I made a perfect plan with my best Abhi so that at least he talked to me for once. But I had no clue that the plan was going to backfire on me. He was making me crazy and I never experienced this feeling before, it wasn't love, it was some kind of obsession. I wanted to run away from him but something was stopping me.

Abhi bribed the peon of college and asked him to say Manik that Principal sir is calling him. My work was to pull him into the empty room and won't let him go until he doesn't talk to me.

I was such a fool that I had made this plan. According to me, the plan was perfect but no, it wasn't. I was going to regret it badly.

I was standing in the room and looking outside waiting for Manik to come, but instead of him, I received a message from Abhi.

Abhi: Manik fell down the stairs, come fast.

I widened my eyes in shock after reading the message.

I dashed out of the room and ran to the stairs, I was feeling like I would lose him before getting him. My heart was pounding with fright and in my mind, I was just praying to God to keep him safe and fine.

I reached there and took a breath of relief as I saw him standing downstairs perfectly fine. I walked close to him and just hugged him without thinking anything. His body was cold. I felt a sudden urge to feel his arms around me.

I wanted him to hug me back, I was dying to be in his arms but instead of hugging me back, he curtly pushed me away with all his pressure and I fell on the floor. I stared at him silently, sitting on the floor.

He bent down and moved dangerously close to my face. "Don't dare to hug me or touch me again." He warned me sternly, but ignoring his behaviour, I'm just looking into his deep black eyes and trying to read them.

I again saw extreme pain in his eyes. I really wanted to know what pain he was hiding behind his anger. I could strongly feel that he just wore the mask of the monster, but in reality, he was something else which I badly want to know. My soul was craving to pull off the mask and to know the real him.

"Do you really think the message you received from Abhi number, it was really sent by him?" As he uttered, I narrowed my brows in confusion. The corners of his lips lifted in an evil grin as he took out a phone from his jeans pocket. I widened my eyes in shock because it was Abhi's phone.

I stood up from the floor, and as I tried to take the phone, he moved it away. He chuckled, putting the phone back into his pocket

"What was your plan, little girl? After pulling me into the empty room, what you wanted to do?" I was staring at him in shock, wondering how did he come to know about my plan.

"How-how do you know?" I asked stammering a bit. He chucked again.

Suddenly he yanked me to himself by grasping my arms, staring at me darkly. "I know everything, so stop doing what you want to do." He warned me and jerked me away from him before leaving my arms.

"No." I shook my head and continued, "you don't know anything about my feelings. You know what I feel when I see you, my heartbeat suddenly accelerates, I want to be in your arms, you don't know what you are doing to me, Manik. I'm going through so much pain every day. You know nothing." A lone tear trickled down my cheek mechanically as I told him about my feelings to him which I had been holding back from a few days.

His lips slightly drew down in sadness and his eyes glinted with pain and guilt as he saw a tear on my cheek, but within a second he again hid his real emotions behind his anger.

He gritted his teeth and glared at me. "I don't care, what you feel for me, it is your problem, not mine." As he growled, now I chuckled.

"Stop acting, Manik. I know something is there which you are hiding behind your anger. I have seen the pain in your eyes, you know eyes are the window to the soul, eyes never lie." As I uttered, he instantly moved his eyes down. Seeing this, a small touched my lips because he proved to me indirectly that I was thinking right about him.

He clenched his hands and glared at me, his eyes were burning red. "Oh just shut up, I'm warning you, if now you don't stay away from me, it will not good for you. You will lose everything." He warned me in a serious tone. He left from there after giving me Abhi's phone.

"He's really a tough nut to crack." I murmured before walking from there.

Canteen

I told everything to Abhi and gave his phone back. Abhi was also shocked how Manik came to know about their plan and when he stole his phone.

"Abhi, now I'm really not understanding what I should do to make him talk to me and share his pain, I love him and this feeling is not in my control." I almost cried out, staring at him helplessly. Abhi just took me into his arms and rubbed my back to console me. I badly needed this, I felt a bit better.

