Entangled

Part 38 (Last part)

Manik got Nandini's address from Arya. Though Manik or Nandini hadn't told Arya of what they felt for each other, he had overheard a part of Manik and his friends' conversation when he had returned to take his phone the previous day, and he figured out that Manik loved Nandini. Also, he had heard from Sunaina of how Manik seemed to have a special place in Nandini's life. So, Arya gave him the address without asking any questions.

        Manik reached Nandini's house and knocked at the door, and Nandini opened the door. She hadn't expected that Manik would come home. At that instant, she went through a lot of emotions at once. She was overjoyed that he remembered her and had come to meet her. Her heart was fluttering and she couldn't take her eyes of him. Not a single word came out of her mouth though.

        Manik's state was not much different. His wait had finally come to an end. She was standing right in front of him in person, and it was not his imagination. He couldn't take his eyes of her either. Till he saw her, he had thought that he would express his feelings as soon as he meets her, and he had thought of what to say to her on his way too, but it wasn't that easy to do so in reality. He stood speechless at that moment.

        Manik and Nandini's focus was only on the person in front, and they weren't aware of their surroundings, but there were two pairs of eyes watching them. One was Sunaina, who had come to check who was at the door, and made a guess as to who it was by looking at how Nandini's eyes were fixed on him. The other was Alya, who had followed Manik stealthily. Manik was busy in his own world to realize that someone was following him.

        Sunaina : "Aren't you going to invite him inside?"

        Sunaina (whispering to Nandini) : "You can look at him as much as you wish after he comes inside too."

        Hearing Sunaina, Nandini and Manik came out of their trance. Nandini invited Manik and introduced him and Sunaina. After the initial pleasantries, Sunaina left them on their own, and went inside. Alya had hid herself outside and she continued to overhear their conversation.

        When they both were standing in front of each other at the door, they both were so conscious about their own feelings that they didn't realize that the person in front also felt the same.

        After hearing Sunaina's comments, Nandini hesitated to look at Manik directly while speaking to him.

        Manik : "I didn't get a chance to talk to you and clear things out after you came to know of our plan. Are you upset with me after knowing why I became your partner and tried to get closer to you?"

        Nandini : "No, I am not. .. Didn't you read the letter I left for you?"

        Manik : "I did, but now I got a feeling that may be you aren't interested in talking to me."

        Nandini realized that Manik had misinterpreted her actions, so she tried to be as normal as possible.

        Nandini : "It's been quite sometime since we met last, that's why, there is nothing else."

        Now that it was clear that she wasn't upset with him, he made an attempt to tell her what he felt.

        Manik : "Back then, when I agreed to be a part of the plan, I didn't believe in love. I never thought, even in my dreams, that I would fall in love one day. I have no idea how and when it happened .."

        Manik was still in the process of putting his feelings into words. Nandini's state changed from overjoyed to sad by just hearing that Manik had fallen in love. She felt that her racing heart would stop beating completely. Nandini loved him, and she was okay with him not reciprocating her feelings, but she didn't want to hear of his love for someone else. She didn't expect that he would fall for her. She assumed that he was talking of Alya because of what Alya had told her. So, she tried to put an end to that conversation.