Chapter 4D
Fab 5 wanted an answer to only one question : About the events that led to Nandini's this condition.
They tried for 2 days but didn't succeed in gathering any information. They wanted to give up. But it seemed like God heard their wishes, because...
"Bakra mil Gaya," Cabir said, catching Fab 4's attention and pointing at something, or someone.
Walking towards Fab 5 from the opposite direction, reading some file in his hand was none other than Harshad. Glancing towards each other, they smirk in a victory.
Harshad was walking down the hall, looking at the files that had some last minute changes related to the competition 'Dhun', that was to be held in less than 3 weeks. He was so deeply concentrating, that he didn't realise until someone pushed him from his left. He lost his balance and fell to his right in the impact, knocking some room's door and opening it. He fell right on the floor inside the room. Thankfully the papers were filed in a folder so they did not scatter anywhere.
"The hell?" Harshad said, looking up from the floor at someone who entered the now empty room. They were Fab 5.
"Are you mad? And why the hell did you push me inside this room?" He said, getting up from the floor and dusting off some dirt from his pants.
"You do realise I'm your Vice President now? So you should think before-" He was cut off by Manik.
"Just tell us about Nandini's condition. Why is she so..." He trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"...Injured?" Cabir completed his sentence. Manik looked at him in gratitude for a moment before turning his attention back to Harshad.
"Oh, so NOW you want to know about her injuries. Why? To make fun of her? Naw, may be to hurt her more? Or to make her fall off this building? Or may some other evil plan in that sick head of yours?" Harshad spoke in a venomous voice. Fab 5 flinched at his words. But before they could say anything, Harshad continued,
"I swear if you do anything, I will-" He was cut off by Manik. Again.
"Harshad, Harshad. Relax. We just wanted to know because..." He again trailed off not knowing what to say.
"Because you care for her?" Harshad said, before giving a humourless laugh. When he finished, he spoke in a cold, low voice.
"Just stay away. And there is no need for you to know anything Manik Malhotra!" He was screaming by the ended speaking. Manik had a baffled face. He wanted to know so badly.
"Harshad, just tell us. And..." He trailed off. Again. He had a pained expression on his face, which caught Harshad completely off-guard. Manik sopke again.
"And I promise I'll never trouble you again." This took Fab 4 by shock, as they stared at the back of Manik's head.
"What? Um..." Harshad was speechless.
"I'll fill ya in on what happened?" Came a sweet American voice from the entrance, making everyone turn their heads in that direction. There stood Nandini, with crutches in her right hand. She managed her way inside the room, and Harshad immediately pulled a chair out for her to sit. Giving him a small smile, she sat down, now facing Fab 5 with Harshad by her side.
"After you guys left the warehouse..." She said, narrating the events that took place.
FLASHBACK (1 week ago)
Nandini's Point Of View
I sat there, watching as my life, my only hope to survive, burn to ashes. I was crying, and thinking that I was breaking my promise of never crying makes me cry more. I see as the whole diary has now turned to gray residue. Sobbing, I reach out to the key and unlock my handcuffs.
Wobbling my way out of the house, I reach my car and unlock it. After getting into the driver's seat, I close the door and cry, cry to my heart's desire.
This is it. This is my breaking point. I thought, as all my pain, hurt feelings that was locked inside me from everything that happened in past months finally finds its way out. I continuosly bang my palm on the steering wheel and cry. My tears won't stop flowing down my face.
It must have been more than an hour with me crying outside the warehouse, when I decide to head home. Sniffing and wiping my face with my long sleeves, I put my car in reverse and head home.
I'm driving crazily. But I don't care. My only agenda in my mind was to get home. After driving in an impossible speed, I reach home in 10 minutes. I'm saying impossible because the warehouse and my house are in complete different place and it mostly will take almost half an hour to drive. Getting out of my car, I enter Hope Mansion while rubbing my face harshly with my sleeves. It was almost past 10, but nobody was home. I didn't know if it was a blessing or not.
My legs then walked me in a direction I swore never. But then again, I already broka a promise of not crying, what's the harm in breaking another one of my promises?
I stopped when I reached the place. My emotions were over powering me, it was controlling all my actions. But then again, I was too hurt to contemplate anything. Grabbing whatever was in front of me, I took the cap off and gulp it in one go.
