Tangled Fates!! ( Manan ff)

13~ Mumbai and midnights.

Nandini's pov:

     I glanced disheartened at my phone screen lighting up with a notification from Navya...

*Nandu..have to be on set tonight just got the call, I feel terrible to be doing this but the director won't budge*

I believed when she mentioned trying to talk the man into escape but it did not seem to work.

Texting her a reply to not worry I sighed at the thought of going back to an empty house.

"Am I that boring of a company?"
His voice from behind the wheel had my attention.

"Sorry... I was just.."

"Bored, I know." he teased.

"Are you really okay though? you seemed lost..."

his eyes darting from the road ahead to me, he looked genuinely concerned.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, he looked at me in suprise definitely not expecting this for an answer.

It was past midnight the shoot went on for more than 20 hours and the last I remember having something was around late evening and I was famished at this point. As much as my body begged to be put to bed my stomach too craved to be fed and while a pizza in bed was a very tempting alternative I didn't quite like the sound of it when coupled with having to encounter a house to myself, since Arya too was away to see his parents.

"Not starving but wouldn't mind a bite"

"Great, I know the perfect place by the beach a 2 minutes drive from here"

I saw him nod in compliance, we were just driving past the marine drive the beach being the closest place to grab a delicious bite at this hour.

•••••••••••••••••

"Are you hitting on me?"

I was met with this serious look of question on his face when I tore my attention away from this tempting hot  pav bhaji to him, this better be good, whatever comes out from his mouth next.

"No because, an almost isolated beach on a starry night, great street food with extra butter! what is the scene yo?" he smirked trying to sound cocky, while I glared at him for distracting my romance with this piece straight from heaven.

Settling himself beside me on the sand he nudged me again with a suggestive look.

"Manik Malhotra, if you happen to utter a word more I will make sure you don't get a single bite of this." I threatened and it worked! He caved in and focused on his food.

By far the one thing I know that we share is our love for food, none of us can compromise on that.

"Its been years, since I had this, like it is supposed to be relished"

"Do you not like this?" I asked, sensing some FOMO in his voice.

"Like what? you or pav bhaji?" he passed me a teasing smirk making me roll my eyes.

"This, being famous!"

"I do, I genuinely do but I also miss some part of my freedom, the comfort of anonymity that came with not being a page 3 face. Who am I to complain though? I got all I ever wanted and more so I guess that's just something I had to let go of in turn, no regrets there"

This odd sense of genuineness of his voice baffled me, the surety of knowing what he put at stake with no regrets was such a hit and miss for me, maybe we were so similiar in more than one ways and yet so different..