On the Run

Chapter 21 : Stars and Fireflies

5:30 pm, Anjuna Beach, Goa.

I was in love! In love with the monster who had a heart of gold...Manik Malhotra! A part of me wanted to scream it from the mountaintops with joy, but the other half of me wanted to suppress my feelings. Until now, I had only read about love in books or watched movies about it. I had always rejected the idea of love as something fantastical, and ultimately something that would distract me from my goals. So I always stayed away from relationships, but it was only now that I realized that-you bump into love. You have no control over how and who you fall in love with! Manik and I had known each other for merely three days, yet I had never felt so attached or connected to anyone else even after knowing them for years. I understood that love wasn't all about hearts and flowers-it was about trust and loving someone despite all their shortcomings. I trusted Manik- I realized that I always had! Even when he was pretending to be a monster-my heart refused to believe that he could ever hurt me-and it was right! I loved every part of him, his sweet and caring nature, his outward confidence-bordering on arrogance, his mischievous playful side, his sensitive and emotional side and every other facet of his imperfectly perfect character. However, this realization was bittersweet for me...I knew that Manik cared for me...but did he have the same depth of feeling for me as I had for him? I was scared to find out the answer...

"Nandini...Hellooo..." I snapped out of my daydream as I saw Manik waving his hands in front of my face.

"What happened? Where are you lost?" He asked.

I could only stare at him in return, absorbing and recording every feature of his handsome face in my memory. His sharp jawline, his long nose, the tiny mole above the left side of his lip, and his captivating eyes which had cast a spell on me even before I had gotten to know his tormented but beautiful soul.

"Here, I hope you like French fries...it was the only thing available at the closest food stall..." He said, handing me a paper plate.

"Wow...I feel like I haven't eaten for days...so I'm just going to dig in..." He said, as he placed a bunch of fries in his mouth, and smiled in contentment as the food finally hit his empty stomach.

As I watched him engrossed in his food with a childlike glee, I could only admire him even more.

"Hey...why aren't you...eating from your plate?" He asked, his speech rendered unclear due to his continuous chomping.

I found myself moving towards him almost involuntarily, smiling all the while. He looked confused as I moved closer and tip-toed in order to match his height. I then placed a soft kiss on his cheek, surprising him even more.

As I withdrew, I could see a hint of red on his cheeks! The Manik Malhotra-was blushing! It was an adorable sight to behold!

He looked at me and gave me a small, shy smile before asking,"Yeh kis liye tha?"

"Thank you!" I replied, my eyes gleaming.

"For what...this food?" He asked, still puzzled.

"No...not for this food. For everything else-thank you for showing me the real you! For letting me in! I know it was difficult for you, but you did it anyway..." I replied, pouring out, partially, the feelings that were in my heart.

He ran his hands through his hair before answering me. "Actually Nandini, it's I who should be thanking you! It's been so long since I've performed before an audience! I can't express the joy I felt when I sang today. Whenever I've performed earlier, it was always with Fab Five. Do you realize that this is actually the first sum of money I've ever earned for myself? I earned it with my own talent, not because I was someone's son or relative! It feels so good...it's reaffirmed my faith in my own abilities, something that I'd started doubting off late..."