"This was all just a game; a game for revenge". He never meant these words but he said them, and in front of her, ignoring the sound of his breaking heart and controlling his hands from wiping her tears. Manik Malhotra, the monster of space gave up...
Nandini just wanted to forget all her worries and share the comfort, Dhruv's friendship provided to her. But it seemed fate wasn't on her side because just when they were a few minutes into the dance, another boulder crashed her head..........
"Nan-n-di-ni.....", his nervousness alerted her the importance of the upcoming discussion and she focussed all her attention on him, with curiosity painted on her face urging him to go on.
"I've been trying to say this for a long time. All this is......my changed hair, clothes, everything...even that date, the one you never saw, the one in the garden last night...", she almost stopped listening to him........'So, Manik Malhotra...I wasn't even worth the effort to put up something for the proposal. You hated me so much that you used your Best Friend's proposal to get your revenge.' Controlling her tears, she kept to her promise and continued listening to Dhruv.
".....to get those 3 roses."
"Sorry", she had to interrupt apologising for zoning out.
"I wanted to get exactly 93 roses for all the days I'd known you. But I guess I was so stupid all along, I should've just simply told you that I like you." He looked into her eyes, stopping to wait for her response. They stood still on the dance floor, as he looked at her in anticipation of her reaction.
..................Dhruv's feelings
Nandini looked at him, with a myriad of emotion displayed on her face, surprise, admiration, respect, guilt.......and the most prominent, pity. She could not help but feel bad for him, he was one of the sweetest and kindest person she'd ever met in her life. He was perfect for any girl, but she knew that even years down the line, she couldn't accept his feelings. She didn't want him to wait in vain for a heart broken beyond repair, so she just hugged him, out of her overwhelming emotions.....but they both knew her answer.
They stayed like that for a few minutes, holding on to each other not knowing if they would be able to face each other again.
"I'm sorry, I need to go.......", a whisper so low broke the moment which he wouldn't even have heard if it was not for her standing so close.
Kissing his cheek, she went away from there without so much as a glance back.
She almost got out of the college gate, when she felt the all too familiar hold on her arm, pull her back and drag her to an isolated corner. Two known arms caging her, as the once loved pair of brown eyes looked into her own black orbs, a sheet of emotionlessness shining through them. She was back to her worst nightmare, a place or maybe a person, she once found home in.
The arms of Manik Malhotra.
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She pushed him off her, remembering every detail of the last time she had seen him......... "Manik....tum humesha mujhe aise apni marzi se kabhi, kahi bhi Utah ke nahi laa saktein.(You can't just get me wherever, whenever you feel like) Keep in your limits", she complained rubbing the spot he'd held which was slowly turning red.
Manik had gone in a daze when he saw her, she was like an oasis of light in his dark, deserted life. He felt like being selfish, as he drank in her appearance. To him she looked like an angel......but as her words reached his ears, he realised, he'd broken his...no....Dhruv's angel. He burned in guilt seeing her reddening arms, dry eyes and tear stained cheeks. He knew that even though she was the best thing that had happened to him, for her, he could only be the worst. He could only be her destruction and she didn't deserve that. His fisted his hands as he started the holy task he'd intended on when he'd brought her there.
"What did you say to Dhruv?"
Her heart broke in a thousand new pieces in addition to the already million shards piercing her soul as she stared at him, dejected and hurt.
" Seriously Manik, tum khud ko kya samajhte ho, kiss haq se meri life mein interfere kar rahe ho. Dhruv tumhara best friend hai, (what do you think of yourself, with what right are you interfering in my life. Dhruv is your best friend,) but he's my friend too. And whatever is between us doesn't concern you."
She turned to walk away, but he caught her arm again, making her face him.
Closing his eyes, to hide the pain he was undergoing, he questioned her again.
"Nandini, just answer the question, what did you say to him!?"
Her eyes, stared at him, with stubbornness showing.
" Why are you so interested? Koi nayaplan banaya hai kya, uske saath mujhe hurt karnein ka? To bhul jao, kyunki main ab tumpe apne aansu waste nahi karungi (Have you made some other plan with him to hurt me, then forget it because, now I won't waste any tears on you.) "
Before she could continue, he immediately denied her accusations, afraid to spoil Dhruv's chance.
"Dhruv sincerely likes you, he would never ever think of hurting you, he doesn't know anything about us. Don't reje......."
He was cut off by her hands, as they collided in claps with a sense of mockery.
"Wow, Manik Malhotra, Wow!!!! Main jab bhi sochti hu, ki tum isse niche nahi gir saktein, tum mujhe galat prove kar dete ho. ( Whenever I think you can't be worse, you prove me wrong.) You call Dhruv your best friend, and yet you fake date the girl he likes, just to hurt her and satisfy your freaking ego!!!! You used Dhruv's arrangements that day, right? Of course, why would you even take some effort for me. Be happy, Mr. Malhotra, you don't need to worry about me or Dhruv anymore, thanks to you, I will never be able to accept Dhruv. And you know what, maybe it's my punishment, I must've done something really bad that I met you before Dhruv. Because of you I can't find a prince, because a monster ruined me already!!!"
She pushed him off and ran leaving him with the glistening eyes she refused to bear.
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