Nandini and manik moved towards the canteen instead, they knew they're late for the class and if they enter now they'll have to deal with raghav sir and his lectures on being late, they thought instead of suffering and making whole class suffer they should move towards the canteen and wait for the next class.

Manik: So nandini. Are you ready? 

Nanidni: Manik don't you think it's not necessary? 

Manik: Yeah right. 😏 

Nandini: Manik, he was just helping me na and you've punished me already.

Manik: How did I?

Nandini: Oh. Acting smart. 😊

Manik: What nandini! Shut up.

Nandini: Fine.

Nandini saw navya munching food on the other table.

Nandini: Manik, look navya, we didn't talk after party, what she must be thinking. 😩

Manik: What she must be thinking, kuch nahi, sit here silently.

Nandini: Manik you can't boss around me all the time. 😏

Manik: I'm not.

Nandini: You are.

Manik: Fine. Sorry.

Nandini: Good. 😁

Nandini: Okay manik, you sit here, I just go and talk to her.

Saying this nandini got up from her place and walked towards navya, she called her name, navya didn't pay heed to her and continued munching her food. Nandini sat on the chair next to her.

Nandini: Navya? What's wrong with you?

Navya: Nandini just go, I don't want to talk to you.

Nandini: But you need to tell me what's bothering you! Did I do something?

Navya: Nandini, I don't think I need to tell you something, you're intelligent enough. No?

Nandini: Say it clear navya! I'm not in for solving a puzzle.

Navya: I don't want to say anything.

Nandini: Navya say. Please.

Navya: Harshad told me everything, everything that had happened between you two the other day.

Nandini: Told you what?

Navya: That you tried to throw yourself on him, nandini do you know how disgusting it that!

Nandini: What! Nothing happened, In fact he pulled me in a silent room and tried to kiss me.

Navya: Chi, nandini. Stop. At least accept what you've done! 

Nandini: Listen navya, I haven't done anything. Get your facts clear!

Navya: Nandini stop, fgs and leave.

Nandini: Navya, I'll go and I'm least bothered what harshad is doing with his life, I'm bothered about you, stay away from harshad or else you'll finish yourself!

Navya: I don't know if harshad's company will finish me or not but I know one thing that I just hate liars and you are one.

Nandini: Then you should definitely hate harshad, right now you won't get what I'm saying but you'll definitely realize it when he'll do something wrong with you, remember I'm just a call away.

Navya: Thank you so much nandini, but I don't need your help, I'm mature enough to differentiate between wrong and right so please.

Nandini: Yeah. I can see that. Well, take care.

Navya didn't reply her and turned her face. Nandini went back to manik who was busy in making emoticons on the paper plate with ketchup.

Nandini: What are you doing manik?

Manik: Playing football, wanna join?

Nandini: Seriously! 

Manik: Can't you see.

Nandini: Yeah, I can see how good are you in wasting things.

Manik: What! Seriously! 😏

Nandini: Yeah. Look at the amount of ketchup you've wasted.

Manik: Was just trying to kill time when you were busy in talking with your frrraanddd!

Nandini: Oh God manik! 😩

Manik: Get up and move.

Nandini: What! Why?

Manik: Look they're coming. 

Nandini: Okay.

They came and sat on the vacant chairs, they talked for a while.

Cabir: Manik, where were you?

Alya: Yeah manik? Raghav sir's class was pretty interesting.

Manik: Really? Nyonika had some work with me so I was with her.

Mukti: Aik to teri yeh mom! Why can't she leave you alone.

Manik: If she does, then how is she gonna work. Well chuck it.

Cabir: Really manik, you were with nyonika, kya kaam kar rahe thay uske sath.

Manik: Seriously? 

Dhruv: Guys lets order something.

They all nodded, as it's college, no one's going to come and take order from you, so dhruv and alya went to the counter to order food for them, while mukti got a call form her irritating mom, she went to attend that, cabit to insisted to join alya and dhruv but manik made him sit with him with a little of drama on which cabir laughed, manik malhotra did some stupid emotional drama, which was new to him, while manik messaged nandini to come.

Cabir: So manik, what's up?

Manik: Roof.

Cabir: Ha Ha Ha.

Manik: Shut up!

Meanwhile, nandini came in.

Nandini: Hey cabir!

Ignoring manik, she side hugged cabir and sat beside him.

Cabir: Hey nandini. What's up?

Nandini: Nothing much, I was just bored, so I thought if we can go out together, just two of us.

Cabir said in a low voice: Nandini, don't you think it's getting overboard.

Nanidni in normal voice: No cabir, I want to spend some alone time with you.

Cabir stared at manik, he was all normal, busy in his cell phone, not caring about what nandini is doing with him. Actually he was trying to not to laugh, he pursed his lips and tried to act normal, in which he succeeded.
Nandini tried to flirt with him a little more, just healthy flirting.

Cabir: No. Stop!

Cabir got up with a jerk and tapped on manik's shoulder.

Cabir: Bacha mujhey, teri chashmish kahi gir ke ayi hai! I guess, she's thinking that I'm manik.

