The gang reached Blue Stone Resort and Nandini grinned at her sister in excitement of her plan. Manik went ahead with Cabir to get everyone checked in and then met them at the elevators.

"Ok so here is the room situation. Mukti, Abhi....you guys share a room. Dhruv Aliya, also share one room. Nandini, Navya shares & then there is Me & Cabir." Manik handed out the room keys. "Lets go, freshen up and then pool ke paas milte hai ek ghante mein?" 

"Done." Mukti nodded.

"Ok." Dhruv & Aliya agreed. They all then went to their rooms. Meanwhile, Manik's family also arrived at the same hotel & checked into their rooms. 

"Raj..." Nyo called out to her husband as she set her suitcase to the side of their room.

"Hmmm." Raj, who lay flat on the bed replied.

"Main kuch confess kar doon?"

"Kya?" Raj sat up.

"Actually....yeh trip ka plan mere dimaag mein kaise aaya mujhe nahi paata." Nyo replied.

"Thats ok jaise bhi aaya ho, acha plan tha." Raj shrugged.

"Nahi tum samajh nahi rahe ho....Uss waqt hum breakfast khaa rahe they, baat kar rahe they par mere dimaag mein aisa kuch tha hi nahi...phir achank se maine bole diya ki hum trip pe chalenge, jaise koi aur mujhe control jar raha ho." Nyo explained.

"Tum bhi na Nyo...aisa thodi na hota hai." Raj laughed, not taking her seriously. "Chalo...yahan pe bohot bada pool hai. I want to go there."

Around an hour later, Manik & his friends arrived by the pool side and were shocked to see the Malhotras. Navya was getting a towel from her room so she wasnt there.

"What the- yeh log yahan bhi hai?" Manik muttered angrily.

"Dude...control. Yahan bohot log hai." Cabir calmed Manik down.  Nyonika stood up emotionally and walked to her youngest son.

"Manu....tu."

"Do not call me that." Manik said sternly. "Aur haan...itna natak karne ki zaroorat nahi hai aapko. Mere friends ko paata hai ki humare beech kya equation hai aur bakki duniya ko yeh tak nahi paata ki Rockstar Manik Malhota ki koi parents bhi hai so just save your energy. Kya paata.....phirse mujhpe koi ilzaam lagane mein kaam aa jaaye."

Neha & Kajal took the kids away from there as they didnt want them to see the argument.

"Aisa mat bol....mujhe paata hai ki humse bohot badi galati ho gayi par-"

"Par kya? Kya? Ma ho na aap mere? My so called mother jisne janam diya mujhe! Aapko toh sabse zyada mere baare mein paata hona chahiye tha....then how could you believe all that rubbish? Main sirf 14 saal ka tha aur mere puri family ne mera saath tab chod diya when I needed you the most!"

Nyonika was in tears and so was Manik but he was more angry and hurt. Raj placed a hand on Manik's shoulder but he jerked it off roughly.

"Uss Vikrant ne...mujhe literally drugs ke case mein phasaya and you all believed HIM over me. Manna ki woh Tauji ka beta tha but mein bhi toh aap dono ka beta hoon." Manik replied. He looked to Arjun who had his head down. "Vikrant was your BEST FRIEND na? You were closer in age....aap dono ke interests aur hobbies ek they...maybe thats why you loved him more than me."

"Nahi...yeh sach nahi hai Manik. Tu mera bhai hai...I have always loved you." Arjun said.

"Really? Tabhi aapne ek hi baar mein Vikrant pe vishwas kar liya when he said that I was illegally selling drugs!"

"Mujhe nahi paata tha ki Vikrant itna bada jhoot bolega. Tu hi bol manik...Vikrant kabhi itna bada sazish kar sakta hai yeh tune socha tha kya? Hum usse bachpan se jaante hai and-"

"Toh main kya asmaan se tapka tha? Aap mujhe bhi toh bachpan se jaante they....aapne kaise soch liya that all that was true?"

"We were wrong Manik....hum jaante hai." Raj replied.

