The Girl He Was Paid to Forget
falling for you
The morning air inside the Kapoor mansion dorm was oddly still. Not just quiet—still. The kind of silence that fills the space between two people when something unspoken has cracked the air.
Nidhi entered Manav’s room precisely at 8:00 AM. She walked in without a word, carrying a tray of medicine and a small breakfast—just like always. Her footsteps were light, precise, and detached. She placed the tray on the table beside him and didn’t look him in the eyes.
Manav stirred from sleep slowly, blinking against the hangover that pounded softly against his skull. He sat up, instinctively looking toward her.
She didn’t answer. She turned away, her braid swaying as she walked toward the door.
manav kapoor
“Wait,” he said, a little sharper now.
She paused, only briefly. Then exited.
She paused, only briefly. Then exited.
He stared after her.
By lunch, the confusion had begun to simmer into unease. What had happened last night? The kiss… It wasn’t a blur. It was too vivid for that. Her warmth. Her lips. The tension. The fire. The regret.
He waited for her at lunch. Again, she brought his meal. Again, she said nothing. No scolding. No shouting. Not even an eye-roll.
She placed the food in front of him like she would for any other patient.
manav kapoor
“Nidhi… about last night—”
She turned around and left before he could finish. Not a single glance.
By dinner, the silence was suffocating.
He tried to apologize.
manav kapoor
“I was drunk. I didn’t mean to… like that. I’m sorry. Just… talk to me.”
She adjusted the tray without reacting. She didn’t even seem angry—just distant. Like something in her had snapped, and she no longer cared enough to fight.
That stung more than yelling ever could.
And when she left again without a word, something inside Manav broke.
That night, the lights outside flickered low. Manav sat on his bed, staring at the untouched dinner. The ache in his chest had grown unbearable. He felt like he’d ruined something—something real.
The guilt turned into frustration.
The frustration turned into longing.
And the longing turned into a decision.
He found a way to get the drink. Nobody knew how, or who delivered it. He offered a bribe, of course—someone always says yes when money’s involved. It arrived hidden in a flask. Forbidden. Dangerous.
But he didn’t care.
He drank it.
ved noticed.
He always noticed everything.
He saw Manav stumble slightly when walking down the hallway, smelled the faint sting of alcohol as he passed him. He walked beside him, then leaned against the wall.
ved
“She’s not talking to you?” ved asked casually.
manav kapoor
Manav glared at him. “That’s none of your business.”
ved
“Maybe not,” ved said. “But silence from Nidhi? That’s rare. You must’ve messed up.”
manav kapoor
ved smirked, then took a step closer. “Maybe I’ll go check on her. She was in the library alone.”
Something snapped in Manav. His grip tightened.
manav kapoor
“You stay away from her.”
ved
“Why? She’s not yours, right?”
Later that night, Nidhi came back to his room to collect the tray. She found him half-drunk, leaning against the window.
He turned slowly when he heard the door open.
manav kapoor
“You came back,” he murmured.
She didn’t answer. She bent to pick up the tray.
manav kapoor
“I told you not to talk to him,” he said, voice low and rough.
Nidhi straightened. Her face showed no emotion.
nidhi shrma
“You’re not my master outside of duties,” she said. “I talk to whoever I want.”
manav kapoor
His eyes narrowed. “You want to talk to him?”
manav kapoor
“You never listen to me,” he whispered, and his voice trembled—not with anger, but pain. “Not when I need you to. Not even when I—”
He stepped closer. One step. Two.
manav kapoor
“I said I was sorry.”
Nidhi turned her face slightly, unsure if she should stay or run.
manav kapoor
Manav’s hand rose gently to her cheek. “I didn’t mean to do that. But I don’t regret it either.”
nidhi shrma
“What are you trying to say, Manav?”
manav kapoor
“I don’t know. Maybe I’m going crazy.”
She took a breath, unsure whether it was her heart racing or her fear rising.
Then, without thinking, he kissed her.
Not like the heat of last night—this was different. Soft. Fragile. Like something sacred that might break.
When he pulled away, he whispered:
manav kapoor
“I think I’m falling for you, Nidhi.”
Comments