Contract or Covenant

Part 3

Nandu felt dizzy and lost conscious. Navya held Nandu from falling to the ground. Navya started looking around for help, she couldn't carry Nandu on her own. She could make a phone call and call some one for help. Still supporting Nandu with one hand and taking out her phone from her purse with another would have been a difficult task.

Navya's eyes fell on a tall guy who was standing nearby facing his back towards them. She called him a few times and the guy turned back, he was Manik.

Navya : "Can you please help me carry her inside?"

Manik immediately came to Navya's rescue. Manik lifted Nandu, carried her in his arms and took her inside the building. Manik made Nandu lay down on the sofa in the reception. 

Meanwhile, Navya fetched water quickly and came to Nandu. Navya sprinkled water on Nandu's face.

Navya : "Nandu, how are you feeling now? Should i call the doctor? "

Nandu : "I am fine. There is no need to call the doctor. I just felt a little dizzy."

Navya : "You don't listen to us and see what happened.You scared me, what if  something happened to you..."

Nandu : "Relax Navvu, just by cooking for sometime and coming here, i am not going to di..."

Navya kept her hand on Nandu's mouth before she completed the sentence and nodded her head indicating a no.

Manik who was standing  heard them, but didn't understand why their conversation was going from cooking to feeling dizzy to dying. Seeing that she was fine and they were busy in their conversation, Manik decided to leave from there. That's when, Navya realized she hadn't thanked him yet.

Navya : "Thank you! If you wouldn't have helped me, i don't know how i would have managed. Thanks a lot."

Manik : "You are welcome!"

Nandu after hearing their conversation got up and came forward to thank him. But she wasn't able to stand steady and was about to fall. Navya's back was facing Nandu, but Manik saw Nandu. He moved towards Nandu, held her from falling and made her sit on the sofa.

Manik : "Are you ok?"

Navya came to Nandu and Manik moved away from her. The few seconds when Manik held her, Nandu felt something different, something which she hadn't experienced before. She didn't know what it was at that time. That made Nandu lift her chin and look at him. She was lost trying to figure out what she felt and why she felt so different.

Navya : "Thank you once again!"

Alya who works there came down the elevator and saw Manik at a distance. She had seen him standing close to a girl and touching her, which she didn't like.

Alya : "Manik"

Manik saw Alya and waved his hand. Navya also saw Alya. Manik turned towards Navya.

Manik : "You are welcome! Do you need anything else?"

Navya : "I will manage from here. Thank you!"

Manik : "Ok i will take leave then. Bye."

Navya : "Bye!"

Manik turned towards Nandu.

Manik : "Take care."

Manik left with Alya.

Navya : "Take some rest. We will leave after sometime."

There was no response from Nandu.

Navya : "Nandu! Nandu!"

Nandu came out of her trance.

Navya : "What happened? Are you ok?"

Nandu : "Nothing. I am fine."

After Alya and Manik came out of the building,

Alya : "Who were they? Why were you touching that girl?"

Manik explained what happened when he was waiting for Alya.

Alya : "Why did you have to carry her in your arms? You could have called someone else."

Manik : "There was no one else around. Her friend couldn't carry her and so she asked me to help her."

They had taken rest of the day off, because they had to practice and get ready before the orchestra in the evening. They reached the room where they practice.

Alya didn't like Manik holding some other girl in his arms. She was still upset about it.

Mukti : "Why are you upset Alya?"

Manik again explained everything that happened.

Manik : "From the time i told Alya that i carried that girl, she is upset."

Cabir : "Come on Alya! That girl was unconscious and he helped her. Manik wasn't flirting with that girl for you too get upset."

Cabir : "Manik doesn't flirt with any girl for that matter and your are getting upset over a girl who was not in her senses."

Cabir : "What Manik, when did you learn the art of  flirting with unconscious girls? And you didn't even tell me about it."

Manik : "What nonsense Cabir? You too..."

Cabir : "Hey, cool down. I was just kidding."

Mukti felt that Alya was feeling insecure.

Mukti : "Cheerup Alya! Manik is only yours. No one can take him away from you."

Alya's mood was better.

After telling what had happened twice,

Manik's thoughts : "She just felt dizzy. But her friend seemed to be so worried for her. Why was she talking about dying at such an young age?"

Dhruv : "Come on, let's practice."

Manik was lost in his thoughts.

Cabir : "Manik! Manik!"

Manik came out of his thoughts.

Cabir : "Where were you lost?"

Manik : "Nowhere."

Alya had just cheered up, Manik didn't want her to get upset again because he was thinking about that girl. So he didn't tell about it.

They practiced for sometime and got ready for the orchestra.

Navya dropped Nandu home. After confirming Nandu was doing fine, Navya asked her to take rest and left.

Nandu was lying on the bed, but she was wide awake. She was trying to figure out what she felt and why.

Nandu's thoughts (She was questioning and answering herself)

"What was that feeling? It felt so different, why?"

"Apart from Daddu and the doctor, he was the first guy who touched you in the recent past. That's why."

"Why was my heart beating so erratically?"

"You have a weak heart. You were stressed. Probably your heart was reacting to the stress."

"It was a very small incident. Why am I thinking so much about it? Just let it go."

Nandu came out of her thoughts and tried to divert her attention, but she wasn't successful. How much ever she tried to snap out of it, her mind went back to that incident. Finally, she went to sleep at night with the same thoughts.