Destiny's Dice

A Good Morning Indeed

A/N: Who's in the mood for a double update?? I am! Happy reading, lovelies xx

My body hits against something hard, as I turn over. My bed is smelling unusually fragrant today. I smile, snuggling myself further against the pillow. The mattress is warmer tonight as well, but it seems oddly narrower.

Tendrils of warmth shoot through my body, as I move further against the pillow. Wait...did I move? Or was I moved? The pillow I'm hugging to my chest seems to be moving as per its own volition. Up and down against my chest and arms.

My eyes fly open, sleep draining out of my body faster than I can blink. I can see a bare chest peeking out at me through a half buttoned shirt. I can feel a human body against mine. Warm breath is tickling my forehead. My grip around the person lying next to me - the person's whose arms are wrapped around me, and whose chest I've snuggled myself into - grows tighter, as fear encompasses me.

Should I look? Should I move? Yelling would be a good option right now.

Aiyappa, what do I do? Judging from the broadness of the body, I have a feeling the person on my bed is a man. But the question is, how in the world did a man get into my bed? More importantly, how did I end up snuggled beside him?

I cast my gaze towards the window. Light is filtering through the translucent curtains. My heart begins to beat at a faster rate. Did I really spend the entire night beside this man? Okay, time to stop thinking. I need to do something to get away.

"One...Two..." I whisper under my breath, preparing myself to make an escape. "Three!" I exclaim, splaying my palms across the man's chest and pushing him off the bed. In the next second, I've opened my mouth and am screaming at the top of my lungs. I begin to scramble hastily into a sitting position, tossing the blanket off my body.

"Shut the fuck up!" The man hisses, bounding onto the bed and pushing my back against the mattress. In the next second, the man's hand is pressing down on my mouth, his body covering mine. I squeeze my eyes shut tight, tears springing to the corners of my eyes.

"Shut the fuck up!" The man repeats, pressing down harder against my mouth. "It's me - " Before he can complete his sentence, I bite down on his palm, causing him to withdraw his hand hurriedly.

In the next second the man's hand is back on my mouth.

"It's me, Manik!" The man yells, his tone sounding panicked. I bring my knee up with all the force my little frame can muster, and ram it where the sun doesn't shine. "Ah, fuck! What's wrong with you, woman?" The man hisses, his body rolling off mine and onto the bed.

I'm off the bed in the next second and scrambling towards the door.

"Nandini, it's me!" Manik's voice calls out from behind me, masked with pain. "Manik!" I stop, my hand resting on the door handle. Chest heaving up and down heavily, I turn around and sure enough, Manik is lying on the bed, clutching himself down there; his face a mask of utter pain.

"M-Manik?" I stammer, squinting my eyes as if I can't see him clearly.

"Are you on drugs or something?" Manik asks, a groan escaping his lips. "What the fuck is wrong with you, woman? First you shove me off the bed, then you bite me and then you kick me in the groin. Ah!" Manik lets out another frustrated groan. "I'm living with a mad woman."

"Mad woman? Me?" I shove an accusing index finger towards my chest, stepping towards the bed. "Me? The mad woman. Really?" I scoff, making my way towards the side of the bed where Manik's rolling with pain. "I am not in my girlfriend's cousin's room. I am not the one who was lying on her bed and spent the night with her wrapped in my arms." I'm at the side of the bed now, my hands finding their way towards Manik's chest. He's being pushed back with strength that I never knew I possessed. "I am not the one who jumped on top of her and tried to manhandle her." Each word brings another push to Manik's chest. "I am not the one who seems to be a rapist at the moment. A cheat. A liar. The perfect definition of the Devil!"

By this point, I'm sure Manik's chest will bear imprints of my fingers.

"And you have the audacity to call me a mad woman? Yeah right, Manik," I give him another shove, just as someone raps against my door.

"Nandu!" Chachi's voice travels through the door. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Her voice is full of concern.

Of course it is. She must've heard my yells after all.

"Please let me explain," Manik whispers. I open my mouth to let Chachi know of the great deeds her future son-in-law is performing, but the pleading look in Manik's eyes clogs the words in my throat. "Please," he begs.

For the first time I'm seeing Manik in such a vulnerable state. Judging from past experiences, I should open my mouth and spill everything to the other members of this house, so that they can see past his facade of being a goody two shoes.

In fact, he doesn't even try. Manik openly curses and the elders of this house still adore him. He doesn't suck up to anyone, and yet they're all dying to do favors for him. There's just something about Manik, which doesn't allow the people of this household to dislike him, the way I do.

And here I am with the perfect opportunity to expose his true colors, and I'm hesitating. Quite frankly, I am leaning towards giving in to Manik's pleading and hearing him out.

Pursing my lips, I let out a resigned sigh.

"Fine," I say, stepping away from the bed. "Chachi, everything's fine!" I call out. "There was a lizard, but I've managed to get it out the window."

"God, Nandu," Chachi says. "I got so worked up over such a small matter. What a petty issue to make a mountain out of."

"I'm sorry, Chachi," I say, looking back towards Manik with disdain. I can't believe I'm apologizing for this man's uncouth behavior, which still needs justification. And here he is, watching me with a smirk.

"Do you not have any shame?" I ask, crossing my arms across my chest.

"It's just that..." Manik trails off, a grin plastering itself across his face. Clearing his throat, Manik sits up and runs his thumb along his bottom lip. "You're a really good liar," Manik says, a chuckle escaping his lips. "There's so much hidden talent underneath all that purity, Angel. Glad to be helping to uncover it."

Clenching my jaw, I open my mouth, ready to yell once more. This time I will truly blow up Manik's facade.

Before I can get a single word out, however, Manik leans forward and wraps his left arm around the back of my legs, knocking me off my feet and onto the bed. Onto him.

A gasp escapes my lips, just as his eyes flit towards my lips momentarily. Our faces are mere inches away. We are sharing the same air. He's breathing it out and I'm breathing it in. If I move just a millimeter towards him, our lips will touch.

Manik's chest heaves my body up and down. His arm wounds tighter around my upper half. The air Manik is supplying me with isn't enough. In fact, the air in this entire room isn't matching up to the amount my body requires.

"W-What're we doing?" I whisper.