Manik gave him 'what's wrong in that look'. He continued blabbering for some more time, he blurted out everything, on which nandini slapped on her forehead.

Nandini to herself: Bas ab boldia, ab manik.. BOOOM. 💥😂

Manik cleared his throat, this made cabir realize that he said everything. Like everything that had happened between them in the morning, how they made a plan and stuff.
He looked at nandini apologetically, nandini's face was expressionless, till the time he got a punch from manik.
She started to laughed on which cabir frowned.

Manik: Saaley! Terko kya laga tu aur nandini, you guys will make a plan and mujhey kuch pata nae chalega. 😏

Nandini lowered her eyes, trying not to make a contact with cabir's eyes. Cabir was trying to figure out the situation.

Manik: What did you think haan? You'll make plans and I won't get to know about it?

Cabir: No, I mean.. I thought.. nandini did you tell him?

He turned towards nandini, she nodded negatively. He frowned.

Cabir: When she didn't tell you so how on earth you got to know?

Manik: If you've forgotten, let me tell you, I know you both better than you guys know yourself.

Nandini smiled and walked towards cabir.

Nandini: Yep, like you said how did I know that what he's going to ask you, in the same way he knew that what I was up to.

All three of them smiled, they knew how beautiful this bond - friendship is. The other three too came back with the food in their hand, they all sat, when nandini was about to leave.

Mukti: Come nandini, sit with us.

Nandini: No mukti, it's fine. I'll go and sit on some other table, I don't want to intrude, it won't look nice.

Dhruv: Oho. No! Come and sit with us. It's nothing of that sort and you're cabir's friend too, come.

Nandini: But dhr..

Manik cut off nandini in between.

Manik: Come nandini, join us, after all you're cabir's fraaanndd.

Manik smirked, nandini joined them for the lunch and then they went for another class, which was the the last class for the day. They went to attend the class, nandini fulfilled manik's wish by sitting next to him. This class was of music history class so students find it a little boring, well it passed some how.
Nandini's driver was there already, she bid bye to the group and left.

...

It was a nice day for nandini, at college and at home as well. After having dinner when she walked back to the room, she received a called from manik.

Yep manik?

Come up.

Up where?

Offo! Come to the terrace.

What?! Manik what are you doing here. That too at this hour?

Sirf 10 baje hain. Come up right now!

No. Go.

Nandini, come up na.

Fine!

Fast.

Aarahi hon na. Wait.

Nandini first went downstairs to get the cookie jar, the cookies which her mom bake and which are manik's favorite. She climbed the stairs to the terrace, she saw manik standing, facing her his back.

Nandini: Manik.

Manik: Finally you're here. What took you so long? 

Nandini: I went downstairs to get these.

Nandini forwarded him the jar of cookies on which he flashed his teeth.

Manik: Eehhh! My favorite cookies. 😍

Nandini: Yes.

Manik: Thank you.

Nandini: You're welcome.

Manik started to eat in no time he ate all of them.

Nandini: Manik, you ate all of them. Alone. Wow.

Manik: You know they're my favorite and I had them after years. So.

Nandini: Yeah. Right, Mr. Foodie.

Manik: I asked aunt anita to bake them for me, they were good but she couldn't bring this taste in her baked cookies.

Nandini: Aww. You're so cute.

Manik: I'm not cute okay! I'd prefer handsome.

He said making a cute face.

Nandini: You look more cute now.

Manik: Nanidni!

Nandini: Manik!

Manik: Chashmish.

Nandini: Mannuu.

They both laughed, manik took her in a hug, kissed her head.

Nandini: Manik? Why are you here?

Manik: I was just missing you.

Nandini: What! We met like some hours ago!

Manik: Hmm and we had to discuss our more than friend relation too na. 😎😉

Nandini blushed.
Manik dug his face in the crook of her neck, brushed his lips on the skin of her neck, her breath quickened and heart beat fastened. He pecked her lightly making her moan.

Nandini: Man..ik.. what.. ar..e you d..oing.

Manik acting all innocent.

Manik: Nothing at all.

Nandini: Yeah. Right nothing at all.

Nandini pushed him a little and made him lay down in her lap, she brushed his hair with her and and pecked on his forehead.

Nandini: Manik, what's wrong?

Manik: Nothing.

Nandini: You know you can't fake in front of me, so please.

Manik: Nothing just my life.

Nandini: Manik, don't worry. Everything will get back to normal soon.

Manik: Nandini, I miss dad.

Nandini: Me too.

Manik: He's just not ready to come back.

Nandini: And my dad can't, even if he want to.

Manik: Hmm.

Nandini: Manik, Aditya uncle ko bolo na aanay ko. I'm sure he'll come back if you force him a little.

Manik: I have tried a lot of times.

Nandini to herself: I'll have to bring him back, for manik, for his happiness, by hook or by crook.

Nandini: Soo. He'll realize this and he'll come running to you, okay?

Manik: Maybe.

They talked for some more time, clock ticked 2 am. Manik slept hugging nandini, she made him up and asked him to leave, he did accordingly. Nandini went back to her room to sleep.