"Aap kuch nahi jaante....Just because you found drugs and money in my room, aapne mujhe disown kar diya and agar uss time pe Maasi aur Mausaji mujhe apne ghar nahi leke jaante then I dont even know ki main kya karta! And you know whats funny? Unn dono ko mujhpe PURA bharosa tha....they didnt need PROOF." Manik replied. He then stormed off and his friends followed.

"Oh no....Master toh kaafi gusse mein hai. Ab kya?" Nandini thought to herself as she also followed.

A few moments later, Navya came to the pool looking for the others and came face to face with Malhotras.

"Navya?" Arjun looked surprised. "Tum yahan?"

"Sir!" Navya panicked. "Uh woh...main...apni behen aur friends ke saath aayi thi. Aapne chutti de diya na toh unn logon ne achanak plan bana di."

"Oh....well, enjoy I guess." Arjun shrugged. He & the others were still sad about Manik but didnt show Navya.

At that moment Manik came back as he realized he left his phone by the pool. Seeing Navya talking to Arjun he was confused.

"How do they know eachother?" Manik wondered. He stood around for a couple more minutes to listen to their convo and thats how he found out Navya worked for them. He was surprised but still felt suspicious so he followed Navya from a distance as she quickly ran off. He watched as Navya pulled Nandini away from the rest of their friends and took her to a secluded area behind some trees. Manik snuck closer and hid behind one of those trees.

"Di? Kya hua?" Nandini asked.

"Wahi hua jiska darr tha. Arjun sir ne mujhe dekh liya." Navya replied.

"Haan toh? Aap apne chutti ke din ghumne nahi aa sakti kya?" Nandini asked. "Vaise bhi...Master ne toh nahi dekha na?"

"Nahi." Navya shook her head.

"Phir koi problem hi nahi hai. Just as long as Master ko yeh paata na chale ke yeh sab mera plan hai unko unki family se reunite karne ki." Nandini told her. Manik was shocked to hear this and his was very very angry.

"KYA?" Manik shouted, stepping out from behind the tree. Navya & Nandini turned and were surprised to see him.

"Master? Shit...gayi bhains paani mein." Nandini whispered to herself.

"Yes me....tumhe kya laga? Mujhe tum dono ki yeh stupid plan ke baare mein kabhi paata nahi chalega?"

"Master main-"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU NANDINI? KISNE HAQ DIYA TUMHE TO INTERFERE WITH MY LIFE???" Manik shouted. "Jabse mili ho you have caused nothing but trouble! Kaash tum kabhi mili nahi hoti...kaash I never opened that damn bottle!"

Nandini got scared and ran off crying.

"Nandu!" Navya called after her. She then turned and glared at Manik.

"What the hell is wrong with YOU? Manti hoon main ki Nandu ko interfere nahi karna chahiye tha par woh koi tumhara dushman nahi hai Manik. She didnt mean any harm....woh bas limits bhool jaati hai kabhi kabhi par uska irada pure tha." Navya scolded him.

"Usse limits nahi paata but what about you? Tumne bhi toh uske plan mein saath diya tha na? Tum dono ko paata bhi nahi hai ki unn logon ne kya kiya hai!"

"Hum sab jaante hai....prob more than you!"

"What?" Manik asked.

"We saw the past....aur woh bhi dekha jo tumne nahi dekha. Humne dekha...tumhare parents aur bhaiyyon ki tears, their pain and regret. Itne saalon mein they tried every possible way to speak to you but you ignored them. Tumhara gussa aur dard sab sahi hai Manik but if you think about it....tum unko bhi punish kar rahe ho jinki galati sirf itna tha ke tumhare Dad ke khilaf nahi bol paaye. Arjun sir ne tumpe vishwas nahi kiya....your Dad disowned you par tumhare Mom aur Karan sir ne kya kiya? Haan they didnt support you par uss time pe even you didnt dare stand up to your Dad."

"So what? Duniya mein sab innocent hai...bas main galat hoon?"

