Sorry for the mistakes
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Nandini's pov

I haven't seen Manik since Last week. The last time I saw him was on the trials day of soccer. We haven't talked on call or text either.

I thought he would text me or something after talking to me for 41 minutes, and not to forget 33 more seconds, but he ghosted me like I never existed.

All this week, I literally stopped myself from texting him, but in the end my mind got lost in the battle between mind and heart.

So, keeping my self respect aside, the impatient me texted him " hey " and he replied to me after 9 hours with a single " hi "

In these 9 hours, I checked my whatsapp again and again to see if he has seen my text or not, if he is online or not, and damn he was online every freaking time yet he didn't replied, not once.

Is this what having crush feels like?

Waiting for a single 'hi' I spent my whole day, without eating, studying or doing anything productive.

I never knew this crush thing could be this tiring, when he wasn't talking to me then atleast, I didn't have any hope and now when I have his contact number, I'm not able to control. I'm losing my mind and peace.

Also, Zara, Jovi, and Divya were so proud of me when I narrated my Avionics Class incident. To celebrate my so called punishment, we went for a walk inside the campus.

My friends wanted to go for Cycling, but I don't know how to cycle.

Embarassing, I know!

Anyways, after walking for sometime, we decided to have Burger, reaching the food court Zara went to take our order while the three of us stood by the side talking randomly.

" Shit " Jovi gasped, Divya and me look at her with a confused face and then saw in the direction where her eyes were fixed

Looking sideways, I saw Manik with a new girl getting cosy in the middle of food court. The girl at his side, looks familiar but as her back was facing me, I couldn't recognise.

His one hand was on her lower waist while with the other he was tracing her neck.

Aren't they aware that its a freaking food court?

Seeing him with the other girl, it hurts like every other time. I was blankly looking at them, when all of a sudden the girl looked sideways blushing, which made her face visible and I was shocked to see her

" Shreya " I whispered

My so called Classmate, who talks to me like I'm her best friend. A few days back she was giving me tips and tricks on how to approach Manik.

Seems like she's testing the tricks on herself first!

I felt like someone back-stabbed me. I was still staring at them when Zara's voice brings me out of my thoughts

" Should I spoon feed yo-? " She stopped in the middle when she saw where we were looking at

I averted my gaze from them to see my friends already looking at me with a sad face.

" Uhh ch- cheese burgers " I said acting like nothing happened

At this point of time, I didn't want to say or listen anything. Fortunately they didn't said anything and smiled

We all acted like nothing happened, but our faces tell the whole different story.

" Lets go, its late. The warden would kill us " Divya said and everyone nodded

We were leaving, when again a familiar two person came into my view and unfortunately they saw me

"Nandini. You here? " Shreya said casually like nothing happened, while Manik pretended like he don't know me

I was about to answer when Zara spoke sarcastically " Why? Is there a copyright that only you can come here? "

" Zara, don't " I whispered to her to stop her but who am I kidding

Shreya didn't like Zara's tone at all, while Manik as usual was standing there looking irritated

Shreya who was scowling and embarassed, parted her lips to speak when Manik spoke

" And you must be? " Manik asked raising one of his eyebrows looking dashing

I have officially became a mad person, knowing that this guy has done nothing only hurted me yet here I am praising his looks, what is wrong with me?

" Uhh th-these are my friends, Zara, Divya, Jovi and guys this is Manik and Shreya " I said introducing them

" May I ask why your friends are glaring me? " He asked arrogantly

" No no, they aren't " I said hurriedly glaring at my friends to stop but these bunch of idiots were acting like I'm not even present

" Bye, we gotta go " I said and pulled my friends with me.

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" What the hell? You guys have gone mad or what? " I shouted to my friends once we reached in my room

" Are you for real, Nandu. That so called Brat talked with you for almost an hour at 1:30 am in the night then he have the audacity to ask why are we glaring at that jerk? " Divya said angrily

" Yes, but- " I tried to speak but Zara cut me off saying " For him you lied to us, we all know how bad you're in lying still you lied. Nandu he isn't good for you "

Jovi who was the calmest one and only hearing till now said " Nandu, are you alright? "

" Yep, I'm and guys why you all are angry. I mean yes, we talked for around 40 minutes but he never committed anything to me, it was just me and my silly heart imagining god knows what! Its his life and he can date, or have sex with anyone. I'm not his girlfriend or wife. Heck, I'm not even his friend " I sais trying to explained

They looked away so, I continued

" Also, I know him from 4 years and this isn't the first time I'm seeing him with a different girl. Every other week I see him with a different girl, sometimes I even think, what If he is a walking STD " I said trying to made a joke in the end and luckily, my friends smiled on that

" Yes, today I was a little bit disappointed, not because of him but because of Shreya, so You guys, stop targeting him " I said

" Nandu, we know that you like him from 4 years, but what if he will just use you? You're very innocent and you don't know how all this work. We don't want you to get hurt " Divya said softly

" God! What do you guys think of me? I might be inexperienced but I'm not stupid " I said scowling

" No, you're savage queen with a tint of Cuteness and clumsiness by the side. " Jovi said chuckling

Everybody laugh on this, after a tight hug we all bid bye

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Laying on my bed, I closed my eyes only to get glimpse of him and Shreya.

This is tiring on another level!

Sometimes I think, why do I even have crush on a guy like him?

I read somewhere that if your crush lasts more than 3 months then its no more crush. In my case, its been 4 years!

4 long years!

Today, I felt bad like every other time from past years. And no matter how cool I try to act, only I knew it hurts, it hurts every single time, every single moment.

