"Why are you here?" Aryaman said sternly as he ran his hands through his already messy hair. His head felt heavy and the taste of alcohol lingering around his mouth made him want to puke.
"I bought it on my way. Either drink it or throw it; your wish." Manik said withva straight face as he tossed the small bottle of juice on his bed.
Aryaman looked at him. "Why are you here?"
"Nandini keeps on blaming herself for our fights. So let's sort things out or at least pretend to." He said as he sat on the bed.
A part of Aryaman was happy knowing that Manik wanted to sort things out and that he still cared for him but he was helpless. He didn't want his friends to get involved in his mess.
"That's none of my business. I don't care whether she blames herself or blames me." He said as he plopped out of the bed.
"This is so not you." Manik said dissappointed."Till when are you planning to pretend?"
"I am not pretending. You both failed to recognize the real me. This is the real-"
"Stop spouting nonsense Aryaman." Nandini's voice caught both their attention. They looked towards the door only to see Nandini walking inside with the same brand of juice that Manik had brought in her hand.
"You guys are so identical." He scoffed. "Totally made for each other type."
She kept the bottle on the table. "Don't you think you have something to tell us Aryaman?"
"No I don't. So just get out of my sight." He said as he took his towel from the sofa and made his way towards the door.
"Your mum!" Nandini's word stopped him from taking any more step further. "Do you still feel you don't have anything to tell us?"
"So what about her? There's nothing to say." He said with a straight face but inside he was burning.
"Yesterday you spilled out everything. So stop pretending." Nandini's voice softened.
"Just forget about whatever you heard yesterday."
"We know where your mom is." This words of Manik made him turn to look at them.
"Where is she?" He asked, suddenly anxious.
"She's in US, getting treatment for her brain tumour." She informed. "I asked my dad about your mom's whereabouts and he told me all this things. I asked him why we weren't informed about it and he told me that your mom didn't want us especially you to know about her tumour. And here your dad was just taking advantage of this situation. We are sorry. We let you suffer alone."
She took out a clear bag from her purse and handed it to him. " Here I got your mom's medical report."
"I booked tomorrow's flight ticket for you." Manik said while Aryaman was busy going through report. Seeing the reports made him feel even more helpless and he just couldn't control his tears. Drop by drop his tears flowed down his cheek.
Nandini stepped forward and hugged him. Manik too got up from the bed and hugged both of them.
"Everything'll be fine. It's okay." He said softly.
The next morning
After Aryaman's flight took off, to enlighten Nandini's mood Manik suggested to play xbox and she just gave in to his suggestion.
At first she played it without any interest but soon she was immersed in the game. He smiled looking at her seeing her so immersed and smiling. He very well knew how to light up her mood.
"You cheater!!" She shouted as she put the joystick beside her and shot a look at him, more like an accusing look. "You cheated."
"No I didn't." Manik firmly denied. "I fairly won the game. You just don't know how to play." He smiled and stuck his tongue out. "You lost..just admit it."
"All the keys in my joystick don't work properly. You purposely gave me this joystick. And that's cheating." She argued.
"Well that ain't my fault. I didn't know the keys weren't working." He said and shrugged as he exited the game with his joystick.
Taking that opportunity she grabbed a cushion from the sofa and started hitting him on his face, trying to shove the cushion on his face.
"You cheater cock. Do you think I'll leave you so easily?" She shouted, slamming the cushion right on his face.
He caught the cushion and pulled it but she was adamant in not leaving it. He pulled harder and eventually she was also pulled towards him. Their heads banged and a soft wail escaped their mouth.
She glared at him and threw the cushion right across his face.
Rubbing the side of her forehead, she looked the other way grumpily. He shook her a bit and apologized. "Hey Nandini...Sorry!!"
But she just swatted his hand away from her shoulder.
"Hey what's this?" He said pointing towards her nose.
"Is there something?" She touched her nose.
"Yeah there is...a big red anger." He stretched his arms in 180 degree to indicate how big my anger was. She glared him and pushed him a bit.
"Sorry no..I am really sorry." He caught both his ears making a cute puppy face which she couldn't resist.
"So you admit that you cheated." She said with a poker face, looking at him.
"Well I didn't really intend to though." He said in a low tone.
"You admit it or not."
"Okay I do." He said, defeated and the next moment she jumped onto him with the cushion in her hand, hitting him as he tried to block her attacks.
He loved bickering with her over small small things. He loved being by her side. He loved her smile. He loved bearing her cute and childish tantrums. He just loved everything about her.
The door clicked open and Manik's mom stood at the door watching the two of them struggling with a cushion in between them. She couldn't help but go all 'aw' on them. Nandini was on top of Manik trying her best to hit him while he had been trying to defend himself.
Her soft laughters caught their attention and on realizing their postion they abpruptly jerked apart from each other, suddenly concious.
"You two look so good together and the chemistry between both of you is of some other level." Her mom complimented as she walked inside with the tray in her hand. "If only Nandini wasn't engaged, I would have made her my daughter-in-law." She said as she put the tray on the table.
Manik smiled sadly while Nandini could feel her insides twist. She suddenly felt anxious. She couldn't help but ponder over her own feelings.
Whom did she love? Manik or Aryaman?
****
A question for you all:
Who does she love and most importantly WHY??
Hopefully you guys liked the update. Thanks for all your support. The last chapter of "Nobody compares to you" will be updated soon. Do answer ❤
YOU ARE READING
MaNan- Nobody Compares To You (FS) ✔
Short StoryFor him she was his one and only love, at least that's how he felt. For her he was just her best friend, at least that's what she thought. He loved her. And she loved someone else.
