Mukti's Apartment
"I hope you don't mind the mess."
Nandini took in the room that was in a complete state of disarray and she nearly tripped on one of the bags that was lying open in the crammed studio apartment. It appeared like a mini explosion had turned the room upside down. She could see clothes scattered everywhere with a laptop in the far end of the tiny space on a desk with a pizza box next to it.
"I got here just last night."
OK, so that explains this Nandini thought wryly. The room reflected her new roommate's persona - spunky, wild, and carefree. Not so unlike herself she mused giving her an indulgent smile.
"That's perfectly all right. I am not so organised myself," Nandini assured her picking up a photo frame on the dressing table.
"Wow! So you play the guitar?" Nandini asked Mukti excitedly but Mukti gave her a sad smile taking the frame back.
"Used to but not anymore," she replied and Nandini could sense a longing in her voice.
"But why not?"
"Well some things change and also I have a job that takes up most of my time. Anyways what about you? Navya told me you guys are here to do your residency at the hospital. So how did you guys land up here? Couldn't talk to her much though since I had to unpack and yeah my friend dropped by too. He left just before you came."
"Actually me and Navya have been friends since high school. We had enrolled ourselves in Stockholm Medical University two years ago as a part of student exchange program and then we got assigned to a hospital here in Goteborg to do our residency," Nandini told her looking out the window.
"I was supposed to come here with Navya but it got delayed and then I heard the corporate agency that works for your MNC had already blocked all the apartments in this building. I have been scouting for places nearby for almost a week but not able to find anything that is feasible and none of them are nearby either. I guess Navya must have told you already. I will be staying here only for a month till she gets back. By then I hope everything is sorted."
"Don't worry. I am sure some of my colleagues will move back. You can hopefully shift to one of the apartments here," Mukti offered helpfully.
Nandini sighed.
"Yeah. So is this your first time in Sweden?"
"Yep and I must say the timing's perfect too. I have my best friends here with me. Couldn't have asked for more," Mukti replied in an excited tone and sauntered into the kitchen. "You'll have some coffee?"
"Sure, thanks. So they're your colleagues?"
"Nah! Manik relocated from Mumbai and he is a fashion photographer. And Cabir is a drummer. He is attending a workshop here," Mukti told her pouring out some milk into a pan to heat.
"Wow. I am sure you're gonna have a great summer," Nandini told her.
"Know what? Why don't you join us tonight?" Mukti asked her.
"Join you?" Nandini asked her puzzled.
"It's Friday night babes and we have a tradition to keep up," Mukti told her with a playful glint in her eyes and added with a tease, "Of course I totally get it if you are not up for it. I guess doctors don't really do wild night outs."
Nandini quirked a brow at her sarcastically.
"You think we are boring nerds hiding behind ugly glasses wearing boring scrubs, hey? Well time to change that I suppose. Let's have it your way," Nandini challenged her while Mukti looked impressed.
"Cool, I think I like ya already."
**********
Sticky Fingers
Cabir was laughing his head off while Manik looked miffed about something or a certain someone. He threw his friend a dark look before shrugging his shoulders and turning away.
"Bro did you seriously expect her to yell and whop after your dog had broken her phone?" Cabir asked Manik trying hard to suppress a laugh.
"Arrey I told her I will get it fixed, didn't I?" Manik retorted angrily. "She expects a dog to be well mannered but where did her manners go when I tried to make it up to her? Fly out the window?"
"Chill maar! It's not like she is filing a lawsuit against Whiskey. And we are in Sticky Fingers bro. For once in your life stop being a grumpy kid and here have this."
Cabir thrust a glass into Manik's hand.
"Whiskey On The Rocks!"
Manik scowled before pushing the glass back into Cabir's hands and turned to the bar attendant.
"One breezer please. Strawberry."
Cabir guffawed.
"Breezer? Like seriously? Dude you need to man up!"
Manik ignored Cabir sipping his drink leaning against the bar counter, observing the crowd of gyrating bodies on the dance floor. Booze and parties held little appeal to him and he only tagged along to hang out with his friends but at times the ritual turned to be tiresome as he got bored easily.
"Why is it taking so long for Mukti?"
"She is bringing her new roommate with her I guess," Cabir replied.
"Roommate? But wasn't she out of country? Mukti had said she won't be coming for a month," Manik asked him puzzled.
