Manik's P.O.V.
After sitting in the long pooja of two (hundred) hours, I finally got to change the lungi! I quickly locked myself inside the boys' room before any of the other boys come and threw the lungi off my body. I mean, how can South Indians wear lungi for so long hours?
Ah! I was feeling so relaxed. Before opening the door, I thought of calling Dhruv once. Maybe if both of them come together, I can figure out what the matter really is.
I took out my phone from my pocket and quickly called Dhruv. It rang for about twenty seconds when a girl picked up the phone and said, "Hello?"
"Hi. Um...can I talk to Dhruv?" I said shockingly after hearing a female voice.
"Sorry sir. Mr.Dhruv is currently undergoing his treatment session and can't attend his phone right now. If there is a message I can..."
I cut her in between and said, "No thanks. Um...could you do me a favour?"
"Yes sir."
"Don't tell him that I called and delete my name from the call log."
"Ya sure. I won't spoil your surprise."
"Um...can you tell me about where you are speaking from?"
"Are you Mr.Manik Malhotra?"
"Why?"
"Mr.Dhruv assured us that you would call. Sorry Mr.Malhotra, I can't give you any details."
"Oh no. I am um...not Manik. Um..I am Cabir."
"Okay. I am sorry but he said not to tell anyone where he was and I will not tell him that you called."
"Thanks."
The line got disconnected. Buddy is in a hospital! Why didn't he tell me? I need to figure out where he is! Ugh!
Soon, I heard a knock on the door and realised that it was Nandini. I had to talk to her. I really had to.
I quickly unlocked the door. Nandini, without looking at my face, entered inside the boy's room saying,"Manik, Ammes is calling you. Do you..." she took a pause on seeing my face. I am sure she would have read my face. She knows me so well. I don't know how but she is correct every time, may that be reading my face or handling me.
"Manik? Did you call Dhruv?" she said in a sweet tone.
"Um...yes."
"What did he say? Manik, please don't be mad at him. It is clear on your face. Ussne joh bhi kaha hoga ek reason se kaha hoga (if he said something to you, then he would have said that with a reason)."
I really couldn't believe how well she knows me. She already knew that I was mad at Dhruv.
"He didn't even talk to me because he is in a hospital!" I replied. I turned around towards the pale white painted wall and punched it will all my effort.
"Hospital?"
"Yes! He hid that from us. He is not in any musical work shop! He is in a hospital!"
"Manik..Manik relax. We'll find him, okay? I which hospital was he?"
"I don't know! The nurse didn't tell me!"
Without noticing I moved around towards her with a force that nearly pushed her onto the ground and in order to save her, I quickly offered my hands to her and now she was in my arms. (A/N - couldn't help putting a 'Nandini falling in his arms' scene. Now imagine the typical Manan tune.)
I could feel her in my arms. Our faces were very close to each other and I could feel her every breath filled with warmth and love. We had one of our hands knitted together, and I looked in her eyes. I was getting drowned in her eyes as the seconds passed by. Her each strand of hair were like bandages for my hand, which was getting consoled as if it was in pain for years. I helped her come back to her feet but we did not break the eye and hand contacts. Then, I pushed her against the wall in the boys room coming closer to her when she said, "Manik..." in her usual happy but scared tone.
"Nandini, it is so good that you turned eighteen today. Now you can do many things." I said looking down at our hands.
I could read her worried expression.
"What are you talking about?" she said.
"You want to know?" I said slowly moving towards her.
"Manik.." she said in a worried tone.
"It is..." I said and moved towards her. Our faces were just a few centimeters apart.
"What?"
"You can now..." I moved towards her in order to kiss her but suddenly moved a inch back and said, "You can now drive, vote and watch adult films. Haw! Nandini, what did you thought I was going to say?" I said. Oh it's so fun in pulling her leg. She looks too cute then.
I then touched her cheeks and before I could say anything...
ROMANCE SPOILER! Cabir appeared.
"Oops. Wrong timing." he said. I wanted to give him a Nobel award for this realisation.
"Cabir, how could your timing be just perfect?" I said.
"Ya, Manik, even I don't know yaar. Anyways, Nandini, ammes's calling you both love birds. I thought that you'd be with each other and I was right!" said Cabir.
"Oh really Cabir'?" I said.
"Really Manik." he replied.
"Wait and watch." I snapped.
"Oh my gosh Nandini! Manik wants Cabir to watch it." Okay. Only Mukti was missing in this leg-pulling session.
"We shall go to ammes." I said changing the topic.
"Oh. Yeah." replied Mukti.
We all went outside the boys' room and headed towards ammes a.k.a guru ma's room. I know that she is Nandini's grandmother and I am her student, and so I should be calling her guru ma too, but she doesn't mind me calling her ammes outside our classes.
Four of us stopped in the singing room, and found Aaliya, Navya, Aaryaman and Harshad already standing there.
