Chapter 91
Lounging on a couch with a drink, Manik was waiting for the door bell to ring. The meeting with chachi in the afternoon had been such a huge relief.
He was glad that life, was slowly crawling back into his grip. It had been a scary roller coaster ride, these past few days, being bombed with one scary revelation after another. There were so many things to deal with, so much had happened behind his back that at one point he almost felt washed away. And these were things, so fundamental that he couldn't have shared with anyone, not even Nandini. Since childhood, he had been a Go-Getter, an achiever, a leader. He liked to lead from the front, to have control over his life and steer it in any direction he wanted to. Which is why, it had been so difficult to suddenly wake up directionless one day and find himself tossed away in unchartered waters at the mercy of his errant fate.
But life had also taught him to be a fighter, to not give in or give up, no matter how adverse the circumstances were.
He knew he would slowly find his footing, despite the shaky ground and make his way back to where he belonged. The process in fact had already began earlier today. Nandini's behaviour towards her family had been bothering him more than he cared to accept and he was beyond glad when the girl had finally returned home with a happy face.
Manik wasn't too worried about Neel Dixit, for he knew exactly how to deal with such scumbugs. Infact, this time he clearly had an advantage over him. While he was well versed with Neel's black mind and was fully aware of the levels, that he could stoop to, the Manik malhotra, Neel had met and known, had been the most gentlemanly version of him. Neel hadn't yet had the good fortune of meeting his ruthless monstrous side.
The bell rang, breaking his chain of thoughts and in walked Ranbir, without his usual contagious smile.
"Whats up bro?" he said, as he gently slapped on Manik's back and pulled him in a loose hug.
"Going great bro. It' just that ki Mumbai ane ke baad I didn't get a chance to meet everyone. I miss our usual hangouts, wo bhi kya din the yaar.. So I thought, lets just call everyone and relive those times."
Ranbir was visibly tensed. After the last two interactions with Dhruv and Alya, he wasn't quite sure what to expect this time. And the fact that this time the drama would happen right infront of Manik, made him more nervous. "Manik, is it a good idea, for me to be here. I mean basically to I am not a part of FAB 5, wouldn't it look like I am gatecrashing at your party?"
"Kya baat kar raha hai yaar, ab dosti mein bhi boundaries lagayega? Get yourself a drink and be comfortable , aur FAB 5 ko apna hi group samajh." Throwing a can of beer at Ranbir, Manik remarked with a naughty smirk.
It was futile, wanting to go out because Manik would clearly not let him. So he changed the topic hoping desperately that the rest of them would behave, especially the loudmouth Alya. "But manna parega is Neel ko, kameene ne apna koi digital trace hi nahi chora, the only thing you get when you search his name is a f**king Linked In profile aur wo bhi I am sure ki DP photoshop ki hogi saale ne."
"I know man, but agar Neel teda hai to hum saale circle hain. Dekhte hain kitne din who hide n seek khelta hai. I got his address in mangalore and apparently this guy has a brother. uske family, schooling etc ka information to maine nikal liya but we need something substantial."
"Mangalore?! To saala Mangalore ka hai, waise I have a couple of friends from there..tu mujhe raat ko sare details message kar and let me get in touch with my friends to dig out some info. I bet usne mangalore mein bhi muh to kala kiya hi hoga. Waise yes, baaton baaton mein I forgot to mention, main jis firm mein kam karta hun, they run an NGO for spastic kids. They are currently hiring people. Ask Nandini if she wants to try her hand."
"Thanks Bro, will let her know. Wo kafi upset thi after whatever happened in Panchgani, and she loves kids.. It might actually work out for her."
The two were busy chatting when Mukti barged in followed by Dhruv and Alya.
"Finally time mil gaya tujhe friends ke liye, haan?" She put one hand around Manik's neck and punched him in his belly with the other.
"Dekh Ranbir, ise kehte hain dosti, na Hi na Hello seedha bimar friend ke pet mein punch." Manik, half bent under the impact of the punch, was grinning from ear to ear.
"Chal Manik, zyada melodrama mat kar... and who are you talking to? Mr. Ranbir Dhawan, who promised to take me and Navya out on a dinner and then conveniently forgot because he was watching Wimbledon. Aur us din se he hasn't shown his face in the fear that we might strangle him to death."
All three of them broke into peels of laughter, but from the corner of his eyes, Manik noticed Dhruv and Alya sitting silently in one corner of the sofa.
Manik went across to their side and enquired "Hey buddy, wassup? How are you Alya?"
"All good buddy" Dhruv replied for both of them and though they both smiled, it felt cold and curt, almost staged. Were they upset with him for not calling them over earlier. But hadn't he called them on friendship day & told them he was out? Whatever it was, Manik was sure would sort out on its own over the evening.
"How is your health buddy, Nandini kaisi hai, you didn't call her?" Dhruv asked and even before Manik could reply back Mukti put in lightheartedly "Please ek din to mushkil se romeo ne hume yaad kiya hai, please don't bring Nandini into this for God's sake."
Ranbir, sitting quietly, maintaining a safe distance from Alya, wondered for a while if the jab at Manik had been too sharp, but then by now he was well acquainted with the funny but harmless nature of Mukti. He knew she meant well.
