14. A step towards you

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An early update just for you all. After all you guys voted for the update of We are married. Thank you for loving the story.

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"I think I am falling for you."

"So will you be my whole story?"

Her words still rang in my ears and I felt irritated with everything going around me but more than that I was irritated and irked by myself.

I fisted my fist and closed my eyes in frustration. I hurt her and yet she waited and smiled for me on the set.

I felt a warm hand on my fisted hand and I opened my eyes in a jiffy, only to see Nandini sit beside me with a warm smile on her lips and adoration clearly visible in her eyes.

"The shoot is over. Let's go grab a meal." She said and I just blankly stared at her.

"Your mood doesn't seem so good." She added as she intently looked at my face. The smile on her face had already melted my wall and I knew it.

"I'm fine." I said plainly, at least I tried saying it that way as I got up from my seat and she too got up, holding my hand.

"You can not even lie properly, can you?" She said and sighed as she stepped a step closer to me. "I need you. Can I lean on you? I don't think this words are that hard to say."

I looked at her for a brief second and at that moment I really wanted to lean on her and let all my frustration and depression out but I bottled it up. I averted my gaze and said sternly, at least I tried saying it that way. "I told you I am fine."

I unwillingly pulled my hand from her hold and walked ahead.

"You sure are stubborn." I heard her say.

"Manik has anyone told you that you look a bit, just a bit cool in hoodie." She said as she caught up with my pace of walking.

What did she mean by 'a bit'? That highly offended me. Huff she sure knew my weak point.

"Are you sure I look just A BIT cool?" I said pressuring the words 'a bit' more than needed.

"Yea just a bit." She said as she walked ahead of me.

"You know you used the wrong vocabulary here. It should be you look very very cool in hoodie. Actually I look very cool in everything I wear." I self bragged about myself. That was the truth afterall.

"By the way Nandini has anyone told you that you look a bit, just a bit adorable like a puppy when you smile." I said as I reached her. She turned to look at me.

"You are actually comparing me with a puppy. Is that even considered as a compliment?"

"Well may be or may be not." I shrugged. My guards had completely fallen down.

"You know you are copying the lines of Ian. You are such a copycat." Ian was the name of the character that I was portraying in the movie.

"I just complimented you and you tagged me as a copycat. You are so mean." I complained.

"You are more mean. But I like you that way." Her words hit me and that was when I was reminded that I had to push her and not pull her towards me.

I composed myself and fastened my footsteps.

"Manik I won't eat you up. So will you please stop acting so awkwardly?" She said as she held my hand and came in front of me. I stopped my steps and looked at her.

"I am not acting awkwardly. Okay?" I said as I pulled my hand from her hold. I couldn't let her develop any sort of feelings for me. My life was a mess and I didn't want her life to be one too.

"Manik you trying to distance yourself from me is not going to lessen my feelings for you." She said, looking at me and I just averted my gaze from her. She was so stubborn and yet I wasn't irked by her stubbornness. That was so unlike me.

"Nandini this feelings you are talking about might mess up your whole life. So please stop...stop right here." I said. Something deep inside me felt heavy and it hurt.

She held my hand yet again. Her hand felt so warm that I hesistated to pull back my hand. If only I hadn't been such a mess, may be I would have held it tightly.

I tried pulling back my hand but she held it so tightly that I couldn't pull it back. "Manik my life is already messy and it can not get messier than this. I am a mess too Manik. So please don't shut yourself down. You can open up to me."

That moment I really wanted to hold onto her. I hate to admit this but even I had developed feelings for her.

"I can't do that. I won't be able to." I jerked her hand away. I knew she was hurt but I couldn't help. Being with me was like being trapped in a prison, a prison full of lies and sadness.

"You just have to take a step towards me, that's the only thing missing." She said as she took a step towards me.

I just looked to the ground, trying hard not to break down. A moment of silence prevailed between us before she took one more step ahead and said,"If you don't then I will take one more step towards you."

Coming on her toes, she threw her hands around my neck and hugged me tightly.

"You know Manik all my life I have only faced betrayals. I have lost the once that I have loved but I don't want to lose you. I want to hold onto you and I don't think I can stop myself." Her words hit me hard and I closed my eyes in frustration. I could feel a knot form in my chest.

And I didn't even realise when tears began swaying down my eyes. That moment I knew only she had the key to open my locked up heart.

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