"Not her I guess. It's her friend or something like that. More like a temporary roommate," Cabir replied shrugging his shoulders.
"Oh look there she is. Hey Mukti!" Cabir waved out to Mukti to catch her attention.
"Yo Cabira," Mukti squealed as she approached them squeezing her way through the crowd and hugged both her friends excitedly.
"Wow Mukti you finally look like a girl," Cabir remarked giving her a once over while she rolled her eyes at him.
"But you still look like crap," she retorted back and grimaced looking at him. "And what's with this weird hairstyle?" she asked Cabir running her fingers through his hairs which was all tousled up sticking out in every possible weird direction.
"That's my new ultra cool sexy look" he rebuked, snubbed at the commentary about his look.
"Yeah right!" she scoffed at him. "Your fashion sense hit the rocks ever since you started dating Gothika."
Manik sputtered at that last remark trying to suppress a laugh and Mukti turned to him.
"If you think you had it any better, hate to burst this to you but I'd take Rose over Myra any day," she teased while Cabir was the one to have fun at Manik's expense.
"Rose didn't bother any of us but your girlfriend..."
"Ex," Manik corrected her.
"Whatever! But thanks to you, we had to live through your torture. Can't forget the time when she offered to turn a stylist for the band and me, Cabir and Alya were all stuck looking like pink fluffy bunnies."
Mukti shuddered at the memory and the next instant all three of were having a hearty laugh.
As their laughter subsided Manik remembered something.
"Hey Cabir said you'd be bringing your roomie here. Where is she?"
"She is here. Must have gone to wash room. But what are we waiting for? Let's hit the dance floor," she said enthusiastically pulling their hands dragging them to the dance floor but Manik declined.
"I am fine here. You guys have fun."
Manik slunk into a corner as always while Mukti and Cabir were grooving to the beats on the dance floor. A few minutes later, they were joined by a third person whose face he could not see clearly from the distance but he knew who it could be when Mukti beckoned him to join them.
"Nandini this is Manik and Manik, Nandini."
Neither said a word for a moment until realization dawned upon them.
"YOU!"
Both of them shouted simultaneously throwing daggers at the other, while Cabir and Mukti looked at each other and then towards Manik Nandini with confusion written all over their faces.
"Well I guess the introduction was unnecessary," Cabir mumbled to Mukti.
"Errr... Care to throw some light on this? You guys know each other already?" Mukti asked looking from Nandini to Manik.
"I wish I hadn't though," Nandini replied stiffly turning her face away from him.
"Feeling's mutual," Manik mumbled under his breath rolling his eyes in exasperation as Nandini walked out of there with Mukti at her heels and Cabir turned to Manik and gave him a What-Was-That-All-About look.
"Of all the people who'd hang out with Mukti, it had to be HER?" Manik gestured by waving his hand in the direction Nandini had walked out.
"Hold on! What the heck is happening?" Cabir asked Manik tailing after him as he too made his way towards the exit.
"When did you meet Nandini?"
"After hearing the full story of Ramayan, you are asking me who is Ram and who is Sita," Manik told him sarcastically.
"You mean you are Ram and she is your Sita?" Cabir frowned and then exclaimed, "Shoot! When did this happen and boy you are fast or what?"
"Shut up man! This is the same girl I was talking about! I ran into her outside Mukti's apartment. Why couldn't I figure it out?"
Cabir looked confused for a moment and then it struck him.
"O teri! Nandini is your doggy wali female kya?" Cabir asked amused at the new turn of events.
"Don't tell me we have to tolerate her for a whole month!" Manik groaned.
"I am not the one with doggy issues bro. She is pretty cool, if you ask me. Try talking to her once."
"Yeah right!"
"This is gonna be interesting," Cabir mused shaking his head.
**********
Sahlgrenska Hospital
It was Nandini's first day at the hospital and she was excited to step out of her medical books into the real world of doctors, taking on the challenges that lay ahead of her. She prayed silently to Ayyappa to give her strength and courage to never falter in saving a life and help as many as she could. Her day had started off on a good note since she was assigned to do rounds in children's ward and she had always loved to spend her time with the little brats. But she was not so enthusiastic about per partner though. Dr Oderich her fellow resident was not exactly fun to hang around with and she fervently hoped that this was the first and last of her rounds with him.
The head nurse Emma Lindqvist showed her around the hospital and Nandini took an instant liking towards the old lady.
