Whispers of Heart (Part 1 of the Hallway Love Series)

Chapter 8

It has been a month since the day Nandani told Manik about her feelings and has started ignoring him. The entire month she was so busy playing "sach ka saamna" with her family that she failed to notice what was going on in the school. At home, she use to just look at the people in her family and her Maternal granny's words used to come to her mind when she was in school she couldn't stop thinking about all that was going on at home.

One day during the time of lunch period her eyes caught something which made it difficult for her to see anywhere else. Manik was sitting with one of the prettiest girls in his batch Inaya Singh. Nandani kept looking at them the entire recess which was noticed by the other two girls. They had known this was quite some time that Manik and Inaya were dating each other and tried to keep away Nandani keeping in mind all the family drama she was going through (which was the only thing they knew).

Nandani looked at them sometime later and asked,

Nandani: how long has this been happening?

She asked with amusement and fun, the other two girls were surprised to see her taking things so lightly.

Maya: well we don't have an idea but, a week I guess.

Nandani nodded and looks at them again. It would have been an understatement if someone said that she was totally okay with it because she was not. She was not sure how to express her feelings that's it.

For 2 months that was until almost the end of 7th, she saw Manik and Inaya together, after which she came to know they broke up because they were not "good" for each other.

All bad things end and bring happiness one day, that's what happened with Nandani. As bad and worse she thought her 7th was that much happiness her 8th was gonna bring her.

This all started from the fact when she came to know that Manik and his entire family had shifted back to her society. The only difference was that now they didn't live exactly in front of her house but after 2 lanes. Then she came to know that she was shifted to the other Route which means now Manik and Nandani were going to come together to school. About her friends then Cabir and Nandani were still not on talking terms, Maya, Zoya, Sanket, and Nandani were all in the same class now and Navya was in a different section. Navya was a different girl now. The friend Nandani found in the queen bee was lost again and this time Nandani was not sure if she wants that friend back. She gave her space for so long and ended up losing her.

From her Family's POV well she has started ignoring everyone in her family except her mother and father. She was never rude to any of them but has started to maintain a distance with everyone which was noticed by them. They tried to coax her back but little did they know that she was a very strong-headed woman and was not going to fall into the trap yet again.

It was the first day of her new session and she saw the face she wanted to see for the last 3 weeks.

Manik came inside the bus and saw Nandani sitting in the usual seat where he use to sit, he ignored her and went and sit in the seat adjacent to her. Nandani did the same and started looking outside. They still had 10 min so she took the Novel she was reading and started reading it when she saw some of her immediate seniors making fun of her for being dorky.

She ignored them and started reading them again when she felt someone sitting beside her. She looked up to see Aryaman sitting beside her. She raised her eyes and gave him a look while in her mind she went,

Nandani: what the hell is he doing here? Does he still come in this route?

Aryaman: Continue!

He said gesturing for her book. For those who don't know Aryaman, he is an immediate senior of Manik and Abhimanyu's classmates. Nandani knows him because they use shared the same bus, for the last 2 years but they never had a conversation. Nandani just took the bag in her lap and started reading the books, and well!! Highlight, the boys did not disturb her after that!

When they reached the school Nandani kept her novel in her bag and waited for Aryaman to leave. Manik was also sitting waiting for others to go so that he could leave.

Aryaman got up after 5 min when the bus was a little empty. Nandani was about to leave behind him when she saw Maya coming up,

Nandani: MAYA!

She called her out and gestured for her to wait. She took her bag and stood up with a jerk and was about to crash with Manik. Manik sat down again looking outside. Nandani looked at him and left from there straight to her class with Maya. Later they came into the ground and started roaming.

They were talking about some silly Bollywood songs when Nandani said,

Nandani: arre that is a very old song yrr!!

She said irritated. Maya looked at started giving her random names of some songs. They turned around to go back when Manik, Dhruv, Abhimanyu, and Cabir who were passing from right behind them came almost face-to-face with them. God knows what wonders Manik's face did in Nandani's mind and she started singing loudly

Nandani: Saamne yeh kon aaya,

Dil mein hui halchal,

Dekh ke bus ek he jhalak,

Hogye hum pagel

Everyone looked at her confused including Maya. A minute later Maya registered what just happened and she started loudly. This broke the trance of the boys and Nandani who kept standing there. Nandani got irritated with Maya's laugh and left shouting at her,

Nandani: SHUT UP YRR!

While the boys left ignoring them and talking among themselves.