“Damn…Nothing, nothing is happening. Maan Malhotra, you are the worst musician in the world…”

Maan yells; tosses the guitar on the bed and hurls the guitar pick towards the door in frustration. Only then a person enters and the pick directly hits his nose.

“Ohoho….Relax, Man. I am lucky that it is just the guitar pick and not the entire guitar. Or else my poor nose couldn’t have been able to withstand the impact.”

Kabir bends and collects the guitar pick from the floor and retorts. Maan looks at him and turns ignorantly, resting his hands on either side of his waist. Kabir approaches his best friend with a slow gait. He can smell the exasperation in Maan’s expression.

“What happened? You just vanished from college after the tiffin break. I called you so many times but you didn’t pick them up. Now, you are throwing things at me. Wassup, Dude? Are you on periods or simply angry with me without any solid reason.?”

Kabir’s tone is still ludic. He stands plumb in front of Maan which makes him look at Kabir despite his reluctance.

“Stop your poor jokes. You are not that important. I just didn’t feel okay and left. Tomorrow, I have a concert. So, it’s better to practice.”

Maan utters with fake coldness. Kabir purses his lips in reply and sits on the bed in a relaxing pose.

“That I know how much important I am to you. Now, tell me the real reason. Concert excuse is sounding too lame!”

Kabir’s tone is determined and cool. Maan looks at him with a frown. He knows how obstinate his best friend is. If he wants to know the reason, he will know the reason. Maan bites his lower lip and shrugs.

“She left, Man. Without giving any proper reason, she just left. And I was standing there like a fool. Damn!”

Maan snaps while kicking the bin bag resting beside him. Kabir arches his brow. He knows very well who this SHE is. Still, he wants Maan to confess. It is necessary.

“She! Who? Your Nutty M? I told you. You are just a character for her, whom she wants to analyse for her any new story plot. These writers are too practical. They are only curious about human nature. They don’t have any interest in those humans. Good that she left. Now, come to your real life and find someone real for you. Enough of your secret Cinderella fantasy.”

Kabir says casually and lies supine on the bed resting his entwined palms under his head. Maan grimaces and spits,

“To hell with your theory about writers. It’s not Nutty M. And don’t blame her. She never treats me as a story character. It’s Nandika. That snooty scholar. What does she think about her? I will go after her, begging for her attention? Who said that I would recall her? She is nothing, Man. Just a normal girl. I am not missing her. Not at all. Let her go wherever she wants. I don’t care!”

Maan sinks himself into the bin bag and closes his eyes in frustration. Kabir again sits squarely and keeps on observing Maan’s every reaction.

“Hmmm….Nandika. Your first accidental kiss partner. Yes, she is a simple normal girl. But for the rest of the world. However, she is very special to you. Come on, Man. You actually confessed how desperately you are missing and remembering her. You care for her, deeply and your every gesture and word prove that. Don’t live in denial, Maan. You have started falling for that nerdy. Accept it.”

Kabir's every word ignites the fire in Maan’s mind. With a jerk, he opens his eyes and counters,

“Yes, I have fallen for her. I have started liking her. But what about Nutty M? For the last 3 years, I have only dreamt about her. She is my ultimate love. My secret Cinderella.”

“Was! She was your secret Cinderella. Like a fairy tale. But Nandika is your Cinderella. In reality. And you have to accept this reality.”

Kabir’s voice is unusually grave which makes Maan hold his rising breath. He presses his temples and mutters helplessly,

“Even if I accept this, she will never believe. Kabir, in this matter, she exactly thinks like Nutty M. Both assume love is a luxury only for good-looking people. Now, who will make them believe that love is neither so calculative nor so selective? You know that I always remain judgmental about my looks. Until now, I believed that my appearance pulls my admirers. But today I have come to know that even my good looks can push someone away from me.”

A pitiful smile creeps on his lips.

........................................

Nandika is lying on the bed in a fetal position. She just returned from college and denied having anything. She doesn’t feel like doing anything right now. A void is engulfing her. Dusks always make her depressed. She is staring at the windowpane. The twilight is smearing the tangerine tint on the window glasses. She takes a deep sigh. A lone tear escapes the corner of her eye and trails down the nose bridge.

“Why are these tears for? When you only pushed him away?”

Her annoyed mind mutters.

“Because I know, this is only his infatuation and for me, it is my first love. Infatuation and love can never co-exist. It only brings pain and I am scared of this pain.”

Her logic counters.

“What if he genuinely loves you? Can’t you see it in his eyes?”

Her optimistic mind chides.

“Yes, I can. But I even can see a dilemma in them. It’s like his heart and mind are not agreeing on it. And if there is a dilemma, love is in danger. I am happy with this belief that I am too simple to be special in someone’s life. But I can’t be unhappy with the burden that someday someone thinks that he made the wrong decision to choose me. Maan will always be my unfulfilled first love.”

Nandika’s heart cries to admit it. She hides her face in the pillow. Her tiny frame is quivering to suppress her cry. Nutty M is right. There are no simple love stories. If it is simple, it’s not love. And if it’s love, it is complicated.