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After a few hours of travel in the vegetable van I saw the fog started clearing and the bright day came into my view. It's my first time to stare at the clouds doing their work. So this how a day works! I was always asleep during this time and wake up usually around ten or eleven in the morning. Now I regret missing this noiseless hours before the sunrise and I plan to do so from this day. 

The van came to a halt and I peeked to see enormous metal gates in front of the vehicle. Around ten guards were checking the van, each guard with a different type of detector were circling around the van. As soon as the vehicle in front of us was approved it was our turn. Within few seconds the guards rushed towards my van and started moving out all the vegetable bags. 

"Drop your weapons!" They screamed at me as soon as I came to their view. 

I looked around and found no weapon with me. In fact I am just eating a cucumber and I said the same, "It is cucumber not weapon."

"Put your hands behind your head and slowly come towards us. Do not try to be funny, you are surrounded by all the snipers in the mansion." The bulky guy in front said and I looked around to see literally 100s of men were pointing their guns towards me. Really?

"Dudes, you all have weapons on you not me. I am the one to say 'drop your weapons'. All I have is a half eaten cucumber." I shouted so that all the men in the back could hear.

Boom!

I closed my ears when someone shot their gun in the air. Oh Boy! It is getting serious. I mean giving a gun to stupid people like them would result in this anyway. How can air be the target to shoot? Wait, did he shoot the cloud so that it will break and rain? 

"Enemy is barehanded. No weapons found, you can move forward. Over." Somebody announced to their walkie talkie and they marched towards me. Two guys dragged me down and tied me to the chair in front of the mansion gates. "Who are you?"

"I am Nandini Murthy. Daughter of the Murthy Mafia. I am here to meet Mr. Malhotra, my would be husband." I said in a no nonsense tone. 

As soon as they heard my answers all of the guards chuckled and put their guns down. Most of them left the place resuming their duty while a handful stayed near me. 

"Look dear, its only eight in the morning and our shift is about to end. So don't make the jokes and leave as early as possible. We promise the next shift guards won't be as cool as us." The bulky guy said stifling his laugh.

Cool? The walls of my bedroom are cooler than these guys! 

"Okay dear, its only eight in the morning and I am hungry. Now let me meet Mr. Malhotra and speak with him in peace. I promise my hunger won't be this light in the next few hours." I replied. 

"Don't say we did not warn you." He taped my mouth and picked me on his shoulders. "Throw her in the tent with others." 

Others? Throw? What am I? A football?

I struggled so hard to run out of his grip but this bulky guy was too strong. They opened the zip of the tent and my eyes went wide seeing so many women around my age inside the tent. They threw me on the soft cushion on the floor. The women tried to escape as soon as the zip opened but the guards pushed them back and closed the zip. 

All the women now looked at me with curious eyes and some with visible disgust. I tried to point them towards the tape over my mouth but no one came forward to open it. I wiggled on the floor to remove the rope tied on my hands. All of them looked at me as if I was performing a belly dance. 

These women were dressed in different types of clothes. Some of them even dressed in a bridal attire. One thing I noticed is none of their hands or legs were tied, mouth not taped and no body got tiniest blood stain on them but all of them were in disheveled state. Their hair were messed along with the makeup.  Still they are not talking with each other. 

I don't know for how long I tried to remove my ropes but it was unsuccessful. The zip of the tent opened and all the ladies tried to escape but they were pushed back and a new woman was thrown inside. The zip was closed and all the women eyed at this new lady dressed as a traditional Christian bride along with me. 

She signaled everyone to remove the tape on her mouth but no one budged. I crawled towards her and she spooked. I signaled her to open my tape as well. We both agreed to each other and removed the tape over our mouth. We next untied each other and freed ourselves. We hugged each other with happiness beaming our faces while the other women scoffed. 

"Thank you, dear. I will make sure you are freed once I speak with my fiancé." She said and I was relaxed to meet someone who can help me. 

"Where is your fiancé?" I asked. Hopefully he is alive and doing good. This poor woman came directly from her wedding, even could not change her attire. 

"Mr. Malhotra is in the mansion." She blushed. 

"How did he become your fiancé?" I questioned.

"Well I am Nandini Murthy daughter of Murthy mafia and my parents arranged my marriage to Mr. Malhotra. But due to an earthquake all my family is dead." She sobbed. 

What the fuck was that?

"Girly, I think you are mistaken. I am Nandini Murthy daughter of Murthy Mafia and my arranged my marriage to Mr. Malhotra. Someone killed my family and they are dead not because of earthquake." I explained.

She looked shocked but immediately gained her composure, "I think you are mistaken miss who ever you are. I am Nandini Murthy."

She is really getting on my nerves now. "If you are Nandini Murthy, then am I Shinchan?"

She looked closer and agreed, "Could be, you look like Japanese."

That's it I lost it. I held her hair in my hand and pulled it. "If I am Japanese what are you? Mother Mary?" 

She also pulled my hair and screamed, "I am Nandini Murthy you freak!" 

