~ 10 ~
Nandini was driving much slower than usual today. Her fingers still had a long way to heal and it throbbed to high heaven while handling the throttle.
Manik, who was perched right behind her (as usual) couldn't take his eyes off the fearful purplish colour on her fingers and the way she was struggling to drive. "I think that this is a bad idea," he said into her ears.
"Don't be a pessimist," she snapped.
"It's not about being pessimistic," he shot back in protest. "It's your hand. You're still not good to go. For God's sake you can't even drive! Why do you even have to report to work today? I'm sure that your boss has got enough sense to understand! You really need to stay back more, do you know that?"
"If you don't want to do this then just admit it," she said sourly. "I'll drop you back this instant."
"Arre yaar!" he rang out in frustration. "That's not what I meant!"
"Yeah, whatever. Do you want to go back?"
"Nandini..." he sighed.
"Be honest," she urged.
"I'm okay with it buddy," he tsk-tsked. "You know that. But that's not the point. I'm just... you need rest. Lots of it."
"We're almost there," she ignored his comment and looked out in the distance. It was a beautiful park, carpeted with fresh blades of rich grass which were still wet from the morning dew.
"We're going to shoot here?" Manik suspiciously eyed the morning joggers and walkers prowling around the park.
"Yup... Scared?" Nandini glanced over her shoulder.
"Nah," he lied. Who was he kidding? He was nervous indeed. Very nervous. Something kept telling him that this was a bad idea.
Nandini parked her scooty whilst Manik got down and ran his eyes around. Nandini noticed this. "See look Manik," she pulled out her helmet and shook her hair free. "We travel together every day. Lots of people might have spotted us. So why bother now?"
"Well... you always had a helmet on," he pointed out.
"So now I don't have one on," she stated. "Big deal. You know what? It's okay. In fact, screw those who have a problem. Now come on."
Manik anchored his hands onto his hips and nodded his head in disbelief before following her in. They had now chosen a favourable spot in the park, away from prying eyes. "So..." began Nandini as she began to get her tablet on record mode. "Say something."
The awkwardness was obvious on Manik's face as it came into focus on her tablet screen. "What do you want me to say?" he asked innocently with utter discomfort.
"Anything."
"Okay," he smacked his lips. "Umm... Hi! I'm-uh... Manik Malhotra. And it's a beautiful morning... erm..."
A toothy grin spread across Nandini's face. It had been like ages since they'd done something like this. And Nandini couldn't help but notice how much he had changed. How much he had grown into a man. The high-pitched voice from her memories was now deep and heavy. His face was no longer boyish but rugged yet soft. They were full-fledged adults now but their hearts remained the same. Evergreen forever.
"... and today we are going to have an open-hearted discussion with none other than the love guru... Dr. Casanova!" Manik was now sitting on one of the benches in the park with a leg resting on the other. He looked like a true to life journalist now, all set to interview one of society's elite few.
Love guru... Dr. Casanova. Nandini smiled. Manik was at it again. He was spontaneous when it came to things like this. He was a natural in front of the lens. It never took him long to get into the flow.
"Our king of romance will join us shortly," he continued. "But until then, let us get warmed up for the hot discussion of the day. To begin with... what is love?"
Nandini just kept smiling like a fool and continued to stare into the screen.
"Come on, anyone?"
"Are you asking me?" she asked.
"Yeah," he replied as though he was hosting the show before a large audience. "Come on, join the conversation. Make it lively."
Nandini was thinking hard. "Okay... Um. Love... Um... I don't know."
"Alright, let me get you warmed up. Love is... that feeling. Deep deep inside," he took a dramatic gasp and heaved as he gestured the river of emotions gushing out of him like a fresh, hot water spring.
"Okay?" Nandini was amused. Manik's videos never failed to tickle her funny bone.
He continued to gasp and moan dramatically as he spoke. "It is... that thup-thup in your chest when you see your... gasp... Beloved..."
"I so wish that Dr. Casanova would turn up before you get an orgasm," Nandini snorted.
Manik was laughing so hard now and so was Nandini. But their smiles were instantly wiped out as a stout, bald man with a very thick black moustache stopped right before him.
"Nandini? What a surprise. What brings you here?" The man had a cheesy smile on his face as he spoke but Nandini greeted him coldly.
"The fresh air I suppose..." she answered sarcastically. "And I'm surprised that there wasn't as much of fresh air as expected." She meant the stout man. And he got it too. But he shrugged off her sarcasm with an awkward smile.
"Isn't this Manik?" he asked in a what is this guy doing here tone. Manik fidgeted nervously on the bench.
