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"There he is! Naveen Anna," Navya and Soha called, and galloped towards the vendor who gave them small discounts for being regular customers – that was at least six months ago, they sheepishly recalled.

He was stirring a huge pot of bubbling oil where several battered and stuffed delicacies were floating away. Upon seeing the familiar girls he had been serving for nearly a decade and as a result had the pleasure of witnessing a beautiful friendship, he had been delighted.

"It's been so long, I thought your group must have shifted somewhere in search of a job or something. Here..." He offered a free plate to the women. While Navya had been somewhat charmed by the offer, especially for a free plate of bajjis post dinner, Soha caught her wavering hand and pulled her to her side.

"Thanks Anna, but we were actually looking for Nandini. You see, we had gone shopping and she told us she was going to buy some food and return, but we are not sure which shop she headed towards. Have you seen her today?"

"I haven't seen her all year!"

"Hey Matarani, yeh kya ho gaya? Woh Aiyappa mandir, wahan pe –"

"Open your eyes, woman! We've been everywhere!" "Raat ke aat baje kaunsa mandir khula hota hai?! I told you this was not a good idea, let's just call the police."

At that exact moment, an expensive car screeched to a halt by the roadside that got onlookers' heads turning. It did not seem like a car of such magnificence was to traverse their lowly muddy trails that could barely pass as roads.

A mischievous man got out of the car, excitedly rubbing his palms. Following him was a posh woman with an expensive handbag by her side who exited the vehicle while flipping her long curled tresses.

Both the middle-class women were in a debate of their own, oblivious to the new visitors who had caught everyone else's eye.

"Apparently these roadside bajjiyaan are so popular, I can't believe we didn't get to –"

"TUM?" Navya exclaimed, her eyes widening as if she'd just seen a ghost. She put her hands on her hips, both surprised and annoyed at the unpleasant chief guest of the hour.

Alarmed by the squeaky voice, Cabir turned, gawking back. "Tum?!"

"Tum?" Soha walked up to the fashion diva she had beef with since college, regarding her with plain disdain.

"Tum!" Alia exasperated with a sarcastic huff, as if Soha had been beneath her class.

Cabir rapidly blinked, unable to believe his own eyes. Gritting her teeth, the Bollywood fanatic yanked Cabir to a side some metres away from her friend and his. "Tum yahan kya kar rahe ho? Humne dekha uss din tumne –"

Basically, he and Alia had spent the last twenty odd minutes debating outside Navya's apartment gate on who was going to take one for the team and reach out to her. Somewhere between their confession exchanges and the long ride ahead of them, Alia had let him in on the secret regarding her brother as well, and why she needed to see Navya. Cabir didn't tell her about Manik, or Nandini, but he did say he contacted Navya during Harshad's arrest for some intel. Then the watchman had kindly informed them that the two braided woman and her close friend had left the premises.

That was just fantabulous, wasn't it?!

How were they going to find Navya in that populated of a town?

Cabir had hinged on only resuming their search once his belly was full, and ever since Manik had deprived him of bajjiyaan in his last trip, he had made it a point to ensure his cravings were satiated before their next move.

Of all the possible odds in their universe, he had to spot her at the first bajji shop he stopped at, wah!

While Ms. Black-and-White Madhubala and the cupid shared their mutual confusion and astonishment, there were two women on the sidelines who were dealing with another ballgame altogether.

"You at a street-shop? Isn't your style more like snorting lines off an expensive car's dashboard?" Soha sassed, causing Alia to bunch her fists to her sides.

Instead, she faked a smile. "Trust me, if I knew I would bump into you, I would not have agreed to this trip at all."

"Huh, don't flatter yourself. Your presence would not have been missed much."

On the other side, as Navya rose her voice again, Cabir hissed. "Shhh... dheere bolo."

Navya eyed her surroundings suspiciously and then leaned in. "Kya dheere bole?! Humaari dost gayab hai, aur pata hai hume poora yakeen hai ki tumne hi kuch kiya hai!"

Dramatically clutching his chest, Cabir made sure to pop his eyes out of their sockets while also squeaking in a high-pitched tone, "Maine?" She briskly nodded. He brought a handkerchief to his face and dabbed the perimeter emotionally. "Madhubala ji, aapne mera chehra dekha hai? Nahi ek baar aap dekh lijiye... sympathise kar lijiye... marrne ke liye hai taiyaar hum... kripya karke bata dijiye, ki humaara isse kya lena dena?"

Navya bit the underbelly of her lip, very unconvinced as she snapped her fingers before him. "Yeh filmy lines bolna band karo, samjhe? Humaare Patna mein tumhaare jaise bohot badtameez mard dekhe hai humne! Batao hume, Nandini kahan hai otherwise we'll go to the police and file a complaint." She threatened bravely.

"You'll go to the police? You'll file a complaint also?" Navya's animated nod pushed Cabir to play her game her way. "Okay," he shrugged, and Navya was on the verge of tasting sweet victory, when he eyed his watch, "You have another three hours and forty six minutes until tonight ends, don't waste another second of your precious time. Unless you want to start your search tomorrow... at that rate, with your budgets and oh of course, gaadi bhi toh nahi hai... no worries, parso tak toh mil hi jaayegi. Good luck, haan?"

Horrified by his timeline, Navya gulped. Thoroughly regretting getting on his bad books, she quickly resorted to another plan. "Ek second ek second... idhar aao!" She called his retreating figure. "Dekho, we won't complain to the police if you offer to help us."

Cabir twitched his lips. "My friend and I are not interested in pulling an all-nighter to look for a stranger, sorry."

Just when Navya was thinking about some ransom payment that would suffice, she remembered how her mother had complained about the sweet box being half-empty when he first arrived at her home some months ago.

Jackpot!

"Haan, two boxes of laddoos. Fresh, and homemade, from the best mithaiwala in this town. Kal subah mil jaayega, yeh Navya Naveli ki guarantee hai!" She spat on her own hand and rose it for a high-five.

Disgusted by the gesture, Cabir stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Hard pass."

"Okay... What about... Breakfast-hopping at Mangalore's best dhabas!"

"Three minimum?" He negotiated.

Proudly, Navya beamed, "Make it five."

Moments later, Navya ushered Soha into the lavish Mercedes that wasn't even hers but she had hyped up so much; it was her first time experiencing such luxury. Her more rational friend on the other hand still had her guard up, stuck between an ugly acquaintance she had the displeasure of knowing and an overly stoic goofball of a man who she could not take seriously.

Navya was indeed crazy to think that duo could help them in any way!

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Will I be disowned from the FD if I say this was one of my favourite non-MaNan scenes to pen down?!?!!? Like cream of the cake types :P

Please do drop some thoughts <3