Crazy, Stupid, Summer Sparks |COMPLETE| MaNan Fiction

Chapter 1: A Crush Can Make You Do Strange Things

5:32p.m. [Hey gorgeous! Wanna go for a movie tonight?]

5:36p.m. [What, just the two of us? Or Bhai and Behenji joins too?]

5:40p.m. [No babe, Aryaman doesn't join us. As for behenji, I only promised Mukti that I will take care of her in class, not beyond. So just the two of us. Game?]

5:50p.m. [Sure, sounds like a plan! Pick me up at 9?]

5:53p.m. [Done ma'am]

Soha smirked after reading the last message on the phone. This Manik was a charmer, she thought. They have become friends ever since they started college last year when her cousin Aryaman and she ended up joining the same college for the same course - Manik was Aryaman's best friend from junior school. So naturally, they were sort of a group - of course the recent addition to the group was that behenji, Nandini - a total misfit thought Soha dismissively.

Nandini was in the same class from the beginning, but they never noticed her until they started college this year. As luck would have it, Manik's sister Mukti had joined the same college and she was Nandini's roomie. Mukti for some reason had become fiercely protective of Nandini seeing her docile nature and nerdy disposition - she realized Nandini must be having a difficult time in the college, hence she had made Manik promise her, that he will befriend Nandini in class and let her hang out with them - in short taking care of Nandini was Manik's responsibility as per Mukti's demand. Of course, Manik never said no to his tom-boy sister Mukti - so there was their revised group - Manik, Soha, Aryaman and 'Behenji'.

***

Nandini was furiously scribbling and making last minute corrections in the assignment - she couldn't believe that she herself had made so many silly mistakes in it, but of course by the time she had started working on it, it was past 3a.m. and she was really tired and sleepy - she had to learn to manage time better she thought to herself as she tried her best to drown out the constant chirpy voice of Soha sitting in front of her - gossiping over the phone about how fantastic her movie date with Manik went last night. She needed to concentrate and revise this before the professor came for collecting their assignments - she couldn't afford another assignment going down the drain because of her careless mistakes. She was covering her ears with her hand and rocking on her chair and reading out her assignment softly to concentrate better, when she saw a long bony finger tap her desk - she glanced up to see Manik looking down at her with an annoyed face.

"Why my assignment already isn't placed on the professor's desk Nandini?" he asked with an annoyed expression.

"Woh..actually I was doing ---" but he cut her off.

"Oh, so this is how carelessly you do my assignment, minutes before the professor arrives? And why have you scribbled so much on it? You're trying to screw me on purpose, right Nandini?" asked Manik furiously.

Nandini silently turned around and dug out another file from her bag and handed it to Manik. "This is your assignment Manik, I finished it last night. The one I am scribbling on is mine" she replied softly not meeting his eyes.

Manik took the file silently from her and flipped through the pages, it was neatly done and there were no scribbles. He still felt irritated, but he chose not to say anything.

"What is this yaar Manik, at least listen to her once before venting out your anger on her. Firstly she does all your assignments and she prioritises your assignment over her's and this is how you behave?" chided an annoyed Aryaman from next to Nandini. Manik turned back to face Aryaman after he heard his remarks and was about to say something to Nandini, when Soha who was sitting beside him, turned around and faced Aryaman and Nandini too.