Chapter 19
A couple of days
after Nandini was discharged, Neel rang up Manik.
Neel: "Hey
Manik, wassup man?"
Manik: "Nothing
much yaar. Was just lazing around at home, watching the Mumbai Indians versus
Pune warriors match."
Neel: "Yeah
man, that was some match. Waise if you are not doing something in the evening
we could meet. And then we owe you a treat."
Manik: "Oh
please Neel, we are too old for these formalities. Forget the treat thing and
let's just meet ok."
Neel: "So
there's this new nightclub in Bandra, 'Soho'. I have heard some great reviews
about this place. Up for it ?"
Manik: " Sounds
good... Btw Nandini is coming right?"
Neel: "I have
to check with her, you know girls... they are specially trained at throwing
tantrums."
Manik: "Wait,
let me speak to her and I am damn sure she won't turn me down. Let's meet at 7
then @ Soho."
Location: 'Soho', Bandra: 7.30pm
True to her
character, Nandini arrived at 7.00 pm on dot. The sight that welcomed her as
she walked through the door surprised her. It was too dark inside, except for
the psychedelic neon lights that changed colours in rhythm to the music and it
was not just dark but smoky too. Loud punk rock was playing at deafening levels
and the thumping beats felt scary to her tender ears. Some people were swaying
to the music and others crowded the bar. She squinted hard in the darkness to
find Manik and Neel but couldn't locate either. The ambience was making her
claustrophobic. Y did Manik invite her to such a place when he knew she
wouldn't be comfortable here.
No point blaming
him, she immediately realized. He had lost his memory and with it the sense of
her likes and dislikes. She stepped out of the nightclub and waited for either
of them to turn up but, when even after 30 minutes there was no sign of them, she
called Manik.
"Hey Nandini, I
am just looking for a parking spot. I'll call you in a minute."
He didn't have to
call her though. As soon he got out of his car, he saw her standing alone
outside. He waved at her but she didn't notice, she appeared to be lost in
thoughts. He tiptoed close to her and tapped on her shoulder. Surprised,
Nandini turned around.
"Why are u
standing here? Where is Neel?" He asked.
Nandini: "I
came on my own. Been waiting here since 7."
She looked a little
distracted. Manik pulled her by her hand "Lets go inside."
They sat facing each
other on a corner seat. Manik couldn't help noticing how beautiful she looked
in her simple white kurti.
"So you were
waiting outside for 30 mins?" The music was so loud that he had to
literally shout even though she was sitting right opposite to him.
"Didn't you say
u wud be here at 7?" she counter questioned. She was visibly flustered.
"How stupid can
you be miss Nandini Murthy? Who comes to a 7 pm party at 7 pm?"
"I do" she said and looked away.
Right then Neel
walked in and settled next to Nandini.
He greeted
Manik and put her hand over Nandini's shoulder.
Nandini gave
Neel a cold stare and gently pushed his hand away. From the corner of his eyes,
Manik noticed the tension between them.
"What
sort of a guy are u Neel, u couldn't pick up your fiancee, she was standing
outside alone for half an hour." Manik spoke with a smirk but Nandini
could make out that his irritation was genuine.
Neel was
equally sarcastic. He kept looking at Nandini while addressing Manik "You
are right Manik. Main to vella hi hun. Isiliye to meri fiancee mere sath
nikalne se mana kar deti hai par tum ekbar phone karte ho n she agrees to come
down."..."Hai na nandini?"
Nandini
remains silent while Manik didn't know if it was appropriate for him to say
anything.
Neel
continued "But Nandini seriously who wears a kurti to a night club?? When
will u have some dressing sense, u r my fiancee now, you will accompany me to
parties and if this is how u dress..."
Nandini was
looking down. Her eyes had welled up.
Manik wanted
to get up and hit the guy in his face. He was having a hard time understanding
how could he humiliate his own girlfriend and that too someone as innocent as
Nandini. But he didn't want to create a scene, especially as he was new to both
of them. So instead he decided to divert the situation. He stood up and asked
Nandini for a dance. When Nandini accepted his request and started walking to
the dance floor, he gave Neel one of his killer smiles.
And then
like a chivalrous man, he asked the DJ to play a romantic track in honour of
the pretty lady.
The DJ
played a magically beautiful song.
Song link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5azvXFn-lJ0
Link to the
dance video:
http://linkis.com/ytcropper.com/croppe/BavK9
(lemme know if you
can view this.. DON'T MISS THIS.. And Ur reactions please!!!!)
When they started
moving under the blue lights, her fingers intertwined in his, his hand wrapped
around her waist, the world started to fade out.. They had eyes only for each
other as if nothing or no one else mattered. Every time their hands brushed past
each other, they both felt an electric spark. And not just their feet, even
their hearts tapped along the beats.
For those few
minutes, time stood still. Nandini's accumulated anger of three years & her
humiliation from moments ago simply melted away.
Manik forgot the
very reason he asked Nandini to dance for, he was so lost in the moment. He
felt a certain dj vu, like he had always known her, like they had been here
before. It made no sense to him, yet it felt so so right.
Other people on the
dance floor stopped dancing to look at this electrifying couple.. A drop dead
gorgeous guy creating magic with a girl as cute as a doll..
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