Adorable Heart

Bonus chapter

Nandini, 9:40 pm

Walking out of Dadu and Dadi's room, I started climbing the stairs. Tapping on the snooze off icon I stopped my usual alarm for checking Dadu's diabetes meds status.

"You are the best Dadu in the world but when it comes to taking those insulin shots and following a proper diabetic diet you really know how to throw temper tantrums," I sighed remembering the way my grandfather pretended to forget about the medications because of the whole Bhang-ki-chutney fascio.

When Manik came to meet him earlier in the evening, he asked me to go upstairs. Sometime back, before the dinner I saw Manik's car pulling out of the compound. My guy didn't even send a simple text about everything being fine, neither called. So, when I asked Dadu regarding their conversation, he took it as an opportunity to divert my attention for getting a break from those prickly injections and narrated the whole incident like a dramatic writer that he had always been. But I caught upon his lie. Why would my Dadu ban the guy I love from coming home? That cliché scenario had to be a lie.

By any chance, did he mean that for real?

Sliding the window of my room open, I let the soothing wind hit my face, closing the eyes. It was cold, yet rejuvenating and the moment I saw that face behind the closed curtain of my eyelids; my lips started curling up at the site of his impeccable features. The hand he had held beneath that table in the classroom, felt warm at the memory of his touch. Taking a deep breath, I brushed my knuckles over the right cheek in enchantment as the flashes of the night we confessed played in the back of my mind.

Four days. It had been four days to that magical night and still, every time, the moment I closed my eyes, I would get lost in the feel of his lips over mine. As much as, I was afraid of being addicted to those anemone-pink-lips; it didn't stop me from wanting to live that moment every day. The kiss, it was so elegant yet sensuous. I had always wanted it to be a furiously passionate one, the kind which would blow off my mind, blurring everything else around, filled with so many emotions all at once that my heart would ache to feel that surge of emotions again and again. That was exactly how we kissed. The site of his face with eyes closed in the anticipation of the forthcoming moment was itched on my mind. I would never be able to forget the racing of my heartbeats as I had neared my face closer to Manik's for pairing my lips with his ones, magic, I could only call it magic.

"Haha," I chuckled lightly at the stupidity of my mind as I could even remember how he smelt. But then I opened my eyes suddenly, sensing some movement in the balcony ahead.

"Manik?" I screamed.

"Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven, Having some business, do entreat her eyes to twinkle in their spheres till they return. What if her eyes were there, they in her head? The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars, as daylight doth a lamp. Her eyes in heaven would through the airy region stream so bright that birds would sing and think it were not night," He sighed looking into my eyes dreamily.

"Last time I checked, you were Mr. Darcy. Since when did you switch roles with Shakespare's Romeo?" I chortled at his cliché antics.

"Since the moment you decided to be Juliet standing near the window in this balcony," He smiled.

Turning around, I started walking inside the room and he followed my steps. Circling my arms around his neck I smiled, "So, if one day I decide to be Heer, will you be my Ranjha?"

Running his finger through my soft curls, he whispered, "If you are Heer, I'll be your Ranjha. If you are Juliet, I'll be your Romeo. If you're Elizabeth, I'll be your Darcy. If you're Kammo, I'll be your Sagar. And if you are Nandini..." I didn't realize when he bent forward and quickly my lips before continuing, "I'll be your Manik."

"Manik," I gasped.

He shrugged, "What? I could tell from the look on your face with those closed eyes that you were reliving that moment."

"What... What moment?" I questioned taking my hands back to myself in an attempt to create some distance between us.

"The moment when we were alone near the river that night. Where we..." He looked at me in a weirdly suggestive way while I widened my eyes looking here and there. Clearing the throat he added, "Where we talked and then... well tried a few new things."

I widened the eyeballs more, staring at him for a second longer and then turned on the heels trying to walk away. Holding my hand he twirled me back, "It is okay, Nandini. I too find myself getting lost in that moment again and again."

For the love of God, someone stop this man!

I stared into his eyes silently, with quickening heartbeats as he continued, "The feel of your lips is carved in my mind in a way that I have been feeling you around even when you aren't with me. It's heavy and light, crazy yet soothing, so fuzzy but still comforting. I don't know how to explain it. As if-"

Manik's words ceased as I pecked his lips. I didn't miss the startled look on his face, but I also couldn't ignore the undying urge evoking more and more with his every word. There was a slight tinge of red on his cheeks and ears. The way he felt for me was so evident, be it through his physical appearance or his vocal approach that I could never think otherwise.

"So, Mr. Malhotra, what did we talk about on that night?" I smirked walking ahead and taking a seat on the chair near my study table.

"Something about the conversations our hearts would like to have with each other?" He whispered near my ear bending to the level of my shoulder and I closed the eyes sensing his warm breathes close to my neck.

"What kind of conversation?" I asked.

"The kind of one that I came here for," He answered as his nose almost touched the side of my neck.

"And what is that?" I breathed.

"I wish to get a reward," He mumbled over the skin near my collarbone.

"A reward?" I jittered as his lips touched my neck in a steady manner. My fingers brushed through his hair moving on their own accord as if giving him the much needed encouragement. And then his lips started moving as if they were the artist and my neck was art. I wished to be painted with the most beautiful colors and he gave it all that he could offer. I moved forward pulling him closer and that was the only push he needed to softly suck over my collarbone. I could create a melody with the way he plugged those strings of emotions in my heart and dance in the glory of his love expressed through this pair of lips all my life, if he asks for it.

"Manik," I mumbled unknowingly.

He smiled, "I love you so much Nandini."

Kissing the crown of his forehead, I replied, "I love you, too."

Catching up on the slightest hesitancy of my voice, he looked into my eyes and took a step back after pecking my forehead. I smiled at him while his lips curled up looking at my neck.

"What was this reward for?" I asked.

"My reward for writing your chemistry notes?" He shrugged.

"Do I get one like this if I write your notes?" I challenged.

"I would happily let myself be your cardboard sheet, mi lady. It would be a pleasure to carry a piece of art created by you." He chuckled before leaving the way he came making me wonder the meaning of his words.

As I walked towards my bed to finally get some sleep, my eyes fell on the image in the mirror and there it was the mark all those novels talked about.