MaNan: We Aren't Meant To Be Together

Chapter 3

NANDINI

Last night was hell for me, I cried for hours remembering mine and Manik's childhood memories.

There was a time, thinking about them made me happy, but now they just haunt me.

It took me a lot of courage to move on from the fact that Manik's never going to come back.

My best friend, my buddy, my Manu.

He left me just like that and didn't even turn back once.

No one has ever hurt me like he has, and I'm determined to no give into him.

"Nandu, tu kuch sun bhi rahi hai?" Navya budges my arm and pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Huh?"

"Huh kya huh? Kahaan khoyi hai?" I wish I could tell you Navya.

"Kahin bhi nahi." I reply and turn my face a little.

"Dekh Nandini, teri best friend esse hi nahi hoon, I know tu jhut bol rahi hai." I knew it. She knows me better than anyone. "But mai kuch nahi bolungi. Jab tujhe thik lage tab bata dena."

I smile warmly at her understanding nature and not giving a thought, I hug her as tight as I can, to which she responds by wrapping her arms around me.

I'm so sorry for this Navya. I wish I could tell you, and I will. But this is just not the right time for it.

I unwrap my arms and she gives me a smile by patting my cheek like she always does.

"Chalo ab. Late horaha hai." I nod my and start walking with her, this time paying attention to her words.

. . . . .

"Aaj sachi me bohot bhuk lagi hai. Uss Khandelwal ne bohot pakaya yaar." I hear Navya saying before looking around spotting our friends sitting in a corner.

We go towards them and pull out chairs making a little space in between somehow.

"Sab aagaye hain toh order do sab, mai aur Karan jaake leke aate hai." Abhimanyu says and looks at us waiting for an answer.

Everyone placed their orders and I just shake my head saying I'm not hungry.

"Nandu, tu pakka thik hai na?" Mukti asks by placing her hand on my forehead.

I smack her hand away, "Haan. Bass mann nahi hai."

No one says a word after that knowing that I'll be fine.

But, will I?

I wish I had the answer to it. It was so easy to not think about Manik when he wasn't here, but now that he's around he makes it all more difficult.

I have always been proud by the fact that I'm the best student in this college in English, but now I'm highly regretting it.

Manik knows Hindi, a little bit but he does. But since morning he pretended to not to understand what the teachers were telling him and that always lead to me explaining him about the lessons.

Avoiding him was the best option I had, but it's not even an option now.

Although, I still ignored everything he said that was not related to the lessons, it was still difficult to get used to the fact of him being back.

Soon the bell rings and we all move to our next classes together.

Mine is history.

I slide next to Aryaman greeting him, to which he replied with a warm smile.