That's it. I am not going to leave this woman. She is clearly a fake person trying to steal my identity. We both screamed for help while hitting each other. The other woman joined not to help us but to surprise me more. 

"If you both are Nandini Murthy, then who the hell are we?" They pulled our hair as well. Everyone is claiming themselves as Nandini Murthy daughter of Murthy Mafia. But all of them agreed that the Murthy Mafia is dead with earthquake. 

What the hell is happening?

Once we lost all the energy all of us stopped pulling each others hair and leaned on the tent. All of us were panting, sweaty faces, messy hair and smudged face. I now understood why they looked like this earlier. So all of them were fighting over this issue. 

Once we regained our energy we got ready for another round of fight but stopped as soon as the zip of the tent opened. I tried to run out of this tent away from all these stupid people but was pushed in the crowd as all tried the same. The guards pushed us back and threw another lady into the tent. She was dressed as Indian princess her hands tied and mouth taped. She signalled at everyone to untie her but we did not budge. I clearly know what is the outcome. She must also be Nandini Murthy. Oh! I understand why they did not untie me earlier. 

I am surely in danger! 

Nearly ten more women came after me dressed in different costumes all trying to be Nandini Murthy. We fought every time someone untied and announced their identity. By this rate some of us are going to be bald. 

Only Mr. Malhotra can tell our real identity. That is the only hope left. 

A few minutes later the guards threw the food packages for us to eat and closed the zip of the tent again. I immidiately opened the seal and began eating. It was a chicken meal, with some fried vegetables. It was very tasty. 

"You can not buy my truth with the food! I am Nandini Murthy and I prefer to die with my identity instead of eating your bloody food." The lady dressed as a Christian bride shouted. 

Wow! I should have said it instead of eating like a pig. 

"Your food must be poisoned to kill me. But I am real Nandini who will think thousand times before eating the enemy's food." Another lady said. 

Wow! This also sounds so good. All the other women gave their own reason and did not eat their food. They all are so smart. I should have done the same. The women looked at me and I decided to speak the same dialogue. 

I cleared my throat and announced, "Nothing can tempt the real Nandini Murthy, not even your food."

They looked at my box in my hand and I looked down to notice it is now empty. Did I really finish the entire food in a matter of seconds? I smiled sheepishly and they rolled their eyes at me. Damn! Why can't I be like them?

I felt the need to prove my identity but at the moment I was too focussed on the food boxes. I managed to eat 4 boxes of food and I am full. I tried to ignore their eyes on me but since they don't want to eat it's better that I eat instead of fighting with the new entries.

This time they opened the entire tent and all of us squinted our eyes with the direct sunlight. It must be afternoon considering how bright the sun stood above us. The guards stood around us in a circle with their guns still pointing at us.

A lady in formal black dress was surrounded by maids and guard stood infront of us. She took a brief glance on us and announced her arrival, "I am Niyonika Malhotra, mother of Malhotra Empire."

Within a second everyone except me fell on Niyonika's feet. "Mother in law, please save me. I am the real Nandini Murthy." They all said in a union.

Niyonika did not respond but looked at me eating the food without giving two hoots about her. She approached near me and stood a few feet away.

"What is with your attitude, Girl? Don't you see, I am the mother of Mr. Malhotra?" She sounded offended that  I did not fall on her feet.

I took a close look at her again, she was a few inches taller than me and had flawless makeup on her perfect face. Her body was well proportioned with not an extra inch of fat visible. She must be in her late 20s to early 30s nothing more than a day.

"Oh please, now do I have to witness imposters of Mr. Malhotra's mother? I am already tired of all these fake Nandini Murthy and I can't tolerate another set of Niyonika Malhotra." I said shaking my head.

Her eyes turned red. "I. Am. Niyonika. Malhotra."

"Look girl, you don't look a day older than 30 years and you being a mother of Mr. Malhotra is impossible. Unless Mr. Malhotra is 2 year old kid." I said and her eyes softened. There was a red tint on her face now and a soft smile was playing on her face.

"You are a smart one, aren't you? Everyone are busy pleading me and you are buttering me." She walked out and faced towards all the women.

"All the ladies here, do not waste your time. The real Nandini Murthy has already met us a day ago and narrated the scenario. We think someone leaked the story and you all are with the same reason." Niyonika announced.

There was a huge whispering around for a minute and all of us began questioning, "We don't believe you, it's all a plan to send us away."

"Show us the real Nandini Murthy." I screamed along with them.

That's it. I need to see who started all this mess. I am already in trouble and this so called imposter has added another issue to deal.

"Well then, I present you, our future daughter in law, Mr. Malhotra's wife and the woman who would carry forward the Malhotra Empire, Miss Nandini Murthy." Niyonika introduced and we all turned towards the sound of the heels clacking against the floor.

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Precap

Hey Pearlies, how are you? 

How's the update? 

Who is the Nandini Murthy in Malhotra mansion? 

What exactly is happening here? 😉