Manan FF: The Sketch Artist

Twenty Fourth

Nandani

'There are no words or phrases that can justify the grief I'm feeling at this moment. The moment I got the news that my son is in the hospital and he wasn't...' she wept leaving the sentence incomplete and then started uttering in almost incoherent words.

'I thought it's the god's plan to keep him alive.' But today I want to question god. Why did he take my son away from me?'

'Why is he playing such games with me?'

'You people won't understand the misery of a mother'

'You people won't ever..' she muttered and left in her car.

I switched off the television to stop myself from watching anymore of Nyonika Mahotra who happens to be Manik's mother. Every news channel has been broadcasting the repeat telecast of whatever she said in front of the hospital to express grief weeping over the supposed death of her son, since this morning.

Nyonika Malhotra seems like an epitome of perfection, but she is one twisted women. Not once, I heard about her visiting Manik in the prison, but today, over his demise, she's sobbing in front of media.

What troubles me more is why did she not visit Manik even after the death sentence was declared, if she cares that much about her public image.

Even when she's sobbing in front of more than a dozen reporters over her son's demise, her glass skin is radiating glow in the midday sun. She has sunnies on which she won't remove even when shedding tears, which makes me wonder if she's wearing them to hide the red eyes or probably it's just to prevent the sun rays.

It's almost an hour after sundown right now and I glanced at Manik who appears to be pretty unfazed after watching his mother ranting about her misery.

There're a million questions in my head right now, but I'm not sure it it's the right time to ask. I never thought about Manik having a mother who would cry her eyes out at national television. Why did she not even meet her son when he was going to be sentenced? Also, Cabir, not even once, mentioned his mother when we were planning this entire thing.

Well, let's wait for the right time.

After Manik faked death, he was shifted to a mortuary. Dr Abhimanyu added to the plan that they will show that his body will be disposed by Promession. (Promession is a body-disposition process similar to cremation, in which a body is reduced to a powder.)

But as soon as his fake death went out in the news, his mother reached the hospital saying she has the right to cremate her son the way their religion permits.

And hence, Promession was out of question. We made Manik escape the hospital today in the wee hours as per the former plan.

Yesterday, Nyonika was told by the officials that she'll be allowed to cremate but in the presence of police and prison dignitaries because of the whole crime situation tomorrow which happens to be today.

Later, today in the late morning, she reached the hospital only to receive the news that Manik's body was missing.
Though, she herself didn't bring this up in the media, which can be a good thing for us for the time being.

By that point of time, Arya and I were sitting in our morning electives class, Navya was perhaps in the process of completing a painting in her Fine Arts elective class, Siddharth was doing his job, i.e., sitting in the prison and updating database. The case of finding Manik's body was forwarded to a different investigation team under low priority as we expected, since his death was confirmed. As for Cabir, he was standing beside Nyonika grieving.

And Manik, I left him in basement sleeping, considering he must be exhausted after the number of events that played in his life in a span of less than forty eight hours.