A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-19

"I mean you just walk to them like that and then ask them out," Manik asked Harshad while Harshad smiled to himself.

"It's charm of Harshad, you know," Harshad bragged while Manik frowned.

"By the way, since when you are interested in all this?" Harshad inquired and Manik almost slipped into his quilt.

"I am not interested. I was just asking out of curiosity you know," Manik answered briefly and then closed his eyes. 

Harshad sighed and then switched off the lights. It was dead dark then. Manik opened his eyes and blinked a few times to adjust with the darkness in the room. It was beyond his capability to think that how he was going to ask Nandini for ball and that too like she was a girl. Well, she is a girl. But they were never like that. He frowned as he stressed more that why would she put such a stupid condition. He knew it was going to be hardest task he had ever done and he was not at all ready. He tossed from one side to another all night thinking various ways to ask her out. His eye lids got heavy and that was the time when night itself got bored with him and he was sent to deep slumber. 

Manik looked at her as she entered the academy. She was looking heavenly gorgeous in that white dress. It reached her knees and she looked different. She captured his eyes like never before. He looked at white Lilies in his hand and then at her. Her red lips formed a smile, smile he knew but was redefined. She halted somewhere talking to some new face and that was when he took a deep breath. He was sure he was going to do it. As he took a step towards her after a few stolen glances, he heard a dark familiar laugh. He peeped out and saw Daadu standing there with his ever so famous laugh. 

"She would throw it on your face or maybe stuff them in your mouth," He warned aloud. He looked at Nandini who was still talking to someone with a big smile. 

"You came up with white lilies?" Daadu asked accusing as if Manik had let him down. 

"Don't you know she would screw you?" Daadu added and Manik frowned. He was right, she might probably decorate those lilies in his hair and then would laugh like maniac. 

"Didn't you know whom you were asking out?" He scolded as he walked closer. Manik couldn't apprehend how come Nandini wasn't listening to any of his word. It was so unreal. He rubbed his eyes as Daadu walked even closer with angry frown. 

"Yes, Manik, Wake up," He heard Harshad talking. Wait, from where Harshad came from. He looked around but didn't find him. 

"Wake up, sleeping beauty," Harshad again uttered with affection. 

"It's just a bad dream," Harshad added. 

"Dream?" Manik asked all bewildered and Daadu started to disappear. Even girl in white dress wasn't Nandini. He rubbed his eyes harshly and then it was so much of white. He closed his eyes as it hurt bad. He opened his eyes just to see Harshad standing at his head with a worried expression. 

"Wake up," He said and that's when Manik understood he was having a dream-looking nightmare. 

"That was a dream?" He asked getting up. 

"I bet it was bad, wasn't it?" Harshad asked handing him a towel. 

"It was weird," Manik answered wiping sweat off his forehead. 

"Dude, you should consult a doctor," Harshad said walking across the dorm. 

"Doctor?" Manik asked perplexed. 

"About your nightmares," Harshad cleared and Manik dipped his head in towel to avoid the topic. He couldn't let anyone know how this one girl was hovering his mind since months now.