The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

40. Mukti

Hello Fam :)

I am sorry. There was a power cut since morning at my place. Is there anyone from Visakhapatnam who is facing the same issue or is it only me? :(

Happy Reading...

Nandini still had a smile on her face when she reached the Thakkar house. She was munching on the chocolate. Abhimanyu and Ishita were in the living room. She waved at them and Abhimanyu eyed her in suspicion.

"Didn't you go home?", he asked. "You skipped your dinner again right?"

Nandini rolled her eyes. She was eating chocolates.

"Come, I will put up the plate", said Ishita. "Do you want to change your clothes?"

"Ishu, I am not hungry. I had so many chocolates today", said Nandini.

Abhimanyu muttered something under his breath which sounded suspiciously like 'special chocolates'. She was about to punch him but Raman came into the living room and pulled her into a half hug.

"What are you doing here this late?", he asked.

"He said you wanted to talk to me and it's urgent", she said pointing towards Abhimanyu.

Abhimanyu pointedly avoided her gaze and Raman laughed at them.

"I only told him to ask you to meet me. The rest is his idea I guess", Raman said. He restrained Nandini when she felt the urge to punch him again. "Now that you are here, why don't I tell you the reason I called you. Okay?"

Nandini complained all her way to Raman's study room. He closed the door behind him and made her sit. "I have good news for you. Nyonika Malhotra has refused to sign any deal with Murthy Industries."

"What? Uncle, thank you. This means a lot", she told.

Raman shook his head. "Nandini, I didn't do anything. By the time I could arrange a meeting with her, she had already rejected the deal and moved onto a new one. From a reliable source, she is not too keen to strike a deal with Murthy Industries. I think she was giving a chance to your father but I don't know what he did and whatever it is, she is disinterested."

Nandini snorted. "Maybe he couldn't put up his facade long enough in front of her. I am impressed. Does this mean she could never let me get married to Manik?"

"If it's up to her, never. She dots on her sons and I don't think she would let them fall for your father's tricks."

"She is perfect", exclaimed Nandini. She smiled to herself as she thought about her little victory over her father.

Maybe Nyonika could even ask Manik to stop being friends with her. Nandini knew this would happen sometime sooner or later but the thought still bothered her. The hardest part was she didn't want to stop her too. If Nyonika feels Nandini could hurt Manik in any way, directly or indirectly, she would choose herself to walk away from him.

Suddenly, the room she had known since her childhood, the one which she had sneaked in to play hide and seek several times, couldn't provide her with enough oxygen for her to breathe. She felt suffocated inside the barely lit room.

"Nandini, are you okay?"

She heard Raman ask her and managed a smile. "I am fine. Just tired. I will go to bed." She wished him a good night and left the room.

Abhimanyu was waiting for her outside the room.

"Nyonika Malhotra wouldn't let any Murthy come close to Manik", she told him.

He was quick enough to wrap his hands around her. "It's okay. You are fine", he muttered.

Nandini nodded. She was too tired to argue. She let her best friend pull her to her room and once he tucked her in the bed, Abhimanyu grabbed her mobile from her hand.

"I am taking this with me. I will give it to you in the morning", he told. "Don't overthink and get some rest." He switched off the lights on his way out.

XXX

Abhimanyu woke up when he felt someone sitting beside him. He peeked an eye open and found Mukti beside him. Instantly, he abandoned his pillow to put his head on Mukti's lap.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Don't you want to go to college today?", she asked but her hand on his head was grounding him from getting lost in his thoughts.

He shook his head. "Can we bunk?"

Mukti's hands stopped in his hair for a moment before she resumed. "What's wrong? You look tired."

"Nandini is here", he told and sighed. "And she is hurting herself."

He told her about the conversation he had overheard in his dad's study room. "If she was happy as she claimed to be about not marrying Manik, why would she be crying while saying it?"

"What?"

"I saw her. What hurts most is, she didn't realize she was crying. I don't know what to do, Mukti. I can't see her hurt every day.

Mukti sighed. "And I think you would hurt her if you continue to force Nandini to accept her feelings for Manik. After everything she has gone through, she doesn't need even us to control her life, right?"

He spluttered. He wasn't controlling her life. Was he? "She wouldn't accept it if we don't get involved, Mukti. After yesterday, I am damn sure, she loves Manik. If not, why was she crying?"

"True. But you are locking her up in a room with him and expect her to love the only person available. We have known her for years. Every time her parents had forced her to mingle with the other kids, their business partners, she had only pushed them away. And she might push Manik away if we are doing the same thing", she explained.

"We aren't her parents."

"Yes, we aren't", told Mukti. "And hence, we should let her have her freedom. She is our best friend and if we are suffocating her, even if it's the right thing, are we even her friends?", she asked. They were interrupted when Mukti's mobile buzzed with a message. She took a moment to text back the person. "It's Manik asking if we are coming to the college", she muttered. "Abhimanyu, remember the kid who joined the college a few months back? He is trying everything in his power to grow out of his shell and if the only friends he has would push him away, how would that affect him?"

"I am sorry", he muttered. "I am sorry. I thought Nandini would be happy with him. Manik isn't the only one who has changed during the past months. Nandini has a constant smile on her face whenever he is around and I got excited."

Mukti kissed his head. "I know, baby. For now, let them leave alone, okay? If they are meant to be together, they will be and no one can stop them."

Abhimanyu nodded. This was the worst he had felt about himself and the way he had dealt with Nandini. At least, Mukti wasn't angry. Even if it doesn't warrant Nandini's reaction if she gets to know about this, he felt a bit better. The girl in question walked into his room, still half-asleep. She gave one glance to Mukti before flopping down on the bed beside Abhimanyu, putting her head on her lap.

Abhimanyu wrapped his hand around her and pulled her into a tight embrace. "I am sorry, love", he whispered. "I was supposed to be your best friend but I let my emotions take over me. I am sorry. I love you so much, Nandini."

Nandini blinked her eyes at Abhimanyu a couple of times and then flopped her head down on his chest without a word. He chuckled and tightened the hug. His smile widened when Mukti bent down to hug them both. "My babies", she cooed.

I love Mukti by the way. ;)

Don't worry. Manik is coming in few minutes. :P