Entangled

Part 36

        Manik : "It's something important. I will tell you later."

        Cabir's thoughts : "It looks like he went in search of Nandini again. What other important work does he have now a days."

        Manik tried to follow Arya and Nandini, but his path was blocked by a patients' family which had just come in. By the time he came out of the hospital, Nandini and Arya had already left. He looked for Nandini in the surrounding areas and returned without success. By then Harshad's parents had also left.

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Seeing Manik returning dejected,

        Cabir : "What happened? You went looking for Nandini again and didn't find her. I told you not to have high hopes, may be she isn't here."

        Manik : "She was here. The girl who was here with Arya is Nandini."

        Cabir : "What?! .. How is that even possible? She was wearing a niqab, she couldn't speak, and she wasn't lean too. You have gone so crazy in love that you have started seeing her in others."

        Manik : "May be she didn't want anyone to recognize her, especially Mr. Saxena, that's why she disguised herself. I could sense that it was her when I was intoxicated and not in my senses. Do you think I will make a mistake now?"

        Manik : "I was watching her. She didn't speak, but her gestures matched that of Nandini's. Her face was covered, not her eyes and hands, I am sure that it is her. .. Didn't you see, he held her hands? .. and you told me that he felt that she was around too."

        Mukti : "That's why you were behaving differently. I was wondering what had happened to you all of a sudden."

        Manik : "That was the only way I could think of, to get closer to her. I wanted to confirm that I wasn't imagining, and it was actually her."

        Cabir : "She and Arya seemed close and he also got angry when I passed a comment about it. I have seen him behaving like that only when it comes to her or Harshad. May be you are right. .. I do have a doubt though, did you really help her by volunteering or was all your focus on her - her eyes, her hands and her gestures. My focus was on Arya and her and I missed to notice what was going on between you and her."

        Manik : "I am trying to figure out how to find her and you are joking around. This isn't the time to pull my leg."

        Cabir : "Alright I will do so later, so what do we do now?"

        Manik : "Keeping a watch on Arya will lead us to her sooner or later. .. We can check at the reception again. Last time I was looking for Nandini, may be that's why I didn't get any details. She might have disguised herself earlier too. .. If these don't work, I will have to stay back and keep looking around here and in the neighboring town and villages."

        Harshad who was just waking up heard their conversation.

        Manik went to the reception and enquired. He got the name and contact number of the person who admitted Harshad. He called on that number, but it turned out to be that of a phone booth.

        Manik : "I have got the address of the booth. I will have to figure out how to get there, and look for her around that area."

        Harshad : "There is another option. Now that I am in the hospital, I think we should make use of it."

        They looked at him trying to figure out what he was arriving at.

        Harshad : "She has given that number here means that any message from here will reach her. So, a call from the hospital informing that I am in a serious condition should be sufficient to bring her here. You don't have to go looking for her."

        Cabir : "Wow! It is an excellent idea."

        Manik : "She will be stressed for no reason."

        Cabir : "Do you want to meet her or not?"

        Manik : "I do .. but not like this."

        Harshad : "If you try to follow Arya or go looking for her, it will take time. Arya would have already become very alert. What is the guarantee that Nandini will still be there where she is now, till you find her. She has kept me worried all this time, so getting her a worried for a while should be alright."

        They all agreed with Harshad.

        Harshad : "Arya will always be on Nandini's side, so he shouldn't even get a hint of this. Someone has to keep him distracted and make sure he doesn't contact Nandini during that time for our idea to work out fine."

        They decided to put their plan in action the same day.

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        Manik distracted the receptionist and took her away from her desk. Mukti made a call from the reception to the phone booth. She covered the receiver with a handkerchief.

        Mukti : "May I speak to Naina? I am calling from the hospital, and it is an emergency."

        Person at the booth : "I will call her, stay on the line."

        After a while, Nandini picked up the receiver. She had rushed to the booth and was panting.

        Nandini : "What happened .. to Harshad?"

        Mukti : "His health began to deteriorate all of a sudden. We need someone from his side here to proceed with his treatment and we found your contact number."

        Nandini : "I will be there soon. .. but aren't his family and friends there .. to proceed with the treatment."

        Mukti : "No one is here now .. and I don't have their contact numbers to reach them."

        Nandini : "Alright I will reach there as early as possible."

        After disconnecting the call, she tried calling Arya, but he didn't receive the call. Cabir and Dhruv had taken Arya with them to the restaurant. Cabir kept him distracted And Dhruv managed to switch off Arya's phone.

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        Nandini rushed to the hospital and went to Harshad's room. He was on his bed and there wasn't anyone inside. She went near his bed and felt that he was sleeping. She decided to go and check with the doctor, but she stopped hearing Harshad.

        Harshad : "Nandini, you are leaving again without meeting me."

        Nandini : "You are alright? .. I was scared. .. I got a call that .."

        Harshad : ".. I know, had to fake it, otherwise it looks like you had made up your mind not to meet me at all."

        Nandini : "It isn't like that. .. If I had met you, you would have tried to take me back with you, but I don't want to return."

        Harshad : "I will try to do so even now. .. but why don't you want to return?"

        Nandini : "I don't want your life to get complicated because of me."

        Harshad : "Why do you think so? .. Are you saying so because Mukti and Alya felt that you snatched me from them?"

        Nandini : "I don't want them to feel so in the future too, but that isn't the only reason."