Hustle For Love |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

20. The One Where I Proposed To Her

A/N : Hey peeps! Is the title of this chapter interesting enough? After all that happened in the last chapter - bet you weren't expecting this of all things, huh? :D 

Any thoughts - how'd you think it came to this? Do share your initial thoughts before reading this chapter - pretty please? :) <3

I want to know what you're expecting before you read this chapter!

If you've commented already - then happy reading :)

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S.P.A.C.E. Academy, New York circa 2012

(Manik's Apartment, S.P.A.C.E. Residency, Campus Grounds)

Manik Malhotra

"So that's that?! Then she just left?" Cabir's jaw dropped as I nodded silently, in response to his question. He rolled his eyes in exasperation. It had been a week since Nandini left me, I hadn't stepped out of the house. I didn't go to college, I didn't take anyones' call - there were not many people to call me anyway.

"Dude, tell me you did something to stop her?" he asked again. I simply looked up at his face, with furrowed eyebrows. What did he think I should have done? I mean, I literally blackmailed her and got her home, I punched AK like a sack, I freaked her out, I injured my hand with glass, f*ck I even cried before her - nothing worked! What else could I have done? Was Cabir crazy?!

"I mean, she hugged you man! There is a soft corner for you - it's still there! You should have stopped her! I am sure she'd stop! You can be so f*cking stupid Manik. These are the times I wished Harshad & Aliya were here to knock some sense into you! Idiot" huffed Cabir in annoyance, as I looked at him incredulously. This was the guy I took advice from, all these years? Really?

"It was more of a goodbye hug" I muttered looking down.

"What's a goodbye hug, now? Dude, I am the gay guy here; I mean I am not stereotyping, but we are more sensitive you know! There is no such a thing as a goodbye hug. If she hugged you, it means she somewhere wanted you to stop her! If she had to leave you for all the shit you did, she'd probably kick your b*lls and go, not hug you. Damn it, Manik!" Cabir barked in frustration. I looked at him, he almost looked funny in anger, I couldn't help but crack into laughter.

"Seriously, man?" Cabir repeated, looking at me with a frown.

"Okay, fine - maybe there was a chance there, but what can I do, I lost it Cabir! Now I have to live with it, I guess" I replied this time, my laughter had kind of died, as this realisation hit me hard - today was only Week 1 without Nandini in my life, I had the rest of my life before me - and for f*cks sake, I didn't know how I was going to live through it, with her gone.

"Live with it? Hey imposter, what have you done with my friend?! He wasn't like this! He didn't accept defeat - the f*cker annoyed the life out of me, he made us do mother-f*cking sh*t to get his way through, and that guy is telling me, he is giving up?" Cabir asked in shock.

His jabs irritated me, it irked me. Cabir was pushing all my buttons to unleash my monsters. If my monsters awoke, I was sure I'd do something that would be detrimental to Nandu's well being, or would hurt her in some way or the other - I didn't want that. I didn't want to see more hate in her eyes for me - that killed me. I'd rather stay away from her, no matter how much it hurt me - hoping that someday she'd remember me without any malice in her heart.

Cabir got livid not finding any response from my side, "Manik Malhotra, you listen to me loud and clear. You are NOT giving up on Nandini, you will fight for her, and you will do as I say to get her back. You have spent the greater part of your life ordering the rest of Fab 5 around, this time it's my turn - you have to obey" he commanded in a tone no one ever used on me; I sighed.