Broken But Beautiful

10. Got a House, Let's get some Chicks

Manik

I felt hollowed.

I should be feeling better, now that I really had my own private space back, but this 'own private space' is in India. Your own private spaces were supposed to comfort you. I didn't want this comfort here.

Feeling my own private comfort here scared me. I didn't want it.

"Manik, stop sulking!" Mukti hissed behind me, "And tell me, how is it?"

Let's just consider this a hotel, shall I?

This wasn't my house. It was just like any other hotel room I'd have booked for- err, two months. It was completely fine.

"Manik! Idiot say something!" Mukti yelled again.

To be honest, I was too speechless to say anything. Mukti Vardhan had indeed managed me a decent apartment in a decent neighborhood in a decent society. The society was quite luxurious- but didn't define luxury with money. My apartment was quite cozy- two bedrooms, two attached washroom, an open kitchen with dinning place and a small living area. Even this small, cozy place had a sense of elite humor in it.

And it wasn't a blank space. Mukti actually had managed furnitures and appliances in last four days.

The master bedroom had a moderately decent bed, night stands with small drawers, a cupboard and some fashioned table attached to a wall- all in matched dark wood. The washroom was spacious- ornated in glass shower chamber and dark tiles. The whole house was just that much of it- simple and elite. Mukti, also now that I had noticed, kept on my taste. Simple, dark and impassive. Even the walls were grey. I could smell the thin scent of new paint in the air.

And again, everything screamed comfort.

I finished my tour on the small apartment, with Mukti and Cabir behind me, and was back in the living area. It had midnight blue sofa, a show case attached to a small shoe rack- and a gaint TV screen on the short wall opposite the couch. The kitchen had a few pans and stuff hanging, along with a coffee machine on a corner and otherwise empty. The dinning area had a tiny table with a cozy sitting arrangement for four. In one corner stood out a small refrigerator attached to the wall.

"How did you do this?" I asked, cringing at my own voice of utter disbelief. Both Mukti and Cabir laughed.

"Well, Manik. You should've known that I knew I'd be able to do it before I challenged you, you know,"

I turned back at her. Now both of them were grinning smug shade of victory.

"I lived in this house for 4 years," Cabir said laughing, clearly enjoying my perplexed expression, "Until a month ago when I moved back in The Vardhan House. Mukti knew that, and I had the manager of this society in quite a good relation with me. So when Mukti told you about getting an apartment, all she had to do about the place was to make me call the manager and tell him he was getting a celebrity in his society,"

My mouth stayed shut. What?

"Meanwhile, I subscribed the furnitures from some app, got them delivered. Then Cabir set some more men to paint the house with those paints that don't smell, since we know you're allergic to that, and set some more man to adjust the minimum furnitures. All I did was to make the payment from the card I took from you, buy some fry pans and saucers, some bottle for milk and orange juices that are fully loaded in your fridge, some fruits, some jars full of fresh brewed coffee and a coffee machine, since you can't live without it. Oh, and some mugs and glasses and cups. I ordered them all online, by the way,"

"You still need to buy some curtains, rugs and more sheets for the bed, though. Also, the washing machine is Cabir's previous one that was in our store room since last month and he saw a mechanic for it, didn't you? It works completely fine. And the other room, well, that's empty. We didn't think you needed anything there. The TV is still without cable line and the house without WiFi, but we bought the router and the lines for cables and wifi would be arranged by the manager tomorrow. And again-"