In His Custody ✎ (MaNan)

✰ 31 - never say never

I just wanted to say as a heads-up: this chapter is a little bit of a surreal experience, especially the ending bit. If you have any questions, you're more than welcome to pop them in the comments box below and I will do my best to answer them <3 

Thank you again for being incredibly patient! So so so so much love :3

⭒

6 October 2010

Babbu, you must be surprised to know that I'm staying a night away from home. Yes, yes, Chikkamma and Chikkappa know about it and they wholeheartedly approve but I think I owe it to you to also explain how and why this transformation took place.

Because it is our performance at Warrior High tomorrow.

After school today, a small eleven-seater van plied from SPACE Academy to Warrior High. All our pieces of luggage were stowed underneath the bus in a small compartment that opened from the outside. We deposited our bags there, during which Manik silently gazed at me with a lip between his teeth and when he was certain nobody was looking, he passed a quick flirtatious wink in my direction. That sent a whiplash in my gut.

Navya had been the first to bank a window seat, followed by Harshad and Mukti who had caught a seat diagonally in front of Navya. Manik took another window seat right behind Navya.

At that point, it was up to me to decide where I wanted to sit. Torn between taking the seat next to Manik, which undoubtedly would raise a few eyebrows yet it was the spot that my heart wanted to take, and sitting beside Navya which had been the safer option, I reluctantly admitted that it was a big enough favour on Navya's part that she hadn't pushed for more details about Manik and me.

The incident that took place at Harshad's house had surprised her and she made sure to bring it up yesterday at school, asking invariably twisted questions to put me on the spot – what classroom had Manik taken me to without her knowledge, what was the equation between him and I and if I felt anything for him. To all three of those, I mildly denied any developments until I spoke to him directly about the matter. Then this morning, after some talking and quite a bit of kissing the previous evening, I clearly stated I was trying to just be friends with him.

It would be extremely unfaithful of me to ditch an old friend at the first opportunity of finding a new friend.

Manik's grunt was a sign enough that he had been extremely miffed by my choice, and had shoved his bag beside him to express it quite physically. I pressed a smile and chattered along with Navya.

Alia looked around at the vacant seats, and then at Cabir who nodded at her from outside the bus. The girl then slowly paced past our seat and plopped next to Manik's, and without any hesitation, the bag that was thrown beside him retraced its steps and landed in his lap. I felt my whole body blaze with a peculiar feeling I had only naively experienced when I made the wrong assumption that Navya and Manik were... yuck.

As if making the most of the presented opportunity, Manik's voice was immediately much louder and animated as he engaged in some boring conversation with his partner, blocking Navya's in-depth stories from reaching my ears. I made sure to pass some rude side-eyes but none of that garnered his attention, nor erased the smirk on his face.