They say finding true love at nineteen is a blessing. Or so they thought until they believed in their love.
But some people are really unlucky without any apparent fault of theirs. Manik Malhotra came in a similar category.
Eight years later, when...
Mumbai, July 2018. Hotel Radisson, main banquet hall.
" What's up people?", An over enthusiastic voice made people turn over from their gossip session and it was a frame of five odd seconds before a few people from the group jumped onto the person.
" Kabir man!", Dhruv was the first one to regain his voice after an emotional moment.
"Long time bro!", Kabir hugged him back, as Alya and Mukti pounced on them together, leaving Abhimanyu and Aryaman laughing behind.
Friends for life, was the promise they had all made to each other back in college, but it all got buried under the heaps of responsibilities and pressures to have a stable career. All of them had graduated together in March 2011, but life took them so many diverse ways that it was the first reunion they were having after eight years. They all had missed each other, and were on contact over Whatsapp and Instagram, commenting and teasing each other over comments , but yet, virtual closeness rarely account for physical distance.
" I am so glad we all could make it to this Reunion!", Mukti exclaimed, and everyone else gave her a smile of relief at that.
"Life happened in between yaar, or else our promises would have been stuck on too, rather than being meaningless words", Abhimanyu spoke, with a pensive look. He had always been the philosophical one out of all of them, and everyone had always teased him about this, but today, all of them could relate to it.
" You need to steal the time to make promises work people. Stolen promises, are what make our lives different from the usual", the merry voice made them turn once again, and nobody could believe what they saw.
Nandini Murthy, standing in all her glory.
" Nandu!", It was Navya this time who pounced on her, making her stumble, but Nandini held on to her dearly, and stretched her hands in a gesture to everybody else too. It seemed like they were waiting for that exact signal, and one second later, they were again in each other's embrace.
Looked like they were celebrating hug day, out of the season, but so were many others in small groups. College reunion was meant to be that, and everybody was utilizing the chance to the fullest.
"I was almost convinved you won't make it Murthy", Aryaman ruffled her hairs, and Nandini gave him an apologetic smile at that.
" Actually yes, but when did you return from New York?", Alya questioned this time.
" And also, you look way diffrent!", Dhruv excalimed in between, and Nandini gestured them all to sit down. Looked like she had many answers to give.
At Dhruv's exaclamation, everybody noticed Nandini, and she indeed looked way diffrent. All of them remebered a Nandini who had long black luscious hair, falling down upto her waist, and always clad in simple Kurtis and jeans. That Nandini was the shy type, who avoided eye contact usually, and smiled at anyone and everyone.
This Nandini, well looked hotter. With shoulder length wavy hairs, and an off shoulder crop top paired with a black skirt, her eyes dolled with winged liner, and lips no more the nude shade, she was indeed diffrent. But the twinkle in her eyes when she looked at them, and the familiar aura of comfort, made all of them realize that she was still their Nandini.
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