"Mind you, these little ones could be quite a handful. You can call any one of the staff nurse to assist you in case they go out of control, which is quite often here," she told her smiling before leaving from there. Nandini greeted the patients with a cheery air and studied their charts clipped to the railings of their wrought iron beds.
At last she reached the bed in the far end of the ward that was presently unoccupied. From the corner of her eye, she caught a tiny hand gripping the back railing and a pair of curious eyes peeping from behind. Stealthily Nandini backtracked her steps in the pretext of picking up a pen she had deliberately dropped to the ground and grabbed the girl from behind who flailed her tiny legs in the air giggling soundlessly.
"Gotcha!" Nandini exclaimed placing her on the bed while the tiny girl gave her an impish grin.
"So what were you hiding from, hey?" she asked her in mock stern voice. The girl did not utter a word but instead she gestured in sign.
"You are hiding? But from whom?" Nandini asked her unclipping the chart tied to her bed to read her history.
"So who de we have here? Uh, Miss Zara Motiaz?"
The girl made another gesture indicating a tall person and then she pointed to herself pinching her nose and made a notion of swallowing something bitter sticking her tongue out as Nandini laughed at her antics. The kid had assumed she was on medical rounds to administer her daily dose of medicines and from the look she had given just then suggested she was not too enthusiastic about it.
"Don't worry. It's not for another two hours," Nandini assured her pointing to the watch. She realised the girl was born mute. The girl pulled at her sleeve and gestured to the place surrounding her and told her wordlessly that she did not like the place and wants to go from there as soon as possible.
"Hmmm... So you don't like the hospital?" Nandini asked her arching her brows to which the girl shook her head vigorously.
"Well in that case, you need to take all your meds on time young lady," Nandini told her and turned her attention back to the chart in her hand. As she read it, her face paled and she glanced at the six year old child before her who looked up at her with her innocent large inquisitive baby brown eyes that sparked with so much life and enthusiasm that it was hard to say that her disease was ebbing away her life slowly with each passing day. That was the bitter reality of her profession where on one hand it came with the boon of saving lives and on the other, death was a bitter truth, since some things were beyond them too.
She was shaken out of her reverie when she heard her name being called out.
"Dr. Murthy?"
The head nurse was back.
"I see you met little Zara," she told her fondly bringing fresh lilies that she placed in the vase beside the window replacing them with wilted orchids.
"She is such a darling! But what a terrible fate!"
Nandini clipped the chart back in place and turned to face the elderly woman.
"When was she brought here? What of her family? Is anyone here with her?" she inquired.
"She has no family Dr. Murthy. Her parents were originally from Iran and they died three years ago in a plane crash. Nobody from her family came to claim her and she has been with the orphanage since then. She was diagnosed with Reye Syndrome two months ago and unfortunately her condition had worsened when she was brought here. She has advanced to the second stage and there is little anyone can do now."
And these were the times when Nandini desperately wished that was never the case.
**********
Elite Studio
"Hold that pose..."
"Perfect!"
Cameras flashed and the model posed for the camera radiating confidence and plenty of oomph.
"That was fabulous Megan," Manik told her giving her the thumbs up. "You killed it."
"OK guys, let's take a break and we'll gather here in five," he signalled to his crew when Pauli Gustafsson, his boss called him over.
"Hej Pauli! Wassup?"
His boss seldom showed up at the studio and Manik was surprised to see him since it was an early morning shot.
"I have a new assignment for you. Fred was supposed to take it up but he needs to fly to Paris that weekend. So I want you to take it."
"Sure. For which editorial will this be?"
"I am afraid this is not your typical stuff. Will you be up for it?"
Manik shrugged his shoulders in response.
"Am cool. Just tell me what it is."
"Sahlgrenska hospital wants to renovate their east wing and they will have their new child care unit there. They want us to take few pictures with the staff and some of the children who are patients there," Pauli informed him to which Manik looked surprised.
"You mean the one where you gather people to pose and take pictures? C'mon Paul! Anybody can do it. You don't need a fashion photographer for that."
"Not exactly. This is more impromptu and they need a professional. Actually the hospital is organising an outing with some of the staff that includes senior as well as junior resident doctors along with the patients to Mastrand. They want some pictures of the tour. You think you can handle that?"
Manik thought for a moment before confirming.
"Should be OK I guess. When will it be?"
