Nandini's POV:

After spending time with Malhotra, I feel ostriches are not that bad. Here we are standing outside my house facing each other. I am waiting for him to say something but for the first time he does not have anything to say. I break the ice and ask him to come inside. But he denies and says that he needs to leave as it was late. After saying a proper goodbye to him I step into my home.

I directly go to my bedroom without disturbing the other members who were in deep sleep. Lying on my bed I think about all the incidents which occurred today. A stupid smile comes out on my face and blush creeps out of my cheeks as I think about today's incidents with Ostrich. I close my eyes and inhale loudly to control my emotions. But I can't stop my brain from going into the time when Ostrich accidentally held me in his arms. The  DJ in me starts playing the song 'Pehla nasha pehla khumaar' to add much more affect to the surroundings and I glare at it to cut her drama. 

"What nandu song pasand nahi ayaa it's ok I will change it " it tells me and then starts playing 'Taylor Swift's Begin again'. 

You know elders use the phrase 'Ignorance is a bliss' so I do the same and ignore the stupid DJ and my feelings since everything when  it comes to my life is temporary. I and ostrich will not be together after six months so what is the use of fantasizing about the moments we had together. And I am not ready to experience the pain of being lovelorn again. I already have many broken pieces of myself and I don't want to damage myself more by expecting something from a temporary relationship which is fake. 

I head towards my washroom to take a  shower so that I can wash every thing away which includes my feelings towards Ostrich and the pain of my past and the fear of my future. This is what I did every time I choose to run away from the things which are dangerous to my heart. And LOVE is one of those things.

I strip myself and stand under the shower letting the cold water touch me and ease away all my pain. As I close my eyes I find myself going back into the best memories of my life which were like a dream to me, the dreams which let me escape the painful reality , the dreams which are like stars in the dark night of my life, the dreams which are tip of warmth in the cold winters of my life.

"I promise you Mom and Dad I being your daughter will make you proud of me"

"Mom I might not get a seat in a Government college for medical but I will definitely be a good doctor trust me"

"Mom Aditya ate my chocolates again couldn't you select a better version of younger brother for me??"

"Dad please wake up you can't leave us alone like this"

" Mom you will never leave me and Aditya like dad will you??"

"Mom you can't die don't leave me and Aditya what happened to your promise??"

I open my eyes and wipe my tears which are now part of the stream of water from the shower. My skin feels numb due to the coldness of water. So does my heart it's numb to all the pain. Again this happened again. The more I try to bring myself out of my past the more I get submerged in it. People say that time heals everything  but time actually doesn't heal you it makes you forget your memories. But how can I forget the  memories which are my life??

I turn off the shower faucet and come out of the washroom. After changing into my night dress I lie down on my bed covering myself with the duvet. My phone which was kept on the night stand pings indicating that I got a message. I grab my phone and check the message . It was a message from Ostrich.

Thursday,12:30 pm

Ostrich: Hey, sleeping?

I chose to ignore him. For now that's the best remedy. I keep my phone aside and close my eyes trying to sleep. But it pings again. He messaged me again.

Ostrich: Hello, chipmunk.

What Chipmunk?? Who the hell gives these kinds of nick names this boy is definitely crazy. My phone pings again.

Ostrich: Are you ignoring me chipmunk??

At least  he understood that I am ignoring him . My phone pings again.

Ostrich: Nah, I don't think that you are ignoring me after all I am 'THE MANIK MALHOTRA' wait let me guess what you are doing.

Does he suffer from a disease called 'NARCISSISM'?? My phone pings again.

Ostrich: I think you are impressed by me after the evening and you also think that I am into you since I gave you a cute nickname so, right now your thinking about what to text to me so that it sounds good like a teenage girl trying to impress her crush aren't you ??

What the hell!! He admires his self a lot just because I am not replying to his texts doesn't mean that I am interested in him. I decide to text him back to avoid his stupid assumptions.

Me: Let me make  few things crystal and clear to you,

          1. The time we spent together was not a date.

            2. Stop calling me chipmunk

              3.No, Nada, Never I am not interested in you and you are not my crush.

I reply him back and then my phone pings again indicating a text.

Ostrich: Let me make few things crystal and clear to you,

                 1. You can't ignore me.

                  2. I will never stop calling you chipmunk.

                   3. You read all my texts .

Me: I didn't  read all your texts I just read the last one and decided to reply since you are assuming  things.

Ostrich: Accha!! If you didn't read all the texts how did you know that I call you as Chipmunk?? It's not like you are a freaking mind reader.

Me: Whatever just leave me alone OK you irritate me a lot.

Ostrich: Why should I leave you alone Chipmunk wait let me guess so that you can happily sleep and dream about the shirtless me ?? Haww that's so bad chipmunk.

Me: I don't dream about you being shirtless and how can I when I haven't even seen you without a shirt??

Ostrich: Got you !! this means you want to see me without a shirt doesn't it??

Me: I didn't mean it in that way ok. You have a huge ego . You are much more worst than the bitter gourd curry made by my Chachi. You are much more spoilt than the milk which is kept outside for a month. Eew I hate you so much!!I pity your future wife a lot I don't know how will she manage with you.

Ostrich: Are you scolding me or are you sending me a Menu list  of a hotel??

Ostrich : I also pity you chipmunk I don't know how will you deal with me in the future!! By the way I am not that bad(Pouts).

And then he sends me a picture of him pouting. I giggle a little he looks cute when he pouts.

Me: Go to hell and dream of a witch Ostrich head.

I text him back. But then he doesn't reply. I wait for few minutes for his reply.

"Did he take the previous text seriously I didn't really mean in a bad way I was just kidding " I mumble to myself . 

"Why the heck do I even care about what he feels like and I will not wait for his reply also go to hell ostrich" I say to myself again and retire to sleep.

But who I am kidding I waited for one hour for him to reply (literally) but then sleep came searching for me like a mother and embraced me in it's arms.

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The next morning,

Nandini's House:

WHAT SHOULD I DO ??

WHAT SHOULD I DO??

Right now I have four options with me

Option-A : Hide under the bed .

Option-B: Book a ticket to Antarctica .

Option-C: Pretend that I fainted due to shock like all the female characters do in Hindi serials.

Option-D: Just spill the truth out to my parents.

Confused about what are these options like those in KBC??

Then let me  take the honours of giving you guys a clue.

Have you ever been in a situation where your family members get to know about your love interests aka your boy friend ??

I am right now in that situation.

Apparently my parents got to know about mine and Manik's relationship through the photos. 

Yes you read it correctly!!! 

The photos of our date (as Manik said) are here sitting comfortably in my dad's hands as he is staring at him as if his stares could change the photos.

Mom is shocked and has nothing written on her face for me to read .

Chacha- Chachi are gushing about what a cute pair me and Manik are. They are (literally).

Navya is sitting quietly with a scared expression on her face.

"Can you explain what are all these Nandu?" dad asks me as if he is speaking to a baby .

I decide to chose Option-C as I am really scared and have nothing on my side to speak.

"I will explain it to you Mr. Murthy" I hear another voice and in my line of vision  I see Manik and notice the voice to be his.

Here comes my 'Knight in shining armour ' to save me I think to myself. Now don't hit me with tomatoes for my sarcasm because I can't do anything  about it. Manufacturing defect you see!!

Slowly the entire Malhotra Family enters our living room and I find Manik standing beside me. Cabir and the other members have the same shocked expression masked on their faces.
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Some people are best left in the past along with your regrets and mistakes.