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Nandini was getting ready for college when her father came to her room. She groaned internally but otherwise didn't let him see her. Instead, she fastened up her pace.

"I heard you have been extra-friendly with your future mother-in-law", he said.

Nandini raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Mother-in-law? I wouldn't have gone to that stupid party if it weren't for your message and did you assign spies to check about my whereabouts?"

He chuckled. "I really wonder about your capabilities, daughter. You are manipulative enough to change Nyonika Malhotra's opinion about you."

"Glad I could inherit some of your genes", she told. It was one of the reasons she avoided business parties. Why couldn't Nyonika have met her in some other way?

"So, shall I talk to her about your marriage?", he asked.

"Will you cut your bullshit? I have already told your wife not to come anywhere near my friends. Hasn't she told you?", she said. Nandini wanted to scream her lungs out but she was already feeling tired even if it's just the start of the day.

"You don't have to do it for free of cost. I have a plan", he told and forwarded a file.

Nandini nodded and took the file before sitting on her bed. She was waiting for this plan since the day the Malhotras have visited for lunch. The plan was of course stupid. It contained every known asset of the Malhotras, their companies, and its branches. Her father had prepared multiple proposals for each of its branches.

"We could approach the branches instead of her with the proposals. It's not like Nyonika Malhotra would keep tabs on every small business of hers", said Mr. Murthy.

Nandini nodded again. It was stupid of him to assume Nyonika Malhotra would leave one of her companies unattended, however small it was. She didn't comment and went through the rest of the file. "It's a nice homework you have done here." Her father looked smug. "I think I have a proposal of my own. Why don't you go through that?"

Mr. Murthy's smile was crooked as Nandini rummaged through her cupboard to take out another file. "I knew you had my gene somewhere inside you."

Nandini smiled and waited for his smile to turn into pure rage. After her encounter with Nyonika Malhotra, Nandini collected the messages he had sent to Singhal from Vishal.

"Were you spying on me?", he asked. He was livid.

"And what were you doing here?", asked Nandini, pointing at his file, "Writing a fan blog of Nyonika Malhotra?"

His face softened but Nandini knew it was an act. "I am doing it for you, daughter. Nyonika Malhotra hates you and she would never let you get married to Manik. If we are going according to my plan, you could have the guy you love."

"Stop masking your greed as care. I have told you already. I am not in love with Manik and I am not getting married to him. Ever. You accept it, you live as a Murthy. You don't, I am talking to the lawyer." She stormed off without waiting for his reply.

XXX

The conversation and the after-effects had forced Nandini to miss out on the first half of the classes. Her Chemistry Professor, who had met her at the entrance, had taken her to the Principal to complain. Even though the Principal let her go with a mild warning, it got on the Professor's nerves when Nandini didn't even protest and he scolded her some more. Finally, when the day got over and she thought, she could have some peace, her car refused to get started. She kicked the tire and closed her eyes, leaning on the side door to breathe in some air. She was too tired.

"Is everything okay, Nandini?"

Nandini opened her eyes and found Cabir. Manik was beside him. "My car broke down", she told.

"Where's Abhimanyu and Mukti?", asked Cabir.

"I asked them to leave. I didn't know this day could get worse."

"We could drop you."

Nandini shook her head. "It's not about that. I can go by cab, really. You can leave. I just need a few minutes to myself." But when Nandini turned around, Manik was already working on her car. She raised an eyebrow at Cabir. "Does he know how to repair cars?"

The smirk on Cabir's face was answer enough. "Cars, bikes, laptops or mobiles, my brother can make them work in minutes."

"Why are you flaunting as if it's your talent?", she snapped. He almost looked smug.

"You are in a pretty bad mood", pointed out Cabir. "What happened?"

"I hate college. I hate classes. I hate professors." Nandini didn't care if it sounded like a rant.

"At least you love me."

"You top my hate list."

As Cabir started another rant about all the lovable things in him, Nandini thought how did she end up not talking to a single person in college throughout the day to keep up an argument with this boy. Their fight came to halt when the car rumbled to life and Manik came around it towards her.

"I don't know what happened and I can't make your day good but your car is working just fine", said Manik.

Nandini had the first smile since the day had started. He had already made the day better. When Cabir went to get their car, Manik a finger to her car.

"This still needs servicing badly. I could make it work temporarily but if troubles you in between, will you give us a call? Why do you have to take a cab when we are going to almost the same place", told Manik and threw one of his sweetest smiles.

Nandini knew it was the one he uses to manipulate any argument in his favor. But before she could agree to him, he was speaking again.

"Why don't you give me a call even if the car doesn't trouble you so that I know you have reached home safely", he muttered.

Nandini shook her head at his hesitation. She had accepted his natural instinct to care about all his friends but Manik was still hesitant when it came to asking Nandini to do something. Probably, he still thinks she would punch him or something. She hugged him instead and her smile only widened as she broke the hug. "Thank you for being the sweetest part of my trashy day", she told sincerely and hoped Manik would understand how much she meant her words.

XXX

Cabir generally jumps and whines and cries at the thought of driving a car. He loves the motion and the risk that follows speed but there are rarely times when he doesn't choose to drive. One of them was when he was thinking. His thoughts consisted of Nandini Murthy and his brother.

There was Nandini a stubborn head girl, at the end of a very bad day, blasting everyone off for even attempting to talk to her and then there was his Manik, the shy head boy, the guy who was terrified of girls, complained for hours about how he didn't get them after the Soha episode. The opposites attract but never did Cabir think they would fit so perfectly. When she was hating the whole world around her, not only did he make it better for her but also brought out a brilliant smile on her face, and then Mukti says not to force them. He hasn't met any two more compatible people and he didn't know how long he could wait.

