N A N D I N I

I closed my eyes as my lips emanated a hiss because Manik just now dabbed the raw ointment on my cut. We were right in the middle of the street in his car since he opted to medicate my minor tear around which dried blood thickened. Opening my eyes, I found him gazing at me but it was short lived since he was rapid enough to shift his focus back to where his fingers were busy pasting that silly band-aid. Apart from the fact that his beguiling perfume was whisking my wit away, I chose to not look at that face because clearly my mind was lurching frail. I tried focusing on somewhere else and that was when a fresh hickey on his neck startled me making my heart jump inside the chest.

Even though I tried to not see it which disgusted me to the core, I couldn't turn a blind eye to it for he was so close touching my forehead. Every time my eyes fell on that mark on him, it pained inside. Did that mean that skinny secretary and Manik anyhow in the party got intimate?

Manik blew some alcohol mixed air through his lips on my forehead having my face in between his palms and I shifted back turning my face away towards the window. It obviously must've bemused him as I could see his palms which beheld my face were still hanging in the air before he balled them resting on him thighs.

"I... didn't mean to push you down." He spoke but I still kept my face completely turned towards the window.

"But you did anyway." I wasn't mad at him for pushing me and cause the slashing design on my forehead but that mark of suction on him was trying my patience.

"But I didn't mean to. I thought it was Dad and I.." He paused seeing me turn my face sardonically to him.

"You would've pushed your father?" I asked scornfully and he looked down at the steering wheel.

"Look, I told you pushing you wasn't intentional and... moreover it's just a little tear. So stop overreacting." He said wearing his seatbelt.

"But hitting your brother who absolutely did nothing to you tonight was necessitated?" I scoffed but in seconds his pale face reddened.

"You don't get to have a say in this." He gritted not looking at my direction.

"I think, I got the say then itself when you chose to take me to the party. It was as clear as the daylight that you picked on him. Deliberately." Unseen by him, I glared and my eyes again fell on the ridiculous mark on his neck. I gulped the lump formed in my throat rolling my watery eyes away. Damn, I wondered how long must have her lips wandered on his skin there. Did he also mark her? Did he like it? Were they going to see each other again? The thought of her lips feeling his skin made me nauseous and I swallowed my pain harder.

"Oh really?" Manik asked sarcastically "Are you sure that you went there with me because I clearly don't remember a single time when you were beside me? And, I'm not at all surprised hearing you take his side, after all, the entire evening you snaked your hands around his arm only." He jeered.

"Why are you surprised after what you did yourself? You took a girl as your date to some place and there you end up making out with some other girl and you're absolutely okay with that. But you're not okay if that girl smiles at your brother whose party it actually was. How nice!" I threw my hands in the air and his lower jaw dropped at my audacity.

"Ms.Murthy, I told you already don't let this date thing get into your head. I took you there just for the sake of it." His words pricked me like thousands of needles. "And you, especially don't have the right to talk about who I was with or anything."

"Then the discussion ends here only, Sir. Let me tell you, it isn't me who initially teased the topic of me snaking arm around Aryaman. If I wasn't a date then you shouldn't have bothered in the first place." I took a moment to meet his eyes and there I saw wrath. "Nobody said or did anything to hurt or insult you there but you... you just ruined everyone's joyfulness." I complained.

I gasped placing hand on my chest as in an instant the wheels of the car were in the air. I gawked Manik fearfully who clamping his jaws together kept driving at an extraordinary speed breaking all the traffic signals and speed limits. The turns he took were so sharp that often my head did hit against the hard window. I requested him to slow down but hearing me, he elevated the speed all the goddamn more and I said nothing more. I sat clutching the seat and my heartbeats steadily until I saw the lane to my house pass by.

"Sir..we're leaving back the lane to my house?" I informed before we missed.

He was too angry to hear me out and I, extremely terrified at the speed to spend any word.

"Sir...my h-house.." I immediately closed my eyes shut seeing a loaded truck from the opposite direction speeding towards us. I screeched until it went past us since Manik dodged it. As I looked at Manik, he still seemed furious and those eyes were firm at the road ahead. Holding the handle above the window, I steadied myself chanting some prayers in my heart.