"Yeah of course," she replied bluntly. "You didn't take your glasses today, right?"
"Hahaha, yeah." He laughed off his embarrassment. "I'll see you around soon. Take care."
"No hurry, trust me," said Nandini as she bid him farewell with a sarcastic smile. Relieved at seeing the guy finally leave, Manik let go off his stiff muscles with a deep sigh. "What's wrong with you?" she shot at him, agitated.
"Nothing, it's just that this guy stresses me out." Manik was breathless and weak.
"And he pisses me off," she added.
"Hope he doesn't say about our little meeting to your dad." Manik was worried.
"He better not. I'll kill him if something goes wrong." Nandini looked flustered but was determined to have a good time. They shook off all their worries and continued doing crazy videos with the cam until it was time for them to depart.
Nandini dropped him right before his gate and pulled off her helmet. "So... your nights start tonight," she said in a disgruntled tone.
"Yeah..." Manik shoved his hands into his pockets and shrugged. "Hope it's not permanent. Now that'd suck."
Nandini was quiet for a while. "So where are we going to see each other again?"
"I don't know yaar," he sighed. "Let's see. Hoping to get a day off or something. Nights can be hectic you know."
"Hmm..." Her eyes were on the ground now. Manik could see that she wasn't too happy at all of this.
"But hey, we can still talk," he said cheerfully. "I'll pop in on skype or WhatsApp when I get a break. So you know, it's not that bad."
"Okay... you better get some sleep. I've gotta move now."
"Lova ya buds," Manik leaned in and gave a quick hug before moving back. "You take care. Will talk to you soon."
________________________
Nandini was on the streets now headed to work. She was half way through when she had pull away from traffic to answer the relentless calls that kept coming to her phone.
"Yes," she answered. It was her stepmother on the line.
"Where are you now?" Her step spoke rather urgently and sounded very grim.
"I'm at work," she lied.
"I can hear the traffic," she probed. "You're still outside."
"Haan so? Most of my work is outside. Not inside the office. You know that."
"Do one thing. Just come back home now," she said in a flustered tone.
"Now? Why what happened?"
"Just get back," she ordered.
"But for what? You know that I can't just leave work like that."
"Just do as I say," she snapped. "When I say come back, that's final."
"I'm so sorry, I can't just walk out of work as per anyone's whims and fancies. Tell me what the issue is about."
"The issue?" There was pure anger in her voice which was much louder than before. "You really want to know what the issue is? Do you think that all of us are fools?!"
"You know what... I don't have time for all this nonsense. So just call me back once you've finally figured out what to say. Bye." She hung up on her stepmother and ignored her pings and calls for a while until she finally gave in and answered it again. "See look. I'm at work. Don't screw my head."
"Akka, it's me Rishabh." He sounded quite panicky.
"Rishabh! What the f**k is going on?"
"I don't know Akka," he replied. "But things are a bit bad here. Appa is very angry. So is aunty. Uncle Das was here a while ago and I have a feeling that he has said some stuff to them."
Uncle Das... the stout man she had met in the park. "That bas***d..." she muttered angrily.
"Just come home," he pleaded.
"For what?" she snapped.
"You know how Appa is na. He just loses it. He'll turn the entire neighbourhood upside down."
"Just tell him to shut up and sit there somewhere," she snarled and hung up again. She kept cursing under her breath as she flung her phone into the glove box and prepared to slam it shut. But she had to give in to the relentless calls again. She was worried about Rishabh. The poor guy's head will get gobbled up by these people. He can't handle it alone.
"Aunty just called up at Manik bhaiyya's home." Rishabh's voice was barely audible as he spoke. He didn't want his sister to come back to the hell he was in now. But he didn't know what to do either and he was very stressed out.
"His home!!! For what? Why the hell is she calling up at his place?"
"Akka... was bhaiyya with you in the morning?" he asked curiously.
"So what if he was?" she yapped. "We weren't screwing each other. God! What's wrong with these people?"
"Aunty said a lot of nasty stuff to his mom..."
"What!!? Shhhiiit!!! What the f**k!!!! What the bloody f**k!!!" Nandini was really furious now and she wanted to slaughter everyone. But most of all, she wanted to give her step a piece of her mind. She just couldn't believe that she went to the extent of calling up Nyonika and abusing her. This could spell the end for their friendship. His mom would be furious. She would destroy him. Then there's his weird dad to deal with!
"I'm coming. Just wait there." Nandini gnashed her teeth angrily, threw her phone into the glove box and sped back home.
