Serendipity

✧ Chapter - 1 ✧

◍ THE CLINGY EX ◍

"Shit!" He cursed under his breath, looking here and there. "Oh God! Of all days, today!?" The man looked really stressed and frustrated.

He was a tall man with an intimidating personality and a charming face. His body was well-built and he was wearing a white shirt, paired with black pants and a black blazer.

"Manik!" A girl screamed. Manik forced a smile on his face and looked at the girl. "Alisha! What a surprise! I didn't know I would find you here."

"Oh, cut the drama, Manik. I know you saw me there," Alisha said, pointing at the direction she was seated. "Now that you know that I'm avoiding you, apna muh uthao aur chali jao," said Manik, sarcastically.

"Oh c'mon Manik! I know that you want me too. I still hold that position in your heart. Come back to me. I'll show you how much I love you," Alisha said seductively while tracing her finger on Manik's face.

"Shut up Alisha! Just shut up! I've told this to you a million times and I'm telling it again; I've moved on. Get. That. Clear. In. Your. Head. You are my ex, nothing more. You are that person with whom I had wasted time, a lot of time. Understand?!" Manik spoke- his jaw clenched and his fingers fisted.

Manik and Alisha were family friends. One day, in an event, Alisha proposed Manik. Manik didn't want to break her heart, so for the sake of the relation between their families, he accepted her proposal. They hail from a business background.

It had been a few months since Manik and Alisha started dating when Manik and his dad had a huge argument relating to Manik's career. Manik wanted to pursue music but his dad wanted him to handle their family business. Manik had made it clear that it would only be music that he would go forward with. When Alisha had come to know about this, she started persuading Manik to quit music and join his dad's business. He refused. She, then had, broken up with him saying that music would take him nowhere and she didn't want to be related with a man who would go nowhere in his life.

Manik had made up his mind to prove both- his dad and Alisha- wrong.

He started singing in cafés and bars and now is the proud artist of two hit albums.

Alisha started chasing Manik, again. She never really loved him. But she surely was interested in him, interested in his looks. Also, with Manik being her boyfriend, she would have access to a lot of money and not to forget the attention of the media and power, she thought.

"Have you really moved on, Manik?" She asked, smirking.

"Umm-hmm." He said while nodding his head in a yes.

"Prove it to me, else I will shout and gain everyone's attention and you know what will happen after that," she nonchalantly said while shrugging her shoulders.

'Man! This girl surely knows how to get on someone's nerves,' he thought.

"What is there to prove, Alisha? I have moved on. You don't affect me. What more evidence do you want?" He was really annoyed now.

"I mean, if you have moved on, you'd have a girlfriend, right? I don't see anyone. Accept your defeat."

"Girlfriend.... girlfriend? Girlfriend!" He scratched his head taking time to process her words. "I- I mean- of course I have a girlfriend! A- and she's here too!"

"Where, Manik? Where?!" She asked, roaming her eyes all around the bar they were currently in.

"Where?! Arre, of course with me!" He laughed nervously.

Just then he spotted a girl, pretty near to where he was, standing all alone and sipping from her wine glass time-to-time.

He quickly ran to her side, put an arm around her neck and exclaimed, "Here she is! My gorgeous girlfriend!"

The girl was startled. She looked at the guy's hand which was wrapped around her neck and then his face as if he claimed to have eaten poop.

Here she was, drinking away her sorrows with alcohol and this guy popped up like a pimple and claimed her to be his girlfriend!? What in the world was going on!

She jerked off his hand and gave a death stare to the guy.

"Baby, I know that I'm not spending enough time with you but please don't be angry na. You know that I don't like it when you're angry, especially if I am the reason," he pouted and gestured the girl to play along.

Composing herself, she smiled sweetly and said, "Okay. But this is the last time that I'm forgiving you."

"Aww, thank you so much babe. I love you," saying so, he kissed her on the cheek.

Alisha was enraged by the fact that Manik has actually moved on and also has a partner. She left from there stomping her foot.

As soon as she left, Manik sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. Warna aaj toh mujhe maar ke hi rehti ye ladki."

The girl was still confused by the recent happenings. Studying her face, Manik calmly said, "My ex. Chipkali ki tarah chipakti rehti hai. Log haath dhoke peeche padte hai, ise toh haath dhone ka bhi chain nahi hai. Thank you so much for today, warna pata nahi mera aaj kya hone wala tha. Mental that one, I tell you."

"Oh, I see. I'm glad I was able to be of some help, atleast to someone," she politely said murmuring the last part.

"Waise, I'm glad that I was able to spot you warna I would've lost the chance to be the boyfriend of such a pretty lady, even if it was for a few seconds. Anyways, do you have a name or sho-"

"Nandini, Nandini Murthy. And please, that pick-up line has now become of the Paleolithic age. Try something new," Nandini said rolling her eyes.

Manik chuckled and said, "Manik Malhotra. Although I know that you and I cannot be 'just friends', yet here goes nothing," forwarding his hand to her, "Friends, girlfriend, oops, Miss Murthy?"

Nandini laughed and shook her head on seeing him flirt with her but gave in anyway. "Friends, boyfriend, oops, Mister Malhotra."

Both of them laughed and looked at each other. Their hearts already knew what this was leading to and they were eagerly waiting for it.