A Heart That Bleeds

Chapter Twenty Four

Inline comments are heartily welcomed ♥️

Misunderstandings and miscommunication can lead to unwanted stress!

Nandini woke up to the chirping of birds. Her lips curved up watching the cute magpie bird perched on the window sill. Without any movement, her hands grabbed the phone and switching off the shutter sound, she clicked a picture of the bird. Such a beautiful slight left her heart content. It would be a great day, she thought.

Slowly she moved into the bathroom to complete her morning rituals. Once she was back, the bird was gone. Pursing her lips, she moved out of the room in the same set of clothes she wore last night.

Descending down the stairs, she found Manik and Advik having breakfast in the open kitchen cum dining room. The clacking of her heels along the floor made them turn around.

"Hey Nandini are you going to wear that to the office?" Advik snickered taking a bite of his cheese sandwich.

"Your last night dress has been dried and ironed. You can use it too." Manik said taking a sip of his orange juice.

"I'm not wearing that to office!" Nandini made it clear.

"Okay then we would buy you a new dress. What's say brother?" Advik wiggled her brows.

"No no! I'll go home and change!" Nandini intervened.

"We don't have time for that. We have an urgent staff meeting for a new project." Manik shrugged.

"Come on let's go and shop. But before that have your breakfast." Advik eyed a bowl of cereal kept for Nandini.

Nandini sighed, as she wasn't used to English breakfast at her home. She always had something Indian like poha or some paratha or roti sabji as breakfast. Daal and roti were her favourite though. Flushing down her breakfast routine down the drain, she gulped down the cereal mixed with cold milk.

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Thirty minutes later, Nandini was choosing some formal wear for herself. The one she liked had a price tag beyond her limits. Ignoring it she moved on to the next. Advik was chatting with Manik but he was busy watching Nandini. He saw her checking the price tag every instant and then she would move on to the next.

"Hey you can have the first one! Consider it as a gift from me." Advik announced surprising Manik and Nandini all at once. A small smile escaped Manik's lips no sooner than his brother's announcement.

"Gift for what?"

"For playing the cupid." Advik winked.

Manik walked towards the display board to take a good look at the outfit Nandini wanted to buy. It was a beautiful white printed top paired with teal colour pants.

"It will look good on you!" He murmured and showed a thumbs up.

"Look now my brother has agreed to it. Come on, you can't say a no."

"I can't take such expensive gifts Advik." Nandini said with a straight face.

"Please Nandini. I'm not taking a no." Advik requested.

"Nandini please don't disappoint my brother." Manik intervened. "After so many days, I can see how happy he is. And it's all because of you. Hadn't you played the cupid which of course I didn't get an inkling until you said so." He inhaled a sharp breath. "He wouldn't get back the love of his life and I would stay clueless if you would not say that to me. So please accept his gift. Don't look at the price tag. Gifts are valuable no matter the cost." He sighed and looked straight at Nandini trying to read her face.