In His Custody ✎ | (MaNan)

✰ 70 - mark you mine

This part was incredibly satisfying to write. I dipped into certain impulses and temptations as a reader who has made it through 69 whole chapters of angst, so you can't blame me for this! 

On a much sadder note, my desire to create and write new content has drastically dipped. After 2 full years of passionately wanting to dedicate time to my hobby, I'm so spent! 

I made an author note about it on my profile earlier last week so I won't rehash much here, but thought of letting you all know so you know why updates are delayed/not happening.

Thanks for being part of this journey if you have made it this far <3 I'm genuinely grateful for every reader, voter and commenter (especially the ones who are vocal with their feedback, I love every one of you!)

⭒

Manik

There he stood before me, Aryamann Khurana. He was the same boy – Nandini's guy best friend – from school who had his eyes on her.

While I had looked out for her under the guise of her brother's best friend, he did everything possible openly in the name of friendship. He could make Nandini feel special and important in ways the rest of the world could know.

Hell, even some of my closest friends at the time suspected there was something between them.

Abhimanyu was part of that list of those who, despite finding the possibility bleak, was not resentful or disapproving of him the way he was of me.

So, in every sense, Aryamann was my competitor.

I sized him up once; his broad shoulders, a crisp jawline, a fully grown beard, sharp nose – which I had broken once in a basketball match – and a height that nearly matched mine.

Seven years later, he was the guy that made my Nandini happy right before my eyes. Of course I had to notice every minor detail of him.

And the more I scouted, the more I found my own inadequacies.

Why at all would she choose me over a much more emotionally sorted, and possibly financially stable dude who could treat her well? The only thing I couldn't offer Nandini then – that I could now – was my proclamation of love. What value did that hold against all my flaws and failures?

My vision began to blur at the way destiny had turned on me. Fortunately – or unfortunately – I never had to witness such a scene before. I had been through decades of physical and mental pain, but nothing came close to that ground-shattering exbition of someone else being her potential source of joy.

Dhruv had tried once before too, with my support, but had been unsuccessful. That day, my own crippled self-worth received a boost from knowing that even if someone else could treat her better, and the world's best guy – my buddy – wanted her, she didn't.

I was incapable of offering her my love; inspite of that, she didn't want anyone else, because she couldn't be happy with them. But now...

It was as if Nandini had realised my upheaval, because she was a decent distance from him, reluctantly eyeing me. She deliberately put more distance from Aryamann to avoid any blow ups, and considering me, it was a wise call on her part.

Her hand that he attempted to hold nervously gripped the hem of her salwar while the other hung low, and held her phone. "Manik, um, this is –"

I cleared my throat and put up a smile. "Hi Aryamann." Delighted, I extended a hand. "It's a pleasure to see you again."