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C H A P T E R - 1
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Manik stood on the balcony early morning, the heat from the coffee mug warming his cold hands.
The first sip left a warm trail as it descended. A little steam exhaled with the sound, "Aaah."
His eyes took in the hustle and bustle surrounding the apartment building. He could hear the morning aarti and the laughter therapy. He could see walking for fitness and running for early work. He could see sleepy faces and hear chirpy tones.
It was a contrast to his everyday life. This felt almost...lively.
"Anything interesting?" he turned to see his best friend leaning against the balcony door running his hands through his hair making it messier.
"It's all so...different." He paused but used a simple word.
"No any complicated words?" ever the insightful one, Manik thought.
"Would your sleepy brain process it?" he asked instead.
"Sarcasm sarcasm...guess I will leave you to your coffee till you are lovely again."
"Where are you going? " he found himself asking.
"The park across the street. It's fresh and lively in the morning." came the reply.
That word again, he thought. He could hear Cabir mumbling about his track pants.
His eyes once again sought out the view and his mind was made. Drinking the coffee didn't take long. The habit made it easy to drink it hot. Though this never let him have a proper tastebud for all-day with the constant irritation in his tongue.
"Cabir, wait..." he shouted seeing Cabir already out of the main door.
"I am coming." he thought Cabir would ask something, anything. But the silence prevailed.
He wore his shoes, closed the door, and followed Cabir. He waited for Cabir to ask. He wanted Cabir to ask. But he didn't.
Manik knew he would start fidgeting soon in this silence. His mornings were quiet but that didn't mean he liked it. And with Cabir, this should be filled with talk. This was not acceptable.
But Cabir didn't say a word.
He didn't even notice they have descended so many stairs already. They were already in the front of the building now moving out the main gate.
The street was not busy and they were entering the park within minutes.
"You seem restless," Cabir said. A question phrased, more like stated.
"I am fine." the lie leaving his mouth easily. One more bad habit.
"Are you? Really?" Cabir asked again like he knew what was bothering me. Of course, he knew.
"Don't," he warned already knowing what Cabir will say.
"You want this. This simplicity. This calls you. Lures you."
Don't I know that he wanted to shout but neither was Cabir's tone accusing nor provoking? It was accepting. And that felt more horrible.
"No," Manik said. "We are not having this discussion here."
"Manik."Cabir started but he was running already.
He didn't know what he was running from. From Cabir and his insistence or, from himself and his thoughts. He was sweating and panting when he finally stopped to catch a breath. His mind for some time had stopped overthinking and despite his increased heartbeat, he felt calm.
He looked around for Cabir but didn't see him. So, he took a seat on a nearby bench. The park wasn't too full but not empty either. There was a fair share of people of all age groups. It was nice seeing an aunt scolding her husband while jogging, elder people walking with their grandchildren, the teenagers trying to work out, and couples sharing glances.
He realized he had missed this till he was here, experiencing it again. He loved to have sleepovers with Cabir at his parents' when he was a kid and just came over when Cabir moved out. But now when they were settled and he took over the business more actively, he had stopped being in the moment and daydreaming. He had started to revolve his life around the business so much that he had even forgotten how good it felt to just imagine.
"Stop overthinking everything, you idiot." for a second he thought Cabir was back and he was getting reprimanded.
"I am not." came the reply instantly which sounded like a whine with its defensive tone. He wondered if he sounded like that to Cabir.
The first thing he noticed as he turned towards the voices was the long shiny black hair with red highlights. Beautiful, was his first thought. An itch to touch it was second and 'Manik' shouted in horror in Cabir's voice was his third making him snap out of his 'hair trance' as Cabir called it.
He could clearly picture Cabir shaking his head, "You need to stop getting obsessed with hair Malhotra."
"Nandini, I can hear your brain begging for a moment of peace." Her hands went up to show her exaggeration. Her hair swayed like a dancer in a slow beat.
"Now, you are exaggerating." he couldn't see their faces with one leaning against the tree and the other covering her whole but again, he was too consumed by those beautiful locks to wanting to see their faces.
"Am I now?" the voice loaded with sarcasm. Manik thought the hair color suited her.
"Mukti," and there was the whine again. He didn't want to believe he sounded like that to Cabir.
"Manik" he jumped at the sudden contact of a hand in his shoulder. His hand went to his chest feeling his heartbeat rising.
"Cabir, you scared me." Cabir frowned at him before looking at where his attention was. His expression screamed not again.
"I was not," Manik spoke. His tone was exactly like he didn't want it to sound. Defensive.
"Are you sure about that?" He winced at the two sarcastic voices speaking at once. He had forgotten he was unintentionally eavesdropping.
As a clue, he and Cabir both looked towards the girls while they did the same.
The hair flew in the air at the sharp turn of the girl's head but he didn't care. His eyes immediately found the one hidden from his sight.
The first thought was she looked cute even with the frown on her.
The second thought was she was glaring at Cabir which he thought was deserved for scaring him.
And the third thought was spoken before he could stop himself, "What have you done to your hair?"
Maybe Cabir was right and he was obsessed with hair.
Cabir was going to kill him when they got back home.
If they got back home, he corrected himself seeing how the cute one was now glaring at him.
