The Nerd and The Brat ✔️

46. I Would Choose You

Hello Fam :)

One of the most important chapters of the story. ;)

Happy Reading...

After half an hour, when Manik and Nandini went to the beach, there was a silence between them and neither did Manik break it nor did he question the conversation he heard. Unlike the awkward silence with Harshad, it was almost relaxing with the sound of the sea waves playing in the background.

Nandini decided, with Manik beside her, she could think and figure about all the chaos in her life. He was the stabilizer to her thoughts which runs in various directions. He was the proton to all the negative energy in her life. She cringed at the example which sounded like something the nerd boy would say, although a smile graced her face.

"My parents hate me", told Nandini, breaking the peaceful silence. She didn't want to. They could have sat there for an hour and Nandini could ignore Manik listening to the call and the boy wouldn't bring it up ever again but she felt he deserved to know. If she had started to trust him, if Manik had to believe his first friends, there shouldn't be secrets between them.

"I know", muttered Manik quietly. "I heard you talking to Cabir on that day."

Nandini felt threatened and betrayed and scared. Instead of following her instincts to punch the boy, she hugged her knees and let the information sink in. "You never said anything", she said after some time. She saw Manik flinch at her words and recollected if her tone was accusing.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop. It was accidental and I had no right of knowing it until you told me yourself. Hence, I never bring it up", he confessed.

Nandini nodded at him. Yes, he didn't bring it up but she was thinking about something else. "It's more than three months since you know and how could you hide it, Manik. You acted as if you don't know my most hated secret at all." Because the only people who knew about her parents were her friends, Abhimanyu's parents, and Cabir. While everyone accepted it, they sometimes behaved as if Nandini would shatter in front of them. They have become a bit overprotective towards her but there wasn't any change in Manik towards her. "Or you don't care?"

Manik shook his head. "I don't care", he confessed, "because you are the same Nandini I know all these months. Just because I know something more personal about you, it wouldn't change any fact about you. You still are the fiercest person in college and I am still a bit scared of you", he said, holding his thumb and index finger together.

It drew out a chuckle from her and Manik relaxed. "You don't think I am weak because the tough head girl can't stand for herself in front of her parents."

"You aren't weak, Nandini", he told. "I couldn't bear them for a few hours. I promise, I spent a whole day with mom to make sure she still loves me and I couldn't stop worrying about you since that day because the will that you were talking about, I know at least ten ways to manipulate it. You aren't safe with them. They aren't good people."

"Manik, relax", she told. It was another reason she didn't want Manik around her parents. They would shatter his trust and belief and Manik was a person for whom trust came easily. "I thought you wouldn't defend me", she teased with one of his lines but he glared at her instead. It was a first.

"I apologize but I don't trust them around you", he told.

"Don't treat me like a glass doll", she muttered.

"No", he said, with a frown. "You aren't a glass doll. I would never do that to you but they affect you, Nandini. You have bad days when they are around and you aren't in a healthy environment." He sighed and the struggle in him defeated as his shoulders sagged. "I am sorry. I wish I could do something to help you. I didn't know people like them existed and it's difficult to digest but they don't define you."