After English I walked towards the canteen and found my friends sitting together.

"Nandini" mukti called causing Manik to look up from his phone

"Whats cooking" I asked sitting besdie Manik

"We are all going to the freshers party tonight sooooo be ready in sexy clothes" she said making me laugh

"Mukti, I don't do sexy clothes"

"You will, girl there will be so many pretty boys" she swooned making me chuckle

"And I am not interested" I told her

"Why? Do you have someone" she asked

I shook my head looking towards Manik.

"You sure" she asked again

"Quit it mukti, my sister isn't allowed to date yet" cabir said

"Right of course" I entertained the conversation making him smile proudly

Cabin doesn't have a sister so when we met he started calling me choti and I tie him rakhi every year

"Good" he said

"Well then girl, set me up with that cute boy" she siad

I followed her gaze and saw a boy looking at her

"Flavour of the month" I asked

"Something like that" she said smirking as she walked towards him

"And that is also my cue" bhai said

I chuckled as I saw navya, his girlfriend.

"Hey girly" she said walking to me

"Hiiiiii"

"This brother of yours is losing his shit" she said

"Why" I asked

"He was talking in his sleep last night about how he loves grass ice cream" she said making me laugh

Navya also lives with us

"Shut up I was not talking in my sleep"bhai said making me laugh even louder

"You were" navya argued

"Huh" he grabbed her arm taking her away becasue he knows if she stays we will make fun of him

"Nandini lets go" Manik said getting up

"Where" I asked

"Home" he said grabbing my arm talking me to his car

"I can take the metro or an auto"

"Aren't you getting a little too formal" he asked

"Nope, it's called basic curtesy" I said

"Nandini you have known me since we were what umm 5 I believe well I was 6" he siad

"Yup, since you were chubby" I giggled

"I was not chubby, I was fit"

"Should I go to aunty and ask for pictures" I asked

"Shut up" he mumbled opening the door for me

"Thank you" I said putting my seatbelt on

He got in and started driving to our house, our beautiful home. We were so young when Manik had all of us friends move in together, he is so rude and uptight but his heart is made of gold. He has a beautiful heart.

"Kya soch rahi hai" he asked pulling me out of my thoughts

"Kuch ni bas esehi" i whispered

"Bol na yar"

i turned my body towards him looking at his face. He has these mysterious eyes that show depth but also are so blank sometimes.

"Stop staring love, what is it that's running in that head?" He asked making my heart skip a beat at the endearment

"Mhmm I was thinking about life"

"Get specific" he ordered

"So demanding"

"Nandini" he warned

"Relax tiger, I was thinking about that day when you came to the orphanage and asked everyone to move in together, we were 13 years old"

A smile adored his lips making me smile too.

Cabir, mukti, navya, alia, druv and I used to live in this orphanage together since we were 5 years old which is when I met manik. He was 6 like he said and he had came in to play with everyone because he lived right next to the orphanage .

We had became friends really quick and then one day manik took us all to this beautiful house which is our home now. At that point I knew I had earned a family instead of friends.

"I am so glad I did that, nandini yar tu life hai meri tu janti hai na" he asked

"Hatt pagal" I giggled making him chuckle

"Whatever it may be, there is one thing for sure which is that you are very important to me"

"Likewise" I said

The rest of the car ride was filled with manik talking about some random chick he is into these days, oh that's another thing about manik, he is the biggest flirt in this whole world and I mean sure, the man has the looks but he can flirt with anything live or dead haha.

We got home and the first thing manik did was drag me to his room and sit me down on his bed

"What manik" I asked seeing him grinning

"I need your help"

"No, do not tell me this is why you dragged me home"

"Sun na yar, I need your help"

"Arghh with what" I asked putting my feed up on his bed laying on my stomach

"I have a date tonight and I need to know what to wear" he said taking his t shirt off

i swear this boy is constantly going on dates, like every single day he is with a different girl.

"Not again manik" I groaned

"Please, she is different" he said causing me to roll my eyes at him

"Just like number mhmm 59 was and just like Shalini was right" I asked referring to his old girls

"No, she is different. I swear I like her a lot"

"Enough to be tied down and be her boyfriend" I asked casually

"Yeah, I want her. She is beautiful yet so intelligent" he said falling on the bed beside me looking up on the ceiling

There was a smile on his face, the smile I always die to look at but the difference was he was talking about another girl whereas I wished that girl he was obsessed with was me but forget it,

"Nandini are you even listening" he said shaking me

"Yeah yes, what"

"Clothes, help please"

"Where is this date and what is the date?' I asked

"Im taking her to dinner" he said

"Driving" I asked

"Yup"