He covered the distance of thirty-five minutes in ten freaking minutes and I prayed to all possible Gods up in the heaven as the hurricane came to an end since he pulled out outside his penthouse. Quickly as the car stopped, I wasted no time in unfastening the seatbelt and stepping out of it even before Manik; what if he changed his mind! Even though I was standing soundly with both of my legs on ground, my head still felt dizzy because of the speed he rode me.

Throwing the car key at his chauffeur who caught it promptly, Manik took a little walk nearing the entrance of his palatial place until he turned to have a brief look at me.

"What are you doing here?" He was so nonchalant.

I seriously wanted to ask if he'd hit his head anywhere and got amnesia or something.

"What am I doing here?" I gave a half-suppressed mocking laughter "I think I was audible enough when repeatedly I kept begging you to stop the car near my apartment but you ignored like I don't exist."

"Oh" he must've realised what an ass he had been.

"Now I have booked a cab but if you don't intentionally throw me out of here then can I please stand in the porch because the road outside is quite dark?" He surely understood the request was mixed with a tint of taunt.

"Stay the night here." Announcing the same, he turned around.

"What?" He rotated his body to find me look extremely horrified.

"In case you didn't hear me the first time, stay the night here."

"Did you hear yourself?" Because so far I could remember he always was the one to reminding me to maintain a strict professional relationship and nothing else.

"When offered help, accept and don't question." He walked straight towards the door whereas I stood baffled.

"I.. I think I'll wait for the cab." I spoke a little higher for him to hear.

"Yea sure, if you'd like the thrill of getting raped at this hour. But make sure my name doesn't get trapped in any of the legal complications." Saying this right away, he moved inside his house and his staff closed the door behind him.

What.

Did he really mean that 'rape' thing? But I supposed staying with him would be more dangerous than traveling with an unknown cabby. This was when I knew I had to get myself a car soon either on loan or whatever. What was I doing with my life? I was standing outside the house of someone wondering how would I reach mine? This version of myself was heartily hated by me. I stood gaping the concrete ground beneath my feet unsure of what I should do next. I would've buzzed Aaliya or Dhruv but considering the time, I opted not to.

"Save your brain a little bit for office tomorrow." I jumped under my skin. Looking behind I saw nobody.

When looked a little higher, found Manik standing at the balcony leaning his body over the glass railing. He moved his brows up and down seeing me find him.

"No one is a human-eater inside my house. So stop anticipating things and get right in." I gulped feebly and looked behind at the road outside the gate which seemed as scary as a metaphor. Whatever it was, Manik's offer seemed fitter than traveling alone and I gave in.

Even before I knocked, one of his staffs opened the door giving me the view of the enormous luxury inside. I stepped inside slowly and my mouth opened seeing the decor. It was full of exorbitant designer articles which shone under the yellow chandelier and the ceiling was so damn high that I literally had to strain my neck. One thing I got to realise was the huge difference between Manik and me. I walked a little inside gawking the voguish interior design until Manik showed his presence by tilting on the railing from the second floor looking down at me at the ground floor. The button of his shirt were wide open giving the perfect view of his toned chest and abs as he leaned over and I noticed him chewing on something.. probably a gum.

"Ted" Hearing him, one of his staffs dressed in full black stepped ahead nodding obediently.

"Give her the guest room." Eyeing me for the final time, he turned to set his foot inside his room. Suddenly, he took two steps back plastering that ridiculous smirk on his face growing me conscious.

"Has someone told you ever that as the night darkens, weird happens in this house?" It was rather a statement than a question.

I pinched my brows clearly understanding what he tried doing and he tittered wickedly.

"Night, Murthy." He went inside his room.

"Goodnight, Sir." I spoke lowly to myself.

••••

I tried not losing my breath seeing the enormous guest room in which I stood which I knew was too obvious for Ted beside me. Damn, that room doubled the size of my entire apartment.

"Do you need any clothes to change, mam?" He asked politely. Ted was a young man of around our age but seemed efficient enough in nailing down his job; after all working with Manik Malhotra equaled to insanity.

