6. Friends?

An hour later

Nandini had been sitting on the sand while she looked at the rising and falling waves of the ocean. The sky was blue with minimal clouds and the sun shone brightly. There were people sun bathing, children trying to make sandcastles, some people were even swimming and surfing. The place gave off a fun vibe. She adjusted her position a bit as she stared at the waves and the people moving around. 

"Miss Taylor." A hand grasp on her shoulder. Just by his scent, she knew who the person was but she still raised her head to look at the person. "Sir, did you get a good sleep?" she asked.

Manik sat beside her. "Sleep?! What do you mean? I don't think I was sleeping. What had happened in the parking area? That man? His eyes?! I don't know. I think I saw it turning into red." he couldn't fathom his own thoughts. "And why would he charge at me like that?"

"Sir what are you talking about? His eyes turning red?" she acted as if she didn't know what he had been talking about when she clearly knew.  "You must watch a lot of those freaking horror movies. That man umm mistook you for someone else. He apologized as soon as he realized he had mistaken you for someone else. He even offered to compensate you but I refused." she mindlessly blabbered.

Although he wasn't so satisfied with her explanation but he didn't ask further. The grip of that man on his arms were so strong that it still hurt him. He doubted that that grip might as well have left a handprint on his arms.

"Keeping that aside, why did you bring me here?" he asked as he looked at her. She turned her gaze from him to the waves. "Uhh umm no particular reasons. You were unconscious and I didn't know where to take you. So I just drove you here. I could have taken you back to the office or the hospital but you were unconscious and I figured out that you wouldn't want rumors of you fainting going around the office. So you had your plans right? Let's-"

"Leave it. I don't have anything in my schedule and this place is better anyway." he said as he looked at the ocean. She could see him smile melancholy as he looked around. His eyes looked dazed and distant. It looked as if he was lost in his own world.

He let out a sigh before burying his face in between his knees. "I guess this place brings back a lot of your memories." she gave him a light push and he raised his head to look at her.

"It does." he agreed. "I just miss my mum so so much every time I come here and that's why I usually avoid coming to this place." 

Her gaze softened on the mention of ' mum ', an existence she always wanted to have in her life. She smiled although in pain as she turned her gaze from him to the waves. "At least you have memories to cherish, I don't even have that."

He could see her put a long face and sigh. That moment he realized he didn't know anything about her except for her name, her birth date, her age, her current address and her working experience, not that he needed to know but he really wanted to know more about her.

"I shared a lot of memories with my mum in here. We built sand castles, played with the water, came on picnics and even looked at the sun rise and sun set from here."  he said with his eyes fixed on her. She turned her gaze towards him and she could see the sadness and longing crystal clear in his eyes.

"You seem to have made fond memories here."

"Yeah a lot more memories. You know we even spent hours staring at the stars from here and trust me the starry night looked so beautiful, at least when she was around. I just wish I could live those moments again but-" he paused, closing his eyes. "she is gone and the only thing left with me are her memories." he let out a sharp breath, raising his head from in between his knees. "Okay now your turn."

"Huh? My turn for what?" she asked, confused.

"Tell me about your mum." he clarified.

"My mum? Well there's nothing to say." she said, resting her head in between her knees and looking at him.

"Come on everything is about give and take. I gave you a piece of me and my mum's memories. So you should also give me a piece of your memory." he said and that only made her chuckle. "Now you must tell me something from your memory then only that's fair enough." he added.

"You really are something." she sighed before turning her gaze to the sea. "There's actually nothing to say. I didn't get to see neither my mum nor my dad and even till now I don't know how they look like. I don't even have a memory of them. I am an orphan with only my brother in my family. My brother had to look after me and he even had responsibilities to handle. So although he raised me, he never really had time for me. I was-" she could feel a knot forming in her chest.

He could see the sadness clearly in her face and he hated that sight. He tried interrupting but she suddenly wanted to let it all out. 

She breathed in and continued. "I was mistreated and ignored by my classmates and colleagues. And whenever I got attached to someone they left me after knowing who I really am. I wanted someone to talk with but I had no one. So I developed a habit of talking to myself. I know it sounds so stupid." she chuckled although in pain.

He didn't know what to say. He realized she wasn't as cheerful as she showed. She had her own scars and her own backstory.

"So I neither had friends nor family. Though I don't seem like one, I was and I am practically an outcast and it's nothing to boast about." she said the last lines with a fake smile on her face. "Forget that. Just look at the view. Isn't it beautiful?" she tried changing the topic as she turned her gaze towards the sea.

"Nandini!" he called and she instantly looked at him, a little surprised that he called her by her name and not her surname.

"Oh my god! You just called me by my name, didn't you?"

"No, I didn't." he denied, looking away from her.

"Oh come on. You just did. I heard it."

"Okay fine I did. Does it sound good?!" he looked at her.

She nodded her head in 'yes' and his lips curved into a big smile. "You know I only call my friends by their name."

"So does this make me your friend?" she asked jokingly.

"It's your choice." he forwarded his hand towards her and surprised, she looked at him for a brief second. "Nandini, will you be my friend?" 

It wasn't anything romantic but she could feel her heart shiver and she knew this small move of his had touched her heart.

She smiled as she held his hand. "Yes I will love to."