Stars | completed

2. Crush?

name:- crush?
word count:- 2100 words.
published on:- 6th October, 2018

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N A N D I N I

"Are you serious Nandini, tum Manik se takrayi?" Navya repeated the same question for the fifth type, and I rolled my eyes, nodding as I folded my feet more to myself, making myself comfortable.

We were at Mukti's house, and now mine too. Aliya has arranged this meet between the girls to know the story between the giant and the potato. And just when I started telling them, this happened. Mukti asked this question. And then Aliya asked. And now Navya. And she didn't just ask once, she asked five times. Can you believe the drama queens I had got myself stuck with?

I always wondered how would life be in Mumbai? In Mangalore, I was never allowed to hangout so openly with my friends. There were restrictions everywhere, all thanks to small minded people. While in London, no one cared where a person was. And Mumbai was just an inbetween. The perfect life I always craved for.

"Guys, leave her now. Abhi abhi toh aayi hai! Don't bore her today," Mukti showed her eyes to both of them and Aliya threw a pillow on her in return. I envied them above words. Will I ever be able to fit in?

"Nandini, leave Mukti. She's trying to be the good girl here. Tum batao, tumhe kya feel hua? Like when your skin touched his? He spoke for the first time? Tumhe kuch toh feel hua hoga na?" Navya asked excitedly and Aliya sighed dreamily. Why were they thinking I had met a celebrity instead of a normal twenty year old boy? What was so special about him?

"Nothing, kuch nahi feel hua mujhe," I lied. The first, very first thought in my mind when I saw his face was hot. Although I disliked him, he was hot. And it was undeniably true.

"Jhoot," Navya mockingly smiled, her eyes glittering like a detective. "I can see it in your eyes. Tumhare mann mein kuch halchal si hui thi, tunhari dhadkane tez ho gayi aur tumne jab usse dekha, toh tumhari zindagi ko ek naya mod sa mil gaya. Saasein thamb si gayi, aur hawaayein tez ho gayi. Tumne usse zyaadi koi khubsurat cheez apni zindagi mein dekhi hi nahi. Mana math karna, par tumhe kuch kuch hone laga tha," she smiled proudly.

My mouth had fallen open a bit, and eyes wide staring at her as I slowly tried to intercept each word that she spoke, slowly and gradually. What was this girl? A walking and talking Bollywood machine? What movie dialogue had she spoken? And was I the only one who didn't understand anything?

I slowly looked to my side, and found Mukti and Aliya gaping at her just like me while she casually shrugged and just rolled her eyes away. "Don't stare, meine kal hi Kuch Kuch Hota Hai dekhi," she beamed. I sighed.

She wasn't possessed. I was relieved and so were Aliya and Mukti. We all stared at each other before passing goofy smiles. "So, you must have felt something na. Like a small crush or something?" Aliya asked hopefully.

"No, no way!" I shouted back instantly. Me? Crushing? On? Manik? Malhotra? That? Giant?Impossible.

"Look at me, I'm so chotu and cute si. And then look at him. He's huge. And moreover, he looks daravna, as if koi horror movie se nikal bheja ho. I'm never crushing on him," I shrugged away and they all nodded in disappointment.

"He the hottest boy of our grade. Every girl like dies to be talking to him. I mean, we all see him like a brother now. Toh kabhi vaisi wali feeling aayi hi nahi. So we thought, maybe you could tell us how it feels to be around Manik Malhotra. Is it actually how other girls tell it to be? Do you actually feel like fainting when he even looks or smiles like Sonika? Or do you feel like giving him love cards like that Ridhima did? Or do you feel like following him everywhere like Anjali does? Or are you distantly happy looking at him happy like Mahi? Tell us Nandini, we're so desperate!" Aliya said everything in just one breath and I chuckled a bit.