"No, I don't think I'd like to get into gents outfits." I stated. He smiled.

"Of course not mam, all the clothes are ladies." Seeing my dubiously stare blankly, he continued "Actually, all the guests Sir get with himself they leave one or two dresses behind in order they need them the next time they come."

My heart sank.

"No I'll...." I sighed "I'll manage. Thank you."

"Goodnight mam." He smiled pulling the door close as he exited.

••••

I was lying flat on the bed devoid of any sleep. I wondered looking at the sheet beneath that if Manik brought girls to this room also and if they slept on this bed. The single thought was worsening my condition and so taking mind off it was intelligible. I kept looking at the ceiling thinking how quick my life changed. The superstar whose fan I was; the superstar to see whom I stood in the queue of thousands; the person whose posters and pictures filled my walls and diaries was sleeping under the same roof as me. This idea was tingling as well as scary. I was hating myself for not getting any sleep inspite of so much wine being in my system. I turned to my right pulling the duvet close to my neck covering me wholly and kept my eyes closed. Sleeping on different beds was absolutely not my thing. Since childhood, whenever Appa, Amma and I used to tour, I stayed awake at night because own personal bed is truly a personal irreplaceable story. Slowly, I didn't realise when my thoughts silenced and I fell half asleep.

It was some hours later that my delicate slumber broke and yawning my tiredness, I tossed my body from right to left until my core shuddered. The room was pitch black since I couldn't sleep in the slightest of lights but what I saw hazily in that darkness was enough to make all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. The door was little open and through the gap, I could see a pair of eyes watching me sleep. Gasping hugely, I sat up straight with my fingers crazily in search of the bedside lamp; feeling my heartbeats escalate murderously.

The moment my finger clicked the switch on, those eyes were not in my sight. They just vanished and the door was back to being locked. Fuck. I stood up panicked feeling my heart drop to my stomach as no explanation seemed workable.

Sleep was a long forgotten business and I nervously kept walking at length in the room glancing every now and then at the door. The more I stayed inside the room, the more it suffocated me and thus grabbing my phone, I walked out of the room to get some fresh air.

I was about to descend from the stairs when I heard some mysterious instrumental being played in a room. An instrumental that only could be used as background in a murder scene in a movie. I touched the door but it was locked and I bought the hint that it was the leisure time of the superstar.

Clutching my elbows, I descended downstairs making sure I toppled over nothing. Coming closer to the huge kitchen, I found Ted at the open kitchen counter arranging few kitchen stuffs. The moment he saw me, he flashed a professional smile.

"Can I get you something, mam?" He seemed educated and sober.

"No I was.. just... not getting any sleep hence thought of taking a walk." I intimated.

"Certainly, mam. But are you sure because I can make you a very nice coffee?"

"I really won't like you to get clogged so late at night with my coffee."

"It's nothing, mam. I'll be sitting idle now so better I engage myself with some work." I didn't turn him down this time.

I took a step ahead nearing the kitchen while he got busy making me the coffee.

"Don't you go home at night?" I asked.

"We work in shifts, mam." He informed politely. "Since Sir often returns late at night someone has to be here to assist and get him anything he wants." I nodded hearing him.

"Umm... does he b-bring a lot of ladies here at night?" I bit my lip immediately.

He paused pouring coffee beans into the maker and looked up at me.

"He does, mam." He informed seriously and I felt a pang inside. Though I had an idea yet it ached.

"Oh" but that barely came out of my mouth.

"Umm do all of you have access to every room in this house?" I questioned.

"Only Sir is at the charge of every key to each room." That startled me.

"Oh" I looked down and he was busy swirling little sugar.

"Your coffee, mam." He pushed a big mug towards me and I thanked.

"Can I stroll outside at the walkway?" I asked.

"Definitely, mam." He ducked. It felt light having a conversation with a normal human being.

❃

There was nothing more tranquil than the serene light of the nickel-silver disc up from the sky. Lasers of moonlight, as bright as diamond-flame, turned the surrounding a glow-like melted platinum. I drank the peace for sometime yet it felt that some piece was missing.

