Dedicated to PalamAulakh
I never believed in perfection... until I saw her laughing with my friends, fitting into my life like she was always meant to be there.
Manik’s POV,
The cold wind slapped against my face as I pulled the car to a stop at the sunrise point.
It was still dark, the sky ink-black with faint streaks of violet and silver at the horizon. And others tumbling out, yawning, and stretching, but excitement was crackling in the air.
I chuckled under my breath, watching them — all still half-asleep but buzzing with energy simultaneously.
Nandini slid her hand into mine quietly as we all made our way up a small stone pathway leading to the perfect viewpoint. The area was open, surrounded by tall grasses and rocks, overlooking a huge valley — pure magic.
Cabir yawned loudly, "Someone better give me an award for being up at this godforsaken hour."
Navya smirked, "Who asked you to snore like a tractor?"
Cabir placed a hand on his heart dramatically. "Madam, it's called ‘manly breathing’. Don’t be jealous."
Navya rolled her eyes, opening her mouth to shoot back, but before she could, Abhimanyu jumped in, trying to play peacemaker.
"Okay, okay, peace treaties, please. Save the World War III for later," Abhimanyu said, laughing, patting Navya's head like she was a kid.
Mukti snickered, "Ya Ya, Abhimanyu the official love guru and peace ambassador."
We all burst out laughing.
While they continued their hilarious bickering, I looked sideways at Nandini — her face glowing under the soft purple sky. She was smiling, quietly soaking in the view, holding onto Alya’s arm and laughing at something Dhruv said.
A warm feeling bloomed in my chest. This... this was all I ever wanted.
Her — my friends — all together — smiling like this. I didn’t even realize when a soft sigh escaped my lips.
"Manik? You Okay?" Nandini asked, squeezing my hand.
I looked at her, smiled, and squeezed back. "Perfect," I said simply.
We all spread out blankets and sat huddled close together on the grass, sipping coffee from our flasks, the chill biting but delicious.
Cabir set up his phone on a mini tripod, shouting, "Come on, people! Group photo session mandatory! Memories must be tortured into pixels!"
We all groaned but moved into position anyway.
Nandini was between me and Mukti, while Alya and Dhruv sat behind us, Cabir was lying flat in front, making weird poses, and Abhimanyu and Navya were mock-fighting about where to sit.
"Oye, Navya, stop pushing me!"
"You’re sitting on my hair, you hippopotamus!"
Cabir clicked a photo exactly as Navya tried to smack Abhimanyu’s head.
The laughter that followed echoed through the entire point.
"One more! This time, smiling normally, please!" Cabir said, setting the timer.
We all posed — wide smiles, arms thrown around each other, teasing eyes — and the camera clicked at just the right second.
After the photos, Alya jumped onto Mukti’s back playfully.
YOU ARE READING
Tangled Beliefs
General FictionManik: "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...
