MaNan FF: Falling For The Detached One

Chapter 16: Far From The Reality.

Two days that followed flew away even before I could register the happenings in my mind exactly. Nothing major happened, except for me finding more and more comfort in talking to Manik.

It had become a daily routine actually. He was the first person I spoke to every morning as soon as I came to college at the same place, i.e behind the music wing. It was good in a way, but not even once could I make it a point to tell him about Alya and the fact that she was actually cheating on him at that particular point of time. Manik wouldn't listen to me I knew and if not anything else there was one thing I was sure about, about him, that he was stubborn. Way more stubborn than anyone else, and he wasn't going to listen to anyone or anything until the time he felt like.

I still didn't have any idea about the entire truth, I actually wanted to speak to Alya regarding it but I never found her alone. Every time she would loiter around Dhruv and Dhruv would pass me slight smiles each time. He was a good guy. Manik and him should have been back to normal long back.

On a regular Tuesday morning, as I entered the college I went as usual behind the music wing, but, he wasn't there.

He used to sit there every morning practicing his guitar, but today he was just not there. Maybe, he found a new place to practice, or maybe he was busy in some other work. I didn't think much regarding the same and went to the café to meet Navya.

As I walked through the corridor, I saw Manik, for the first time in the entire day, talking to Alya, or rather handing over a gift to her.

GOD !

"Happy birthday Alya." Manik said as he handed over the neatly wrapped gift to her.

"Thanks Manik. Glad you remembered." Alya smiled back at him. Manik shook hands with her and then mumbled something inaudible, after which Alya shook her head in dismay and left from there.

I couldn't really make out why Manik was still asking for what, forgiveness from Alya when she had already moved on with Dhruv ? Couldn't he understand that Alya moving on so easily meant something was fishy and that she didn't want to be with him? I felt bad for him. He was wasting his time on someone who didn't ever care.

"Hey Nandini, what's up?" Manik cleared his sulky face and walked towards me. I had to talk to him, I wasn't even his friend or anything but I cared okay ? If he didn't , atleast I did and I couldn't see him being so traumatic when I myself knew what the truth was. But before that I needed to talk to Alya.

"I'll be back." I replied back and went in Alya's direction.

--

"Hey Alya , can I have five minutes with you?"

Thankfully I caught up with Alya before she could slip into romance with Dhruv zone. I just wanted to make things clear with her before talking to Manik about this.

"Yes?"

"This gift...Manik gave it to you?" I pointed at the small yet neatly wrapped box that enclosed her birthday gift.

"Hmm..." She nodded.

"So do you plan to give a return gift to him?"

She was taken aback for a second. "What return gift?"

I felt hesitant at first. I didn't even know her. How would she react ? Yet, I spoke.

"Tell him the truth. That you were never in love with him... that you were cheating on him with Dhruv when you guys were apparently dating." I put the word dating in double quotes, hoping that she would get the link.