"Not for another fortnight. But before that I want you to meet Dr. Oyvind Lehmann sometime this week. He will help you out with the details. I suppose the hospital is close by to your home. I am guessing it should not be a problem for you?"
"Nope. I will take it from here Pauli," Manik assured him while Pauli looked relieved and thumped him on his back.
"I always knew I can count on you Manik. Thanks!"
**********
Manik's home
"Mukti is it necessary?"
"Absolutely!"
Mukti replied in a tone of finality giving him no other option.
"Look I am not going to spend an entire summer juggling between my bestie and my roommate. As it is I am crammed with work in office and I am not about to spend the scanty free time I get on hand trying to resort your issues," she added and continued before he could protest, "and no, it's about one month alone. I need to hang out with her bestie when she moves in and Nandini will be around us. And honestly all because your dog broke her phone? Grow up Manik!"
"What do you expect me to do?" Manik asked her incredulously lounging lazily on his bean bag, throwing the smiley ball at the wall facing him and catching it every time it came bouncing back
"Break the ice! Let's go to Liseberg tomorrow," Mukti suggested catching the ball midway.
"Not again," Manik groaned throwing a pillow at her which she dodged but Whiskey caught it and ran away from the room before Manik could call him back. He sighed and mentally added a pillow to the list of things he had to replace in his home, courtesy his dog.
"Arrey yaar I just want to unwind and relax on weekends but that's impossible with you two around. Friday night, it's Sticky Fingers for Cabir and you'd do anything to step out if you are at home. Besides, I hate Liseberg man. It's just dumb rides and kiddo stuff."
"Manik I am not asking you. I am telling you and you're coming with us. And about the rides, you don't really find them dumb but you are scared of them," Mukti taunted him.
"What? No way!" he scoffed.
"We shall see that."
**********
The next day @ Liseberg
"Look I am fine with the entry pass OK? I won't be sitting in any one of those wretched rides. So why spend a good 400 kronor over it?" Manik argued but Cabir refused to budge.
"Dude you don't have to be stingy about it. I knew you'd kick up a fuss and have your excuses ready but Mukti ain't listening to it," saying this he pushed Manik in front of the counter where the guy operating it put a green coloured band which was meant to be a day pass around his wrist and Manik eyed it ruefully. He wasn't much into thrill seeking and he had always been wary of roller coasters and heights. They went inside to catch up with Mukti and Nandini who were waiting for them.
Nandini had got a day off and she was thrilled to bits. She had always wanted to visit Liseberg and she was glad she could cross one line item in her TO-DO list. She so wanted to try all the rides and she was looking forward to a ride on Helix, the latest attraction in the amusement park which was the second longest roller coaster in the world with seven inversions. She looked at the drop tower as its gondala came down in a flash carrying its screaming riders. All around her, people of all age groups enjoying their day without a care in the world and she absolutely loved this. Given a choice, she would spend the rest of her life making the most of every moment she lived.
"Nandini they're here," Mukti pointed out to two boys headed their way. As she saw them approach the first thing she could notice about Manik was that he was tall. Like really tall and everyone around him seemed to look like dwarfs. This was certainly not the first time she was seeing him but the realisation struck her just then.
Manik and Cabir gave Mukti a bear hug and Cabir gave Nandini a hi 5.
"Hey," Manik greeted Nandini hesitantly who responded back in kind. Mukti had requested her to sort out her issues with him and looking back at how things had turned out then, she realised maybe she had overreacted to the whole situation. But she was still a little miffed at him for defending his dog and now that he was trying to be civil and extend an olive branch she saw no point in stretching this matter any further.
Nandini and Cabir were eager to try Helix and that being the new addition to the roller coaster rides in Liseberg, there was a long queue for it. Manik tried to back out but Mukti reminded him about what he said earlier on which gave him no choice but to tag along. Just looking at the ride made him feel nauseous and he was not sure if he would even survive it. He had been waiting for more than an hour and he would continue waiting in line for the rest of the day so long as he was not asked to sit in the damn thing but he was not so lucky for after a long wait of 90 minutes, they were hauled to the station. Manik sent a silent prayer to whoever was listening right then as Cabir dragged him and to his utter horror Cabir had chosen the front most seat for them and he made to take a U turn and run away but was pulled by Cabir again. The girls took the seat behind them and Nandini was disappointed for missing the front seat.
"I so wanted to sit in the front. It would be so exciting to see to be the first to touch down," Nandini said reproachfully while Manik frowned at the remark.
