MANIK MALHOTRA

PRESENT-DAY

Manik was woken up by the sound of seagulls crying. He blinked his eyes, and then checked the time on his watch. He sat up straight in the chair and then realized that he had been sleeping for the last two hours. He had been dreaming about his brother Brigadier General Dhruv Malhotra. It had been a week since he left Afghanistan, to return home. A week since his plane crashed in the sea, while he was returning to the U.S.A. The search and rescue operation, by the Coast Guard and Navy, was on. It was six months back that he had left home to join duty. Six months back that he had kissed Goodbye to his wife Alya Malhotra. 

It was exactly a week back since Brigadier General Manik Malhotra left his home at San Juan Islands North West Washington, to officially resume his duties. He was at the U.S. military headquarters, in Washington, to complete his official work. He had then taken a flight to Atlanta, which took him nine hours, which had now halted there for four hours and would then continue his journey to Kandahar, Afghanistan where he was deployed.

Manik's phone was buzzing. He pulled it out from his pocket, reading the message from his sister Mukti Malhotra.

Mukti: The Coast Guards are probably going to give up their rescue operation tomorrow, searching Dhruv. They might make an official announcement tomorrow. 

Manik: Why?

Mukti: It has been so long. The weather is so cold.

Mukti: They did their best, but Mom is not in a good condition mentally, and Alya just keeps sitting on the beach the whole day, she says she will not leave the beach unless Dhruv comes and drags her away.

Manik: Let me know, what I can do?

Mukti: From so far?

Manik: I will try.

Mukti: I know bro. I miss you and your guidance. 

Manik: I miss you too sis. As soon as I can, I will come and visit.

Mukti: Sure. Bye

Manik: Bye Mukti. Take Care. 

All this meant that the Coast Guard had assumed that their brother had either drowned or died due to hypothermia. The Coast Guard could not keep on wasting their precious resources, on a body they cannot find. Manik felt a squeeze in his heart. 

Even after having undertaken dozens of missions, he had not been used to death. He could not see people dying in his arms. Dhruv after all was his brother. A very good human he was, he had a smile for everyone and never left anyone in need. Frustration burned inside Manik's veins. He could not do a damn about saving his brother.

Manik was missing his entire family. It had been years since they all sat together. Years since they had sat down together, for a Sunday dinner. At one time, the Malhotra were inseparable.

Manik tucked the phone back into his pocket. He leaned back in his seat and looked around to see where his friends were. They might have possibly gone to the food court, but they had left behind their coats and other personal items because the seating area all around was packed. 

There was an announcement at the airport, "Attention passengers of Flight 456, we are delayed for another two hours. Thank You for being patient, and for flying with us."

Manik thought that he had to spend two more hours and wait for the Ice Storm coming from the north, to settle down. Only then could their flight take off, for the final destination. He tried taking a short nap but was again woken up by the sound of seagulls crying. But when he opened his eyes he found that it was not the sound of seagulls, but a baby was crying. 

Manik opened his eyes, to find that a woman was standing at the entrance of the waiting lounge, holding a baby, and she was walking. She was very petite and slender. She had long black hair, hiding her face. Suddenly another woman bumped into her, following which she stumbled but then balanced herself. 

Manik at that moment jumped from his seat, thinking of catching her before she fell. But luckily that woman had balanced herself. Seeing that, Manik settled back on his seat. But then he noticed that there was a purple shadow under her eyes, and she was trembling. Manik observed that she looked very gorgeous, but was looking extremely tired. It was a look that was screaming that she had lost all hope in life. Manik had seen that same look in his mother's eyes when his Dad had killed himself. Manik had hated himself, for not helping his mother at that time, as he was just fifteen years then.

The woman then seeing an empty chair moved towards it, but before she could get there, an older man had sat down. He tried to get up from his chair on seeing the young woman, and in his frail voice said "Young lady you can have my seat."

She smiled at him and said "No, no I am fine. Thanks for your offer." But he insisted on giving his seat. Seeing that Manik felt that none of them should suffer, and he got up and went towards the woman. He said, "Hey Sweetheart, I have found some seats for us." He then shook hands with the old gentleman, and said "Thank You, for taking care of my wife and child."

Manik then winked at the women, smiling at her, and guided her towards the seat. He said that "Our seats are just two rows behind."

The woman's dark brown eyes tried assessing him, and then she said, "If I say yes, what do I have to do for you?" 

Manik replied, nothing. He then offered to help her with her bag. But she refused and said she would manage. He then gave her his seat, and seated himself on the next seat, after shifting his friend's belongings to the next one. 

She hesitatingly asked, "Won't your friends mind?"  Manik replied "Nope." She then thanked Manik, for helping her out. 

Manik smiled at the woman, while his eyes locked with hers for a couple of minutes. But he felt as if he had some sort of connection with her. He then introduced himself that "I am Brigadier General Manik Malhotra, and I am heading off to a war zone."

The women introduced herself as "Nandani Kapoor". She finally sat down on the chair, adjusting the baby in her arms. Manik asked her from which place she belonged? She said that she had come from India, and was going to Birmingham. She said that she was stuck because of the ice storm. She asked Manik, as to which place did he belong to? He replied that he stayed at San Juan Island, in northwest Washington.

Manik then cracked a couple of jokes with her, to put her at ease. He wanted her to know that he was not making passes at her, or flirting with her. Also, she need not worry. Manik noticed that whenever she laughed at some of his jokes, she looked all the more pretty, and she also seemed to relax then.

The baby woke up again while they were talking. She said that she needed to walk to calm down her child. She started talking to the child, "It is okay Aadhya. Darling don't cry."

Manik could hear her stomach growl, and her cheeks looking very pale. It seemed she had not eaten anything for the last couple of days. Manik asked her whether she had her lunch? She replied that she had her breakfast, and was not hungry. But Manik observed that a guilty look entered her brown eyes. Her stomach again made a growling noise, giving away her lie.

Manik joked that "I can spot a liar a mile away." He then said that he was going to the food court, and asked her, whether she was allergic to any foodstuff?

Nandani tilted her chin up as if she had firmly decided, in not taking any help. Manik lifted her bag and kept it on his chair, to save his seat. He instructed Nandani, not to go anywhere, and said that "We don't want that old gentleman to think, we are not a couple, do we?" She did not reply to that. Manik thought that her non-responsiveness meant, she had permitted him to buy her lunch. Manik left for the food court.

He hurriedly bought Pizzas and bottled water for them. He rushed over towards the lounge and found Nandani sitting there. He placed the food parcel on the floor near the chair. He then asked Nandani, whether she cared to join him for the picnic. She smiled at that. Manik then advised her to put Aadhya on the floor next to them, so he could also keep an eye on her. Her brown eyes narrowed, she asked Manik how did he know the child's name. He teased her that "How would I not know my daughter's name?" She replied, "That was not funny." She sat down but still kept the baby on her lap. She thought the carpet was not clean. 

Manik replied "Oh, shit. I did not think about that." He then grabbed his rucksack and pulled out a blanket, wrapped in plastic. He ripped that off and spread the blanket next to Nandani. He asked her whether it was O.k? She nodded and then put Aadhya, in the middle. She then sat with crisscrossed legs and thanked him again. 

Manik replied, "Welcome again." He then said that she should take her pick, following which he would. Nandani took the parcel that was nearest to her, with a bottle of water. She told him, he should not have taken the trouble.

Manik replied that he was happy, that she had accepted his invitation. He then told her to finish everything. Because they never knew, how long they would be stuck here.