Ah... The beer travelled down my throat, creating a familiar sensation of burning. I missed this so freaking much. And then, I drowned in alcohol, taking its help to make me forget everything that has happened today or everything that has ever happened in my life, and make me numb of all the feelings of hurt, pain, sorrow and the helplessness I was feeling.
And after some time, I must have gulped more than 8 bottles of wine, vodka, or whatever drink I grabbed from the bar in my house, as I sat there and drowned in my pain. Then I was feeling so angry, I stood up from the bar stool and smacked the bottle with my hand on the top. And I sighed feeling content, as I felt the small pieces of glass under my palm, with blood oozing out of my palm. It was it, the physical pain was diverting my attention from my mental and emotional pain. I slid down the front of the bar.
But then everything came rushing back, my childhood times in New York, my happy moments spent there, and most importantly, the diary... I stood up from the floor. By then I was fully drunk, but I needed to get out of this house. Stumbling my way out of the house, I take the support of the car's door before opening it.
"Nandini bitiya!" I heard someone say making my head whip to the owner of the voice. It took me a while to see who it was. as my vision was blurry. But when it cleared, I recognised the person. It was Ram kaka. He came running to my side. But as he reached me, he took a step back and cringed slightly. I guess I was smelling of alcohol. But he came forward and with a worried face said,
"Bitiya. Aapne bohot pee rahi hain. Is haalat mein gadi chalana theek nahi."
Who the hell does he think of himself? That I, Nandini Murthy, can't handle even little drinks and also can't drive drunk? This bloody driver... I thought of yelling at him for saying that, but there was a very tiny part of my mind nagging me that I shouldn't say anything now and keep my mouth shut as I may say some really harsh things and regret later. So instead of saying anything, I got into the car, and pressed the gas, accelerating forward.
I was driving real crazy. Even my drunk self knew I was breaking the traffic rules. But I didn't care. All I wanted at that moment was to get away from this life, these memories of joy, everything. I just wanted to get away. I didn't realise until it was too late that a truck was coming towards me. So I took a sharp turn and rammed straight into a tree. My head hit the steering wheel, but due to the seat belt, I pulled me back.
This was it. I thought as I saw an angelic face in my mind. It made me smile, as something flowed down my head. It must be blood. And that was the last thing before darkness surrounded me.
End of Nandini's Point of View
END OF FLASHBACK
"...And the next thing I remember, is me waking up, in a hospital, with a twisted right ankle, a fractured left arm, some small injury to my right hand, 2 broken ribs, internal bleeding in my head and a small cut to the left side of my forehead." Nandini finished, reminiscing the horrible events of the past week.
And on the other hand, Shock would be an understatement in the case of Fab 5.Nandini's voice interrupted their train of thoughts.
"Now I hope you got all your answers." With this, she stood up from her seat and lost her balance, but Harshad was quick to support her. She smiled at him and was about to use the crutch, but Harshad took it away from her.
"I know how much you hate it. Come on, I'll take you to your car." He smiles warmly at her. And she nods, feeling lucky to have been blessed with such friends. Wrapping her right arm carefully around his neck, and his hand securely wrapped around her waist, they make their way slowly to the door. Fab 5 just stood there, not knowing how to react. Reaching the door, Nandini stopped and looking over her shoulder, she said,
"FYI, there are less than 3 weeks left for 'Dhun', so start practicing." With this, she left the room with Harshad.
Fab 5 were still processing everything in their mind. They were literally shocked. And guilty at the same time.
Sure, they did play pranks, a lot of them, but they always had it covered no matter what. There was this one time last year when they found out thata guy named Shahid had a thing for Mukti. So to teach him a lesson, they tricked him right into their trap. And the next day, his nude pictures went viral. He even got to the terrace of SPACE Academy to commit suicide. Even then, Dhruv was hiding in the terrace incase anything bad did happen. But somehow, he did not jump of the terrace.
So they never imagined that a prank will ever go wrong. But it eventually did. And now, they are feeling extremely guilty and terrible for being the reason behind Nandini's this condition.
* * * * *
Hey Guys! I know that I did not update for 2 weeks. But it's my exam time. So please bear with me.
Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. Please vote. And comment (Guys I love to read your comments or views about how the story is taking shape. So please DO COMMENT.)
That's all. And Happy Ganesh Chaturthi to all my Indian friends out there.
PLEASE MAKR SURE TO READ THE NEXT POST BELOW... IT'S IMPORTANT
Anupamaa
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