The Rules Of Pursuit

22. Rule No. 7

A slight knock on the door woke me up, but I was too lazy to answer it.

"Hey! Everything okay?" I heard Mia's surprised voice. I was too weary even to pull down my blanket and see who it was this late at night.

"Can I have a word with you?" Mandy's worried voice reached me. He must have come to pester Mia for more advice on how to woo Natasha.

"Now?" Mia sounded perplexed.

"Yes now." I could hear Mandy enter the room. "Is she asleep?" He asked Mia. Did he mean me? I laid still, waiting to hear what he was about to say.

"Yes, she was too tired, so went to sleep in her jeggings only." I heard her bed creak and our study chair being dragged along the floor. Both of them had sat down. I had my back to them, so they had no idea that I was eavesdropping into their conversation.

"Naxi is behaving all weird." Mandy sounded anxious.

"I noticed." Mia said thoughtfully.

"After you guys left I tried to leave too, but she forced me to stay with her." Mandy said nervously. "I mean she has become this possessive all of a sudden..."

"And only towards YOU." Mia asserted.

"You noticed that too." Mandy remarked.

"Hmmm."

"Do you think...she has...like...she has...I mean fallen for me." The words tumbled out from his mouth.

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK!

Ofcourse he was supposed to feel that way. Rule no. 7 specifically said that your helper should be aware. I couldn't master the courage to ask Mandy to help me fearing that he would start with his 'Avi is not into you' bullshit. Now Mandy felt I was into him.

FUCK this was an epic blunder!

"I hope not...I mean it is going to make things complicated." Mia said anxiously.

"I couldn't sleep with these thoughts storming my mind." Mandy was actually worried "you are the closest to her, you could help her get over it. If...what we think is true...I don't want to be the guy who breaks her heart. I would hate to be the guy breaking her heart. She is my bestfriend, I really, really do care about her."

I have had enough and no more could I pretend to be deep in slumber. Mandeep was basically like a grown up Leo to me. Damn! I had messed things up real bad. Throwing the blanket off, I abruptly sat up on my bed.

"Mandeep Chautala, even if you were the last man walking on this world, I would never have fallen for you." I roared.

"You...you were awake...all this time..." Mandeep shouted back shocked. "Mia you told me she was fast asleep."

"She was." Mia looked dumbfounded.

"So you heard what I said." Mandy asked a little embarrassed.

"YESS I DID." I scowled. "YEEEWWW MANDY HOW COULD YOU EVEN THINK THAT." I grimaced.

"I...I...you were.."

"Urgh...I seriously need a smoke now." I glared at him outstretching my hand. He drew out a pack of Gold Flake and threw it to me.

The raw smoke hitting my tonsils, helped me calm down. I blew out the smoke and gave Mandy a dose of the 'Brutal Truth'.

"Remember this for life. You were, are and shall always be my bestfriend. Just like Mia. And even if I had a gun pointed at my temple, I wouldn't be able to feel romantically for you." I said pointedly.

Mandy sighed in relief, lighting a cigarette himself.

"That just lifted a huge weight from our chests." Mia said taking the fag from me.