His Solace ✅

2. Facade

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***

Nandini was leaning against the car, standing all alone in a deserted parking lot. As Aryaman had warned her, the guards did not allow her to enter. And now she was waiting for a miracle to happen.

"Oh God! Please do something." She pleaded internally.

"Are you Mukti's cousin?" She heard a masculine voice.

Nandini turned around to find a guy with jet black hair and dark black orbs standing in front of her. She wasn't really good with describing the facial features, but she found the guy quite hot and handsome.

"Yes." She nodded.

"She has sent me to get you inside. Come with me." He seemed polite and frank. So she didn't hesitate and followed him inside the party venue.

"By the way, I am Manik Agnihotri." He introduced himself with a charming smile.

"Are you related to Abhimanyu Agnihotri?" She asked excitedly.

"Yeah. I'm his cousin." He nodded, the smile not leaving his face.

"Wow!! I am Nandini Kashyap, Mukti's cousin." She grinned and forwarded her hand for a handshake. Manik gladly accepted her friendly handshake.

"I see, our cousins are supposedly together." He said while looking around for Mukti, "I can't find Mukti. Can you please call her?" He asked.

"Sure" She pulled out her phone and made a call to her.

"Hey Mukti, where are you?" She asked as soon as her call was picked up.

"Nanz, I have some urgent work to get done with. And don't try to find Aryaman. That idiot is nowhere to be found, which supposedly means that he has found himself a hot chick for tonight." She said in a naughty tone.

"Then what will I do here all alone?" Nandini whined like a kid she is.

"Is Manik present around you?"

"Yes." She nodded while looking at him, who in turn got curious about what the two cousins were discussing.

"Ask him to drop you home."

"Okay," Now that was the only way out. She didn't even have a driving license. And over the top, her reckless driving will directly land her into the hospital for guaranteed.

"Take care. And call me once you reach home," said Mukti.

"You also come home", saying this she disconnected the call.

Nandini looked at Manik who was already looking at her to know what Mukti said.

"Manik, can you please drop me home? Actually my cousin is nowhere to be found and Mukti has got something urgent to get done with. And I don't have a driving license."

She was internally pleading, "Don't say no. Don't say no. Please!!!"

Manik had no intentions of becoming someone's personal chauffeur. But Nandini genuinely needed his help and he couldn't refuse her, not when he felt something for her at the very first sight when he found her leaning on her car in the parking lot when he came to look for her and, not when they would be meeting each other a lot once Abhimanyu and Mukti will resolve their silly, petty differences and get back together. So he took a very "smart" decision and agreed with a nod. "Alright. Let's go to the parking lot then."

Nandini passed him a megawatt smile before uttering a loud 'Thank You', that literally deafened his eardrums for a nanosecond.

Manik maintained his smile and walked out of the party. Nandini followed him to the parking lot.