"If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: We all want everything to be okay. We don’t even wish so much for fantastic or marvelous or outstanding. We will happily settle for okay, because most of the time, okay is enough."
— David Levithan
Manik paused for one second before forwarding the cup of tea to an already impatient Nandini who was looking at it as if she was about to get the elixir of life - it made him smile, how she could still be so excited about such small things. He had always otherwise thought that experience comes at the cost of innocence - that you age and learn things about life and the world that take away your peace in return of that knowledge.
As soon as Nandini sipped the tea, her eyes lit up with delight at how perfect the blend of tea leaves and milk was, and how perfect the sugar and cardemom, she immediately looked at Manik, her face so excited and happy that it made him smile more.
"You are an excellent chef", Nandini stated as she moaned in delight sipping her tea, making sounds.
"Too quick to judge I see? Excellent chef because you liked my tea?", Manik asked amused as they walked out of the kitchen, and settled down on the couch, beside each other while Nandini grinned at his question.
"Well apart from the detailed spices in your kitchen, where herbs went from Italian to continental to Indian, and the well stocked fridge and the practiced ease with which you worked in the kitchen, Yes you are an excellent chef because I LOVED your tea!", Nandini's answer took Manik by surprise, he chided himself for constantly underestimating how much thorough she was and how she had the eye for detail, but her words also made him smile - that boyish kind of cute blushy smile that Nandini realized made him look younger too.
They both kept silent for some time as they finished their respective tea, with Nandini watching his expressions and Manik revelling in the what she had just told him. It was when Nandini suddenly giggled that Manik looked up at her, raising an eyebrow.
"I am sorry, I just got reminded of something", she apologized, her smile still in place as she stared at her now empty cup.
"Some tea-tale from the memory?", Manik asked, clearly inquisitive. He really wanted to have the most of these light moments he was getting with Nandini.
"No just-", Nandini paused as she looked up with mischievous eyes, "Just wondering how many flying chappals I will get if my mother gets to know I am having tea in the afternoon instead of lunch", Nandini began to laugh as her mother's voice rang in her ears - the typical Indian mothers worried about everything and making a fuss about anything because for them clearly, the child never grows up.
Manik heard her and could not help but chuckle himself, shaking his head. His eyes darted towards a picture frame hung on the opposite wall, the one that also had all his degrees and acheivements. Nandini's eyes followed his and she saw a brown haired gorgeous woman standing beside what looked a younger Manik, probably in his early twenties, her hand on his chest while his wrapped around her shoulder as he had tucked her in. Nandini stood up and walked to the wall, her hand softly tracing the frame.
"She looks gorgeous, no wonder you are her son", she mumbled, but Manik who had heard her, standing behind, smiled cheekily, "So you accept I am attractive?".
Nandini flushed a little as she shook her head, "No, just saying your mother is beautiful".
"Oh come on, your friend clearly ranted you had a huge crush on me", Manik pouted, complaining adorably and for one second Nandini stilled as she watched him go all cute.
For that second she was thrown two years back, to the time when she actually was crazy about him - when she would search for every article he published, every video he put up and would stalk his Instagram handle, hoping and praying that he would turn it public for once. His DP was the only picture she could see and she had all of them saved religiously - today as Manik nagged her, he looked like that Manik from the past - like nothing tragic had touched him, no worry lines around his face, the unguarded and deep eyes she would try to read for hours.
YOU ARE READING
Chaotic Tangles!
Fanfiction**Can be read as General fiction** The young, leading psychiatrist in the country, is charged for allegedly provoking suicide, but is bailed and later declared innocent. He thinks the complications are over, but when a young free spirited recently p...
