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➶-͙˚ ༘✶ ───

❝ It just happened. ❞

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Malhotra's Residence.

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The slight ticking sound of the grandfather's clock just behind the drawing room's sofa in the Malhotra's residence pierced through the deadly silence in the room. Manik on the other hand wanted to do nothing else than throwing his little sister off there balcony from the third floor. He knew it was cruel, she was his own sister, but oh my, was she less than a devil herself.

Monica Malhotra, Manik's 8- year old little sister was finding this nothing else than a T.V. show. The shit eating grin on her face not even diminishing when she was occasionally observing her brother giving her that glare that meant nothing more than damn she's in trouble. But did she care? For now he needed to save his own arse.

For now what concerned Manik more was his mother. Mrs.Nyonika Malhotra sat at the single seated couch beside the sofa where sat the two siblings, who would have successfully murdered each other if not they had their mama bear's piercing gaze on them. They looked like prisoner who were fighting of the survival of the fittest.

Mrs.Nyonika Malhotra was a very intimidating women, probably the one who would make you shit your pants by just one mocking glance. Since she was the vice-principal of the warrior high she lived of the fear the students provided her and oh did she love it. Although her alarming personality never really stopped Manik, he loved to piss her off. But this time it was not him, it was his Nandini.

"Mon," Nyonika sighed, Monica's head rose in attention at her mother's call, "yes mama?" Such a mother's pet Manik scoffed. "Are you sure, that your brother over here was with a 'GIRL' when you came back home from your piano lessons?", "Mom, please-"Manik interrupted already annoyed, why can't they mind their own business. "Your name isn't Monica or is it Manik?" Nyonika cut him off giving him a pointed glance. Monica cackled but covered it up by choking when her mother's glance landed at her.

"You can answer me now, Monica" Nyonika nodded her head at her daughter. "Yes mama, I am very much sure. In fact she was attacking Bhaiya-"Monica's ramble was stopped when Manik launched off from the sofa and groaned, feeling like to trash the TV on his sister's head. He gritted his teeth and grumbled. "SHE WAS NOT ATTACKING ME".

"She was mama, she was literally above him "Monica whined desperately trying to prove her point. Manik's face grew hot when Nyonika looked at him with slightly enlarged eyes. "WILL YOU SHUT UP OR NOT?" Manik growled, "But-"Monica raised her voice. "ENOUGH" Nyonika's voice made her flinch. "Mon, dear can you please leave me and your brother for some time, we have some matters to talk on." Monica gave an understanding nod to her mother and left the room while throwing that nasty grin on her brother's face.

"So?" Nyonika raised an eyebrow at him, crossing her legs one above another. Manik sighed, "Okay look. That 'girl' she's my girlfriend and we were just spending some time together. It wasn't my fault that Monica's piano lessons got cancelled and she saw her, was it?' Manik looked tiredly at his mother. He was much more worried about Nandini. Thank fuck his mother didn't see her. Even though he knew Nyonika wouldn't harm her but his mother can be a little persuasive. And he despised it.

"Manik" Nyonika smiled softly, "I understand 'first young love'. I get it alright." Her smiled turned into a grim when she looked into his eyes and he knew why. " But you know your father, don't you?" Manik sat down while rubbing his hands on his face, his hair toppling down his forehead, he smiled painfully at his mother. "Yeah," he chuckled humorlessly, "but I couldn't stop it mom, it- it just happened."

Nandini's bedroom.

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Nandini just kept replacing sides on her bed. Sleep was far away and her loud thumping heart didn't even want to a little break. She sighed and sat up, her eyes repeatedly glancing back at her phone which was kept on the table beside her bed. She felt herself worry too much about Manik, he didn't call or message her after he hurriedly dropped her at her house. She insisted on leaving alone on the arrival of his sister. But his over-protective self-denied that thought. She smiled at the memory. Maybe he was just busy. Manik wouldn't intentionally ignore her.

The sunrays peeking through the lavender colour curtains in Nandini's room, didn't wake her up this morning. Cause the poor girl never slept. Waiting for his text which never came. Now she was very much concerned about him. Was he alright? He wasn't hurt, was he?

