Malhotra Industries.

Employees were working at their desks, One girl got up and walked across the room to her friends desk.

"Shanaya...tujhe meri beti ki tasveere dekhni thi na?" The first girl said. She pulled out her phonr and scrolled through some pictured of a new born baby. "Here she is....Meri Kashvi."

"Aww....she's so cute! Kitni chotu sa hai!" Shanaya gushed. "Yaar Priyal....main kab Ma banungi? Main aur Vishal pichle do saal se try kar rahe hai."

"Tu tension mat le, Im sure tujhe jald hi khush khabri mil jayegi." Priyal replied.

"Last time I checked...main tum logon family planning karne ki salary nahi deta hoon." A voice boomed. The two girls looked up and found themselves face to face with Manik, one of their bosses.

"Sir...hum....bas...woh...main..."

"Get back to your work Priyal....office hours ke beech mein mujhe personal discussions nahi chahiye!" Manik said sternly.

"Yes sir...sorry sir." Priyal said before scurrying back to her seat. Rolling his eyes, he walked into his cabin and started his work.

Then he entered the conference room where his Dad was sitting with some clients. Abhi & Cabir were also sitting there. After the meeting was done they shook hands with the clients and Raj went to his cabin while Cabir & Abhi followed Manik to his.

"Dude....Chachu tere liye ladki dhund rahe hai." Cabir informed him.

"Oh god no....mujhe nahi karna koi shaadi vaadi yaar." Manik groaned. 

"Relax guys...abhi sirf dhund hi rahi hai. Pehli ladki dhundenge, kundliyan match karwayenge....phir dono milenge, baatein karenge uske BAAD rishte ki baat hoga na? So just chill." Abhi said.

"Par dhundne ki zaroorat hi kyun hai? Main apni life mein khush hoon...nahi chahiye mujhe koi...life partner."

"Maybe not now...par kabhi na kabhi you will." Abhi smiled. "Anyways...kahan na just chill. Tera shaadi kal hi nahi ho raha hai."

He then turned to Cabir & smacked him in the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Tujhe kya zaroorat thi Manik ko batane ka ki Chachu uske liye ladki dekh rahe hai?" Abhi asked.

"He's my brother! Main pane bhai se kuch nahi chupata." Cabir replied.

"Oh really? Toh...iska matlab Manik ko mere bachelor party wali baat paata hai right?"

"Kaunsi baat?" Manik asked.

"Nothing...kuch nahi. Yeh toh bas mazak kar raha hai." Cabir said then faced Abhi and glared. "Shut...up."

"Arre par kyun? Bhai hai yeh tera? Usse kya chupana." Abhi smirked. "Manik...Ill tell you. Actually, tujhe meri bachelor party yaad hai? Uss din sab kuch Cabir ne arrange ki...the girls, the booze...sab kuch! Lekin agli subha jab ghar walon ko paata chala na, tab isne saara blame tujhpe dal diya. Tu uss waqt soh raha tha."

"What!" Manik stood up and glared at cabir. "Saale...thats why usse din uthne ke baad ki sab mujhe itna dant rahe they? Tune kaha tha ghar walon ne tujhe bhi danta tha...."

"Nahi aisa kuch nahi hua. Dante khaane se pehle hi he put the blame on you. Usne kahan ki usse toh paata hi nahi tha ki tune woh sab plan kiya tha." Abhi replied. Cabir looked terrified and tried looking everywhere except towards Manik.

"Abhi.." Manik said. "Tu ek kaam kar, Navya ko phone karke usse meri taraf se sorry bol de."

"Sorry? Kyun?"

"Kyunki main uske pati AKA mere kamine bhai ka murder karne wala hoon aaj." Manik ran towards Cabir.

"HELP!!!!" Cabir ran out of the room with Manik chasing him. The whole office watched as Manik chased Cabir around.

"Rukh...tujhe na aaj main chodunga nahi."

"HELP! BACHAO! CHACHU!!!"

Raj came out of his cabin and saw them."What the hell...Manik! Kya kar raha hai tu?" 

Cabir ran and behind Raj.

"Chachu aapka beta pagal ho gaya hai!" Cabir complained.

"Dad he-"

"Bas! Ghar jaa ke baat karenge...yahan sab dekh raha hai Manik. Yeh office hai playground nahi." Raj replied sternly. "Apna apna kaam karo...jao."

"Yeah you're right. Sorry Dad." Manik mumbled. He shot an angry look at Cabir before going back to his cabin as Raj wnet into his. Abhi was laughing his head off and Cabir marched over.

