Entangled

Part 12

Next day at the orphanage, they continued to paint the walls. Nandini was engrossed in her work as usual, but Manik wasn't. If Nandini's focus was on the wall she was painting, Manik's focus was on Nandini.

        Manik's thoughts : "She is always immersed in what she is doing and she doesn't even talk to me unless it is really necessary. If this continues, it will take me months to succeed, and I don't want to stay in this club for that long. I will have to do something to distract her and get her to interact with me."

        Manik moved towards Nandini and he stopped right behind her. At that instant, Nandini stopped painting and turned around. She was tired and wanted a break. She hadn't realized that Manik was behind her and she was startled. She couldn't step back because the wall behind her was just painted. So she put her hand forward to avoid bumping directly into him, but she didn't realize that she had paint on her hands.

        Nandini's hand print got imprinted on his shirt and that was one of his favorite shirts. He had made up his mind in advance that he wouldn't paint, so he didn't expect it to get messed up. Nandini took off her hand from his shirt soon afterwards. She saw the paint on his shirt first and then she looked at her hands. Manik saw paint on her hands and then looked at his shirt, and his temper rose. He felt like taking the paint can and dumping all the paint on her, but he controlled himself.

        Nandini : "I am very sorry. I didn't realize you were behind me or that I had paint on my hands."

        She looked around to see if she could do something immediately to take off the paint, but she couldn't find anything.

        Nandini : "Come, let us try to see if we can wash it off."

        This would have been a good opportunity for his plan, but it didn't strike him at that time. He was bubbling like a volcano inside, but he didn't burst on her. That would only worsen things and hinder their plan, so he wanted to go away from her.

        Manik : "It's alright. I will take care of it myself."

        Manik left from there immediately.

        Manik : "She messed up my shirt deliberately because I messed up her dupatta. It was so pale and I didn't know it was hers. .. but she.. I am feeling so angry, but I can't do anything now."

        He went to his jeep and changed his shirt. He calmed himself down and then returned.

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        Meanwhile, Nandini was also thinking of what had happened. She thought of her past experience with him and also the conversation she had overheard of the girls previously. She wasn't scared of him but she wasn't there to lock horns with anyone.

        Nandini : "I am sorry. I didn't mean to .. don't think that I did it deliberately because you messed up my dupatta. It was just a coincidence. .. Were you able to get the paint off?"

        Manik's thoughts : "She is cunning like the girls said. She took her revenge, but she is trying to justify that it was a coincidence. She thinks that she can fool me, but I am not going to believe her."

        Manik : "No .. I couldn't."

        Nandini : "It happened because of my mistake, so if you give me your shirt, I will get it cleaned and return it."

        Manik : "It's alright. It isn't a big deal. I will get it done."

        Manik wasn't interested in interacting with Nandini anymore that day.