LOST LOVE ✔

LANTERNS AND LOVE

It was at around midnight when Nandini heard a slight knock on her door. It had only been a few minutes that she had calmed herself after the supposed 'fight' with a bucket of choco chip ice cream and a good run of 'the fault in our stars' on her laptop. Groaning at the intrusion , she lazily slipped outside the comfort of her bed cursing the person who dared to interrupt her at such an hour of the night.

Opening the door her angry look turned into a frown when she found Manik leaning against the wall with those messy hairs and some locks falling on his forehead in a tee and tracks.
" The monster's finally here to apologize. Nope i am in no way going to spare him this time even if he does sits ups holding his ears, i am not gonna melt but damn those locks how dare they touch his forehead. Nandini relax your hormones a, keep them in control, urgg let's blame all the ice cream i just had for my brain freeze." she grinned thinking to herself. Manik who had been standing there for about a few minutes snapped his fingers infront of her eyes unale to understand the roller coaster of expressions she just possessed on her face.
"Umm excume me? are you okay?" he asked.
" aah i was just thinking what work does the bride side people have with the groom side." Nandini folded her arms across her chest still holding him at the door.
"Look Nandini, i am in no mood to fight here." saying so Manik pushed her aside getting inside her room while the latters face turned into an 'o'.
" what? Is that really you saying that." she gave a fake laugh turning to face him.
"Saying it again. I am not in a mood to fight."
" So you're in a mood to annoy me by barging into my room? That feels like invasion of privacy, don't you think?" she teased him.
"Oh common now don't start on this. I am not barging in your room."
"At midnight, just to be sure." she kept going on until Manik realised how she's slipped her guard down here and he decided to put that stupid grin off her face.
"So who is allowed to invade your privacy at midnight?" he asked.
" Only the people who are close to me Mr Malhotra. I thought you were well aware how bad it is supposed to mean if people find a guy in a girl's room after 8." but her smile didn't even slip for a moment there. She knew she was playing with fire.
"So do i exist in others category or close ones?" Manik moved a step closer to her, the lines had already started blurring the moment they thought about that kiss this evening.
"I won't call you a loved one though." Nandini slipped right past him fixing her chain infront of the mirror leaving Manik with a smile.
"Ouch and here i thought i could be your loves one." saying so Manik moved slowly behind her as he sneaked his arm around her waist, turning her with a sudden jolt to face him, closer in his arms. Using his other hand to cup her face, he moved his face closer to hers as Nandini closed her eyes in acceptance.

Were they going to do the thing that they had left incomplete during the evening? she thought.
A few seconds passed but she felt nothing , all of a sudden the touch was lost and she could hear a loud laughter errupting in the room. Opening her eyes she found Manik rolling on the bed laughing harder than those wierd creepy dolls you find at small toy shops during halloween.
" oh my god your face." he said trying to control the heavy dose of laughter.
"You!" Nandini stomped her foot on the ground turning her face back to the mirror.
"Yes me but anyway you look good with that expression. I mean whatever you were thinking there is still time for that though" she could see him smiling at her from the mirror.
" what do you mean? Look i wasn't thinking-" Nandini looked away as she decided to play dumb.
"I mean all we have to do is wait until this wedding gets over and then we can do anything you want." Manik took the pillow on his lap as he winked at her through the mirror reflection.
" I have no idea what you are talking about here."
" Oh god Nandini, you are so talkative. We have a lot of things to do remember." he threw the pillow at her pulling out his small pocket diary from his tracks.
" What was i sayin? Manik it was yo-"
" that is was i am saying. We have a problem here." interrupting her, he showed her the page he had marked a paragraph with big red circle.
" problem. What problem now? Why can't things go smooth." Nandini walked towards him taking the diary from him and analyzing the issue.
" The decoration people sent the wrong parcel by mistake so we'll have to go tomorrow and fix it. Moreover we have to meet your designer too." he explained it to her. 
" a designer? for me? but why?" she asked.
"Granny said the designer called he wants you to check the fittings." he replied.
" So we'll go and finalise everything tomorrow. Lets just get done with this wedding." Nandini sat beside her on the bed as Manik said, " I just want this wedding to be perfect for Mukti."
" you do care alot about her. Don't you?" she asked with a slight smile on her face.
" yes we have known each other since we were kids."