Unlocking the phone, I deleted Randhir's number after checking my inbox and call list. There wasn't any response from his side which irked me. I checked my mailbox and found one old unsent message to Randhir staying in my outbox. I kept walking at the walkway in the lap of the night and sighing at my thoughts, I contemplated since I was bidding him a final bye from my end, so why not officially? Pressing on the edit option, I deleted the entire previous message drafted and composed a new one.

"It doesn't matter how great you were, or how good you made me feel in the beginning because all you did at the end was break my trust. You may have destroyed my capability to trust someone for your own fun or other motive but you couldn't change me as a person. I still am what I was. I always you used to think you're better than Manik Sir because you were clearer to me but it was the stupidest to think that way. I forgot some poisons are even disguised as sweets. I'm staying the night with Manik Sir here and trust me when I say, I do feel the difference."

I took a turn whilst typing the mail when suddenly the phone dropped from my grip as my body was about to dash against a tall frame.

"Oh my God!" I placed my hand on my heart as the presence of someone especially behind me was least expected. I rose my panicked eyes to find Manik Malhotra standing over my head. God, why was he standing behind me like a ghost!

"It's okay. It's me." Whispering at me, he knelt down to pick up my phone.

Soon as he picked up the phone, the smile on his face seemed to have been slapped off as he saw the notification flashed on my screen.

"Mail sent to [email protected]"

Yet Manik acted as if he saw nothing when he returned the same to me. He looked past me at my emptied coffee mug on the bench and I enlightened him about my sleeplessness.

".....So I was just strolling." I voiced.

He moved his hand ahead gesturing me to walk beside him which I did.

"Does it pain?" He questioned pointing to his own forehead.

"Oh..no. Not really." I informed. He was in black lose track pants and white V-necked tee hugging his broad chest and shoulders.

"How can you always say that whatever Aryaman does is right and I am on the wrong side?" He asked. We were walking side by side with the pace being slow.

"I just say on the basis of what happens before my eyes. I haven't judged you when you had set his room on fire or failed the brake of h-" I froze in my track unsure if I really blurted them out.

He at first, seemed to have been taken aback but in a jiffy composed himself and nodded at me to continue walking.

I didn't want to open my mouth to blurt anything stupider thus kept quiet. I couldn't dare rather. He sighed.

"I... have never learnt to regret." He spoke "Even when I did all those to Aryman I wasn't sorry then, I am not sorry now. You can't survive in this world by doing something which is always right." My legs felt heavy hearing him confess.

"With what else did Cabir warn you about me?" He smirked faintly.

"No Cabir didn't. He never said an...."

"Oh c'mon! I don't mind him telling those because..." he halted turning around at me "I want people to stay afraid of me." And smirked.

The way he smiled was full of so much coldness that it made me think twice.

"Cabir is very precious to you, isn't he?"

"Mhm hmm" he bobbed "But do you know who do I love most in the world?" He glanced at me observing me shake my head.

"Myself." He smirked crookedly. "And it's not any selfish thing to do at all. We all love ourselves the most. It's different that we don't say it aloud in public and I'm bad in the eyes because I do say it aloud."

I smiled pathetically shaking my head looking at the ground.

"What? Share the fun with me too?" He asked letting his body come a little closer to my walking frame.

"Nothing. It's a stupid thought that stroke me. If Cabir is precious to you then his brother, Maddy must be important to you as well? I had alleged him of such a serious thing still you haven't destroyed me yet." My thought made him thoughtful.

"Good question. But you also must know, I care about Cabir because he always has been there for me but I'm under no compliance to take the responsibility of his entire family and every single thing happening to them. I don't care if Maddy goes to hell or anywhere worse. So I won't destroy you till the time you cross my way." He smiled wickedly.

"And someday if I do?" I stopped looking at his back. He sighed and started to leisurely walk back at me. He bent a little coming to my eye-level resting hands on his knees.