"What are you thinking, kid?"

Manik's voice broke through his thoughts. "That, how can you utter the most perfect lines even when you haven't dated anyone in your whole life?"

Manik furrowed his brows. "Which line?"

"I can't make your day better but your car is working fine", he teased. "I am sure any girl would fall for that especially after a bad day. If I were a girl, I would have sung poetries for you right there."

Manik rolled his eyes. "I would pass that privilege. I am not so sure about your poems."

Cabir punched his arm. "Bhai, you are offending me." It was nice to not to treat him like a glass doll. Ever since their workouts, Cabir felt Manik could hold out himself during a fight. He didn't have to hold himself back about hurting or injuring Manik and as their banter increased, he felt himself closer to his brother than previously possible. Another reason he owed the head girl.

XXX

Nandini had pulled out her mobile to call Manik as promised. The smile that he had put on her face lasted until Nandini saw Harshad Saxena inside her house along with his father. Her father was there too. Before she could utter a word, her mobile pinged with a message from him.

You refused your own choice. Harshad is mine. Behave.

Nandini rolled her eyes. She gave a polite node to Saxena and ignored Harshad.

"Nandini, I heard you and Harshad are good friends. Why don't you show him your room while I talk to Mr. Saxena?"

She forced a smile before turning to leave. She knew Harshad was following her and turned around to face him once she reached her door. "Look, Harshad, I don't have any interest in being in the same room as you. It would be better if you wait here for a few minutes and go down while I go to my room and ignore your whole existence."

"How about you bear my presence for those few minutes and I won't ever cross your path?", he said.

Nandini crossed her arms. "Harshad, you neither are in a position to forward proposals to me nor are you the person I trust at the moment."

"I know I haven't done anything to earn your trust. I just need a few minutes of yours and I promise you would never hear from me again", he told.

She sighed. "Ten minutes. That's all I could give you." She left the door open but Harshad closed it behind him. Suddenly, Nandini felt the room suffocating her but she took a deep breath and maintained her distance. She can't let Harshad scare her forever.

"I have always thought you as a brat. I have seen only Alya, my cousin, and how her parents spoil her rotten. Between both our families, she gets everything she demands. I thought you are the same and that everything came easily for you, including your headship. Your dad is a trustee. Almost everyone in the college thinks the same", he said and paused. "That day, I know, I was crossing a line but I never meant to harm you. I am not that person. I just wanted to scare you. I am sorry for hurting you. You don't deserve that."

Nandini rubbed her forehead. He wanted to scare and she did get scared. "Why now?", she asked because it didn't make any sense. "We have classes almost every day and it's not the first time we have met since that day. What do you want from me?"

"I wasn't guilty after getting suspended or after returning to college because I thought my intentions weren't wrong. You were normal, you ignored me and so did I. Until sometime back, I wouldn't have given a second thought but after meeting your father and after talking to him, I realized how wrong I was. Nandini, you don't have a rosy life here and I don't want to add to your burdens anymore."

She stiffened. "Hold on a second", she told, "We are fine. My dad and I. Stop assuming things about me."

Harshad chuckled but it didn't contain his usual sick humor towards her. "You don't need to defend him when he is literally trying to hook you up with me. The way he talks about you, I was shocked to think, someone could say that for his own daughter."

Though Harshad muttered the last line to himself, Nandini heard him. She gaped at him for a few seconds but then snorted. "I guess, I am not as surprised as you." He looked as if someone had proved all the logic he had since childhood as wrong.

"As I said, I don't want to add any more troubles. I won't say anything to anyone. It's not my secret, anyway", he said.

Nandini noticed a hesitant smile barely appearing on his face. She shrugged. "I guess, thanks." His ten minutes were over and so was the conversation but there was an awkward silence between them. Nandini cleared her throat and the sound made Harshad snap his head from where he was staring at his shoes.

"I am sorry. I shouldn't have ever done that. If it's not too much, can you please forgive me?", said Harshad but before Nandini could open her mouth to protest, he started speaking again. "You don't have to answer me and I totally understand if you couldn't. Bye, Nandini."

Okay, what was that? Nandini had thought the day was on a downhill but Harshad caught her off guard. She didn't know what to do with his apology or the speech. As far as Nandini was concerned, she had decided to ignore his presence completely and erase the little incident with him. She sighed and looked at her mobile which caused her a mild heart attack. Manik was on call. She must have accidentally dialed him while coming inside the house to inform him about her reaching him. Nandini cursed herself before putting the mobile to her ear.

"Okay, how much did you listen?", she asked.

"Almost everything", he replied, "I took a u-turn to your place but if it's all fine, I will go back."

"No", said Nandini. "Can you please pick me up? You are already on your way and I don't want to stay here."

"Give me five minutes."

Nandini had cut the call and fell backwards on her bed. What was her life even?, she thought.

I want to stress upon a few points. 

1. Abhimanyu and Mukti accepted Nandini's parents. They are silent. Cabir is sympathetic, maybe be concerned. Harshad promised not to harass her after knowing about her parents, which is nice actually as far as he is concerned. And there's Manik who was angry. An emotion he hardly uses in his everyday life. He worked himself up for giving her a safer life. That's how Manik is different than the rest of everyone she had met. That's the reason she chose to trust or love him(she wouldn't agree though). 

2. Nandini is fine right now because finally after months of planning, Murthy had forwarded his stupid plan to her. It doesn't directly involves Manik, so she is fine. Also, she feels better when things are under her control, if it's not clear anywhere. 

Any other questions you want to ask, feel free. :)