"Black jeans, and that shirt I got you" I said

"The blue one" he asked

"Yup that one"

"Perfect" he said rubbing his hands together

"So she is different" I asked

"So different, you know she understands me well, she knows what I want and what I don't. She knows about my turn ons and turn offs, she is just perfect for me" he sounded so excited

"Well well, then when are we all meeting her" I asked swallowing the lump in my throat

"Soon, I am asking her to be official tonight"

My heart dropped faster than it ever has, but then again this was bound to happen

"And why haven't I been in the loop about this girl" I asked

"I wanted to make sure I like her, she isn't like other flings nandini" he said smiling at the ceiling

I hummed moving my eyes from his face  because I couldn't look anymore.

"Mhmm go get ready then, I will cook something for us" I said getting up

"I am going to have dinner outside so make it only for you" he replied

"Arey baba abhi toh kuch khayega na" i asked

"Nah, man ni hai tu kha lai" he siad walking to his bathroom

I walked out of his room and into mine which was right next to his. I changed into pyjamas and grabbed my laptop walking downstairs to the living room

It was weird because I have seen manik go on a shit ton of dates, almost every single day but today seemed very different. He was genuinely happy and excited to be in that girl's presence instead of just going randomly.

"Nandini" I heard his voice as he walked down from the stairs

I turned to look at him to see him fixing his shirt but was failing at rolling his sleves perfectly

"Merai sleaves thik sai roll kar dai" he said walking to me

Shaking my head I sat up and fixed his selves along with his shirt

"Don't wait up for me, I might be late" he said

"How late" I asked knowing I won't be able to get any sleep until he is home

"Not sure" he said grabbing his car keys and wallet from the table

"Text me" I said

"Will do" he replied walking to the door

I walked with him to his car, he opened the door and turned to me

"Dyan rakhio apna, cabir should be home soon till then no opening doors for anyone. Everyone has their keys and numbers so do not open the door" he scolds like a father

"I know dude, I aint a child" I said pouting

"You are my little butterfly, now go back in the house and eat something okay" he said tapping my nose making me giggle

I walked back inside and waved bye to him, I locked the doors and saw him leaving from the window.

It was so stupid that my feelings were out of control.

I was 10 when I first realized I loved manik and not in a brotherly way, it was in a friendly way but I know now that it wasn't just that, it's so much more.

I feel a lot of things for manik and its difficult to not cross that line, the line that I have drawn fro myself becasue of how manik is. He is constantly with me or has been since we were kids but now that he has this girl he will pull back and I know he will, something I have to adjust to

To distract myself I made some pasta which was a shitty move becasue manik loves pasta so it reminded me of him but its fine.

The door opened so I stuck my head out of the kitchen and found navya and cabir coming in.

"Heyyy" I yelled from the kitchen

"Hi girl, where is manik?" Cabir asked

"He went on a date" I replied

"With who" he asked jumping on the counter grabbing a chocolate bar from the fridge

"Not sure, but he seems serious this time" I said platting some pasta for myself

"Fuck that, we both know she is probably a flavour of the month" he said making me chuckle

"Nandini can I ask you something" navya asked

"Well you just did" I said giggling

"Girl"

"Yes you may"

"Why don't you tell him?" She asked sitting beside me on the couch as we all retorted to the couch in the living room

"Tell who what?" I asked

"Tell manik about your feelings for him" she said making me stop

"What/" I asked

"Stop pretending"

"Navya what are you talking about"

"Nandini everyone in this house and I mean everyone knows you are in love with him except for manik. That fool is fucking blind"

"Not true, he is my best freind navya"

"Choti" cabir said

"Yes bhai"

"I am going to say something very bluntly" I nodded

"You don't have to admit your feelings to anyone but I will say this. Manik has feelings for you too, he displaces those feelings as friends but its so much more"

"Bhai he is just a friend and anyways he is going to ask this girl out officially today so I'm excited for him" I whispered trying not to sound butthurt about it

"Choti learn to express yourself" bhai said kissing my head making me smile at him

"I don't need to bhai, you guys understand me" I said

"False, manik understands you" he teased

"Bhaiii" I whined

"Fineee, eat up" he said

We all watched a movie since only the three of us were home. Mukti rarely stays home and alia and druv are always late or away doing things, I don't know man.

It was around 2 in the morning when bhai and navya went to their room and I got back in the living room with my blanket adn stuff toy.

'Manik its so late, where are you' I texted manik

I waited for a bit but there was no reply at all, I texted him again a few times but nothing so I just put on a show just waiting for him