Sorry for the late update friends, this one is really long and therefore it took time. Hope you like it.
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Recap: manik and harshad fashion show.
The next day when manik reached college, he realised the fashion show performance had spread in the whole college and all eyes were on him wherever he went. People were staring at him, whispering and giggling as he passed by. He realised immediately what were they laughing at, his lady like appearance the other day. He remembered the whole incident and laughed out himself, and then again blushed at the thought of nandini doing his makeup. At that thought, it struck him that he had to befriend nandini before harshad and made a move to look out for her.
After a long search throughout the college, he concluded that the fab 5 were missing. All 5 of them had missed college together, clearly might be their mass bunk. He stopped his search and decided to execute his plan of befriending nandini the next day.
Apart from fab 5, there was one more person who was missing from college that day and it was harshad. He could not stand the fact that the whole college would laugh at him after his fashion show the other day. He wanted to make his image of the Super stud of college but the very first impression he gave was that of a joker! He had therefore decided to skip college for a few days and to postpone the plan of befriending nandini for a few more days. For him, his image mattered a bit more than his mission.
For the next 20 days, the fab 5 were missing. Manik had started worrying as to where would Nandini be? Nobody in the college seemed to have any clue about them.
The fab 5 were at Aliya’s farm house where they were preparing for a special performance. The musiciana festival every year was being conducted at one of the host college and for the selection of the host college the best bands from all the colleges were to give a performance for the sponsors of the show who would decide as to which college would host the festival. The fab 5 had obviously won the secret performance as well as musicana, last year and this year as well they were more than prepared to give their best! Navya was obviously with her friends encouraging them for the performance, although they did not need it. She seemed to be the only person in college apart from the principal and few faculties to know about the performance.
On the day of the performance, which was the 20th day of fab 5 being missing, manik was really worried and he found out navya’s cell phone number somehow as even she was missing, and called her.
Navya : hello!
Manik: Navya it’s me manik.
Navya: oh hey manik. How are you?
Manik: let that be. First tell me where is fab 5 and where are you? I know you are with them right? Is everything alright?
Navya: relax relax! Everything is superb. Why are you so worried? That too about those people who bullied you twice?
Manik: not worried. It’s just that haven’t seen any of you in college after that fashion show thing so was just wondering what would be the matter?
Navya: ha ha ha! Don’t worry. Everything is fine. Okay now this is a secret I’m sharing okay? Please don’t reveal it to anyone.
Manik: yeah don’t worry I won’t tell anyone. What is it?
Navya then explains to him the whole situation and reveals that the performance was to take place in no time and the venue was near the college itself. Manik asked Navya if he could be there during the performance and Navya agreed only on the condition that he should not be seen by the fab 5.
He reached the venue withing the next 10 minutes and there were still 15 minutes to go for the performance. Manik was hiding behind a pillar and waiting for his doll to perform. Just then he overheard a conversation where he heard Nandini’s name being taken by an unfamiliar voice. Two boys from some other college were discussing something near the pillar not aware that manik had been observing them.
Boy1: yes I have broken the strings of Nandini’s guitar. Have you made that drink reach her?
Boy2: yes I have. And the drink will soon do its job and nandini will be running to the washroom to puke.
Boy1: great then. Just keep an eye on her and as soon as she goes to the washroom just close the door from outside and lock it so tight that she can’t even break it open from inside.
Boy2: don’t worry I’ll do that. We need to win this performance any how!
Manik is really tensed for nandini. He rushes to the green rooms and starts looking for fab 5’s green room. He spots nandini in one of the green rooms and finds that she is about to take the drink. He immediately rushes into the room and starts coughing badly! Nandini who was about to take the drink, stops and looks at him confused.
Nandini: what are you doing here?
Manik: (still coughing) first please can I have something to drink? There’s something stuck inside my throat!
Nandini: (concerned, offering him the drink) yea sure!
Manik takes the drink from her and finishes it off in one go!
Nandini: are you okay now?
Manik: yeah much better.
And he rushes to the washroom to puke! Nandini is really concerned and follows him. She stands near the door while manik is puking in the washbasin. She pats her hand on his back to ease him out while puking. The boy who was supposed to shut the door of the washroom is annoyed on seeing that instead of nandini, someone else took the drink. He decides to make another drink but just then there is a call for his bands performance and her had to leave.
After manik is done puking, nandini gets him to the green room and offers some water.
Nandini: (disturbed on seeing his condition) are you okay now?
Manik: (in a weak voice) yes.
Nandini: I don’t understand how could this drink affect like this?
Manik: don’t think too much. Just go for your performance.
Nandini: but are you fine now?
Manik: don’t worry about me. Just go.
Nandini: umm okay. You take care of yourself.
Manik: I will. Now take your guitar and leave. Next is your performance right?
Nandini picks up her guitar from the couch when she realizes the strings are broken!
Nandini: oh crop! Now what?!
Manik immediately offers her his guitar,
Manik: here, take this.
She starts to argue but just then she hears the ongoing performance coming to an end and so just takes the guitar and leaves. She reaches the door and turns back to look at him again, manik raises his thumb weakly to wish her luck. She gives a blushed smile and leaves.
Manik thinking to himself, nandini murthy can blush! Impressive!
While going towards the stage she is thinking about manik and the way he saved her twice. It was as if he knew that the drink was corrupt, she thought to herself. Don’t be stupid nandini how can he know?!
She joins the others backstage.
