CHAPTER FOURTEEN

MANIK'S POV

CHAPTER SONG: ONE HEART/MILLION VOICES BY NEW EMPIRE

Happy Reading!

Do I like her?

I don't know whether I like her or not but I do know that I cannot like her. I am not going to say that I am too bad for her and all, like all the boys but I just can't like her. Maybe I am exaggerating but I don't know because all the people I have loved have left me.

Not that I am saying that I love her or anything. You are really an idiot. Do you even know what you're talking right now? My subconscious, obviously has to speak.

So I am going home now. I am super tired and just want to hit the bed and sleep for hours. I sat in the car and started making my way towards home. I was half way through when I saw that there was a traffic jam. Typical Mumbai.

It was a beautiful day though. Not too sunny and not too gloomy either. The birds were chirping unknown words, flying in the sky and souring high and high in the sky.

All the birds and animals are so carefree. I wish even humans could have been this carefree and not in constant need to satisfy their needs. Humans have this thing where they don't value what they have until they lose it. I bet that many people will regret that they didn't live the life when they had to.

I am not saying that I am a perfect human, no one is. But at least try to live the life because a life that's been loved is a life that's been lived.

I was staring at the sky and thinking all this and I didn't know when the traffic got cleared. People started honking at me and then I started my way back home, again. I reached the apartment and made my way you my house. When I passed by the garden I saw many ladies staring at me and giving me those judgemental looks. So I decided to speak up.

"What? I know I look very handsome but go look at your ugly husbands, not me!"

And within no time all of them were out of my way. So I went to the lift area to find that the lifts are under construction. It's so frustrating when you have your apartment on a high floor and the lifts aren't working.

So I took the stairs and reached the apartment. I didn't ring the bell because it would disturb Nandini. I entered the apartment to find it empty and very silent. I didn't bother much because I thought she was sleeping so even I went to my room and hot changed. I came out but then too couldn't see her. Where was she? Why, are you missing her? Of course not, why will I miss her.

"Nandini!" I shouted but no one answered.

Ok now I am getting worried. She never goes out of the house. What if someone broke into the house? What if she is hurt or something?

I frantically went to her room but didn't find her there too and so then I checked her bathroom but didn't find her there either. Now I am really worried. I have checked everywhere and she is no where.

I knew I should have given her my number, that could have really helped right now. But you are always busy ogling her, how are you supposed to remember anything else?

Why doesn't my brain keep it's mouth shut when it's required?

Because I don't take your orders, you work on my orders, idiot.

Ugh!!

I started searching for her everywhere. All the flat members didn't even know her name.

Then I went to the garden. And that's when I found her sitting near an isolated bench. I couldn't control myself. The relief that I felt at that time was unimaginable.

I didn't waste a moment and just hugged her. Just looking at her face kept me at peace. She was really shocked at first but reciprocated eventually.

I was angry at her but for some reason all of the anger faded when I saw her face. I don't know why, I can't stay mad at her. It's just not possible, her face is enough to make all the anger, stress and everything fade away.

She was hurt badly in her leg and couldn't walk so I had to carry her. But of course, she had to argue in that too. After some bickering, she finally agreed.

It wasn't difficult to carry her but her mouth wasn't shut for the entire time. Does she ever shut up? And all the flat members were giving us weird looks. It took a lot of strength in me not to snap at them. Can't people mind their own business?!

I really regretted me taking a flat on such a high floor now. My legs were almost giving up now. But I couldn't let her walk because she would probably fall down if she tried which i didn't want. So it was better to carry her.

When we reached the apartment my legs had given up. I was panting like hell, my breaths were ragged. The apartment was unlocked, luckily. We opened the flat and I took her to the washroom to clean her wounds.

I don't talk a lot so I was silent the whole time, waiting for her to speak. I sat her on the cabinet and took out the first aid box and started cleaning the wound. She winced many times.

"Manik." She said. I don't know but I loved it when she took my name, which is strange.

"Yes."

"You didn't have to be so rude to the aunties. It was unnecessary."

"They shouldn't have spoken anything about you. If they keep their mouths shut, I'll keep mine too. Simple."

She didn't reply to it. I was also busy cleaning her wounds. I looked up at her and sighed.

"Nobody messes and they know that." I said.

"With whom?"

"Me or you." I shrugged.

"Ohh."

I didn't miss the blush on her face. She looked really adorable. Her face was red like a tomato. It didn't fail to bring a smile on my face.

I was bandaging her knee when she again spoke.

"So you were worried about me? Huh?" She asked in a mocking tone.

"What do you think?" I countered.

She furrowed her eyebrows and spoke.

"I asked you, so you tell."

"I also asked you, so you tell."

"Ugh! You're so irritating." She said.

"You're no less, dollface." I also said, with a smile on my face.

I finished bandaging and looked at her. She looked like she hadn't eaten anything.

"Did you eat anything today?" I asked her.

"What do you think?" She mocked me with my question.

"C'mon. Tell me did you eat or not?" I asked, impatiently.

She sighed. "No I haven't. There's no food in the house. I have told you that but you are never home to go for shopping too."

Ohh I knew I should have brought the food items and should have been home to cook for her but I was too busy these days.

"We'll go today, for sure. And I'll give you my number so that you can call and tell me things. There's milk in the fridge for now. Drink it."

Saying that I went in the kitchen the being the milk. I had to heat it up because it was too cold so it took sometime.

When I went back to her room I saw her trying to walk to her bed and she looked really adorable. I don't know why. The was she was trying to walk was funny but cute at the same time.

I stared at her, smiling. Not knowing what to do.

She looked at me and that broke my trance. I cleared my throat and helped her.

"You know you looked like a Penguin when you were walking. Slow one, but still a penguin."

I voiced my thoughts, but regretted it immediately. I shouldn't be giving her more nicknames. But now the damage was done.

She looked at me puzzled. "What did you say?"

"That you look like a penguin-"

"I heard that. But why did you call me that?"

"Because you looked like one, so I told you." I shrugged.

She started thinking about something and didn't reply for sometime.

"Well, you look like an Elephant then." She smiled at me.

"What?" I asked. I don't look like an elephant, definitely not.

"Why did you call me that?" I asked.

"You called me a Penguin and you expect me to not call you anything? Huh, no."

That was the first time someone had ever called me anything besides my name and I wasn't even complaining. I kind of didn't mind if she called me that. But I couldn't show her that.

"Don't call me that." I told her.

"Don't call me a Penguin then."

"I will." I said.

"Fine then. I'll also call you, ELEPHANT." She said, emphasizing the elephant part.

We just looked at each other, not speaking anything. But then I spoke something, which I regret.

"You know, I think, Penguins are cute."

What the fuck! Did I just call her cute?

--xx--

Hello people!

Hope you all liked it and Thank you for reading!

Also, how did you like their new nicknames? I know penguin and elephant is a little unusual.

Also ignore the typos. I haven't edited any of the chapters.

Anyways, Make sure to VOTE and COMMENT!

Spread Love, Always.

~Maitri.