"If you stand behind me, I'll protect you; if you stand beside me, I'll respect you but if you stand against me.....I'll ruin you, Murthy." I stifled a breath widening my eyes at him. I was little shook, of course. He laughed throwing his head back seeing me terrified but that laughter was in noway a melody to my ears.

"Go sleep, Murthy." He tittered mockingly.

"I have problems sleeping on different beds." I cringed my nose and his brows rose up as if he found some outlook on it. I tried to correct what I said but it was very late.

"Are you always fucked on your own bed then?" I choked on air at the choice of his words. I could see in between my coughs the way his smirk was growing sharper. How could he just talk to me like that? I opened my mouth to protest but words seemed useless enough as he left me only and only bewildered.

"What?" He shrugged "You're acting as if you have never been fucked." He sneered.

I wasn't Manik Malhotra since it was you and only you since my adolescence. But I couldn't just expose that giving him the key to my insult. 

"I.. I..." Fuck, I should've said a clear yes or no. He kept furrowing his brows studying my answer before his eyes enlarged in amusement.

"How old are you?" He asked seriously.

"Turning 24 this September." I kept my eyes low.

"24? And still a virgin? Wow. I mean.. you seem unreal." He appeared shocked. He gaped me as if I was some alien in his world but clearly enjoyed the state I was in.

This whole discussion was worse and more uncomfortable than the Maddy one.

"Umm.. tomorrow at office, Mr.Singh would be coming with the final script." No guy had ever talked to me this way and left me so wordless thus I didn't know how exactly to respond and I could feel the burn on my cheeks.

He walked away towards the door being quite stunned but chose to turn around and walk up to me. He stood dangerously close to my body rolling his tongue over his pink lips.

"How could anyone never fuck you before?" My eyebrows pulled together at the confidence with which he was asking about my sex-life and that too looking directly into my eyes without any hesitation.

"Why are we exactly talking this?" I quizzed.

"I don't know... Have you seriously never been touched before?" His index finger touched my chin making my eyes forcefully meet his.

"I.. uh.. I think it's quite inappropriate to talk on this subject with you since you are my boss." I walked past him towards the door until holding my wrist he pulled me back and I stood inches away from colliding into his chest.

"Has no one ever made you feel good? You don't know how it feels, do you?" His grip on my forearm was tight yet demanding and his words were making me feel warmer and afraid.

"I.. I-I think my head is paining." Saying that on his face, I briskly freed myself off his grip and scurried.

"Yes sure, 24-year-old virgin!" Mockery was crystal clear in his tone and I slapped my forehead not turning back at him.

Dashing inside the guest room, I fell on the bed with a thud feeling my heart beat in my mouth.

❃

It was early in the morning when I left Manik's house with a thank you note and headed towards mine. I almost resembled a zombie because of my smudged eye makeup and sleepless look. The elevator of my apartment never was functional before 8 in the morning and the time I was getting inside my apartment was 4:30 so naturally, after that entire tiring night I had to avail the stress and strain my heels. Just as I was ascending the final set of stairs to my flat, I stopped in my track and genuinely wanted to run away. I noticed Randhir sitting on my stairs with his head hung low in his hands which rested on his knees. Hearing the sound of my heels, his attention focused at the stair I stood and he stood up with a jerk. I stood there unsure of what exactly I could say or do because he was the same person I was desperate to hear from since so many days and there he was standing right outside my door when I freed him off all the ties. I neither wanted any explanation nor apology from him; nothing but him to leave. Instantly, he was walking up to me and I could tell his face depicted A deep thick layer of worry.

I unlocked the door to my flat without paying any heed to him which he deserved and all he did was gape me silently. Maybe because he didn't expect such coldness from my end.

I pushed the door open and was about to get in when I heard him whispering my name. I ignored that soft call and was about to slam the door on his face when he inserted his fingers in between the door and its closure.

"Nandini, listen to me."

"I'm sorry but I don't think I know you anymore." I tried harder closing the door but all my attempts were in vain because of his strong resistance.

"What the hell were you doing at his place the whole night?" He asked a little louder. I frowned at his audacity.

"Excuse me? Who are you to question me about where I was and all that?" I rebuked.