Her shivering hands grabbed her phone and quickly dialed Cabir's number. "Hello" Cabir's groggy voice answered, "Hello Cabir?" Nandini asked anxiously, "yes Nandini?" his voice appeared clearer now. "Are you alright? You sound worried." Cabir questioned. "Yeah. I- I am alright. I just wanted to know did you talk to Manik last night." Nandini cleared her thought and hoped for a safe answer. "Oh yes, I did talk to him last night." Cabir confirmed immediately. "Oh" then why wasn't he replying to her texts if he wasn't busy? Did she do something wrong? She frowned despising the thought of her hurting Manik.

"Hello, Nandini. Are you there?" Cabir's voice broke her thought process. "Yes, umm Cabir I am hanging up, we are already getting late for classes."

She sighed, her heart paining with the thought of Manik ignoring her. She hurried from her bed and grabbed her towel. If she wanted some answer she needed to find and talk to Manik ASAP.

Warrior High.

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Nandini's heart thumped loudly when she climbed the stairs of her school building. She was almost about to lose her mind, when she didn't find Manik waiting for her in their usual bus-stop in the morning. Even though Manik usually travelled by his bike before, after being with Nandini, he always used to park the bike at his friend's house near the bus-stop and grab the bus with Nandini. Navya's gossips flew out of Nandini's ears when they travelled, and Navya knew. She didn't miss the way Nandini's eyes watered slightly when she asked her about Manik. Fuck her crush on Manik, but if he tried to mess with her best friend, Navya wouldn't back down from trashing him into next week.

Nandini's eyes wandered around the corridor around class 10 'A', wanting nothing more than to find Manik and watch him give her that breath-taking smile which was only reserved for her. When she couldn't, her shoulders dropped and she went inside her own classroom, her eyes downcast to the floor. Wanting the floor to open up for some moments.

It's alright Nandini, she thought. You can probably find him in the recess. They always had their tiffin together. He will still wait for her outside her classroom during recess. Wouldn't he?

He didn't. Nandini eyes couldn't hold up her tears anymore. When did Nandini Murthy become so people-deprived and week. She has literally stayed alone and a loner for so many years. She loved being alone. Then what changed? When did she despise this loneliness? She loved it but now she hated it.

Navya squeezed shoulders wanting to assure her, her heart breaking when she saw some lone tears falling from her best friend's once rosy chubby cheeks, which was pale now. The dark circles under her eyes gave away some of her misery. But mostly it was internal.

Abruptly, Nandini wiped her tears and ran away towards the football field in their school campus. Her mind recollecting the thought of Manik practicing on the field, mostly during recess. Maybe their P.T. teacher wasn't so liberal and thought of made them practice during recess. Her heart getting a little hope that maybe there was a reason for his actions. The Manik Malhotra she knew can never do this to her.

Nandini's face gained a smile when she saw Manik in his football shorts running up the shade. She grinned, and was about to run to him, when her legs lost its pace. Her heart dropping when saw a girl come and sit beside her boyfriend. She kept her hand on Manik's shoulder which was flinched away. Nandini saw them talk after which the girl turned to leave the field. Nandini's heart dropping even more when she saw the girl was Ritika, her ex-best friend.

Ritika's face held sadness and tears but when she looked at Nandini her face changed into an evil grin. She walked up to Nandini with a smirk on her face. "Poor Nandini got dumped. Didn't she?" Ritika mocked her. "Well guess, he didn't want you anymore. Therefore he called me here during recess."

Nandini's eyes suddenly turned furious. She scoffed looking Ritika up and down. "Sorry to break it up to you, but even Dhruv is way above your standards." Nandini chuckled mockingly, "and that guy over there can never be yours. So keep dreaming. Yeah." Nandini flicked her ponytail and walked confidently away from Ritika who was red in the face, her blood boiling in extreme anger.

Nandini's confidence broke apart once she was away from Ritika's eye range. Her stomach felt sick and her eyes tearing up. But what if Ritika was saying the truth? Did Manik not want her anymore? She ran inside the girl's washroom and looked up at the mirror after washing her face. Manik Malhotra was ignoring her. Very well then. Now he will be witnessing what Nandini Murthy's anger can cause.