t w o
"I feel like girls who drink whiskey have good stories"
~Atticus
M A N I K
"Heartbroken heart breaker, that's what they call me. They think I rule the dark world but only I know how much I fear that darkness," she said while gulping down the liquid at once with an expression that said it didn't taste good at all but nevertheless. After putting the glass down she looked at me with a smile and asked if I wanted to dance. I nodded negatively and she shrugged casually before making her tipsy form to the dance floor already crowded with people.
Strangers. It's sometimes good to hear out their story. Some make you laugh, some make you sleep and some show the hidden reality of life.
It's strangely peaceful listening to others' experiences, connecting to their life characters and blending in their words, and brewing your own thoughts about what might have happened ahead. And getting all curious to know more.
"I know the most active part of a person's body is the mind but that does not mean you think so much that forget the surrounding. You are drinking from an empty glass Manik. Let your mind rest at least in this noise of the club." and this brought me out of my train of thoughts.
"Can you please for your brother's sake put your train of thoughts to rest at a station for a while"
" So Mr. Abhimanyu Malhotra, you got time for your brother too. How come you left your girlfriend that too to spend time with me? " he rolled his eyes at me before turning to the bartender and asking for shots. Wait, really?
"Don't tell me you broke up with her. Did she dump you? " but he started to gulp down the shots one after another totally ignoring me. I snatched the fourth shot from his hand before he could gulp it down.
"What's wrong?" he looked at me with that dramatic look and then eyed his shots in my hand. But he just received a glare from me.
"Yes, she dumped me. " finally, he spoke those words which my ears were dying to hear "That too for her best friend. You know she didn't even acknowledge my presence and was busy talking with her long-lost best friend. " he and his dramatic way to express anything. I wonder if he is my big brother or I am.
"So, marriage canceled?" and that look on his face was too funny. Trust me. His eyes were wide like saucers.
"What canceled Malhotra? Why are you behind my marriage? " and before I could speak he continued with his silly assumptions. "Don't tell me you are jealous of My Mukti that once she gets married she will get more of my attention than you."
"Whatever.." he smirked at my reply but I am not going to lose big bro..."I don't know about the future, Malhotra but I am sure you are jealous of that little devil, am I right or am I right?"
"Nope. You are absolutely wrong. I am not jealous of her but I feel grateful for her. Cause whenever the topic is about Nandini, Mukti has that true smile and the shine in her eyes which is a very rare sight. I too can't bring that shine in her eyes and glow to her face. " he spoke with a smile and I too smiled, a genuine one for their bond is so pure and not everyone gets that bond.
"Also, there are points where I can't know what Mukti is thinking or going through but Nandini can know at an instant. They don't even have to be face to face; they can know what others are going through just through the way they text. I can't even know which emoji means what." truly their bond is beyond words.
"Now, you tell me what you think about Nandini?" he asked out of the blue.
"What do you mean by that?" he suddenly seemed serious and I know this is going to be a long talk not a serious one though cause this person sitting in front of me is anything but serious.
"Anything. Like you describe Mukti, I want you to describe Nandini." okay, now I am confused about what he wants to know.
"Umm...Nandini is her best friend. Err...She is a doctor by profession." but before I could continue he groaned in disapproval.
"I know that Manik. I want to know what you think about her character, personality." and what that means. Sensing my confusion he continued.." Tell me about the naughty devil she is."
"Naughty devil. Uff, she is one hell of, what you call 'aafat ki gudiya' . Though I have never met her, whatever I have known from Mukti's description I can say that whenever I will meet her I will land in some kind of trouble. And I got to know her pranks are too much. She can do anything. I don't know what she will have done if this was a big fat Indian wedding. Thank god Mukti wanted a simple white wedding with just close ones but still I am sure she will do something big. I don't know what's so special in her that your girlfriend is so fond of her. " before I could continue he spoke.
"Mukti is fond of her because she is all Mukti has. And this bond is not new for me as I have seen this kind of bond before too." and I know where this was leading too..."ManBir were exact same Manik. "
"Not the same Abhi. I can never be like Mukti."
"But Nandini is the same as Cabir. Naughty but not fake. She is what she is."
"I don't want to talk about it bhai."
"Then, listen to your Bhai. Call him at the wedding. There is still a complete week and it's enough for you to track his whereabouts ."
"I don't want to."
"You don't want to or you can't. " I didn't speak after that. So he only continued,
"Tomorrow, I have a meeting, and Mukti is going to join me for that as my assistant. So, you have to be with Nandini and show her around as she is new here."
"Me and that devil. Never."
"Manik, I am not asking your permission. I am saying about my decision. "
"You know I don't go against you then.." but he cut me off,
"Yeah I just saw that before some time." and it was clear he meant about Cabir.
"Spend time with her, know her then see if she can make you see hell in a day or not." he winked at me. What am I, a girl?
"Arggg, It's going to be a long day tomorrow. " I groaned while he laughed at my expenses and asked for four more shots.
She was the reincarnation of a naughty devil.
And somewhere he too knew,
~˜"*°•.˜"*°• ~A true naughty devil is far better than a pretty fake angel~˜"*°•.˜"*°• ~
ᴅᴀᴛᴇ: 2ɴᴅ ᴏᴄᴛᴏʙᴇʀ, 2019
