fake boyfriend

chapter 7

Nandini's POV:

The next morning, I woke up feeling a little determined. I'm not gonna let Alia or any of her bimbos steamroll me.

 well, this sudden motivation might be because of someone's phone call last night .....

ahem  ahem..

 I got ready, pulling on my favorite pair of jeans and a light sweater, trying not to overthink things.

As I stepped outside, I saw Manik's car already parked in front of my house. He leaned casually against the driver's side door, sunglasses on, looking like he belonged in a movie scene.

"Good morning, Kapoor," he greeted, pulling off his sunglasses with a dramatic flourish.

I laughed, shaking my head. "You're so extra, you know that?"

He grinned, opening the passenger door for me with an exaggerated bow. "Only for you, milady."

I rolled my eyes but couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips. I slid into the passenger seat, and he hopped in on the other side, revving the engine with a playful smirk.

"Ready for round two?" he asked, glancing over as he pulled away from the curb.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, feeling a bit more at ease than I expected.

The drive to school was filled with light banter and music blasting from the radio.

 i forced him to play Taylor Swift. Manik kept trying to sing along to songs he clearly didn't know the words to, making me laugh so hard I almost spilled my drink.

"Is there anything you're actually good at?" I teased, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, plenty," he shot back, flashing a grin. "I just like making you laugh."

My heart did a little flip at that, and I quickly turned my gaze out the window, hoping he didn't notice the slight blush creeping up my cheeks.

As we pulled into the school parking lot, Manik put the car in park and turned to me, his expression suddenly more serious. "You know, we don't have to do this if it's too much. I'm not gonna force you into anything."

I looked at him, surprised by the sincerity in his voice. It was moments like these that made me realize there was more to him than the confident facade he showed everyone else.

"I'm okay, really," I assured him. "I want to do this."

He nodded, his usual smirk returning. "Alright, let's go, then."

As we stepped out of the car, Manik immediately reached for my hand. The casualness of the gesture made my heart skip a beat, but I squeezed his hand back, reminding myself to act natural. We walked towards the main entrance, and I could feel the stares and hear the whispers already starting.

"Here we go," I muttered under my breath.

Manik leaned closer, his breath warm against my ear. "Just smile and wave, Kapoor. We're the new power couple, remember?"

I rolled my eyes but did as he said, offering a small smile to the groups of students we passed. It felt strange, like we were on display. But having Manik beside me made it a little easier to handle.

As we made our way through the courtyard, Manik stopped abruptly, pulling me to a halt. I looked up to see a group of freshmen gawking at us, clearly whispering about us.

"Want to mess with them?" Manik whispered, his eyes glinting with mischief.

"What do you mean?" I asked, curious.

He smirked, leaning down as if to whisper something in my ear. Instead, he brushed a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering for just a moment. I knew it was all for show, but the action sent a shiver down my spine anyway. The freshmen gasped, and I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Mission accomplished," Manik whispered, pulling back with a triumphant grin.

"You're terrible," I laughed, swatting his arm lightly.

"Terribly charming," he corrected, giving me a wink.

We finally made it to my locker, and as I fumbled with the combination, Manik leaned against the lockers beside me, his presence drawing even more attention. He picked up a stray pen from the ground and started absentmindedly twirling it between his fingers.

"By the way," he said, not looking up from his new fidget toy, "I think we should add a rule. No more pretending to be good at math. I'm terrible, and you're not allowed to laugh at me."

I snorted, shaking my head. "Deal. But only if you stop pretending you can sing."

"Hey!" he protested, though he was laughing. "I'll have you know I've got the voice of an angel."

"More like a dying cat," I shot back, and he playfully nudged me with his shoulder.

We were still laughing when we turned the corner and almost bumped straight into Alia and Soha. The two girls eyed us up and down, their expressions a mix of surprise and mild disdain.

"Wow, things going good , huh?" Alia remarked, crossing her arms as she gave us a once-over.

Manik didn't miss a beat. "Stronger than ever, actually," he said, draping an arm around my shoulders. "Thanks for your concern, though, Alia." I add giving her a tight smile.

Soha smirked, her gaze lingering on our linked hands. "You must really like attention."

I felt a flash of annoyance, but Manik just squeezed my shoulder gently, signaling me not to let it get to me.

"Attention's not the goal, Soha," I replied smoothly. "But if it bothers you that much, you're welcome to look the other way."

Soha scoffed, and Alia rolled her eyes before the two of them walked away, their laughter echoing behind them. I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding and glanced up at Manik.

"You're getting good at this," he said, impressed ..

I shrugged, smiling . "learning from the best."

I laughed, feeling lighter as we continued walking down the hallway. It was hard to stay fazed by people like Alia and Soha when Manik was beside me, turning every awkward moment into something almost fun.

"Thanks, Manik," I said quietly as we reached my next class.

"For what?" he asked, genuinely curious.

"For making this... easier," I replied, meeting his eyes. "And for sticking up for me."

He looked surprised for a moment, then his expression softened. "Anytime, Kapoor. We're in this together, right?"

I nodded, feeling a surge of gratitude. "Yeah. Together."

Manik gave my hand one last squeeze before letting go. "I'll see you at lunch?"

"Definitely," I replied, already looking forward to it.

As I watched him walk away, I couldn't help but smile. Maybe this fake relationship wasn't as fake as I thought. And maybe, just maybe, I was okay with that.

love 

xoxo