The Bet - [Manan] #Book1 | ✓

twenty four

It was in the middle of the night when manik groaned in thirst and his eyes flew open. Lazily his hand searched for water bottle at the bed side table but all he got was an empty one. Cursing under his breath in his sleepy, raspy voice he stood up to head in the kitchen and get some water.

** manik's pov **

I stood still for few seconds to let my eyes settle in the surrounding darkness while the only light coming in the room was from the window of the glowing moon and twinkling stars. I glanced at nandini, it was freaking cold in here and she was sleep without any blanket.

Damn that stubborn girl. I sighed and fetched the extra duvet from the bed which she had pulled out from the cupboard but sure enough madam had forgotten to take it along and now she was shivering. I had taken only four, five steps or something when I tripped over the hanging edge of the duvet which was practically mopping the floor.

I waited for floor to embrace me with my eyes squeezed shut but instead I landed on couch or to say above nandani who was now staring at me with horrified expression before it turned into a death glare. Way to manik. I muttered a quick sorry and tried to stood up. But lets just say I failed miserably.

That hell of a blanket had to have that fluffy, soft material which caused my hands to slip and I fell again, like those series of events wasn't enough. I had to fall back and my lips accidentally brushed her neck. I could still smell her perfume and the sweet smell it had wasn't helping at all. Subconsciously I nuzzled my nose in nape of her neck.

I was about to trace length of her neck when I felt a push. Nandini had pushed my face which literally into her neck and groaned in frustration. Holy crap, I just got to caught up in the moment. She was shooting daggers at me. I cleared my throat and this finally I managed to stand straight without falling for the nth time.

" what the hell was that?", she said with anger laced in her voice.

" huhh! Duvet." I pointed at it and gave her haven't - you - ever - seen - a - duvet look.

" I can see that. I was asking what were you doing?", she made her question clear this time while sitting on the couch with a huff now.

" you were cold, so I thought to cover you with duvet.", I shrugged like it was a matter of fact, which indeed it was for me at least.

" and why? ", her eye brow raised slightly.

" wouldn't want my pa to get sick when she has hell lot of work to do. Isn't it. ", I stated and smirked.

" Manik Monster Malhotra.", she muttered under her breath but I heard those faint words which made me chuckle. She never was going to change, would she. Damn I didn't even want this girl to change even bit. She had always drived me crazy by the way she had been.

" did you say anything? ", I asked while bending a little in her direction.

" no--- nothing.", she shuttered when our faces were mere inches apart and I could feel her warm breath over my face.

" okay then. I am going in the kitchen.", I announced and marched towards the door.

" hmm." she replied before wrapping that freaking duvet around her small fragile frame.

** pov over **

Manik grabbed the empty bottle and ran off to the kitchen. Nandini opened her eyes again when she heard the sound of door getting closed. She kept her hand at her heart and she could easily sense the wild thumping of her heart.

His mere closeness, his mere touch was enough to ignite fire in her whole body. If she hadn't come out of her daze when manik started to nuzzle his nose in nap of her neck, she was sure she wouldn't have guts to push him away then. But the betrayal had flashed in front of her and that longing of being in close to him was replaced by staying far away from him. His fake words had echoed in her mind which made her push him despite her body wanting otherwise.

** nandini's pov **

" manik why you did that? Why did you betray me? Why everything and anything we had between us was just the bet for you? Why your love was just the bet? Why the bet, manik. Why?", cries of hurt didn't keep intact anymore. All those memories and moments gushed back in my brain. I didn't want to cry. It made me feel weak.

But for the first time I wanted to feel weak. I didn't want to put up that stone face mask to hide my vulnerable self behind. Now our little encounter bitterly remained me of how he was with me until I got to know about the bet which made my crazily jumping heart into shattered one within a second.

Tears were rolling out of my eyes and I didn't bother to wipe them off either cause manik wasn't here and I wanted to let it all out. Those all thoughts were weighing me down and I was desperate to feel light, to let go of that baggage. But every time I would determine myself to be head strong manik, to keep distance between us. All that determination would always seem to go in drain.

As in the next minutes he would do something so captive to make my heart flip again. And I was getting tired of it. I was tried of this back and forth. I got it, earlier because of the bet he pretended to be in love with me and faked all those moments.

But why the hell at times he would still show care for me. I remembered vividly the night when he had become ceo of purple pebbles, he had thrown a party and had got total waste. At that time that look on his face, that hurt in his eyes and that longing in his eyes and his words. What was that all about.

And what exactly he meant by he just didn't want his pa to get sick cause she had lots of work to handle but why do I feel that he was lying. He did that just because he cared about me. I held my head tightly and grunted in frustration. I couldn't make up what was going in Manik malhotra's mind.

** pov over **

Nandini quickly covered herself till face in duvet as she heard the sound of turning knob and she was looking like a mess with all those sticky tear marks and besides she would never treat manik with her devastated state. She would have him that satisfaction ever. And to add she didn't wanted to give explanation over why she was crying her guts out like a lunatic.

She heard faint sound of foot step while she hurriedly wiped and cleaned her face properly under the duvet. When she thought he would have been off to bed by now, she felt the duvet being sliding off her face. She kept her eyes close to act like she was sleeping while manik looked at her intently.

Adoring her shining face under the moonlight. He bend down to level till her face. Nandini could feel his breathe fanning her. Manik brushed her hair strands and creased her cheeks, rising knots in her stomach. He touched her face with his, their noses touching each other.

Nandini clenched duvet slightly in her fists in order to stay put and keep her act of sleeping which was becoming harder and harder with each passing moment. Manik traced her nose before pecking her forehead. Nandini's breathing got uneven and she didn't realise when her eyes open but to her luck manik had gone to bed and in the darkness he didn't get to see that nandini was staring at him with shocked eyes.

****

So that's all for now. Hope you guys liked it.

I had written this update yesterday guys but couldn't post it as my WiFi had ditched me.