The Forbidden Fruit (MaNan FF)

xix.

"At what time should I pick you up?" He questioned as the car came to a halt in front of her college.

"Around three," she casually said as she opened the door next to the passenger seat, "maybe a little early."

"Will two-thirty be fine?"

"That's about right," she said before stepping out. She paused for a little while, and turned back to look at him. The door was open but he started the car anyway. She bent down a little, looked at him, and softly said, "Um, goodbye."

He looked at her completely casually and with a slight smile on his face, he bid her goodbye as well. When she closed the door, he immediately put the car into ignition and drove away. Nandini, however, kept on staring as the vehicle disappeared into the road. She bit her lip a little, completely confused at why she was acting so weird.

She wasn't as angry at him anymore and that frightened her. She knew she should be angry, then why couldn't she? She felt herself forgiving him for all he did, bit by bit, and she wanted to stop that. She was sure that he didn't deserve her forgiveness. It didn't matter how he treated her because what he did was wrong on so many levels, but she couldn't believe in that so much anymore.

xx

As Manik opened the door to enter into the old, abandoned beach house, he found yet another surprise awaiting him. As Alya turned the moment she heard the door creak open, her face broke out into a huge smile to see her friend, safe and sound.

"Alya?" he questioned, cringing his eyebrows, not believing his own eyes.

"Hi, Manik," she softly greeted him as she took a step forward. "How are you?"

"What are you doing here?" he asked her instead of giving her an answer.

"You won't believe how worried I was for you," she started to explain. "I thought something terrible happened to you. Seriously, I was having sleepless nights, I swear."

"Funny, because I really can't believe that," he told her instead, his tone filled with bitterness and Alya let out a regretful sigh.

"I know you can't because you're so stuck up over the past," she told him and he knew it was the truth. "Why must we go there again? What's done is done, and there's no way to erase that."

"But we can learn from it, can't we? I've learned not to trust you anymore, you see," Manik angrily spoke and she knew she deserved it.

"I don't get why you must act like such a child," Alya spoke with a tinge of annoyance. "Really, Manik, that was years ago. Can't we just let it go? If you fail to remember, then let me tell you that we were friends first. I want that friendship back, Manik."

"I don't," he informed her, his face devoid of any emotion as he walked over and held the door open, "you may leave now."

"Mani-"

"I said leave, didn't I?" he told her again, and she knew just what to say then to get his attention.

"How's Nandini?"

Manik narrowed his eyes then, shocked at how she knew about Nandini. This girl was clearly giving a lot of surprises today. "Who told you about Nandini?"

"Doesn't matter," she said with a slight smile, knowing she'd gotten his attention now. "I just want to tell you that you can trust me, really. If you guys need any help, I'm there for you. Just give me a call whenever you require my services, okay?"

"See, you tell me to trust you, but you don't really let me," he informed her. "How do I even believe your words when you refuse to tell me how you got this information?"