"I just wish I am alive by the time it hits the ground," he mumbled under his breath recalling the roller coaster debacle in Final Destination.
"Man this is gonna be so much fun," Cabir whooped as he put on his seat belt. Red warning lights began in the station area and Manik began to take deep breaths to calm his nerves which were doing a salsa right now. The roller coaster started off slowly and people behind had already started shouting and Cabir was hooting beside him. Manik held on tight to his handle bar squeezing his eyes tight shut and before he knew it, the roller coaster had picked up its speed, taking steep twists and turns. When he dared to open his eyes, he was hanging upside down and the next instant he was thrust downwards with hurtling speed. After an agonising 120 seconds, the roller coaster slowed down and came to a halt. Manik looked white as a sheet and he scrambled out in a hurry heading straight to the wash room nearby while Cabir doubled over laughing.
"I am... never ever... gonna forget this one," he told in between his laughs. "Poor Manik!"
Mukti and Cabir teased Manik once he was back while Nandini laughed along with them.
"Quite the faint hearted, aren't you?" Nandini asked Manik when Cabir and Mukti were taking selfies.
"What do you mean?" he asked her annoyed.
"We all saw how you well you handled one ride," she pointed out with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.
"What the...? Nothing like that OK? It's...ummm... just that..."
Manik fumbled looking out for an excuse while Nandini gave him a quizzical look.
"Haan! It's because I had just then eaten a burger and I felt nauseous. That's it," he told her shrugging his shoulders nonchalantly but Nandini was not buying this.
"Really? I am sure your... errr... stomach is pretty much empty now that you..." she pointed out in the direction where he had run previously while Manik look thoroughly embarrassed.
"So how about AtmosFear?" she pointed to the drop tower gleefully.
Manik gulped down nervously looking at it. AtmosFear was touted to be the tallest drop tower in Europe that dropped riders from a height of 380 ft above the ground.
"What happened? Not much of a brave heart there, are you?" she teased him as Manik closed and opened his mouth like a gaping fish wondering how on earth he would tackle this now.
"No," he replied shaking his head. "No, that's... that is... Yeah am cool with it!" he told her putting on a brave face.
"Perfect," Nandini replied smugly and called Mukti and Cabir to join them.
"What? Are you serious bro? Look I know you don't do heights..." Cabir tried to stop Manik for he knew Manik was acrophobic since childhood.
"Cabir!" he interjected loudly putting his arm over his shoulder and whispered in his ears, "don't make falooda out of my honor dude, not in front of her. I can handle this."
Cabir looked dumbfounded and so did Mukti but they said nothing. They boarded the gondola with Cabir and Mukti taking seats at the opposite side and Manik Nandini sat down facing the front. If Helix had been a nightmare, then this was a trip to Hell for Manik. He had always been terrified of heights and just seeing this from a distance had made him feel dizzy on countless occasions. The catch mechanism lowered down to hook onto the gondala to hoist it up. As the gondola ascended upwards slowly Manik began to get more and more terrified and he pursed his lips tight shut. Nandini began to feel a twinge of guilt for having provoked him.
"Manik relax! You can close your eyes, it will be all over," she tried assuring him but Manik stared ahead seeing the view before him. Had it not been for the fact that he would soon be plummeting downwards and he hoped not to his death, he would have appreciated the spectacular sight before him. He would have probably captured it in his SLR too but right now all he could think of, was the moment when the gondola would be dropped from the summit.
The gondola ascended to the peak where the viewers were allowed a few seconds to enjoy a good view of the city. Nandini reached out and caught Manik's hand out of impulse and gave it a light squeeze. Manik turned to look at her and she beckoned him to close his eyes by blinking hers. For reasons unknown to him, Manik felt the urge to heed her words and he closed his eyes. The catch mechanism released the gondola and as it came plunging downwards with all the riders screaming their lungs out, Manik only felt a sense of weightlessness and freedom but not fear. In a heartbeat they had touched ground. Everyone began to get down from their seats when Manik felt the soft pressure of a tiny hand resting on top of his. Nandini instantly withdrew her hands like she had been electrocuted and jumped from her seat running to join Mukti and Cabir while Manik pondered over what just happened. He could not shake off the moment when Nandini had assured him it would be all right and he felt a sense of dj vu. He had felt this before but he was not sure where.
