Kaise yeh yaarian

Part 27

Nandini looked at Manik, concern clouding her face. She stood and turned to the butler.

"Can you get me a thermometer please? Quickly."

The butler gave an apologetic nod. "Ma'am, the thermometer broke two days ago. We haven't replaced it yet."

Nandini's jaw clenched. Her eyes shifted back to Manik. She moved closer, reaching out for his injured hand, the one that had been hurt by glass a few days ago.

The moment her fingers gently brushed over his skin—

Manik flinched. Hard.

Nandini froze.

"That's not right," she muttered under her breath. "It shouldn't be hurting this much."

She looked up sharply. "Can you please bring me a large bowl, clean water, vodka, and scissors? Now."

The butler, alarmed by her urgency, immediately nodded and left the room.

Alia raised her brow and scoffed. "Nandini, he's got a fever, we get it. But seriously? Vodka? A bowl? You're being too much."

She narrowed her eyes. "Do you really have to be this clingy? What's next, you're going to bathe him?"

Nandini didn't respond. Instead, she leaned in quietly, brushed back Manik's sweat-soaked hair and—

Gently placed her lips on his forehead.

The room went completely silent.

Even the air felt like it had frozen.

Manik's eyelids fluttered slightly from the contact. The rest of Fab5 just stared, mouths slightly open.

Alia shot up from the couch. "I knew it! You've been eyeing him this whole time! Acting like you're indifferent—unbelievable."

Cabir, still processing, tried to cut the tension. "Okay, okay... Nandini, seriously? A kiss now? What is this, bold move of the week?"

Nandini stood up sharply, voice sharp and controlled. "Cabir. Shut up. I didn't kiss him."

She faced the others. "My mom used to check my fever like this when there was no thermometer. It's an old trick, not a romance novel."

They were stunned into silence.

Just then, the butler arrived with the bowl, water, scissors, and a half bottle of vodka.

Without wasting a second, Nandini took the scissors, gently cut the gauze that had been tied around Manik's hand since the glass incident, and slowly unwrapped it.

Her breath caught.

A bluish-purple tinge had spread around the wound.

"What the hell..." she whispered.

She immediately soaked a cloth in water and gently cleaned the hand, muttering to herself. Then, she poured some vodka over the wound to disinfect it.

Manik winced. His body jerked slightly at the sting.

Everyone watched in stunned silence. Even Alia didn't have a comment this time.

But then—Nandini did something none of them expected.

She leaned forward again, took a deep breath—and ran her tongue lightly across the wound.

She flinched halfway through. Her eyes widened.