CHAPTER FIFTEEN

NANDINI'S POV

CHAPTER SONG: None. Couldn't find any related to the chapter

Happy reading people :)

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"You know, I think penguins are cute."

My eyes widened as I heard this come out of Manik's mouth and so did his. I couldn't help but blush at this comment. This was the first time anyone, except my parents or Amms, has called me cute.

I was just looking at dumbfounded. I didn't know what to say and so did he. He was also just looking at me. Knowing him, I knew that I had to speak first.

"Uhh what?"

He cleared his throat and spoke. "Are you a Penguin?"

"Umm no." I said.

" I said penguins are cute and you are telling that you're not a penguin so how can you be cute? Don't get your hopes up." He said.

I thought it was a but rude. But I didn't care much because I didn't expect him to find me cute. I knew he was just playing with me.

"Ohh right. Elephants are cute you know but you're not. You are that jumbo not so cute elephant who is always angry and extremely moody." I said.

"Oh wow, penguin. Nice way of taunting me there. But I don't care, this is who I am and you don't have to get used to it because you don't have to bear with it forever." He almost snapped at me.

I don't know what his problem is. He is so damn confusing. One minute he is worried for me, taking care of me and in the next second he will be snapping at me. This was really frustrating. I didn't do any bad to him. So I decided to speak this time.

"What is your problem huh? Why are you so damn confusing everytime? If you have this much problem with me, don't come near me, don't take care of me, don't get worried for me. Leave. Me. Alone. I have been nothing but polite to you since the beginning but you have been rude to me ever since. I don't know why you are like this and I don't even want to know but can you at least try to be a friend? And if you can't do that, then get your ass out of my room!"

I vented out everything out. My eyes widened because I don't get angry so easily and I haven't spoken like this with anyone. I looked at Manik to see that he was also equally shocked. I folded my hands and waited for him to speak. He didn't so I gestured my hand to the door indicating him to get out.

He stared at me, shook his head and spoke.

"I am sorry." He spoke.

I was shocked to hear a sorry from him. I didn't think he would apologize. Before I could speak anything, he spoke again.

"I know I am behaving badly with you-"

"Not bad, worse."

"Ok let me speak now. I know I am behaving badly with you since the beginning but I'm not used to people trying to be friend me. I don't open up to people easily, Cabir must have told you this because I know you have met him. I don't know if I'll be your friend or not but I'll try to be a good person to you. I'll try to be your friend but it may take time for me to adjust to all this. Okay?"

He finished his speaking. I was happy that at least he was trying to be civil for once. I had a huge smile on my face at that time. This was the first time, I was smiling like this when I was with Manik.

I grinned at him and brought my hand out for him.

"Okayy. Friends?" I asked.

He brought his hand out and shook it with mine. "Friends."

We both were just looking at each other and smiling when he again spoke up.

"Friends doesn't mean, I'll stop calling you penguin. You'll always be a Penguin." He laughed.

I rolled my eyes at him. "Yeah yeah whatever, elephant."

He laughed heartily on my nickname.He looked so handsome when he smiled or laughed. He had no tension on his face which he usually has. His face looks just... Mind blowing.

"You know, Manik, you should laugh more often. It suits you a lot. For once, you don't look like a Monster." I smiled at him.

A blush formed on his face. He looked cute, to be honest.

"Okay madam. I'll keep that in mind." He said with a smile and I grinned at him.

Then we decided that we will go for grocery shopping and the other necessary stuff for the house, in the evening so that I could rest for some time.

Manik went to order some food for us while I sat in my room and checked my phone, scrolled through some Instagram but that was also boring. So I decided to call Amms. I had a long chat with her which was interrupted by the doorbell. I ignored it at first but then it rang again so I told Amms goodbye and went to open the door.

Manik came out of the room at the same time.

"I'll get the food." I told him.

He nodded at me. I went and opened the door. The delivery guy looked at me and smiled. He looked at me in a weird way.

"Hi does Manik Malhotra live here?" He asked, I nodded.

He gave me the food and touched my hand which I thought was deliberately. I looked at him smirking at me, I was about to speak when an arm was dropped around my shoulders. I looked up to see Manik looking at the delivery guy angrily.

"Hi, Manik here. Give the food, here's the money and hands to yourself, buddy." He literally threw the cash at him.

He looked scared of Manik. Expected. He took the money and gave the food to us. But then manik spoke up again.

"What? Delivered the food right? Then get out!" He almost shouted. Within no time he was out of sight. I couldn't help but laugh at how scared the delivery guy was.

Manik closed the door and I think was still a bit angry.

"Manik-"

"What? Don't tell me that I shouldn't have been that rude to him, he asked for it."

" I wasn't going to tell that. I was telling that I am hungry so I am going to set the table." I smiled at him.

His frown turned into a smile and then we sat everything on the table near our TV because we decided to watch something while eating. We watched a movie and then manik went to his room to sleep for sometime and so did I.

I went to my room and lay on my bed thinking about today. There was a smile playing on my face. I liked this Manik. The more understanding Manik and a little less angry Manik. Soon I drifted to sleep.

I woke up by the noises coming from Manik's room. He was playing music really loudly. I checked the time to see it was 6 p.m. I decided to go out. Surprisingly, my leg was not hurting that much. I went out and Manik came out on the same time. Talk about timing.

"Good Evening, Penguin. I see you're walking well now. Knee not hurting?"

"Good Evening to you too, Elephant. Yeah surprisingly enough, my knee isn't hurting."

"Of course, huh! I am the one who took care of it, of course it would be fine by now." Manik smirked at me.

I couldn't help but scoff at the comment.

"Okay Mr. Full of yourself. Now we have to go for grocery shopping. Let's go."

"Okay let's go but we'll eat something first because I'm hungry." Manik said.

"When are you not hungry? Whenever you're home, I've always seen you munching on something." I said with a smile.

"Of course. Never say no to food. Especially, dessert. I just can't say no."

I laughed at his comment. "Ok ok, eat as much as you want to."

Then we got ready and went to a supermarket nearby and not to forget, that we got a coffee on the way for which manik didn't let me pay.

The supermarket was not crowded, luckily. We brought all the necessary things and went to pay. Manik, being the impatient one, was constantly asking me how much time more, what all to take. More than shopping, I was tired from his questions.

When we were on the cash counter, we heard a voice speak.

"Helloo lovely people." I recognized the voice and so did Manik.

We turned to see a grinning Cabir with numerous things in his cart.

"Hey Cabir." I greeted him with a smile too. Manik just nodded at him.

"Hello Monster Manik." I laughed at the way he called him. Manik's eyes widened.

"I've told you not to call me that, idiot." Manik said.

"Ohh yes yes, I remember. Only Nandu can call you that. Right?"

I looked at Manik puzzled. Why can only I call him that?

Manik ignored him and went to pay. But I couldn't let him pay for everything so I went with him.

"Manik, I will also pay."

"No you won't."

"We can do half half. I can't let you pay for everything. We both live in that house so we both have to pay."

Manik didn't reply so I spoke again.

"Pleaseeeee, Elephant. Pleasee?" I knew this would work.

He rolled his eyes at me. "Finee, we'll do half half."

I grinned at him. We went to pay and Cabir also came to pay.

"Manik, You never pay for me. So why is Nandini getting this special treatment?" Cabir asked Manik, mockingly.

"Because I don't pay for idiots." Manik said.