Same day!

Conversation b/w Manbir and Dhruv

"but cabir main already ek solo performance de raha hun...upar se head boy ne v hath khare kar diye hain ki he can't help ...i have double responsibilities now, it will become hectic..."manik explained after listening to cabir and dhruv's suggestion.

"sunn we will go according to your schedule...tab toh koi problem ni hai na??" cabir asked.

"theek hai" finally manik agreed after deliberating for a moment.

Next day

Classroom

"so nandini...what are you going to do this year? And...your friend??" cabir asked looking at navya who was sitting on her usual place at some distance. Cabir wanted to know about her and who better than nandini could give him the right answers without making it awkward. Nandini had just entered the classroom when cabir had stopped her.

Nandini understood navya's situation. She wished navya to be happy and she believed cabir was the right guy to bring balance in her life. Navya rarely laughed or enjoyed her life. Cabir was her antithesis.

She smiled watching his efforts to have an update about navya because navya rarely talked to any guy, unless very important.

"cabir , you know very well that navya avoids attention and so she will not take part in any cultural performance..."

"hmmm"

"you know she sings so well...wait i will show you!" nandini replied excitedly and took off her school bag off her shoulder and searched its pocket while cabir held her heavy bag . she took out her phone and they moved towards a corner in the classroom. She played an audio clip and cabir listened carefully. He could easily decipher that it was navya's voice. Cabir had a surprised look on his face after hearing her full song.

"she sings exceptionally well yaar! She trains or what??" cabir asked

"no...you can say its god's gift!"

nandini spoke smiling "you know why i made you hear this? Because i want my friend to recognise her talent...plz cabir give her a chance in your band...she will definitely make you proud" nandini spoke determinedly.

"nandini ...you know it very well that i am ready to do anything that makes her feel happy...but she doesn't let me in ..." cabir spoke with a tinge of sadness.

"i expect you to keep trying...cabir" nandini tried to infuse some zeal in cabir.

"arey i am known for my persistence level...! be it in teasing you and manik or following navya! I am not the one to give up easily!" cabir said and winked. Nandini smacked his arm playfully.

"ase yaha corner mein khare ho kar kya kar rahe ho tum dono??" came the voice of manik.

"kuch v kar rahe hain tera kya jaa raha h!!" cabir tried to instigate manik. Nandini let them bicker and stood there like a doll.

"acha...mera kya jaa raha h?? Ruk batata hun..." manik spoke threateningly and stepped forward while nandini taking the opportunity ducked her head and ran away to sit beside navya. For a moment , manik's attention diverted to nandini and he lost cabir too. Both nandini and cabir laughed holding their stomach, watching manik's face. Manik stomped his foot and sat on his bench.

Cabir went to nandini's bench and high-fived with her. Cabir thought of striking a conversation with navya.

"hi navya!" cabir said. Suddenly navya felt nervous and replied fidgeting with her fingers.

"hi" she said and gave a small smile.
"so??"

"what?" navya asked.

"tum kya kar rahi ho annual event mein??"

"kuch khaas ni..."

"ok then its good...tum kuch ni kar rahi toh please meri help kar do..."

"tumhari help..? par kya??" navya asked perplexed.

Suddenly navya realised that she wasn't feeling nervous anymore.

"actually principal sir ne kuch farmaish ki hai...and i need your help..wo..." as cabir was speaking they heard the bell ring "bell lag gyi.. ek kaam karo..u come with me i will explain it to you on the way to assembly hall" cabir offered trying to make it less uncomfortable for her.

"theek hai...nandini tum v mere sath chalo" navya spoke which brought nandini to this world as till now she was busy admiring manik , who was talking to mukti.

"ha ha chalo " nandini spoke hurriedly.

At the same time

Other side.

"mukti" manik spoke as he reached his bench.

"ha manik" mukti spoke embarrassingly.

"i am sorry for yesterday...i should have been a little discreet"

"no its ok manik...you don't need to apologise...in fact i am sorry that because of me ..."

"shhh mukti stop it yaar...itni formality tujhe suit ni karti...you are better as i-dont-give-a damn' girl" manik said and smiled and his words relaxed mukti too.

"aur bta...tu itna busy hai...school ka chairman ban gya h kya??" mukti joked.

"asa hi kuch samajh lo yaar!...principal ne pagal kar rakha...he has his list of wishes and we are like genies for him!" manik spoke shaking his head.

"we ?? you and who else?" mukti enquired as alia , Dhruv, abhi listened.

"arey me and nandini...yaar!" manik spoke in a matter-of-fact tone.

"ohooo" chorused his friend, teasingly.

"Dhruv...tu kya ohooo...kar raha hai...principal ne kya farmaish ki hai bta inko" manik ordered.

"guys this is 25 year celebration toh school is launching its own anthem...and we have to perform that song" Dhruv announced and they cheered.

"wow that's great! " alia spoke.

"Yeah its great ! only problem is that we don't have a female lead singer." Dhruv informed with a hint of sarcasm.

"arey poore school mein toh koi singer toh hogi hi...wait main pta karti hun..." mukti replied and just then the bell rang.
...

"nandini" manik called as they were going towards the assembly hall.

Nandini, cabir, navya stopped for him to reach.

Nandini didn't know why but her heart was thumping . may be it was because of the husk in manik's voice as he called her name, she thought , but then smacked her self mentally for over thinking.

"yes manik..."

"i have to talk to you about something...walk with me" he ordered.

"but navya..." nandini said

"its ok nandini ...i will take care of navya...you go" cabir said casually but inside his heart was doing salsa.

Navya looked at nandini. She didn't want nandini to go. But then she saw manik's face and consoled herself that everything will be fine and her friend can't be with her all the time.

"i will be ok...you go" navya said as she found nandini staring at her.

"what is it manik?" nandini asked as soon as she was alone with manik.

"you tell me...what is cooking between you and cabir??" manik asked and nandini realised he is still stuck on that point.

"manik...you are impossible!" nandini answered annoyed.

"yes i am impossible and you will have to bear with me! now tell me..com'on"

"cabir was asking about navya" nandini gave a crisp reply

"oh acha and kal raat tum kaha busy thi?? I had messaged you and you even read the message but you didn't text back" manik asked

What is wrong with him ? why is he behaving like a boyfriend!...nandini thought.

"what? Why are you looking like that?" manik asked.

"i was very tired and in half sleep that's why i couldn't answer" nandini replied

"ok...but next time asa mat karna" manik replied looking straight into her eyes and nandini felt hypnotised by his orbs.

"ok" she replied and looked away.

Manik studied her face and suddenly remembered something. He searched through his trouser's pocket and took out the chocolate that he had brought for her.

"i brought this for you" manik said forwarding her the chocolate.

Nandini looked at the chocolate and felt genuinely pleased and she tried to take it from him but he pulled back his hand. She looked inquisitively at him.

"anhannn not like that...pehle give me a smile" he said and she couldn't help but smile at his gesture.

"thora aur...thora aur...com'on you can do better!" manik joked and finally she broke into a laugh and it sounded melodious to him. He admired her. His eyes stopped at her lips.

"no not again! Plzzz" manik complained to himself as from yesterday he has been fantasising about her lips. Mukti's kiss had such a deep impact on him.

"did you say something??" nandini asked as she took the chocolate from him.

"me?? nahi toh!" he answered defensively

"arey i just asked...tum hyper q ho rahe ho!"

"ni kuch ni...we reached" manik easily diverted the topic as they reached the hall.

They took their respective positions on the stage and prayer started.