I tried shoving the door but each time his hand came in between and I couldn't because I didn't want him to get hurt.

"What the hell do you want so early in the morning? I'm not sure if I have anything else to offer you than those footages. So please, spare me now." I used all my force to shut the door but with him still preventing it, was not possible.

"What footage? What.. Wait what are you talking about?" He seemed mystified.

"Oh you exactly know what I'm talking about, so stop pretending because we are already over this pretentious game. You could have straight away asked me and I would have given you the same but you really didn't have to stoop so low. It doesn't suit you." I exhaled angrily failing to remove his fingers off the edge.

"Why are you behaving so weirdly? What is wrong with you?" He studied my desperation, my urge to push him away. Without wasting any word on him, I kept pushing the door close.

"Wait Nandini. Stop pushing me away. Let me get in?" He begged.

"I was never the one to push you anywhere. In fact it was you who chose to walk away and that too without any intimation." I breathed weakly.

"I went nowhere until you wanted me to step aside." Now he was the one to accuse me, how wonderful!

"Whatever! I don't want to hear a single word out of your mouth so just leave me alone for God's sake!" A little tear started to pool inside my eyes as I screeched.

"No, wait. I need to know what the hell did I do for you to hate me so much." I couldn't believe he was acting all innocent and desperate.

"I don't hate you. I just don't like you anymore." I couldn't believe I said that right to his face and truly my heart sank a little see his face drop.

"That's right." He said lowly "That is what I want to know that what made you change your mind. And let me tell you Nandini, even though you ditched me on our very first date, even though you kept me waiting making me look like a fool, I still am not sure if I can say I don't like you. Sadly enough." That had struck on me like lightning. Date? Which date? Was I missing on something?

"Go away, Randhir. I really had a long long night and I don't think I would be able to sustain anymore shock. So, please." Surprisingly this time, he removed his fingers from between the door and looked intently at me.

"I wouldn't force you to do something which you don't want to, Nandini. If you don't want to listen to me, I won't force myself on you. But.. I will be right here waiting on the floor outside your door but I want you to know that I will be patient with you." He stepped back.

Sighing thoughtfully, I left the door open passing him the cue to get inside. For once I wanted to hear him out. I wanted to know where I went wrong before jumping to any conclusion.

After he slowly entered into my living room, I eyed him two take a seat on my couch. But instead, he walked closer to me while I looked sternly at him.

"I give you the chance to speak because funnily enough I wanted to know what excuses you are planning to give me for not picking up my calls, sorry hundreds of my calls." I gritted.

"Nothing makes any sense to me right now, Nandini so I exactly don't know what are you talking about. But all I know is that the direction your going is nothing but wrong." He murmured.

"So... This was all you had to say for which you were blocking my door?" I taunted.

"I want to know something, Nandini. Why didn't you turn up on our date and left me hanging with a single goddamn letter? I thought I would live without your explanation but here I am asking you."

"What are you trying to make up?" I asked crossing arms across my chest.

"To your disappointment, I am not making up any story." He uttered.

"Can you deny coming to my apartment that evening?" I asked glaring my eyes out.

"I did but only when you didn't turn up at the restaurant. I came here after I have waited there for two whole hours." He spoke confidently.

"What date are you talking about? You're starting to confuse me now. I don't-" my voice got seized as I received a bolt out of the blue remembering fixing up a fancy dinner with him at a restaurant on the beach that night. Oh shit. I hung my face low but still nothing made sense in that jeopardised circumstance.

"But I... I informed you? I left a voicemail on your number prior to our meeting time?" I sputtered.

"What voicemail? Which one exactly?" Each word that escaped his mouth was worthy of making my head spin.

"The..." I licked my lips "the one I sent to you that evening .. on your number?" The fluid inside my brain was drying up.

"I lost my phone that very afternoon. In fact that was why, even after waiting for you for two hours at that restaurant I thought of coming here to check on you, in case you failed to contact me because of nonavailability of my number. And when I came here your security guard handed me a note which you asked him to give it to me. Honestly, I found that a little insulting when you wrote in the note that you chose to go out with Manik over me. That thing badly hovered over my mind for quite some time and thus I chose to stay out of contact but tonight when you mailed me harshly that you were staying the night at Manik's place, I couldn't help but fret and come here directly sacrificing my sleep. Look at the time, Nandini and see where I am right now." I felt extremely dizzy.