"Yes, Mukti is right, tonight is for friends, for old times sake... girlfriend to aati jaati rehti hai... Kyun Mukti? "
"Haan beta bolle sare dialogues yanhi, uske samne to teri zabaan chalti nahi"
"But why are you guys so quiet today, lets play some music... it has been like forever...what say buddy? And yes I have ordered chinese, Alya's favourite." Manik tried to involve them into a conversation. Their uncustomary silence was making him feel uncomfortable & with each passing second, he was wondring more and more if he had unintentionally hurt them at any point of time.
"I don't like chinese anymore, my taste has changed and by the way you should have invited Nandini" Alya said, her voice dripping sarcasm, looking straight into Maniks eyes, "Infact you could have also brought in Nandini's...oops your best friend Navya" she turned towards Mukti and then back at Manik "she would have had company here. Waise bhi this is not an Exclusive FAB 5 hangout. We already have outsiders."
Manik and Mukti who were both leaning against each other, straightened up. Manik took a quick glance at Ranbir and reprimanded Alya in a hushed tone. "What are you saying, he is Ranbir, cabir's twin bro." Ranbir on the other hand, sensing the rising temperature, pretended to take a call and casually got up & walked across to the far end of the room.
The gesture wasn't lost on Manik. He clearly understood, Ranbir had done it to save him of embarrassment and this infuriated him further.
"Precisely my point Manik. Why is everyone here behaving like Cabir is back? Its his brother, not him."
"What's wrong with you Alya? This was supposed to be a hangout and you are ruining it, you are being..." Manik was careful to keep his voice low. Now he understood why Ranbir had been skeptical.
Mukti tried to distract Manik, before it soured any further "Rehne de na Manik"
"Why are you stopping him Mukti, let him speak na, so I am ruining it Manik, by being mean?? What was it supposed to be? A hangout , a reunion, or a practice session? And what were we supposed to do, sing along on your tune." Dhruv pulled Alya by her hand, gesturing him to stop, but she just wouldn't.
Manik was shocked. Why was she speaking like this. What wrong had he done?
"Baat kya hai Alya? Whats the matter with you?" Manik shrugged off Mukti's hand and no more cared if he was loud enough.
"The matter is not with me, its with you. Its always about you. Your friends and your priorities have changed. Itne dino se you were with Nandini only. In one month, she didn't tell you once about us, or us about u, till the accident when she needed our support. Then also, she used us and the moment you were discharged, she showed her true colours. Ek taraf she tells us that we will together tell you every thing and fir chup chup ke she tells you everything without even informing us. If this is not having double standards, what is?"
Ranbir felt he had to speak in now, because Alya was blaming Nandini for a crime she hadn't done. "See Alya, it was me.."
"Oh please you to just shut up. You are an outsider. Don't interfere between us." Alya retorted back immediately and Mukti lost it.
"Don't you start with your rants again Alya and he is not an outsider." Manik had by now grown silent, trying but failing miserably to make sense of the mayhem around him.
"Let me speak Mukti. The fact is that we once used to be friends till these outsiders dropped in and took our place. First it was Nandini who claimed Manik, then you became best friends with Navya aur abhi both of you are fighting with me for Ranbir. In sab mein to main exist hi nahi karti. Tumhare decisions to choro, even dinners, trips, night-outs, we don't even feature in them. When was the last time someone asked me, how I am doing?" Her voice was beginning to crack.
But Mukti wasn't going to take it lying down, even her patience was running thin, she had witnessed this way too many times and everytime she thought she would thought and come around, it had only gotten worse.
"May be you never recovered from your break-up with Manik. Your insecurities have become so deep rooted, that you have become this jealous bitch. You are jealous of Manik's relationship with Nandini and my friendship with Navya. They never tried replacing you, you just lost your sanity. Where were you when we set up the meetings, you never turned up, and even when you did, all you did was rant and crib and blame us. " She had crossed the limit, she realized it immediately but then words once uttered cannot be undone. It was the truth, yet she regretted having spoken it out like this.
"This is why you called us here Manik?" At last Dhruv asked.
Alya was on the verge of tears, of all people she hadn't expected Mukti to call her a JEALOUS BITCH. No one really understood her, why then should she care for any of them. "What are you taking about Mukti, if I am a jealous bitch, then you were no better than a depressed wh**e, spending nights with random guys because my brother dumped you."
"SHUT THE f**k UP YOU GUYS!!" Manik literally shouted his lungs out. His head was spinning, his ears were burning with those words. What had become of the gathering, he had so enthusiastically arranged. Were they the same friends he had spent an entire lifetime with, friends who could once die for each other were swearing and spitting at each other. Not even in his wildest dreams had he imagined, he would one day witness something like this. All the camaraderie at the hospital had been a big farce then. May be he was better off without a memory.
Ranbir, too was shell shocked. Even he hadn't expected things to take such a bad turn. He felt guilty, because his presence had in a way triggered this whole mess.
Standing motionless, Mukti was gaping at Alya, still trying to weigh her words... Alya was sobbing, And Dhruv stood there, silent like a lamb, not knowing what to say and to whom.
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