GolMal (Complete✅)

Chapter-39 "The Drama- queen in jeopardy..."

Navya: "No, we know each other from Delhi. In fact, her hus...."

She abruptly held her tongue and cursed herself in her mind. What the hell was she going to tell? Her husband is her boss! Shit. She looked at Cabir who was looking at her with a quandary.

Navya: (In a hesitant voice) "I mean her house was next to ours. We used to be neighbours."

Cabir: (With raised brows) "Oh, that's wonderful. That means you all are living like a family. Even more like in a girls' hostel without any warden. Why should boys have all the fun? Ha...ha...By the way, I guess you all are working girls. So how do you manage your meals? I mean do you have anybody to cook?"

Somehow Cabir reached to the word cook. "Now I can raise the topic of Gattu. God, help me." He prayed in his mind. Meanwhile, the food reached their table and both of them almost sprung on it. Hunger doesn't care about social and table manners. Navya was skillfully tackling her noodles with the chopsticks. On the other hand, Cabir initially tried to imitate her but when he saw that every time only the sticks were pocking his empty mouth he shifted to the usual fork. There is no use of pretence when your stomach is churning.

Navya: (With a mouthful of steamy noodles) "Food we manage by ourselves. Shreya makes the breakfast and I make the dinner. Sometimes it gets altered. For lunch, we are totally dependent on our office canteen."

Cabir: "Why? Nandini doesn't cook?"

Navya: (Unmindfully) "Nandini will cook when she stays with us. She is always busy with her hus..."

Navya again controlled her motor-mouth and slapped her forehead virtually.

Cabir: (Cringed his brows) "Hus...?"

Navya: (With helpless eyes, stammered) "Hus...hus...Hachhuuu..."

She didn't get any other way to divert the word instead faking a sneeze.

Cabir: (Being concerned) "God bless...Navya I think you have caught a cold. Should I order some soup? You will feel better."

Being successful in mending the damage Navya decided to continue the drama for a while.

Navya: "Hachhuuuu...I am ok...that....ha...ha...hachhuuuu...black pepper...in my nose...hachhuuu..."

She covered her mouth and nose with the table napkin and sneakily glanced at Cabir to be sure that if she has to sneeze more.

Cabir: (Grimaced in awkwardness) "It's ok..relax for a while. It will be subsided. Ok, let me divert your focus. It works. How long do you know Manik? I mean it's a nice coincidence that first I met Manik as our tenant and after that, I met you who coincidently works in his office. By the way, what do you think about his caretaker com cook Gattu Singh? Is he a reliable person?"

It seemed to Navya that now she has to start all weird things to change this topic. "You are trying to divert my focus or you are trying to give me a heart attack?" Navya cursed Cabir in her thought.

Navya: (With a distorted face) "Cabir, can we go home? My stomach is paining. I think this food didn't suit me. Please!"

She clutched her abdomen with a pain-stricken face. How much a person can do the drama to save her friends! Her Drama Queen name seemed significant for that moment.

Cabir: (Being worried) "Sure...God...should we visit a doctor first? This food...I must complain to the manager."

He tried to spring up with a hostile mood.

Navya: (In a pretentious suffering expression) "Cabir, No need...please let's go...I will be okay after taking some rest."

Having no other option Cabir came out of the restaurant. Needless to say, Navya's drama was still full-on. She was clutching her abdomen and almost bent to curb her stomach pain. Cabir was wrapping her waist to give her support. Sitting in a cab they eventually headed to Shreya's flat.

Cabir: (With a hesitation) "Ummm...Navya...actually I forgot to tell you something important which I thought to discuss today."

Navya sheepishly looked at him. She didn't have any strength left to withstand another dangerous question of her new bae.

Cabir: "Is Nandini single? Actually, Aryamaan likes her a lot and most probably he is planning to propose to her very soon. Nandini helped me to get you so now it's my responsibility to help her."

Navya felt that now only the drama of being faint can save her from this jeopardy. She slackened her body on the car seat, helplessly.

Cabir: (In an affectionate tone) "Aryamaan and Nandini will make a good pair."

Until now, Navya lost her power to even protest. The cab speeded to its destination.

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

Outside of Manan Apartment: Near entrance gate: 8:10 pm:

An auto stopped in front of the society gate. Nandini exchanged the fare and got down. As she approached the entrance, someone banged at her. The collision was intense and Nandini almost lost her balance but somehow she dodged the topple. However, her bag dropped to the ground.

The Person: "Oops...I am so sorry. Are you ok?"

Nandini crouched to pick her bag up. She gazed up while dusting the bag with her hand. A girl around her 20's was looking at her with a smiling face.

Nandini: (In a tried voice) "Yeah, almost. Don't worry, I am okay."

Nandini was too tired to even argue on this collision. She adjusted her turban and moved towards the gate without waiting for any reply from the girl. The girl kept on observing her for a while. Her eyes were squinted in some indecision.

The Girl: (Whistled) "Interesting ..."

She turned to leave the place when something, fallen on the ground caught her attention. She stooped down to reach the thing. It was a school badge. The name of the school was written on it and something else was written too. A name. The girl scrunched her eyes to read the name in the faint street light.

The Girl: "Nandini Malhotra."

She mumbled. A perplexed expression was plaster on her face.

Author's note: The lines in Italic are the thoughts of the respective characters.