Chapter 17

The team gathered at international airport and they were all checking in their baggage. When everyone were through the security check-in, they still had 2 hrs for departure.

Nandini called up Amms.

Nandini looked like an angel, pressing the phone to her ear, tears glistening down her face. Even if they weren't happy tears, she was still nothing less than beautiful. She was already missing her Amms and rishu. It had been just few hours and she had to stay fifteen days without them. Manik kept on glaring at her he felt bad for her, he thought she was too innocent, too pure.

Nandini sniffed, getting flustered with herself. Why was she crying? What was wrong with her? But still she choked. She couldn't handle herself. Everybody were busy in their phones and laptops. Manik came and stood in front of her.

Manik touched her hand, and she seemed to relax, but it didn't last for long before she bristled. He stood quite waiting for her to calm down. After few minutes, Nandini went blank and suddenly came and hugged Manik.

Manik's warm body was enough for her to feel relaxed and comfortable. She sighed circling her hands around his shoulder pressing her face sideways on his chest.

Manik hooked his arm around her and pulled her more into his chest, kissing her hair. "You'll be alright, don't worry I am with you".

She felt comfortable, she was almost composing herself.

But seeing Alya approaching them

She pushed him away, another bothersome thought floating around in her pretty little head. "He is Alya's boyfriend, Nandu relax."

"What's wrong I was trying to calm you down?" Snickered Manik

Her eyebrows pulled in. What the hell was he thinking. She should just run back to Amms. She thought Manik was too close.

As soon as the answer popped into her mind, she smirked "Don't touch me!"

"W-What you came and hugged me Ms. Murthy!" He narrowed his eyes and left from there annoyingly

What's wrong with this girl, seems like mood swings.

Waiting for departure was extremely boring and infuriating and even worse by the announcement that the flight was delayed by an hour.

Nandini settled down on a seat after freshening up. She took out a novel and started reading. Once in a while, she could hear giggle, laughs from Manik, Alya and Maddy. She promised herself she wouldn't look back.

Alya was gorgeous with huge brown eyes wavy long hair and real good body. The harder Nandini listened to Manik's voice along with Alya's ,the more ridiculous she felt, but there was something about Manik's husky voice. She just couldn't concentrate on her novel. She kept turning the pages aimlessly.

Manik reminisces about the moment he had with Nandini.

She was even more beautiful up close. Her eyes sparkled, her hair glowed, and she looked like heaven in frayed white skinny jeans and floral pink top. It suited her a lot. Though she was short, but in her heels it felt good when she hugged him, and the way she held her mouth when she spoke, coupled with her full lips, was sexy as hell.

When Maddy poked him hard to answer to Alya about her question on how she looked, he smiled at Alya.

His eyes scanned over Alya. He perused her. "You look great. No, better than great. You look like a model." He said loud enough. Alya blushed and gave him friendly peck on his cheeks.

"You look average," Maddy said to Alya breaking their conversation. Maddy leaned in, "but you smell amazing." He came near her cheeks

Alya almost kicked him on his shin "And you look below average."

Manik started laughing.

Maddy's cheeks flushed dark enough to show through his bronze skin, and he offered a knowing smile. "I've been told I look average. It won't deter me from having coffee with you. Come on, let's get some coffee. Bro, join us," he said looking at both of them.

"You guys carry on I don't feel like having now." Manik replied glaring at nandini.

They both left.

After long three hours wait they all were in the aircraft.

All were settling down in their allocated seats.

Nandini was struggling to keep her luggage in cabin baggage

Manik hurried past Nandini, reaching her seat, he helped her place her hand baggage.

"Thank you," Nandini smiled sitting in her seat.

When Manik sat in his seat next to Nandini's and turned to her, she couldn't help but swoon. His enthusiasm was adorable. She didn't bother to ask him why he was sitting next to her instead of Alya. But why did she feel happy with that thought, seems like she was too tired to have weird thoughts.

She gave him a sneaky side glance. The golden tone of his skin, and his solid arm muscles that bulged every time he moved them. His dark brown eyes practically glowed, and his dark hair. The announcement for the take off was done and they tucked in their seat belts.

While taking off suddenly Nandini heard some murmuring. Tensed, turning slowly to see what was that about she was surprised to see Manik chanting hanuman chalisa with his eyes closed.That sight was breathtaking for Nandini. Manik just looked like a kid. She smiled

"Manik, the plane is flying above the land. You can open your eyes and let go my hand." She gave him a friendly pat.

Manik slowly opened his eyes he turned towards Nandini and smirked "I waaas jusst," he stammered, "I m not scared ok!"

"I never said you were," naughty smile crept on Nandini's face.

For a moment Manik forgot everything and drowned in her angelic looks.

Air hostess played a spoil sport by offering them meals.

Both finished their food. As Nandini was too tired she dozed off. Manik saw her sleeping without blanket. He just put blanket over her and stared at her baby face. He wasn't least bit sleepy, so for sometime he watched some movies.

Suddenly, Nandini slept on his lap, very comfortably. He was dumbfound, he didn't know how to react. Nandini was smiling in her sleep. He thought he will put her back in her seat, but somehow stopped himself not to disturb her peaceful sleep. Since it was the first row of seat there was enough leg space for his long legs to be placed in comfortable posture.

He breathed out, relieved. " Hmmmmm Nandini Murthy, are you really a grown up? You are just like a kid, you drive me crazy. I don't know what it is. But I feel something for you, I do like soha but you are something different not like any other normal girl. You definitely leave an impact girl !!!!."

Nandini flipped around in the seat, bouncing once almost about to fall down but then Manik held her and made her sleep properly, soon he too slept off.

Nandini woke up and saw Manik sleeping. She checked time, she had been sleeping from last 8 hrs. She felt refreshed. She went to the washroom freshened up and had coffee. She was as fresh as she was in office. She came back to her seat and started watching movies. She thought still 6 hours for landing. It was terribly boring to travel this long hours.

Finally they landed. It took another three hours for custom baggage collection and all the immigration formalities. Everyone were too much exhausted by now.