MaNan ff - L@nd of $weeties

6. Summer vacation

Principal Rao's voice still echoed in the room as the group settled into a quieter mood. The initial rush of jokes and sarcasm had dulled, leaving a contemplative silence behind. The weight of entire day of detention hung in the air, but for the moment, everyone seemed to accept their fate.

Manik leaned back in his chair, his eyes scanning the room before they landed on Nandini. She sat a few seats away, her lips slightly pursed, furrowing her brow as she tapped her pen against her notebook. It was a small, almost unconscious habit she had when she was frustrated, and Manik couldn't help but smile at the sight.

He knew she was mad at him—she always got that look when he dragged her into trouble. Yet, there was always something in her eyes that told him she wasn't truly angry. He watched her for a moment longer, wondering how someone so full of life and fire could always manage to look so effortlessly calm.

Nandini, sensing his gaze, glanced up and caught him staring. For a second, her irritation softened. She always knew when Manik was watching her, even when she tried to ignore it. He had that effect on her—an infuriating yet undeniable pull. Her eyes narrowed, trying to keep the stern expression in place, but she felt the warmth creeping in, despite herself.

Before she could react, Manik leaned closer, his voice dropping to a soft murmur only she could hear. "You're still mad, huh? Thought you'd be used to my trouble by now."

Nandini glanced at him, her tone firm but teasing. "You think I'll ever get used to it? Someone's got to keep you in line."

He smiled, that mischievous grin of his that always made her heart skip a beat, even when she didn't want it to. There was a brief, unspoken understanding between them—one that had existed for as long as they could remember. But neither pushed it further, not yet.

The moment passed, and the room shifted back into light-hearted chaos as Cabir attempted, yet again, to scheme his way out of detention.

"Okay, hear me out," Cabir whispered, leaning over to Dhruv with a conspiratorial grin. "What if I fake a broken leg? Rao has to let us out for that, right?"

Dhruv raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure he'll just send you to the nurse and make the rest of us stay."

Undeterred, Cabir stood up suddenly, clutching his side and letting out an exaggerated groan. "Ow, my spleen! I think it's ruptured!"

Nandini rolled her eyes. "Cabir, that's not even where your spleen is."            Navya, sitting up front, suddenly broke the silence with an excited gasp. "Oh! Guys, guess what?"

Everyone turned to look at her, grateful for the distraction.

"What is it now?" Mukti asked, her tone half sarcastic, half curious.

"Our summer vacation starts next week!" Navya's eyes lit up. "I've been planning it all year. We should do something epic!"

A collective cheer rose from the group, the tension of detention momentarily forgotten. The idea of summer vacation instantly wiped away the frustration they had been feeling.

"I've got some ideas," Alya began, already scrolling through her phone, likely searching for vacation spots. "We could go to the beach, or maybe—"

Manik cut her off, a mischievous grin playing on his lips. "Hold on, hold on. Why settle for the usual stuff when we could do something... bigger?"

"Bigger?" Cabir raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What's your plan, Malhotra?"

Manik leaned back, looking around at the group as if he was about to drop a bombshell. "How about this: we all spend the summer together at my family's castle."

The room went silent for a second before Navya spoke up, confused. "Castle? You have a castle?"

Manik's grin widened. "Yeah Navya how can you forget about that , it's been ages since we've all been there , My dad barely uses it, and it's basically ours for the whole summer."

Nandini's eyes widened. "Wait, you're serious?"

"Dead serious." Manik crossed his arms confidently. "Why waste the summer doing the usual stuff when we could all escape to a castle? Think about it—no parents, no rules, just us. It'll be the perfect getaway."

The group erupted into excitement.

"Oh my God, yes!" Mukti nearly jumped out of her seat. "We could have parties, bonfires, everything."

"I'm in," Cabir declared, already imagining the chaos they could cause.

Abhi and Alya exchanged excited glances, while Dhruv nodded, a smile tugging at his lips. "That sounds... kind of perfect."

Nandini, though clearly thrilled at the idea, tilted her head at Manik with a playful smirk. "Are you sure you're not just trying to get us all in more trouble?"

Manik winked. "Trouble's part of the fun."

There was something about the way Manik said it, the way he always managed to sweep everyone up in his wild ideas, that made Nandini's heart skip a beat. Despite all the madness, there was a part of her that loved these moments with him, when it was just their group against the world.

As the excitement in the room grew, Cabir, never one to miss an opportunity, leaned over to Mukti and whispered, "You know, Rao's probably regretting giving us a whole day of detention right now. By the end of this, we'll have planned the best summer of our lives."

Mukti chuckled. "Let's just survive detention first."

The mischief died down as Rao's voice echoed down the hallway. The group fell into a quieter mood, their excitement for summer vacation simmering just beneath the surface. Manik leaned back in his chair, his gaze once again drifting to Nandini.

In the silence that followed, he watched her for a moment, noticing the way she absentmindedly tapped her pen against her notebook, her eyes focused yet thoughtful. She always had this fire about her, a quiet strength that made her the heart of their group. No matter how much trouble they found themselves in, Nandini was always there to set things right.

And maybe, just maybe, that's why he liked pushing her buttons so much. There was something in the way they could never truly stay mad at each other, something that had been growing between them since childhood.

But as much as the air around them seemed to crackle with something unspoken, neither of them said a word. They didn't need to.

The hours in detention crawled by, and as the day began to wind down, Principal Rao returned for one last reminder of their week-long punishment. "Behave yourselves," he grumbled, clearly exhausted by their antics. "Or you'll be here all summer."

As the group gathered their things, ready to leave, there was a palpable excitement in the air. Summer vacation was just around the corner, and the promise of adventure—of time spent together in a foreign city, away from everything—was enough to lift everyone's spirits.

Manik and Nandini found themselves walking out side by side, their shoulders brushing as they stepped into the fading sunlight.

"You can't keep getting away with everything forever, Manik," Nandini said, her tone half-teasing, half-serious.

Manik smirked, hands casually in his pockets. "I don't know, Nandini. With you around to keep me in check, I think I'll be just fine."

She rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. There it was again—that unspoken warmth between them, always there, always just beneath the surface.

As the group walked away from the school, the promise of an unforgettable summer hanging in the air, Nandini couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement. Because no matter what crazy schemes Manik had planned, there was one thing she knew for sure: this summer, with their childhood friends by their side, would be one they would never forget.