Chapter 19

Oh, God! Nandani realized she really was a very bad friend. She guessed he had not bothered to text her given she was barely responding to the other messages.

"What are you guys doing after the game? We should get a drink later," Emma suggested. She was the most social of the four of them and was not about to let cheerleaders get in the way of an excuse to party.

The blonde cheerleader's face tightened into a fake, perfect, smile. She then asked the brunette to accompany her as they left. The blonde leveled seriously flirty eyes at Manik. "Bye." The blonde reached up behind his neck to pull his face down to hers. Nandani quickly averted her eyes until she heard her voice again. "Call me later."

"Sure," Manik replied to her.

The two girls brushed past them, the brunette more courteously than blonde.

"We should probably go too," Nandani suggested.

"You could stay. Sit here," Neil protested.

Nandani smiled. "I am pretty sure these seats are taken."

"Plus," Emma piped in, grinning, "we have better seats. And Mukti will shoot us if we defect."

Neil was sportsmanlike in defeat. "Fair enough. She looks pretty scrappy, I probably should not piss her off. It was good to see you." Neil smiled. Nandani's eyes flicked from Manik to Neil and back. Manik was watching the field, strangely intent considering nothing was happening yet.

"You too. Bye, Neil." Nandani did not say anything to Manik, who behaved as if he did not know they were still there; or did not care.

"Bye, Manik," Emma called pointedly over her shoulder as they made their way back through the increasingly full stands. "Nice to meet you."

Nandani did not hear whether he responded or not.

"What is his deal?" Emma asked as they picked their way down the stands, just out of earshot.

Nandani rolled her eyes. "I don't know, him. He is complicated."

She laughed. "Guys are not complicated."

"That one is," Nandani asserted.

They got back to their seats just in time. Even she had to admit the atmosphere was contagious. It did not hurt that by halftime it was clear that the home team was winning, as they were already 28-7. The home crowd was going crazy. Nandani's voice was hoarse from talking above that noise, and also from even a little cheering.

It was impossible to get out as the stands were packed, but Nandani needed a drink before the second half. Not the alcoholic drinks that students were getting in a flask, and they were plenty all around. She managed to squeeze past tipsy students and alumni and wind her way down from the stands without getting trampled. Fifteen minutes later she was making her way back towards her section of stands with a six-dollar Coke in hand.

A familiar voice drawled from behind her. "Nandani Singhania. Do you mind coming here?" She should have known she would not get off the hook that easily.

Nandani turned and came face to face with Manik who seemed to be slightly drunk.

"That was a hell of a disappearing act you pulled," he said.

"Yeah, well. It took them this long to dig me out," Nandani said. Manik continued staring down at her, so she continued.

"I am sorry I somehow missed your birthday. I was preoccupied but at least could have wished you," Nandani apologized.

"Whatever you say," Manik said.

"Alright, you made your point. I think. Can you quit it with whatever jackass thing you are doing?"

Manik raised an eyebrow. "Jackass thing?' But he then seemed to have understood and relented, it momentarily. "My big football group? I did not think you to be a sports fan," he said to Nandani.

"I am not. You should take a picture, for the record," She then smiled. "But it helps that it is a good day for the hometown crowd."

He opened his mouth to respond when someone pushed him from behind and stepped forward. "What the f..." If he would have fallen Nandani would have been pretty sure crushed. After regaining his balance he turned around to see who had hit him. If he fought, Nandani was pretty sure his father would have had to bail his underage drunk son out of jail for starting a brawl at homecoming.

Nandani grabbed his arms to distract him and pulled him back to face her. It took him a second to refocus, after which he smiled at her. The genuine smile she had not seen since she had gone to his lab to borrow his laptop for Mukti. Nandani realized suddenly how much she had missed that smile.

Manik's dark eyes were on Nandani but brighter than they had been a moment ago.

"Nandani." He rolled her name over his tongue like he was testing it out.

"Manik." She matched his tone expectantly, but he did not seem to be in a hurry to say anything. Listen, do you need me to walk you back to your seat? You know they kick you out if you look too drunk," Nandani told him.

His lips lifted into a lazy half-smile. "Are you here to rescue me this time? Be my knight in..." he glanced down at her.

Nandani just changed the topic. She asked, "How are things going on between you and the blonde?" She felt a dull pain just from asking, but it helped force her mind back to reality.

He frowned. It was definitely not the response she had expected from a guy who had the attention of one of the most desired women on campus. "Fine," he replied.

It was not clear whether that meant 'fine, we are still figuring things out or 'fine, we have crazy hot sex every night and sometimes during the day.' Nandani tried not to care.

They started walking together towards the stands, flowing with the traffic. Everyone was trying to get back to their spots, balancing both food and drinks in their hands with great difficulty. She stayed right beside Manik, afraid he might tip over if she left his side. They were nearing the steps that would take them up to their seats. At the last moment, Manik hesitated, tugging on her hand, and pulled her just off the main path where the crowd was thinner.

Manik seemed oblivious to the people around them. He leaned back against the side of the stands, eyes alert and boring into her. He suddenly looked less drunk, more like normal Manik. The wheels in his mind might be turning more slowly given whatever he had consumed, but they were still turning. He rubbed a hand through his hair, which was already messy, and let out a sigh that was half-groan, half-laugh.

Manik's hand was still on Nandani's hand and it was distracting. She thought he was going to say something, but nothing happened.

Nandani wondered vaguely that maybe he had overdone the drinking. "Manik, we are going to miss the second half of the match," she said.

Manik trapped her fingers and tugged her closer toward him so she was standing with her feet between his. She tried resisting but he was easily twice as strong. They were definitely nearing the edge of her comfort zone.

"Nandani." His voice sounded rough around the edges as if he was struggling with something. She waited for him to say more, but he took his time before going on.

"I miss hanging out with you," he said.

"I know. I miss hanging out with you too. But I told you, midterms..." Nandani replied.

"Stop. I don't believe you." His eyes probed hers. Unable to hold his gaze, she glanced down.

"You don't believe I have midterms? Want me to show you the scars? Actually, most of them are emotional, though I might suffer long-term effects from malnutrition. Living on Ramen and Snicker bars is not healthy. I think I read that somewhere..." Nandani kept on rambling.

"No. You know what I mean. That is not why you have not been hanging out with me." He said it almost accusingly but did not wait for a response to continue. "I like Maria the blonde girl."

"I am glad, Manik." She had no clue where he was going with this and was ready to leave. Unfortunately, his thumbs had started rubbing patterns in her palms. He might not have been aware of it. Nandani felt a shiver run up her bare arms despite the warm day.

He shook his head as if trying to clear it. "No, I mean- I keep trying to like her. But it is hard."

Nandani had never seen him all broody like this before, A muscle twitched in his jaw and her eyes fell to his mouth. She forced her gaze back to his eyes, instead.

Nandani was not going to be sucked into the role of a relationship counselor a second time. "It should not be that hard," she said.

"Easy for you to say." His eyes then searced hers and suddenly she could not look away. "All the guys think her to be very hot."

"So..." Nandani said.

"So she has this one flaw," Manik replied.

"What is that?" Nandani questioned him. She was very fast losing her patience again. "What is wrong with her Manik? No girl is perfect, believe me. Not even that one."

His eyes widened a little as she vented her anger, but he did not leave her hands. She tugged them lightly so that he would let her go, but instead, he tightened his grip even more. "It is none of that." He shrugged a shoulder helplessly, eyes searching hers for what felt like minutes.

"She is not you, Nandani." His eyes ran over her face, searching like they had the other night in his room. "She will never be you," Manik said.