"I left no note behind. In fact, I sent that voicemail to you saying that I found a clip in my phone which had the recording of Maddy murdering that night. And I know that I had to abruptly cancel our plan but Manik Sir wanted to know in details about that murder drama and that is why I had to choose him over you and that's the only reason and nothing else. I'm not getting a thing." I reasoned.

"Nandini, I'm telling you my phone got lost so how do you think I was able to hear that voicemail? And for a meeting I had to be outside Mumbai for a day. But when I came here to see whether you are okay the way you reacted, acted as a total shocker to me." I took a step back and my body with the thud sat on the chair and I dipped my forehead on my palm.

"I'm not sure if I understand anything right now. I just... I just feel like ripping the hair of my head. My head is going to explode. I thought.. I thought you.. You broke my trust? When I came here to show Manik the phone that was kept safe in my locker, I found everything else to be intact except that phone which had the recording in it. And later when I checked on the CCTV footage, I found only you to be loitering outside my door. I'm sorry but I.. I.. I somehow believed that you're not the one to stab me in the back but all the circumstances were being so hard on me. You tell me what else was I supposed to do and believe?" Tears rolled down my cheeks and he knelt down before me placing his hands on my knees.

"Nandini, if you want I can show you the note that was given to me by your name. And if you want you can also go and ask your security guard who has given me the note that night. The content of the note was so rude that it made me think little if I anywhere went wrong in behaving with you. I will never willingly hurt you." He squeezed my hands and I stayed numb.

"But... What about that footage?" He quizzed.

"What about it?" I smiled sardonically. "It got sabotaged by now probably."

"How can you just give up? Since it got missing from your place, you just cannot be sitting saying what to do." He tried charging me up.

"What exactly am I supposed to do now? Run errands for it? Go to all the possible public and ask if they have destroyed the footage themselves? And next what, prove myself a psycho?" I sounded frustrated.

"No no no, Nandini. Someone who is behind this probably is desiring for such outcome only. If the thing is not done in a straight manner, then I think it is time for us to curve of our fingers. We have to place a finger on the correct nerve so that we can get a clue about what the disease is. Now I feel, all of this has been plotted. A big dirty plot. To spoil your entire progress by far but we need to figure it out... soon." He sounded focused and determined.

"You out of nowhere can simply just turn up and convince me to do something crazy." I scowled.

"God, do you actually still now believe that I would do something of that sort to you? Ever? I know you don't know me very well but I thought we were starting to understand each other but I guess, I was wrong since the threshold. Whatever it is, I want you to know that I will never betray you. I never knew that there would ever come a time where I will need to prove my honesty to someone but to you... I want to and I can do anything to prove my sincerity because you're just not someone to me." He placed his hand over mine while I still looked doubtfully at him. I wasn't very sure after all who was masked and who not. But my heart was totally jammed to figure out anything.

"But what can we do exactly without having our hands on any of the proves? I can't believe it slipped out of my sleeve. All I wanted was justice for that dead man and his family and see where it has brought me. My only intention behind this was not to hurt anyone or show off any big of me but to punish the culprit." I clearly sounded demotivated.

"So we will. We will exactly do what they are dreading us to do." His words left me mystified.

❃

C A B I R

The morning was bright yet cloudy enough for me. We were in this vast field under the sunny sky where Manik was practising his golf skills which he did every Friday. He stood there looking dapper with a cap on his head to tame down his silky maines being dressed up like a true sportsman in white polo T-shirt and white pants coupling with shades protecting his eyes under the Sun. He kept on aiming at the wooden ball lying before his eyes on the ground with a mallet and a hoop at the end. His eyes though covered by the dark sunglasses, the bull's-eye focus through them was evident the way he kept ticking the ball slowly with the hoop setting his aim before swinging it up in the air and throwing it at the direction aimed for. He smirked. I stood there beside him not knowing how to tease the topic of last night. I wasn't present there but I badly needed to know what exactly happened there and if anything happened at all, to what extent did things reach.

