MaNan : Love is Just a Word

5. Maze like

Manik looks at her while holding the glass, "I'm supposed to drink it in one go? All of it?"

"You don't have to, but that's what the nutritionist guidelines says" Nandini gives him a polite smile and points at the sheet that is attached on top.

Staring at his drink, he answers like a robot with a "Hmm."

Nandini leans in from her counter and tries to encourage him by brightening her smile more, "Gets you all your vitamins quicker."

Manik squints. Asks, "What's in it, again?"

"Rocket arugula. Cucumber. Ginger. Lemon." Nandini sniffs the leftover juice in the blender, scrunches her nose. "Wheatgrass. You asked for wheatgrass, right?"

He gives her a blank stare and sighs, "I did. Don't know why now, though," says while morosely staring at his glass of green.

Nandini is mildly offended. It's a perfect blend job, smooth pretty green, you can't even see a stem or ginger skin. She did a pretty good job from her side. Manik sighs, seems to steel his resolve and clutches the shot. Nandini's offense melts a little at the indolent pout Manik's mouth makes as he contemplates to drink or not.

She pours coconut water into the leftover juice, divides it into glass bottles and sets them in the fridge for other gym goers to purchase. "The juice version goes down easier," encourages him more.

"Yes, but the concentrated stuff is probably more effective. Less is more, yes?" Manik asks her as if it's some nuclear explosion equation while it's just a juice.

The younger shrugs as a reply. She soaks the blender in the sink and starts wiping the counter down, finds the motion relaxing. She doesn't mind working the juice station though she prefers the front desk more, can squeeze in more study time there, but the acquired blending skill has come in handy when it comes down to making at home baby food puree so Nandini takes it as a positive.

Manik takes a deep breath. He salutes and throws the shot back. The glass smacks the counter and Manik's face itself goes green. "Oh- fuck , that's terrible. Horrible. I think I burned my tongue off."

"Maybe you should have gone with spinach," Nandini says, feeling bad, wants to reach out and help somehow. "The spiciness probably makes it worse. Want some milk? All we have is almond, I don't know if that works like regular milk."

He waves his hand at her, "No, I think the spiciness is helping. Possibly. Maybe."

Nandini doesn't agree, but she only watches Manik struggle, his throat bobbing as he swallows air. "Don't take this the wrong way but..."

Manik gestures for her to go on when she trails off, head hung but inclined towards Nandini to show he's listening.

"Why are you doing this? The gym and the juices. It doesn't seem like you."

Manik looks up and arches one imperial eyebrow and Nandini's face goes blotchy, stammering, "Not that you're out of shape! You look gr- fine. Completely adequate for your age. Any age!"

The other eyebrow comes up. Nandini sighs, short and pitchy, unused to being out of her depth verbally. She usually stays quiet to save herself the trouble. "Last week you tried to use the leg press to work out your arms. And you look like you're dying over some water vegetables. So... yeah."

Manik's face does something hilarious. He gives a decisive nod after, drinks the inch or so left of juice in his glass at a more sedate pace. "Fair. But is trying to be healthy something that you're either good at or not? It's not a competition, so why bother?"