Mukti: where have you been choti? And why are you so tensed?
Nandini: no I’m fine.
Dhruv: relax nandu, you know we will win!
Nandini: (softly) yeah!
Cabir: and who’s guitar is this? It’s not yours!
Nandini: actually the strings from my guitar were broken so I had to borrow this from someone else.
Dhruv: from whom?
“and last but not the least we have the winners of musicana last year from SPACE Academy, the fab 5!”
As soon as they hear the announcement, they start moving towards the stage. Navya gives cabir a tight hug and cabir gives her a soft peck on her cheek before moving towards the stage. Once they are settled on stage, nandini takes a look at the audience and finds manik hiding behind a pillar waiting for her performance. As she picks up his guitar in her hands, he feels contented.
They start the performance and the sponsors’ seem satisfied within the first 30 seconds of the performance. Manik feels delighted to see his girl give such an astounding performance.
Once the performance is over, the sponsors take no time in announcing the clear winners that is the fab 5! The fab 5 are called on stage to be congratulated and nandini again takes a look at the pillar to find manik joyfully applaud for her, for them. He then starts moving out and this disheartens her a bit as she wanted to thank him the first thing, as if it would not have been him, they could not have been able to perform as well, winning is a different story altogether.
She comes down from the stage and starts moving towards the exit door when she overhears a conversation.
Boy1: see what happened? I told you to be very careful! How did she not take the drink? It would have been perfect for us. We could have won!
Boy2: I don’t know how did that boy reach the green room and had the drink?!
Nandini furiously moves towards them and holds one of the boy with the collar.
Nandini: how dare you mess with fab 5? Do you even know who we are? This time you’re saved but don’t try such stunts on yourself again or else…
She is pulled away by dhruv.
Dhruv: nandini what are you doing?
Nandini: dhruv these people they tried to spoil our preformance. They spiked my drink and even broke my guitar strings.
This time dhruv takes one of them by the collar,
Dhruv: how dare you do that to nandini?!
Aliya again feels uncomfortable to see the concern dhruv has for nandini. Would he ever do that for me as well, she thinks to herself. Cabir standing beside her softly answers, “yes” as if listening to her inner voice. Aliya looks at him confused and cabir behaves as if he didn’t say anything.
Cabir: (stepping forward to stop dhruv) relax dhruv let’s let them be. We need to celebrate right now and not spoil our moods due to these dumb heads! Come let’s go.
As they start moving,
Aliya: but nandini if they really did spike your drink then how come you were saved?
Nandini: I… I… I just didn’t drink it.
She again starts thinking about manik and realises he purposely took away the drink from her as he might be aware of the plan.
The next day in college is friendship day. Nandini and dhruv arrive at the college together and as soon as they Park the bike, some random guy comes to nandini and gives her a rose bouquet. It has a note saying, “for the pretiest girl in college, happy friendship day!” dhruv feels really jealous at that but does not show his emotions.
As they move towards the building another random boy comes and gives her a packet full of chocolates. It had a note saying, “some chocolates for the most chirpy and bubbly little girl, happy friendship day!” instead of being happy nandini is really pissed at the anonymous person doing all these cheap tricks to woo her. They join the the others and they join into a group hug.
Cabir: (noticing the flowers and chocolates in nandini’s hands) seems like it’s friendship day only for you. Who is this secret admirer!?
Nandini looks at him angrily and he stops. He takes away the chocolates from her and starts opening the packet. Just then another random boy comes up to her and gives her another gift packet. Just while the boy is going away, she stops him.
Nandini : hey you listen! Stop right there. Who asked you to give this to me?
The boy does not answer and stands still with his head bent low. Just then harshad reaches.
Harshad: these gifts for the beautiful young lady are sent by her secret admirer and that is me.
He places his right hand on his chest and bows down in front of her.
Nandini: (sweetly) aww so it’s you my secret admirer?! How sweet! (changing expressions to that of frustration) my foot! How dare you do all this? You think you can make friends with nandini murthy that easily? These flowers, chocolates and gifts might get you some other girl but definitely not nandini murthy. And what did you say in those notes, happy friendship day right? Do you even know what friendship is?
Just then she spots manik passing by and calls him, “manik! Please come here”.
Manik is startled on hearing his name from nandini and moves towards her. He stands in front of her beside harshad and she drag ‘s him closer by holding his hand.
Nandini : friendship is when you help someone without bothering about yourself. Friendship is when you care for that person. Friendship is when you applaud for that person’s achievements. So keep your gifts to yourself because I don’t need a friend like you.
Precap: manik nandini friendship.
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Hello friends!! So I’m back! And without wasting any more time let me just reveal the news that yes I am continuing with both my fan fictions. I cannot break your hearts friends. But this voting was important for me to know whether people would still read my ff even when they are not watching the characters on screen daily. You know it happens that you might not stay in touch with the characters and therefore might not be interested in reading these ff. But I was wrong. I realised you all love my ffs just as much as I love writing them. So thank you for all your votes and yes I have considered your votes and it’s a 100% majority! Not a single vote against! And I also found so many new friends, all those silent readers. Love you all! Please keep supporting and giving your feedbacks, also the silent readers.
Now there is one more thing I would like to say. As per the suggestion given by some of you my friends, I am again changing my schedule, hopefully you would like this. Monday, Wednesday and Friday would be the pani ff and Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday would be the manan ff and Sunday would be a holiday! this time I would stick to this. Sorry for the inconvenience. Love you all!!
Thank you!