________________________
The moment she stormed in through the door, she was attacked by a ton of abuse from her step mom. Her father remained quiet and had his red, angry eyes fixed in the distance. Rishabh looked lost and clueless as he just stood there and twiddled his fingers.
"Who gave you the right to call up at his place and abuse his parents?" Nandini barked angrily at her stepmom. "Do you know what kind of problems it could cause for him? Do you!!? Just because I'm tolerating your nonsense don't take it that you can sit and dance over my head!"
"Look at the arrogance! Is this the way you talk to me?"
"Yes! This is exactly the way I'll be talking to you! If you need respect, you've got to earn it!" Both of their voices had hit its loudest and by now, the neighbours had begun to step out of their houses to check on the commotion.
"You! How dare you talk to me in that arrogant tone? What the hell do you think? I'm not here to lick up your muck! You people pulled me into this? Understand?"
"So who's holding you back? If you can't tolerate it just get out and get lost." Nandini was literally screaming senselessly now whilst her father continued to remain quiet throughout.
"You get out!" snapped her step mom. "I didn't come in here to get thrown out like a mongrel!"
"Why the f**k should I get out?" Nandini spat back. "This is my home! I was born here! I lived here!"
"Hah! Lived here! It shows! I don't blame you! It's up to the parents to bring up the girl in the right manner."
"Don't say a word against my parents!" Nandini had a threatening finger pointed at her step's face now. Her heart was pounding with anger and grief and tears had begun to flood her eyes.
But her step ignored her warnings and rambled on at the top of her voice. "Especially the mother! It's her fault. She set you loose! Go on darling. Go and do whatever you like. Use all the F-words you like. Go around with all the boys that you want!"
"I SAID SHUT UP! SHUT UP YOU BITCH!!!" Nandini lost herself and shoved at the woman. She stumbled back into the arms of her father.
"You bloody bitch!" The woman was on her feet now and lunged at Nandini sharply. But she was quick to retort. Both the women had now locked horns in a fight to the death. Rishabh was right beside his sister, struggling to pry her loose. And their father was in between the two women, as in stuck in between the devil and the deep sea. He struggled to pull them apart in vain. By now, a couple of the neighbours came running in to stop the war.
"Nandini! Back off!" Murthy warned, but it was as futile as trying to stop a dog fight. "I said back off!!!"
"Akka! Stop! Please!" came Rishabh's pleas.
"Stop it you two!" A few neighbours tried to pull them away.
In one shocking move, Murthy shoved the women apart and landed a tight painful slap across Nandini's face. She stumbled momentarily before regaining her balance but by now, she was in deep shock. And so were the others. Her father had laid his fingers on her for the first time ever and that too to defend his second wife.
Though the slap was hard and painful, it felt like a mere pinch on her face. But deep inside her heart, it stung like a bee.
"Akka..." Rishabh whimpered through tears and held onto his sister whilst she continued to glower into her father's angry face through blurry tear filled eyes.
Nandini shut herself up to her brother's cries as she swerved around and walked out of the door with Murthy right on her tail. The moment she shoved the keys into the scooter, her father pulled it out. "This is my money," he growled at her. "I bought this for you with my hard earned money. With the job of mine which you had found so contemptuous. If you need something from now on, you'd better go an earn it. Work for it. Consider yourself fortunate. You've still got a pair of legs. Use it."
That was enough for her. His words gashed deeply into her heart like never before. Without another word, she stomped out through the gate whilst clenching back the tears that were screaming to explode. Even Rishab's pleas couldn't deter her. She had made up her mind. She was never going to come back. Ever. It was all over.
_________________
Manik stirred in his slumber. He was dead asleep on his tummy with an arm dangling out of the bed. He gently swallowed the drool that was dripping out from the corner of his mouth.
His cell phone continued to ring relentlessly, but to him, it made no sense. But to Nyonika, it did. Her face boiled with fury as she realized that the call was from Nandini.
"Hello?" she answered.
"Aunty... is Manik..." Nandini began in a quaky voice. But his mother cut her off.
"Nandini, please don't call Manik again. In spite of all what had happened in the past we had allowed you guys to continue with your so called friendship only because we trusted you. But not anymore."
"Aunty please," she begged. "Let me just explain."
"Please Nandini," Nyonika snapped in exasperation. "It's pointless. We've been through enough already and we're not dumb to believe that a guy and a girl can remain friends for life. Face the fact Nandini. You two are not meant for each other. So if you've got any funny ideas it'd be best to step back wisely and move on with your life."
_________________________
Nandini could do nothing but let the ugly truth seep in. It was all over. ALL OVER. The long, disturbing buzz of the ended call on the other line frightened her. It confirmed her fears. It was over... everything.
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