Aiyoo Ayyappa- MaNan FF

Chapter 25 Rabbit and Giraffe

Nandini continued to remain with her eyes shut and forgot that she was in the arms of Manik, but her arms hugging around him tight. But Manik was hesitant..he was hesitant to put his arms around her. Nandini's arms were encircling him tight her...her head resting against his chest which was breathing heavily from the presence of Nandini so close to him.

"Nandini..." Manik whispered softly when he managed to gather up his senses. 

Nandini opened her eyes realizing the situation she was in. She had unconsciously hugged Manik..this was her first time hugging a man. For the first time, she realized that she had hugged someone other than chacha-chachi, Amms, Rishabh and Navya. It was her first hug with a young man. Nandini felt a deep burning sensation in her cheeks as she felt herself blushing. 

"Ayyappa...what did I do? Will he be thinking that I'm shameless?" Nandini thought as she gently moved two step backwards away from Manik..breaking away from the hug.

"Nandini...are you ok?" Manik asked with a concerned look on his face.

"Haan..I'm alright.." Nandini whispered softly looking away from Manik. She was unable to face Manik anymore. Manik also was feeling a strange awkwardness within him as he realized that he just got hugged by a girl other than Alya and Mukti with whom he only had friendship hugs. It was always the hugs of Fab 5 members and this new hug was totally alien to him. It was awkward...weird. 

"O..Ok.." Manik suddenly felt himself stammering as he fidgeted from the awkwardness of the situation. Droplets of water was falling through the window of the shed into the shed and was creating wetness within the shed too. It was dark and cold within and a cold wind was blowing into the shed. The rain has strengthened and the music of the rain was beating against the metal sheet laid atop the shed making it a scary loud noise. It was dark...and suddenly Manik started getting the feeling of darkness around him. The darkness which drowns everything around it killing its beauty. But amidst the darkness too...the shining earrings of Nandini..the glow of the droplets of water slipping down Nandini's cheeks had somehow distracted his attention. 

Manik also noticed something shining a bit away on the floor. Manik walked upto the object and it was a torch. Manik took the torch and pressed on the button. The light came on and it seems to be in use. 

"Lagta hai ke ye shed koi use kar rahe hai" (It seems that this shed is being used by someone) Manik said to Nandini looking at the torch in his hand. "I think somebody uses this shed. For now..thankfully we got  a torch here. Let's see what's around here" Manik said as he lighted the torch looking around the shed. Manik noticed a stool in the corner of the shed next to a table.

"Wait..we got something for us to sit on" Manik said as he took the stool and lifted it up and placed it next to Nandini. 

"Chalo baith jaao!" (Comeon sit down!)Manik ordered Nandini. Nandini with a bit of hesitation sat on the tiny stool. 

"Manik...what about you?" Nandini asked with a concerned look on her face. "Don't you want to sit?" 

"It's alright..Nandini...this rain will soon end. I don't need to sit down..I don't feel like sitting down" Manik said walking over to the door of the shed and stood leaning against the door of the shed looking out at the raindrops falling and making puddles on the road. 

"Manik...U can sit on this stool...U don't have to stand like this.." Nandini gently said to Manik as she tried to rise up to give the seat to Manik.

"N..No! U don't have to. U can sit down. Waise bhi..I am not in a mood to sit down..that too on such a tiny stool. That stool totally fits your height...U are so tiny! Hamari choti rabbit ke liye choti si stool (For our little rabbit, a little stool)" Manik said with a laugh. 

Nandini felt like Manik was making fun of her height. "Arre..aise kaise? Yun hi humhe rabbit bulaake hamare mazaak udaa rahe hai?" (Arre, how so? Just like that he is making fun of me by calling me a rabbit?)Nandini thought as she looked with a fake anger at Manik. 

"Haan...tumhaare liye seat haina..wo dekho ek table pade hai. Uspe jaake baithlo. A table for the giraffe to sit on!" (Ya for you also, there is a seat..there is a table for you there..go and sit on it!) Nandini said in a sarcastic tone. 

"Giraffe?? U called me giraffe?? Like seriously?" Manik asked suddenly turning to look at Nandini with a fake angry look on his face. 

"Haan..if I am rabbit, then U are giraffe...U can easily pluck leaves from the tree. Neck bhi tho giraffe jaise long hai tumhaare" Nandini continued to make fun of Manik. 

"Achcha??" Manik asked straightening himself from the door which he was leaning against and walking over to Nandini. 

"U know...if a giraffee tries..a giraffe can bend to touch a rabbit too...and bite the ears off the rabbit..U want me to do it?" Manik asked bending over to look at Nandini. 

"N..No...Giraffes are vegetarian..they don't eat rabbit ears" Nandini said trying to save herself. 

"Achcha?? Ye tumhe kisne bataaya ke giraffes vegetarians hai?" (Who told U that giraffes are vegetarian?) Manik asked in a teasing tone. 

"Woh na..maine school main padha hai...giraffes are herbivores..they eat only green leaves" Nandini said like a science student. 

"Ahh...I didn't know that. So what if...a giraffe misunderstands the ear of a rabbit as a leaf?? Then it goes and bites??" Manik asks bending closer to Nandini. 

"U know...giraffes have good eye sight" Nandini said trying to save the situation. 

"Ohooo...seems U studied all the years in school about giraffe...what else did U study other than giraffe??" Manik said in a teasing tone. 

"U know...I was a top scorer in science. My passion is science." Nandini said with a proud look on her face. 

"Oh really?? Then let me ask you science questions. U are a genius..are you not?" Manik asked with a curious look on his face. 

"Ya.. U can ask me anything!" Nandini continued with a confident look on her face. 

"Ok...now this is an experimental question. U must think carefully and answer me" Manik said as he moved closer to Nandini. 

"Y..Yes..." Nandini stammered as she noticed Manik getting closer. 

Manik held Nandini by the shoulders and made her stand up...and started getting closer and closer to her and bend down to get closer to her. His lips were straight in level to hers and she could feel Manik's breath against her face. Manik noticed the way Nandini's breathing suddenly increased and her eyes were glowing in the dark. Nandini realized that Manik was getting closer for a kiss...but she didn't know what to do. Nandini closed her eyes tight shut as she realized what Manik was upto. Manik noticed the way Nandini closed her eyes tight shut and a smile spread across his face. 

"Oh god...she is ready to get kissed?? Such an innocent girl!" Manik thought with a little amused laugh in his heart. 

"Ok..now here comes the question.." Manik whispered to her as he moved two steps away from her and stood with folded arms. 

"Eh??" Nandini asked opening her eyes and looking into the eyes of Manik. 

"When a man moves in closer to a woman...just like I did to U now..U know? Why does the woman close her eyes?" Manik asked with an amused smile on his face. 

"Aiyooo..Ayyappa..what did I do? Why did I close my eyes?? I'm soo stupid! I fell for his trap!" Nandini thought as she felt herself go beetroot red in embarassment as Manik continued to look at Nandini with an amused look on his face. 

Ayyappa knew the answer...but he didn't want to help her...afterall..she is the best science student..and she must find the answer herself. Ayyappa only smiled...