Notes of Love

promises in beads

Nandini kept to herself the day after the incident, the weight of her emotions pressing heavily on her chest. Though she had managed to piece her pen back together, the event lingered in her mind like a stubborn shadow. Each time she walked into SPACE Academy, a wave of resentment washed over her. "Mean rich brats," she would think to herself, the words a bitter mantra. She didn't want to burden Amms with her struggles, so she plastered on a smile whenever she returned home, even as her heart felt heavy with isolation.

Determined to shield herself from further hurt, Nandini swore to avoid interactions with anyone at college, especially Manik. "He's a monster," she thought, the sting of his actions echoing in her mind. Withdrawing from Musicana felt like a loss, but it also seemed like the only way to reclaim her sense of safety. She shifted her focus to her studies, immersing herself in textbooks and notes, hoping that academia could provide a distraction from the turmoil of her emotions.

Meanwhile, Manik felt a growing sense of unease. The guilt over what had happened weighed on him like a heavy anchor. Nandini's absence from rehearsals was palpable, leaving a void that no one else could fill. He often found himself glancing towards the door, hoping to see her walk in with the quiet determination she had displayed before. But days turned into weeks, and she remained absent.

In the canteen, he would occasionally catch a glimpse of her sitting alone at a corner table, her eyes glued to her phone as she ate in silence. It was a stark contrast to the vibrant atmosphere around her. After the incident, it seemed that no one dared to bother Nandini, allowing her to exist in her own bubble of solitude. Manik observed this shift, a mix of admiration and sadness swirling within him. He wanted to reach out, to apologize, but the fear of rejection held him back.

Their eyes would meet briefly from across the room, yet each time, Nandini would resolutely look away, ignoring the connection that flickered between them. Manik felt a pang in his chest at her dismissal, a reminder of how far they had fallen from that moment of potential friendship. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had caused this rift, and the weight of his actions haunted him, leaving him trapped between regret and a longing for reconciliation.

---

Nandini pushed open the door to the storeroom, the familiar scent of old paper and wooden shelves filling the air. She needed to retrieve some materials for her upcoming project, but the dimly lit space felt daunting. It was a small, cluttered room filled with instruments, sheet music, and various odds and ends that had been forgotten over time. As she stepped inside, she scanned the room, trying to focus on her task and push aside the whirlwind of emotions that had become her constant companion.

Just as she reached for a stack of sheets on a high shelf, the door creaked open again, and Manik stepped in, his presence startling her. He was looking for a guitar pick that had slipped away during practice, but the moment he saw Nandini, he hesitated. The atmosphere instantly thickened with an unspoken tension, a mix of surprise and discomfort hanging in the air.

Manik knew this was his only chance to reach out to her. "Nandini," he called, his voice steady despite the uncertainty swirling within him. But she ignored him, pretending not to hear as she continued her search.

"I didn't do that on purpose," he tried to explain, hoping to break through the wall she had built around herself.

"Yeah, the pen just flew across the wall and broke," Nandini shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"If I had known it belonged to your parents, I wouldn't have done that," he replied earnestly, frustration creeping into his voice.

"Okay," she said flatly, her dismissal clear as she turned to walk towards the door, eager to escape the tension. As she reached for the handle, her fingers struggled to turn it. Manik watched her for a moment before stepping forward, instinctively offering to help.