REWINDING US

Introduction

This story is about a girl who fell in love at the tender age of 17. The adolescent age. When your hormones are the most active and you are over flowing with emotions. When love is always in the air and you find every one falling for someone. When you begin to perceive friendship and love in a whole different way.

Something similar happened to that girl too. Nandini Murthy, a very sweet, simple and optimistic person who lived for her family and friends.

But there was one particular person who mattered to her the most. Manik Malhotra, her best friend.
They knew each other since middle school and had been best friends for the past two years.

Manik used to tease and irritate Nandini a lot. They were kids after all. He used to hide and sometimes damage her stuff which he felt belonged just as much to him as it to her.

However, one thing was for sure, only Manik had the right to do all that. He wouldn't allow anyone else to annoy her. One evil eye on her was enough to boil his blood. He always had his protective hand over his best friend. Nandini knew how much he cared for her and so did she. She could go to any extent to protect their friendship and was capable of leaving anyone or anything for it.

Even her feelings.

Yes, somewhere, in the deepest corner of her heart she knew that what she felt for him isn't just about friendship. It's something more. A lot more. But she somehow convinced herself to believe that Nandini and Manik are just best friends and can never be more than that.

But one dream, just an involuntary sensation in mind while sleeping, one acceptance and one wrong decision changed everything.

Everything that Nandini ever believed and trusted. She lost it. The confidence in her, the optimism in her, the love in her. Everything just sped away. She didn't know what to believe and how to react. She didn't know what was true and what wasn't. The girl who had the brightest smile on her face now cried herself to sleep every night. A major degradation was seen in her grades as well. Her participation in other activities too suffered a downfall.

It took her almost 2 years to let it go. Manik Malhotra was no more a part of her life.

And one day Nandini finally left the country to pursue further studies. Only her heart knew the sole reason behind her going away, she wanted to get rid of her memories with him. She wanted to get rid of the idea of being with him again. The idea of their paths crossing again so that this time he might fall in love with her. She just wanted to begin a fresh life. A new beginning and so she did.

But what if Destiny doesn't want that for them? What if something happens that again changes her life? What If she is forced to return? What if their paths actually cross again? And what if she fails to recognise anything and everything around except the intensity of one pair of eyes?