"Abe chugalkhor...what was that huh? Maaza aata hai tujhe mera band bajwane mein?" Cabir asked.

"Haan." Abhi nodded. "BOHOT!"

"Tu agar meri behen ka pati nahi hota na toh-"

"Toh? Kya kar leta? Manik se toh itna darta hai.....HELP HELP BACHAO! Haha....Tera shakal dekhne layak tha....tu mera kuch nahi kar paata." Abhi laughed as he walked off.

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

Later that evening Raj, Manik, Cabir & Abhi returned home and saw that Vikram was watching tv.

"Bade Papa....kya dekh rahe hai aap?" Manik asked.

"The news...Its so tragic. Aaj subha hi ek ghar mein aag lag gayi jismne ek parivaar khatam ho gaya..." Vikram infromed them.

"Oh god...thats terrible." Raj said. 

"Hmm, police keh rahe hai ki its not an accident tho. Pehle uss family ko maara gaya aur phir ghar ko jaala gaya toh hide the tracks." 

"Kitne behrem ho gaye hai na log?" Anjali walked in from the kitchen with a tray of coffee fro everyone.

"Arre bhabhi mera chai?" Raj asked.

"Yeh lo...tumhara adrak wala chai." Nyonika handed him a cup. "Tum bhi na Raj....bakki sab ki tarah coffee kyun nahi peete? Iss ghar mein sirf ek tum ho jisse chai pasand hai aur tumhare liye roz alag se banwana parta hai."

"Ab mujhe coffe nahi pasand toh nahi pasand na...main kya karun?" Raj shrugged before turning back to his brother. "Vaise bhaiyya...pure parivaar ko din dahare maar diya...neighbours ko kuch paata nahi chala?"

"Neighbours ko kuch toh chilane ki awaz ayaa tabhi unhone police ko infrom kar diya par tab tak bohot der ho chuka tha....but actually pura parivar nahi. Their saying, uss parivaar ki ek beti hai jo laapata hai. No body knows ki woh kaha hai par woh bhi subha ghar mein thi...ek neighbour ne bataya tha."

"Oh...Dad they're showing a picture." Cabir pointed to the Tv. Manik turned and saw a picture of the girl he had taken to the hospital that morning.

"Yeh hai Nandini Sharma...Sharma Parivaar ka sabse chota sadasya jo hadse ke waqt se hi gayab hai. Shayad isne attackers ko dekha hoga...ya shayad yeh khud kisi musibat main hai. Agar kisiko yeh ladki mili toh pls police ko infrom kijiye."

"Wait...yeh accident wali ladki hai." Manik said out loud.

"Accident wali?" Nyonika asked.

"Yeah...aaj subha office jaane ke waqt she just ran out onto the road. Aur meri gadi se takkar ho gaya. I took her to the hospital.....and come to think of it. Paas hi ek ghar mein aag lagi thi..."

"Woh shayad apni jaan bachake bhaag rai thi." Barkha, Manik's Mami spoke up."Bechari bachi...jab woh uthegi tab uske paas koi apna nahi hogi."

Manik suddenly thought of something and got up.

"Manik! Kaha jaa raha hai?" Nyonika called after him. He got in his car and drove to the hospital.

Meanwhile the doctor treating Nandini had also seen the news and was about to call the police when Manik grabbed his hand and stopped him.

"Mr Malhotra...aap?"

"Dont call the police." Manik said.

"But...aapne new nahi dekha? Yeh wahi ladki hai jiska family aaj subha-"

"I know! Lekin new mein yeh bhi kaha tha ki she could be in danger. Jab mein isse mili tab yeh bhaag rahi thi....who knows maybe woh insaan kisne uski family ko maara woh uske piche tha...and if you inform the police toh aap uss ladki ki jaan ko khatre mein dal rahi hai. Kyunki woh culprit abhi tak khula ghum raha hai and the police have no clue ke woh kaun hai." Manik said. "I thnk...aapko wait karna chahiye. Jab usse hosh ayegi tab woh police ko apna bayan de degi and they can keep her safe...par tab tak aap aur apka staaf iske baare mein koi bhi information bahar leak nahi karenge..okay?"

The doctor smiled lightly to himself.

"What?"

"Nahi...actualy sir aaj subha jab usse chod ke gaye they toh...humme laga aap kaafi cold hearted aur rude kism ke insaan hai. Par...I was wrong, aap dil se bohot ache hai."

"Whatever...." Manik rolled his eyes and was about to leave when they heard a comotion comig from one of the rooms. The doctor & Manik was alarmed and ran over to see what was happening. 