"Manik, what happened last night?" I asked straightaway not able to contain this inside me anymore.

His focus was unshakable but I was certain that he heard me prominently and that's why no repeat was needed.

"What about last night..?" He asked scratching his chin setting the farthest target.

"I mean, what happened at the party last night where you went?" The suspense was worthy of choking me to death.

"I will tell you but before that you will have to hit this ball to that flag." He passed me the stick indicating the farthest flag. I sighed not understanding his wicked games because Manik Malhotra was a whole new chapter each time. What he did.. when he did was a puzzle of its own. If I wanted, I could easily decline but I couldn't risk pissing him off because then he would be determined to not tell me anything.

Half-heartedly I held the stick and hit on the ball quickly but to my dismay it it went to some other direction. Manik twitched his lips.

"God! I never knew you were so terrible at this. No worries, I'll teach you how to play this." He took back the possession of that stick from me.

"But before that answer what I asked." I was turning a puzzled shit by the delay because of his entertainment glitch.

"Nothing much. Champagnes were popped, salsa happened and oh, out of nowhere Justin Bieber showed up at the party singing 'Cold Water', can you believe it? Because I couldn't last night." How much more ridiculous could this man actually get?

"He spoke in a Canadian accent hinting on me about my last Canadian girlfriend who dumped me for an older woman." Manik tittered as I frowned.

I furrowed not knowing what kind of expression should I exactly give to him because of the absurdity he spoke.

"Manik, c'mon brother? I'm asking you something. Do I not deserve to know this at least?" I tried giving him a little emotional strain.

"I know very well what you're trying to do there, my brother." He ridiculed. "Don't forget, I live 10 steps ahead of your thinking." He scoffed but in a normal tone. He repeatedly kept hitting and succeeding in bagging his target.

"Now listen to me, you. I will teach you how to hit your target and trust me there is no better person to train you about hitting a target." He curved the corner of his lips in a smirk.

"Alright. Fine, I give up." I allowed him to carry on.

"Before you swing, don't pull the trigger until you get this right. I never work on the range without alignment sticks, but assuming you don't have any, you can use anything with a straight line to make sure your clubface, feet, hips and shoulders are aligned to hit your target. And when you...."

Out of nowhere, Abhimanyu popped in sweating like a slave and Manik gave an irritated look to that moron.

"Sir..." he coughed not having caught on his unstable lungs. But whatever it was, he looked extremely worked.

"Finish before I replace this ball with your head." Manik pulled his stick higher in the air about to sweep the ball. I chuckled.

"Sir.. Nandini..." and that name was enough to set my organs on alert mode. She was a perfect troublemaker and whenever a new day started, I stayed in apprehension of her creating a new problem for all of us. God knew what kick Manik got by employing that fool!

"What did she do now?" I asked impatiently whilst Manik was too arrogant to enquire.

How I wished Abhimanyu would declare she got ran over by a car or something! Abhimanyu gave me a petrified look before gulping down the dried saliva. No matter how idiotic he looked anyway, it appeared to me that something about that time was quite grave the way that stupid kept escalating my pulses with all those scared gazes.

"Sir, Nandini filed a complaint against Maddy and the cops already got him arrested some twenty minutes before." That shook my world.

That bitch.

I yet took a little bit more time to grasp if I understood correctly what Abhimanyu said but in the next moment, I wanted to slit the throat of that stupid girl brutally. I wanted her dead.

"Manik? How dare she? Did you hear what she did? I swear I'm gonna..." I clenched my jaw tightly. I so wanted to strangulate her, had she been standing before me then. Manik made no movement except his eyes which kept living on the ball.

"When you add tension to your body, either out of stress or because you're trying to hit it really hard, you throw off the natural rhythm of the swing." Saying this he swept the ball off the ground throwing it exactly at his aim. The ball flew higher in the air and stopped near the farthest flag marking Manik's victory.

What-the-hell-Manik-Malhotra-was!