the hug, he looked confused about the thanking part but Nandini knew why she had told him that. She didn't explain it to him. "Manik, it's fine. I don't listen to them. It doesn't affect me. Not really. Ignore them."

"How can I?", he asked.

"Bhai, you are overthinking", told Cabir. "Nandini is fine. If you are listening to every other person, you would mess up your head."

"True", said Nandini.

"Guys, give me a few minutes. I have something on my mind and I need to gather my thoughts properly", told Manik. He freed himself and started pacing at a distance from them.

Nandini sighed looking at him. "Is he always this worked up?", she asked.

"He cares about you, Nandini", told Cabir. He tore his gaze from his brother to look at her properly. "He gets worked up when someone tries to hurt the people he cares about. Haven't you seen him getting worked up over the slightest of things about me? It's fun when he showers all the attention on me but he fusses over me when I go to my internships and I feel bad about worrying him for my passion."

"Your work is dangerous. It's understandable", told Mukti. "But people would always gossip about others and Nandini has always been a center of attraction even if she doesn't want to."

Nandini rested her head on Mukti's shoulder. The rumors affected her at the start but then Nandini realized they couldn't hurt her more than her parents ever did and she could ignore them. She had told the same to her best friends and ever since they stopped reacting to it.

She felt her gaze following Manik as he continued to pace around. Sometimes, he would stop and caress a leaf of the branch of a tree or bend down to touch a flower. There was even a grin when he touched something on the ground, probably the touch-me-not plants. Nandini felt herself smiling at him. Not for the first time did she feel like hiding Manik from the world. He was too innocent for the world.

It was almost close to an hour when Manik walked back to them. He was excited for some reason. "I have an idea", he announced. He turned to Nandini. "Can I suggest some new proposals as a head boy?

Nandini nodded and braced herself up. "You can suggest new proposals as a student anytime if it is in favor of the college and its students but yeah, as a head boy you have complete authority. If it's good, we could take up to the Principal and make it official."

Manik crossed his arms in front of them. "I am being informal because it's just us here. Ever since I have joined the college, I have noticed the students are way too interested in drama. When there isn't one, they create one. Am I correct?"

They all nodded.

"I have a plan. I don't know if it would work but imagine if we could engage them in some regular activities constantly, they wouldn't have time for unnecessary gossip and rumors", he suggested.

"Bro, there will always be rumors", said Abhimanyu.

"True", he told, agreeing. "But when we are engaging them, let's say, we are cutting out the number of rumors. Rumors spread because people give them attention and when we keep a section of students too busy, who would give the others the attention. This way the students who are actually spreading them would either stop or they would keep their opinions to themselves."

"This could work", agreed Mukti.

"Bhai, on top of your head duties, classes, and sometimes the office, you want to work on giving tasks to students", muttered Cabir.

Manik knelt in front of Cabir and ruffled his hair before sitting beside him cross-legged. "Kid, I am not assigning them tasks. They will find their tasks themselves."

Nandini leaned forward. "What is your idea, Manik?", she asked. She made sure she had a smile to encourage him in talking. This was the head boy taking over the stage.

"Clubs", he told, staring at Nandini.

"You want to take the students out to clubs?", said Cabir.

Nandini held her hand to stop him from speaking. "Let him talk, Cabir. Manik, elaborate."

He nodded. "Everyone has some extra hobby or interest that they want to explore which isn't a part of the college curriculum. I read books. It's photography for Cabir, wildlife or astronomy. Mukti loves coding. Abhimanyu is into sports. So, we put people with similar interests in one place and form clubs. Some might be amateur and some might be experts, professionals. There would be people who just want to try it out because they liked it when they first heard about a certain club. They would learn from each other by exchanging ideas."

Nandini was smiling by the end of his little speech. She knew he was smart and his brain didn't only limit to his textbooks. There was a reason she felt he would be a perfect head student. She heard her friends already praising him for the idea but he was looking at her skeptically.

"You didn't like it?", he asked.

Nandini wanted to laugh at his expression but she composed herself. "I have a few questions." When Manik nodded, she continued. "Did you work yourself up because someone had commented about me?"

"It was a trigger", he told, "but it always bothered me. People shouldn't be talking about people. It's depressing."

"What?"

"When we talk about other people, we unknowingly start comparing ourselves and it's depressing. We all are different and unique in our own way, right?", he told.

Nandini smiled. "Imagine if the Principal approves the idea, how do you plan to work it out?"

"Can we talk about it after he approves? I have an idea and I would be more confident if the initial idea gets approved", he muttered.

Nandini finally gave the urge to laugh out loud. "Manik, this is an awesome idea and it's your first independent idea. It's important for you and us. So, don't you worry, hero. I would make sure this gets approved." The brilliant smile on his face was worth it. 

That's head boy taking the lead for the first time. :P

See you tomorrow. :)