Inside the room, Nandini was standing on the bed throwing things at the nurse.

"Ma'am! Pls niche aa jayeiye!" One nurse who looked like she was the same age as Nandini tried to get her to come down..

"NO! Aap gandhi aunty ho...mujhe woh bade wale needle lagaoge! I want my Mumma! MUMMA! PAPA! KAHA HO AAP? Yeh gandhi aunty mujhe hurt kar rahi hai!" Nandini was crying and talking like a child.

"Yeh...yeh sab kya ho raha hai?" The doctor asked. Another nurse walked over.

"Sir...mujhe lagta hai iss ladki ki yadasht chali gayi hai. Iska dimaag ek chote bache jaise ho gaya...baat hi nahi sun rahi hai. Jaise hi Sunaina injection lagane ke liye uske paas gayi woh bed ke upar chaare ke aise tantrum kare lagi..."

"Well that complicates things..." Manik mumbled.

"Kya aap usse baat kar sakte hai?" the doctor asked Manik.

"What? Main? She's a complete stranger... meri baat kyun sunegi?"

"Aap hi isse le aaye hai and she has no family....aur kaun baat karega? Iska injection lena zaroori hai." 

"But-"

"Pls Mr Malhotra."

"Ugh...fine." Manik sighed. He slowly walked towards Nandini. "Ahem....um...Nandini?"

Nandini turned to face him, ready to throw her pillow at him.

"No no dont throw! Tumhe injection nahi chahiye na? Thik hai...koi nahi lagayega injection...ok?" Manik said. "Vaise bhi...injections chotu babies ke liye nahi hai."

Nandini looked offended and she jumped off the bed. "Im not a chotu baby okay? Nandini is a big girl!"

"See...."She walked over to Manik and tried to show him how tall she is but of course Manik was much taller than her. Nandini stood on her toes trying to look taller than him but that didnt work. Finally she got annoyed and stomped her foot upset. "You're mean!"

Nandini crossed her arms, and pouted looking away. Manik smirked.

"Arre...par maine kya kiya?"

"You're taller than me! Ab main kaise dikhaungi ki Im a big girl? Tumne jaab bhuj ke kiya na? Gandhe uncle ho tum!"

"Oh hello! Kaunse angle se main tumhe UNCLE lagta hoon?" Manik asked. Nandini looked at him closely then tiled her head to various sides and looked again. 

"Har angle se." She replied innocently. The nurse stifled their laughter as Manik glared at them.

"Well....Im not! Tum mujhe uncle nahi bula sakte. Mera naam Manik hai so call me Manik."

"Manik....I dont like it. Ill called you.....MANNU!!" Nandini replied.

"What do you mean you dont like it? Naam hai mera...tumhare like karne ya nahi karne se kuch nahi hota hai. And tum mujhe koi Mannu Vannu nahi bulaoge."

"Bulaungi!" Nandini argued.

"Nahi bulaoge!"

"Bulaungi!"

"Nahi bulaoge!"

"Bulaungi!"

"Kaha na nahi bulaoge!" Manik said.

The nurses and the doctor watched them amused.

"Dr..yeh bhi dimaag se bache hai kya?" Nurse Sunaina asked the doctor. "Inko ma'am ko mannana tha injection ke liye aur yeh larayi karne baith gaye..

The doctor shrugged.

"See! Maine kaha tha you're mean! Mean Mannu!" Nandini started crying. The doctor pulled Manik to the side.

"Mr Malhotra kya kar rahe hai aap? Woh bahar se adult dikhti hai par andar se bachi hai...araam se baat kijiye na."

"Par- fine...ok." Manik grumbled. He then took out his handkerchief and handed it to Nandini. "Thik hai...you win. You can call me Mannu ok? Happy?"

Nandini happily nodded then blew her nose in the handkercheif loudly before handing it back.

"Um...nevermind, tum hi rakho." Manik said. "So...as I was saying, Tumhe prove karna hai na ki tum big girl ho?"

"Haan." Nandini replied.

"Hmm...par kaise? Big girls jo hote hai woh doctors aur nurses ke baat mante hai....injections se darr bhi nahi lagte unko." Manik replied. Nandini thought for a minute.

"Toh...agar main needle lagaungi then mein big girl hoon?"

"Yep." Manik nodded.

"Ok....main lagaungi needle." Nandini agreed. Manik motioned for Sunaina to come and then he moved to leave but felt a hand grab onto his hand. Looking back he saw Nandini had her eyes shut and was holding onto his hand.

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Thoughts on Manik?