The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

21. Nandakishore?

Hello Fam :)

Happy Reading...

Nandini hated the way her college administration worked sometimes. Since it was Friday and Saturday being their college anniversary, the classes were suspended. The sudden declaration resulted in a swarm of students scattered all over the college as many of them basked in workless hours with their friends.

Nandini was looking over the last minute arrangments, instructing the workers and yelling at the students to give her the way. Common sense was really rare these days. When her head was aching and she struggled to interpret the work plan inside her head, she decided to go to the canteen and have some coffee. It came as a relief when she saw her friends at their usual table. Slumping down on a chair beside Mukti, she rested her head on her best friend's shoulder and closed her eyes for a moment. Abhimanyu was sitting beside Mukti.

She was surprised when Manik instead of going home, was sitting opposite to Mukti and reading a novel. The answer came in the form of the scrapping of the chair. Nandini peeked an eye open and found Cabir taking a seat beside his brother and directly in front of Nandini. She closed her eyes again. This was an energy-sucking monster.

"Bhai, do you know what's the news going around the campus?", asked the monster, breaking the peace but didn't wait for anyone as he continued speaking. Nandini distinctly heard the sound of a book being kept on the table. Manik. "It seems the head girl has blasted off staff and students alike and everyone who is crossing her path is in grave danger. Do you think I am in danger as I am sitting directly in front of her?"

"Cabir, keep quiet", Manik whisper yelled and Nandini thought, bless the kid, he deserved every happiness in the world for not making a noise when her head was blasting off.

The last bit of her patience got exhausted when the monster stomped his foot. "Listen", she started, pointing a threatening finger at him when Abhimanyu cut her off.

"No, you listen to me. Stop straining yourself and sit down quietly for two minutes", he told, sternly.

"Abhimanyu, yaar", said Nandini and ignored the whine in her voice. "I have lots of work to do and no one is working properly. On top of that, I don't know whose brilliant idea it is to cancel the classes of the students. They are all over the place. Won't even give way to those who are working", she ranted. Too bad. She wasted too much of her energy and her best friend, the idiot who promised a forever, didn't even twitch a muscle as he continued to stare down at her sternly.

"I know how things are going on but I don't want my best friend to fall down working. So, how about I get you your favorite cheeseburger and a cup of hot steaming coffee to get your brain back to functioning?", he told.

Unable to resist her favorite cheeseburger, she nodded half-heartedly. Cabir was about to comment something but was cut off by Manik's glare. Interesting. Never knew he could glare down the monster into silence, thought Nandini. Abhimanyu, who probably had noticed their interaction, dragged Cabir along with them to get their orders. She leaned her head back on Mukti but then felt a pair of eyes on her. She sighed. "Stop staring and speak up whatever you want", she asked Manik, without opening her eyes and heard him chuckle.

"Why don't you take help from the head boy instead of burdening everything upon you?", he asked.

"I don't have enough free time to search and argue with him. Anyway, he didn't cross my path since morning, so, I guess he didn't come to college", she told.

"Of course, as always on the day he had to work", cursed a pissed off Mukti as her hand stroked Nandini's hair. Seriously she was lucky with just these two in her life.