Parineeta

Chained To The Past!

Nandini's point of view:
It was already evening and i had gotten almost millions of calls and texts from Navya already which i didn't pick and neither did i let Maddy pick her calls. I knew she would have a long book of her questions and we wouldn't have answers to any of them. Weren't we the surprise element of the day for everyone, dhruv, Alya, Navya, Cabir.... Manik!
There's not a single minute since morning that he's left my head. All my brain tries to figure out is who'd be the new girl in his life because i know for a fact he won't be single for such a long time. I wanted to speak to Maddy about it but even he's busy since morning sometimes in his work and sometimes face timing with Soha.. Sometimes i really wonder if there's something between these two also!
Isn't it too ironical the one who's married sits alone all the time and the ones who are single stay engaged all the time.
It was almost half past six and we should've been on our way but that'd be too early. I wanted to just be like bomb in the party and I'll blast so hard that it'll leave people in shock.
"Nanduu! Tujhe tayyar nhi hona.."Maddy broke in and i looked at him.
"ooh! Finally aap free ho gye.."i looked at him with a teasing look but he made a whatever face and i was silenced.
I wasn't anyways feeling like getting into that today! All my mind went back to again and again was that i was going to meet all of them after a year. I was going to meet him after a year!
"listen! I'm going to get ready.. Tu bhi jaldi se ready ho jaa!"Maddy instructed me and i nodded.

We were already half an hour late and the number of Navya's calls had increased to somwhere around 115 or something. I was definitely annoyed by her back to back calls but i also knew if i answered one she'll calm down but that's what i didn't want to do.. I did not want to pick the call. I did not want to speak to her. Not now. I was a surprise!
"Maddy!"i squeaked as i reached in the hall in my extravagant cape lehenga. No doubt it was heavier than i could handle but i had to deal with its heaviness to make me look like an absolute unchanged Nandini out there.

Maddy turned towards me and gaped as if he had witnessed something extraordinary while i looked him top to bottom appreciating his traditional fashion sense.

"d'you know what! Alya could run away with you tonight!" I remarked and he gave me a slight smile before he said his part,"what if i say the same!"he said and i looked at him pretending a confused look.
"why would Alya run away with me!" i said and he rolled his eyes.
"ha. Ha. Ha. Funny? I was talking about Dhruv! Or even better Manik himself!" he said and for once after so long i was feeling the same heat creep up to my cheeks but then i was reminded of my past almost immediately!
"now! If you're done blushing can we leave! We're already late! And my darling sister has been calling me for a million times!"he teased as i looked at him shocked. He noticed. He noticed even that slight blush! How was i going to control myself in that engagement. How would i control myself when he compliments me! But what if he doesn't. What if he's with his new girlfriend.. Who's prettier than me.. Anyhow why would he ever complement me. I was never beautiful to him! I was never his type!
'and i shouldn't care!' suddenly prompted my mind!
"let's go!"i came back to reality and realised that he was already gone.
'without waiting for me!' Maddy was behaving indifferent since we'd landed in India. He seems disinterested in almost everything. And for this once i can't understand what's disturbing my best friend.
I carefully picked my lehenga as i walked out of the house after instructing kaka to not wait for us.
I was getting more and more nervous as i thought of how would everyone react after seeing me! How would he react to the sight of me. Will he even look at me! He must have fallen in love already and so there's no reason for him to look at you!
'Manik! For once! But i still need to see you! I need to know what is up with you! I want to know, who's replaced me this time!'for once my heart snd my mind went in sync. And i accepted that i had to see him once. Maybe just to trigger all the hatred inside me once again! Or maybe just to forgive him once again!
"the latter isn't going to happen! I won't let that happen!'my mind rebelled as i sat in the car beside Madhyam and he drive away without speaking a word. I noticed but i was too engrossed to pay attention to him!