The rest of the day went good and Mukti and Cabir decided not to force Manik anymore for the rides.
It was nearly 10 in the night but since it was summer in Sweden, the sun was now beginning to set and everyone around them were winding up. Mukti and Nandini bought a fancy bunny hairband for themselves and were engrossed in their selfie mode. The girls had thoroughly enjoyed themselves and the boys as well. Manik had taken part in the arcade games and won a big bag of assorted chocolates of around 2kg, most of which was eaten by Cabir and he was fairly certain he would not have much baggage to take back with him now. They had to rush to catch a local tram that would drop them to a nearby stop since Manik did not have his car with him as he had given it for servicing.
Cabir and Mukti were happy since their plan had worked and even though Manik Nandini hadn't really bonded like thick buddies they were not giving the other a cold shoulder which was a start.
"Nandini," Manik called out to her.
"Yeah?"
"I just wanted to say... ummm... thanks... you know for..." he tried to but she brushed him off.
Neither of them said anything for few minutes walking in silence.
"I am sorry," Nandini said startling him.
"Sorry? For what?" he asked her.
"I should not have goaded you to do that. I didn't realise you were acrophobic before."
"Don't be," he assured her. "You didn't drag and tie me to that thing."
Just then her phone buzzed and she checked out her text message.
"You bought a new phone?" he asked her pointing to the cell she had just then pocketed but instantly regretted doing that.
"You gave me no choice," she replied in a stiff voice thinking of her old phone to which Manik got offended.
"Hey I did offer to get it fixed," he pointed out.
"Have you ever heard of the saying Prevention is better than cure'?" Nandini asked him in a derisive tone.
"What does this have anything to do with a phone?" Manik retorted.
"Not with a phone but has everything to do with your dog," she countered and added, "why bother with damage control when you can very well prevent it?"
Some of the camaraderie they had established over the day began to dissipate as the environment was beginning to get slightly tense.
"Oh for the love of!!!!!!!" Manik exclaimed before turning to face her.
"It was just an accident all right and Whiskey doesn't go about breaking phones on a regular basis for me to keep a check on him. Poor thing doesn't even know what a cell phone is," Manik defended his dog yet again. He always got touchy where it concerned Whiskey. He loved him like a friend and pampered him like a parent, so there was no way he would let anyone tell him off.
"Then you should tell him what he can or cannot take for a chew toy instead of letting him lose on a rampage like that. And wait a sec. You call your dog Whiskey? Like for real?" she asked him disbelievingly.
"What the...? I call him Whiskey, Rum, Brandy, Vodka or Scotch, that's my business. Why do you care?" Manik shot back.
Cabir and Mukti were looking at the pair of them bickering, tired of it already.
Nandini shrugged her shoulders.
"Not surprised actually. Weird names for a dog is not really a concern when people are weirder," Nandini remarked crossing her arms looking away.
"Peace out guys," Cabir intervened stepping between them.
"You guys got started again?" Mukti said throwing her hands up in the air.
"Were you ever planning on apologising to me?" Nandini asked Manik haughtily.
"For what? For letting you insult my poor dog for no good reason? That's just a God damn phone but you care little for a living thing that breathes, eats and sleeps," Manik bit back at her.
"You forgot to mention another thing - breaks cell phones too!"
"Do yourself a favour and record that line. Will spare you the trouble of saying it time and again!" Manik told her in an irritated tone.
"And yeah about the apology, I wanted to, back then but you never gave me a chance. Now I don't see a point to it anyways. So next time you expect people to say something to you, make sure you give them a chance to speak first!" and with that Manik stormed ahead while Nandini glared at his back.
They were near their apartment when Manik came to an abrupt halt, so did Cabir and Mukti and three of them had identical petrified look on their faces especially Manik who looked like he'd been hit by a thunderbolt. Nandini wondered what it was all about but she got her answer soon when her eyes fell on the person standing before her. Well she was certainly an eye catcher, with long tresses that fell in ringlets at her waist and a face woven right out of a man's fantasy. Creamy peach complexion with rosy cheeks, her violet hues encased in almond shaped eyes and a dazzling smile that complimented her dreamy looks, she looked like a live Barbie doll dressed in pink floral dress with matching accessories, which were again, Nandini noted in pink. Right from her fancy hair clip down to her stilettoes. The outburst of pink emanating from her would momentarily render anyone colour blind.