But my soul was restless to feel Manik's arms around me.

"What you both are hiding from me?" As we heard Mukti's voice, we instantly broke the hug. Now I decided that I won't hide anything from Mukti.

Mukti was staring at me, waiting for the answer. I stood up. "Mukti, Abhi will tell you everything, I have to leave. I am not feeling well." I hastily left from there before Mukti could stop me.

I entered the house wondering about Manik's words. I was baffled why he was behaving like this with me and why I wasn't ready to forget him. I became sadder when I heard dad shouting at mom from the room. I rushed out of the house and cried after coming outside. I was crying because I was feeling alone and my heart was aching painfully. The emptiness of my heart was constantly increasing.

I came to the bar and started drinking as there was no other option left with me. I wanted relief and wanted to forget all my pain, most importantly I wanted to forget Manik. Somewhere I knew that it wasn't a good idea, but I was drinking continuously without any pause. My mind wasn't in my control.

A boy asked me for a dance, that time I wasn't in the senses and went with him to dance. For a few minutes, we danced, but after that, he started touching me in the wrong way, I was trying hard to push him, but I was weak to push him away.

After that everything went black, I didn't remember what happened after this. I just remembered, the next morning I woke up in my bed. My head was throbbing with extreme pain like it would explode.

"How I came here? Who took me here?" I tried to recall, placing my hand on my forehead but couldn't.  It was all blank after the dance.

As my phone rang up, I picked up my phone from the side table, it was Abhi's call.

"How are you Nandini?" He asked concernedly as I placed the phone over my ear.

"Abhi, my head is paining a lot as it will explode." I told him, holding my head.

"Go and have lime water, you will feel better." He advised me.

"I'm going, wait." Without cutting his phone, I went into the kitchen and after drinking lime water, I felt better.

"Abhi, did you take me here yesterday?" I asked, stepping into the room.

"I received your message yesterday that you're drunk and you asked me to pick you up." As Abhi told me, I tried to recall when I messaged him.

"Nandini, why you went there? How many times I have told you that we are with you, you are not alone." As he chided me, a small smile touched my lips, seeing his concern.

"I know you and Mukti are there for me always and I am glad that I got friends like you both but sometimes, I don't know what happens to me." I tried to explain to him. I also didn't like to get drunk and got myself into trouble after that.

"Take care of yourself, and today don't come to college, take some rest."

I smiled. "Okay, my caring friend." I replied.

"Now, I'm getting ready. I'll call you later."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye, take care." He disconnected the call.

I sat on the bed, again wondering what happened in the bar. I didn't know why, but I had a strong feeling that yesterday Manik had saved me and he was only the one who had sent the message to Abhi through my phone. I thought to go bar again to clear my doubt.

I took a quick shower and wore blue summer gown.

I reached the bar and saw the person sitting who had misbehaved with me last night. I was shocked to see him injured. His head was bandaged, his arm was plastered and his face was covered with bruises. I strolled to him because I was eager to know who had beaten him.

As soon as he looked at me, he scurried out of the bar like he saw a ghost. I went outside following him and asked him to stop but he ran away. I was shocked to see this. I didn't know why he was getting scared of me.

I came inside again, bewildered. Luckily today also that same bartender was on duty who had served me yesterday.

"I need your help, I mean I want to ask something." I uttered.

He gave me a small smile. "Yeah sure, Mam, you can ask."

"What happened yesterday? Did anyone come here to save me last night and beat the man who was dancing with me?" I asked and I got the answer which I was expecting.

"Yes, a tall man came here yesterday and beat the man and took you with him." He answered me.

I instantly showed him the photo of Manik and asked, "did he save yesterday?" He glanced at the photo and nodded his head, moving his eyes back at me.

So I was thinking right. I smiled widely. I was extremely happy after knowing that Manik had saved me yesterday.

What do you think, what will happen next ?