Sometimes, I wonder why am I like this? Am I not good Enough? Or Why I don't have anything which attract Manik. Neither that model face or body nor brain, Nothing.

I can't help but times like these I start questioning myself

Thinking about all this, Involuntarily I opened his chat and saw my last text which was left on seen. It again made my heart churn. I was busy staring the texts when a drop of tear left from my right eye.

God, please stop this? Why my infatuation is getting stronger day by day?

Wiping the tear, I continued staring at my text, when I recieved a notification from Instagram which said manikmalhotra posted a photo

Before I could even think, whether to see or not, my fingers already touched the notification and in a blink of eye, his pic came

He posted it with a caption " Let me teach you how to play. I'm best in playing😉

Soccer ⚽ "

Not only soccer, you are best in playing with someone's peace also.

I stared at his pics for I don't know how long, when slowly my eyelids became heavy and I slept.

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Its official, I hate attending Classes!

I'm so fed up of daily running and daily following the same routine, its getting on my nerve.

Today there is verbal class, where I have to wear this formals, which I literally hate

" I want to go home " I said to myself dialling my mother's number.

" Finally, you got the time to talk to your one and only mother " I heard a little angry voice

" Mumma, we talked yesterday only. Why are you so dramatic " I said chuckling sitting outside the block on one of the stairs

" Yeah, obviously you would think that I'm dramatic now. Who needs mumma when you can see your crush 24*7 " Mumma said

" Urghh Mumma please " I said stomping my foot not Caring that there are other students as well

" What urghh Mumma? Anyways what did you ate? " She asked

" I don't eat breakfast, you know right? " I said rolling my eyes

" Dinner, Nandini. dinner " She said and I could feel her rolling her eyes

Like mother, like daughter!

" Umm Burger, I think " I said after thinking for sometime

" Alright, from next month you're not getting your pocket money " she said firmly

" what? But what did I do? " I shouted

" How many time I have told you to eat healthy? When was the last time you had Normal Indian food? " She asked sternly

" I'm not going to answer your silly questions " I said grumpily

I felt few students were watching my drama, god! these people don't have any other work or what

" What? Haven't you all saw anyone talking before? " I shouted to the students who have gathered to see me

" You're shouting and yelling in public? " I heard my mother's unbelievable voice from the other side

" I'm not shouting, I'm only speaking loudly " I said stating the obvious

" Nandini, I don't know about you but I have some respect. What would people think of you? " She said

People, only people!

" I don't care about others " I said shrugging my shoulders

" Fine then, have food from the hostel mess from now on and if you need something like pads, or books text me, I will order online " she said firmly making my eyes go wide

" What? No way! Mumma, how will I survive? " I said loudly

The whole idea seems so scary!

" Like everyone else . You know right, that you had severe food poison not even an year back, you were in an ICU because of that noodles " She said and I held my head

" Mumma, It wasn't because of noodles, and you know this " I said getting angry

" I don't know anything, all I know is that from now on You're not receiving a single penny from me " she said strictly

" What the hell, you mother of dragon" I yelled on the phone

" Indeed I'm because you're no less than a dragon" she said and cut the call

" What Mumma no no , please I love Momos and Pizza and Noodles" I shouted almost crying on the stairs

" I can't just can't eat that hostel food" I was busy stomping my foot on the ground and whining when someone laughed hysterically behind me

I turned back to see 5 familiar faces sitting 3-4 steps above me, Cabir was the one who was laughing, Mukti and Alya have an unbelievable look on their face, Dhruv was smiling and My crush, Manik was only sitting there glaring at me

What's with him and his glares?

I was already angry because of my Mother that I didn't say anything and looked at the front

" Mother of Dragon " Cabir said laughing again, I ignored

I thought to just leave that place when 4 of them except Manik came and take a seat beside me, " what? " I asked once they sat

" You're really something else " Cabir said still laughing

" I have to go, happy laughing " I said standing up but they stopped me reminding 10 minutes is still left for the next class, as I have already skipped first one

" So, Nandini What happen? " Alya asked smiling

" Nothing , why? " I replied

" Ok, before going just tell me what your mother said when you called her mother of dragon? " Cabir asked still laughing holding his stomach

" Why would I tell you? " I asked frowning

" Hey please, I'm also a GOT fan. A fan should tell a fan, right? " he said and my face lit up because none of my friends like GOT except me

" Really? I love Arya Stark you? " I said getting excited

" Mother of Dragon " he said chuckling

" oh Good Choice " I said

" Yep, I know, she started from the ashes and became the queen of 7 kingdoms" he said

" I agree but I still love Arya Stark " I nodded

" Alright So, you didn't tell what your mother said? " Cabir asked once again

" Nothing much, she only said that I'm no less than a dragon " I said casually

And all five of them started laughing, this time Manik's lips curved up a little but I think he controlled himself from smiling.

Bidding bye, I left from there

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It was indeed a long day, lots of assignment, that gross hostel food and my good for nothing heart weaving stories in my head of Manik and me.

I would be lying if I say that I didn't like making up that stories, it was just like a fairy tale with lots and lots of love but fairy tales are not real so as my imagination.

Anyways, around 2 am I finally went to sleep, when my phone buzzed indicating a new text.

Giving a frustrated sigh, I unlocked my phone only to get a mini heart attack. I was shocked because Manik Malhotra was initiating the talk by saying " hey, what's up? "

Before I could get over from the shock, my finger started doing the work of replying him

After a few texts, he asked to talk on call just like the first time. I was going to type "no" but what my traitor fingers wrote was  " ofcourse "

In a blink of eye, my phone started ringing with a caller ID " Don't Fall for him"

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Xoxo,
Marbil