Manik: "Life doesn't come with choices; it comes with responsibilities. You live it on your terms or get buried under someone else's."
Nandini: "Love is a word people use too lightly, a hollow promise made to be broken. I've never believed in it, an...
She looked up at me, eyes hazy, lips parted, and for the first time, I saw Nandini Murthy without her walls. And God help me, I wanted to keep her like this—unguarded, raw, real.
Manik’s POV,
The club was buzzing with energy—the music loud, the crowd alive, and the drinks flowing freely. I wasn’t the kind of guy who hit clubs often, but tonight, I made an exception.
Mukti, Alya, Dhruv, and I had planned this night out after forever. Cabir, our group's usual life, was missing, but these three made up for his absence by being extra annoying.
“Manik, you seriously need to loosen up,” Mukti yelled over the music, throwing an arm around my shoulder.
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I sighed, taking a sip of my whiskey. “I am loose, Mukti.”
Alya smirked. “Yeah? Then come on, let’s hit the dance floor!”
Dhruv chuckled. “I’m with Manik. We don’t need to dance to prove we’re enjoying.”
Mukti scoffed. “Ugh, boring people!”
I just rolled my eyes. Mukti and Alya loved the dance floor, while Dhruv and I preferred watching the madness from a distance.
But then, someone collided with me.
I turned around, ready to brush it off, and mumbled, “Sorry.”
But when I looked at the person, my body froze.
Nandini.
What the hell?
She looked just as shocked as me, her big brown eyes wide, her lips slightly parted.
For a moment, we just stared at each other, neither of us knowing what to say.
She was here.
In this club.
Looking… different.
Dressed in a sleek black top and blue denim jeans, her hair styled straight, and light makeup that enhanced her features—she looked nothing like the Nandini Murthy I was used to seeing in my office.
And definitely not the Nandini Malhotra I saw every morning at home, wrapped in traditional suits and simple sarees.
This… was a version of her I had never seen before.
Before I could say anything, I noticed Niharika and Priyanka standing beside her.
They greeted me professionally, “Good evening, sir.”
I nodded, stuffing my hands into my pockets.
It was awkward.
I had nothing to say.
And neither did Nandini.
She kept her expression neutral, giving me a slight nod before turning to my friends.