"I didnt say that. Tumhari family galat toh hai....very wrong but  aisa toh nahi hai that your family has always mistreated you....Ive seen the past. Bohot pyaar karte they...and you loved them alot too. Aise 11 saal unko ignore karke all you are doing is hurting yourself & them too jabki baat karke apne feelings aur emotions share karke yeh sab thik ho sakta tha." Navya said. "But that's your choice....main yahan apni behen ki baat kar rahi hoon. Tumhe shayad nahi samajh aayega lekin ek Genie aur uske Master ke beech bohot special rishta hota hai....ek Genie apne Master ki true emotions humesha feel kar sakti hai. So tum chahe kitna bhi bolo that you hate your family....Nandini knows that you miss them. Sirf iss liye she wanted to help you out....kyun humari duniya mein ek genie ka pura haq hota hai apne Master pe but obviously tum vaise feel nahi karte. Lekin Manik...agar Nandu ka koi haq nahi hai na toh tumhara bhi KOI haq nahi hai ke tum usse itna hurt karo...uspe chillao aise."

"Look...she is just being a drama queen like always." Manik chose to ignore what Navya said about his family....even though deep down he knew that he really did miss them. "Do minute mein thik ho jayegi and she will be back. But she crossed a line...so I will NOT apologize."

*********************************************************

Soon 3 hours went by and Cabir noticed that Nandini wasnt there.

"Dude...Nandini kaha hai? She has been gone for a long time." Cabir asked Manik. 

"Uhm...maybe she went back to her room?" Manik replied. He was getting worried but he didnt want to admit that. 

"Kuch hua hai kya?" Alia asked. "Navya bhi kabse chup chap wahan door baithi hai and she looks like she might murder you in your sleep."

Manik looked over to Navya who was reading a book a bit far from where they were sitting. From over her book, she kept giving Manik murderous looks and also cursing him under her breathe.

"Its....complicated. I.....may have yelled at Nandini." Manik admitted.

"What? WHY?" Cabir stood up defensively. 

"Haan why would you yell at her?" Abhi asked.

"She meddled in my life." Manik replied, not revealing much. 

"Toh? Im sure she meant well....aur jab tujhe paata hai that she is sensitive then why would you raise your voice? Upar se its been so long aur tu AB bata raha hai..." Cabir scolded Manik. "Paata nahi kaha gayi hogi."

"Poor thing....this is a new place for us all, aur woh itni chotu si, innocent aur helpless type ki hai...I hope she is safe." Mukti added.

"Innocent aur helpless? The Genie Nandini? Yeah right." Manik rolled his eyes. Navya finally had enough and stormed over to Manik.

"3 ghante ho gaye hai.....Im telling you Manik, agar meri behen nahi mili na....I'll.....I'll.....I'll turn you into a toilet seat!" Navya yelled.

"Eh?" Everyone except Cabir & Manik looked so confused because of course they didnt know who these sisters really were.

"Turn Manik into a toilet seat matlab? How is that possible?" Dhruv asked.

"Yeah....how is that possible Navya?" Manik smirked at Navya who was in a tough spot.

"Arre yaar tum log logic ko mat dekho......Mann ki baat samjho!" Cabir saved Navya. "Uski choti behen  3 ghante se missing hai...aise mein who would be in their right mind? Navya bas gusse mein kuch bhi bol rahi hai. She means ki woh Manik ko chair pe tie karke apne shoes se maaregi until.....until he starts crying!"

Manik gave Cabir a WTF look while Navya nodded along with Cabir's story. "Yeh Navya ki mann ki baat hai ya Cabir ki?"

"Cabir...thats....thats not even close to what Navya said." Alia said.

"Who cares yaar...Nandini ko dhundte hai." Mukti said. 

"Haan lets split up....Muku with Abhi. Aliya and Dhruv aur main Navya ke saath." Cabir replied.

"Wait...what about me? Mere saath kaun hai?" Manik asked.

"Teri vajah se Nandini gayab hai so....nobody." Cabir glared.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

TEASER:

"Nandini...what are you even doing up there?" Manik looked up at the tree where Nandini sat.

"Roh rahi hoon! Usme bhi problem hai aapko?" Nandini cried. 

********************************************

ROAR!!!

"AAHH! BACHAO!!!" Manik quickly climbed up the tree as he heard the growl of a tiger.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Thoughts on this chapter?

Leave lots of comments & feedback.