"Oh no! This is bad news!" Mukti groaned from behind.
"What's this all about?" Nandini asked Mukti in a low tone.
"Arrey yaar, remember? I had told you about Manik's ex-girlfriend na? It' her! Myra Shekhawat!"
Nandini now remembered Mukti telling her about Myra in one of their casual chats. So Manik's ex-girlfriend with an unhealthy obsession for pink was back? Served him right Nandini thought savagely.
Cabir was the first to recover from the shock therapy.
"Hey Myra! Nice to... errr... see you here," he told her casting a furtive glance at Manik whose face was drained of all colour.
"Hey Cabir, Mukti! Manik baby I missed you so much my munchkin," she cooed running up to hug him while Manik looked helplessly at his friends.
"Awww I know my baby was all heartbroken when I left him but now I am back honey," she told him interlinking her arms with his while Manik's brain was working at jet speed trying to figure how to walk out of this nightmare. Myra wanted to get back with him? His day could not have ended on a more horrible note. But Myra was blissfully oblivious to the tumult wreaking havoc on his mind and thought Manik would be jumping with joy to get her back.
"You know I didn't really want to leave you baby and Rishi was such a moron. I don't know what kind of a person hates pink, don't you?" she asked Manik pouting while he tried to smile feebly at her which looked more like a grimace. She continued to chatter away but Manik was not listening to a single word she was saying.
"Ewww! Manik you get back with her, I swear am gonna kill you!" Mukti muttered to herself.
"Cool, now you guys can have a reunion party," Nandini whispered in Mukti's ears. "Besides this is not really my place. So am outta here. Can you please give me the keys?"
She took the keys Mukti had handed to her and brushed past Manik when he pulled her to him while extricating his other arm carefully from Myra's. Both the girls were astonished by his move, especially Nandini. Manik probably knew he was about to do the most stupid thing ever but he did not care so long as he ensured Myra would never want to come back to him.
"Myra," he began with a slightly apologetic note in his voice.
"Baby I want you to meet my wife Nandini," he told Myra mentally cursing himself while Nandini was utterly shocked.
"Your what?" Cabir yelled while Mukti's jaw had literally dropped to the ground.
"You got married?"
Myra was shaken and the next moment tears brimmed in her kohl lined eyes.
"Myra I am so sorry sweetie but you know after you left, it was so hard on me and then I met Nandini," he said in a mock sad tone and turned to look at Nandini, silently pleading her to play along with him but Nandini was beyond furious. She knew he was faking it to get rid of his girlfriend but she was in no mood to become the scapegoat. Well he was not the only one to play games she thought and turned to Myra.
"Oh so you're Myra? He keeps talking about you often and yeah it was so, so hard on him when you walked out you know? Poor thing was pining for you," Nandini replied sarcastically patting Manik's cheek while Manik looked puzzled but he played along giving an awkward laugh wondering what Nandini was up to now. And why was she overplaying it? He would have found it perfectly normal had she been mad at him but he could not fathom what was playing on her mind.
"But you know what? Let me make it easy for you guys. I mean who am I? Just a shoulder for you to cry on over your broken heart, right baby?" she asked him giving him malicious smile while he tried to signal her to stop whatever it was she was doing.
"Myra you see he is still clearly not over you! And since we are getting divorced in a couple of months, he is all yours!"
"Divorced?" Manik yelped while Cabir and Mukti mutely watched this exchange.
"Honey don't be so surprised! This had to happen sooner or later and Myra has come back. So I don't want to be a hurdle between the two of you. I know you want to be with her and I can let you go if that makes you happy," Nandini told him sympathetically placing Manik's hand in Myra's.
Mukti beckoned Cabir to come closer and asked him, "Dude is this some kinda shitty soap opera? What are the two up to?"
"What am I to know? Manik orchestrated the whole thing. First an eye candy girlfriend to annoy his mom and now a fake wife who can't stand him. He only gets out of one pit to land in another."
"Manik it's OK. You don't have to explain anything," Nandini told Manik in a sugar coated voice when he tried to say something and walked away from there leaving him stumped to deal with his psycho ex-girlfriend all by himself.
NOTE: So I end my chapter here 😛 Please do drop in your views and criticism is welcome too 😳 I know I hadn't updated in a long time, so compensated with a rather lengthy update. I hope you guys didn't find it boring. Next update guess who will make a grand entry? 😉
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
