She told Manik that he himself had chosen to go alone to Denmark because he didn't want her to miss college and get stranded in a foreign country. She mentioned how their lives had been scattered in his absence, how the friendship which was once thicker than blood slowly turned into water, but she didn't mention, that part of it had been caused by Nyonika. She told him about accidentally meeting him, not that it was Neel who had acted as an unintentional cupid. She narrated about her school, their meetings, her hospitalization, their tiny little fight and their wishes, but only in as much detail as she could in Ranbir's presence. She also told him that she had wanted to tell him the truth before but had stopped herself remembering his doctor's words of caution.
Ranbir on his part, spoke about his life before encountering Navya and Mukti in Delhi and how his life took a sudden turn post it.
Manik sat still, unmoved. He let the words flow in without putting up any resistance to block them off. But then it was one thing to be a passive listener and another to let it all sink in. Nandini had always seen this coming, but Ranbir's heart sank. In the last five days, he had seen Manik bubble with joy, crack stupid silly jokes, tease them all and be teased in turn, despite being in physical pain. But the Manik who was sitting infront of him today was a morose, battered, defeated soul.
He couldn't hold it anymore and stood up "Manik, tu salaa aise looser types acha nahi lagta yaar. U are not looking handsome bro. Aur thori der aisi rondu sakal leke mere samne ghume ga to I swear I will start crying too. Chal give me a hug."
It took Manik a while to filter out what Ranbir had just said from the shabby realities he was being force fed. He stirred and then stood up to pull Ranbir in a desperate hug. He didn't care that his body was sore, that when he pressed against Ranbir, his bruised flesh sent out pulses of shrilling pain down his spine. They both trying to find Cabir in the other. Manik was holding onto someone who was an inseparable part of Cabir, who carried the same face, the same goodness, the same warmth. As if, by hugging Ranbir, he was somehow being able to touch the soul of his departed friend.
And Ranbir was letting go of years of sorrow, repentance and guilt. Yes, he was the identical twin, yet it was Manik who had always been closest to his dead brother, until death and beyond. This hug wasn't just a hug, it was like a home coming for them both, a silent promise that come what may, they will watch each other's back.
Nandini who was watching this, couldn't hold back her tears. For the first time in so many years, she felt like she wasn't alone. She couldn't help wonder, family is not always blood, friendship is not always defined by who we are or where we come from or how long we have been together. Ranbir was a practical stranger to them and yet he felt more deeply for Manik than his decade old friends. Where were their respective families, his dad and her kins? All they ever had were each other and perhaps that's how it was meant to be, that's why destiny always threw them back together.
Neel had been right that one time, when he had called Manik her wounded prince. He was definitely wounded, and he was her prince, but it was amazing how every time he had risen above his own wounds to protect her. This time too he would do the same, she believed. She was no more angry with Ranbir, rather she was glad. But she was afraid too, a fear she couldn't share with anyone. She had told him the half-truth, what if... What if he remembered it all? Would he understand her?
She couldn't take any more for now, she had already stressed herself to a run down state, both physically and emotionally. She would cross the bridge when she would come to it. For now, she just wanted to be close to Manik and breathe in.
***************
"What's this man, we are waiting here for an hour now, why are you so late and where's Manik and Nandini?" Mukti charged at him as soon as Cabir walked in to the caf where they had planned to meet to execute their plan.
"They aren't coming. I dropped them at Manik's house." He replied calmly. He knew what was coming his way.
"What do you mean, dropped them? You knew the plan right or did you conveniently forget it?" Now it was Alya complaining in her catty voice.
"That's not needed any more. Nandini ne use sab bata diya." They all looked at each other's face and then at Ranbir. How nonchalantly was this guy dismissing them, as if they were useless.
"Oh wow...so we all make elaborate plans, we all drive down and wait here only to be told that Miss NANDINI MURTHY has once again done the honours. So if the couple had to do it within themselves, why were we called in the first place. Why every time...freaking every single time we are made to feel like jokers?" Alya was beyond furious.
"This time I agree with you, ek to she hid that Manik is back, and she would have never told us agar this accident hadn't happened." Even Mukti had lost it big time. "And now this? What is with Nandini? Why has she changed so much...we are decade old friends yaar, tab to wo thi bhi nahi, what is trying to show that only she cares for Manik, and hum to aiwain ke friends hain... I am so pissed off man..I swear I would have.."
"Mukti, will you please shut up. Its not Nandini's fault. I forced her to do that. Because I don't think Manik is in a condition to join this group discussion in a caf. He has just walked out of a hospital. He is still in bandages. I thought she would handle him best, at least for now. And I wasn't wrong...look at your tempers...apne feelings to samhale nahi jate, Mnaik ke kya samhaloge?" The only person silently thanking Ranbir was Navya. She was so bloody thankful and relieved she would have kissed him if he had asked for it. These dumb people needed a serious thrashing to cure their verbal diarrhea and Ranbir was doing it to perfection. "And Alya, they are not honeymooning, its called dropping bombs. To tell a person that three horrible years have passed that they have no memory of, is not joke. You should have seen Manik's face. And besides Nandini has had a really hard time. I am sure she didn't have fun hiding it from you guys. If she did it, she had a reason for it."
The people around them, in the caf were now staring at them...this bunch of friends who were shouting and screaming at each other in a public place in broad day light.
Alya, who was so known for dignified mannerisms, gave two hoots to the onlookers as she continued shouting at the top of her voice "And who do you think you are mister to defend her or scream at us. Are you trying to be Cabir...then let me tell you, you are not. You are just a sorry copy version of your brother. And where were you in all these years when Cabir was with us. Suddenly you drop out of thin air and you think we will listen to your nonsense like school kids..get a life wierdo."
Everyone was shocked, to the point that they didn't know what to say any more. So much of vile, this girl held beneath her sweet appearance. Navya wanted to pull out her hair, but of course she couldn't. she just held on to the table, her grip so tight that she would have pierced her fingers if she could.
"You shouldn't say like this Alya" Dhruv spoke up for the first time.
"You are telling me Dhruv, seriously? You too? You can't see how random people are playing with our emotions, first Nandini, then Navya and then this Ranbir and of all people you tell me that I am wrong. Well, then I should leave, because I wasn't needed here to begin with. Keep defending these people and I will wait for you to turn up at my door step because they are going to throw you out too, like they always have. Good bye and thanks so much." She curtly stood up and walked out of the caf with a red face.
The rest kept gaping at her receding frame.
Dhruv being the chicken that he was, followed suit.
Navya put her arms around Ranbir. "Tumne jo kiya, thik kiya ranbir... Unki baaton ka bura mat mano, wo adat se majboor hain."
"I mean ya don't go on what she said about Cabir and you, I am sure even she would be sorry when she realizes it." Mukti too tried to pacify Ranbir."But I can't disagree on the Nandini part, she says something on the face and does something else at the back. Did she tell him everything... did she tell Manik that she is engaged to that jerk Neel?"
Now that was a bomb, at least to Ranbir. "Ab yeh saalaa Neel kaun hai?" Ranbir wondered aloud. So Nandini hadn't told the whole truth. Why had she not mentioned that part and what would Manik do when he would finally know.
Shit!!!!! So Nandini had made the blunder he was petrified of, the blunder that made him do all this in the first place because he didn't want her to tell the half-truth. Both he and Navya silently conceded that Nandini was in a big soup and this time no one but she herself was responsible for it.
CID
