GolMal (Complete✅)

Chapter 13 - " Hide and seek..."

Manik's flat: livingroom: 10:00 am:

Aliya: "I need to go to the bathroom."

Aliya turned and demanded. Seemed she remembered something very important. On the other side, Manik had his heart in his mouth. He sat on the sofa with a thud.

Manik: (Stammered) "Ba..ath..ro..room. What? How? I me...an why?"

Cabir: (Giggled) "Not for dancing I am sure. Manik I think we all go to the bathroom for a specific reason. Unless you use your bathroom for some other reason."

Manik: (Stood up like a spring) "Other reason? No man. I...I also use my bathroom for one reason only. It's only that...that the bathroom is not cleaned properly. You know...di..iirty and all. She might have a problem."

Manik threw a random excuse whatever came first in his mind. He just wanted Aliya to restrain from entering the bathrooms.

Aliya: (Annoyed) "Will you both let me finish my words? I am not going to the bathroom for any refreshments. Rather I have to get something from there. Mom kept some extra air fresheners in the cabinet which she asked me to bring. She needs them at home."

Before Aliya could act again Manik literary jumped forward to open the door of the common bathroom in the lobby like an usher.

Manik: (Over enthusiastically) "Please, all are yours. Air fresheners....Very important. Everybody should have them at home. Take all of them."

He was ridiculously blabbering without even thinking.

Cabir: (Laughing to see his antics) "I must say Manik, today you made me realise the importance of the air freshener so brilliantly that I will never take it lightly from now. But hey man, you were unnecessarily blaming the condition of your bathroom. It's damn clean as a bachelor's bathroom."

Cabir said while peeping into the washroom. In reply, Manik only grinned foolishly. Aliya had already opened the cabinet and was fishing inside. After a couple of minutes, she turned.

Aliya: "They are not here. I think Mom kept it in the other bedroom. Manik, may I go inside to take a look?"

Till then Manik was seeing stars in the daylight. Before he could react Aliya headed to the bedroom door and twisted the latch to open it.

...................................

Manik's flat: bedroom: 10:10 am:

Manik and Nandini had already cleaned the bedroom before he opened the main door for Cabir. So it was difficult for anybody to guess that something happened last night in the room. There was no crease in the bedsheet, no signs of pillow fights or scattered clothes on the floor. It seemed as decent as a sombre bachelor's bedroom. However, Manik's full attention was concentrated on the bathroom. "She must not open the door." Manik instructed himself in mind and before Aliya would further approach the bathroom he interrupted.

Manik: (Desperately tried to stay calm) "Ms Deshmukh, if you don't mind, can I check it for you? Actually, this bathroom is really a mess now. All buckets and other things are kept here and there. You may stumble on them. Let me check the cabinet. You don't have to worry."

Manik passed Aliya without waiting for her any reply and opened the bathroom door to enter. Meanwhile, Cabir came and stood in front of the doorstep of the bedroom. He wobbled his head in negative to Aliya just to make her understand that she shouldn't enter into someone's personal space like this. Aliya got the hint and bent down her head in approval. Both the brother-sister due patiently kept on waiting for Manik. On the other hand, Manik was expecting Nandini's screwed up face after entering the washroom. Instead, he found the inside empty. He looked all around but there were no traces of Nandini anywhere.