7:00 pm, Anjuna, Goa.
"Shit! This...stupid...thing...refuses... to...come...off!" Manik huffed in anger, as he made yet another attempt to make his car's number plate come off by kicking it.
I giggled slightly upon seeing his frustration. His irritated expressions made him more adorable!
A few seconds later, I walked up to him and held his shoulder, in order to stop him from breaking the plate forcefully.
"Manik, stop! You'll hurt yourself!" I said, as gently as I could.
"Really? Then, how do we take this off?! Now that the police know that I'm in Goa they can track my car easily using this!" Manik said in annoyance.
Honestly, he had been in a bad mood ever since I'd revealed my plan to him! Well, I couldn't blame him entirely...it was fairly risky...
But this was the only feasible plan to get our hands on that recording!
According to the plan, it was me who would try to enter the Singhania mansion instead of Manik! And that fact alone was enough to make Manik's blood boil!
I was to go to the mansion and pretend to plead with them to give me another chance! I had to go and act like I was shattered that my engagement to Madhyam had been broken off! I knew it was going to be tough to pull it off, but I had to reach the mansion and create enough of a ruckus to attract the attention of Madhyam's grandmother-Meenakshi aunty!
I'd met aunty only once, and she seemed like a genuinely friendly and warm person, unlike the rest of the members in her family! After all, if she was one of Amm's friends, she had to be a good person, right? I was almost a hundred percent sure that aunty had no idea of Mr. Singhania and Madhyam's shameful actions! If she had truly approved Madhyam's alliance with Soha, then she had definitely been fed a bunch of lies by both of them! All I had to do was try to convince her that I was innocent of what the media was accusing me of! Frankly, I was certain that she didn't know that these lies had been spread by her own family!
All I had to do was be believable enough, so that aunty would let me stay over at the mansion for just one night...one night which I would use to steal the recording from the Singhania family's safe, while everyone was blissfully asleep!
When I first narrated the whole plan to Manik, he absolutely lost it! He said there was no way in hell that he'd let me go into the mansion alone! I spent practically an entire hour convincing him, and he eventually agreed that it was probably a better idea than entering the mansion by force! After all, the guards might try to throw me out, but if Manik tried to enter, there was a huge chance that he would be fatally injured or shot! And I could let that happen under no circumstances whatsoever!
Consequently, Manik and I had spent the afternoon, gathering a few things that I'd need to execute the plan. First of all, I'd bought a morning after pill and consumed it immediately. I knew that the chances of me conceiving were practically nil! Especially since my cycle was so screwed up! But I didn't want to take any chances, and Manik shared the same opinion as me. After that, I'd asked Manik to buy a few special screw drivers, miniature drills and pins, which could help me break into the safe and get the recording! After all if I couldn't guess the code, I'd have to try to break it open!
"Manik, like I said, sometimes brute force isn't enough to get what you want! You have to be smart..." I said, as I pulled out a new screw driver that we'd just bought a few hours ago.
I bent down instantly and used the tool to unscrew the number plate with remarkable ease!
I stood up, handed Manik the plate and said. "Here! Now your car won't be tracked that easily!"
He kept the plate inside the boot, and immediately pulled me towards him.
"You know-the fact that you know your way around tools and machines makes you incredibly hot?" He whispered in my ears after capturing me in his arms.
I blushed scarlet at the compliment and a smile made its way to my face.
Manik drew closer to my face with his eyes focused on my lips.
I loved being this close to him, but being out in the open, had made me conscious.
When he sensed my discomfort, Manik stopped and satisfied himself, by placing a chaste kiss on my cheek.
I took a deep breath before saying the next line...
"Manik, we have to go if we want this plan to work...we're getting late..." I said, throwing a wrench in his good mood.
He immediately let go of me and said in a cold voice. "Right, get in the car..."
I felt a little saddened by his tone, but I couldn't help it!
Once I'd settled comfortably in the front seat, Manik started driving to the Singhania mansion which was about a kilometer or so away.
He stopped the car when we were around three hundred meters away from the mansion, and got out of the car, banging the door loudly. After all, we couldn't let the guards at the mansion spot his car...
I had barely taken two steps after getting out of the car, when I found myself being yanked backwards by a strong pair of hands.
"Listen, the plan is cancelled! I thought I'd be okay with letting you go in there, but I can't do it! I can't! I can't let you beg in front of such vile people!" He yelled at me in desperation, as he started dragging me backwards.
His protectiveness was heartwarming, but I had to do something to convince him to let me go!
"Manik, you're doing it again!" I exclaimed, in frustration.
"Doing what?" He asked, turning around.
"Enforcing your decision on me! You did the same thing when you left me! Main kya chahti hoon-kabhi toh suno!" I said, bringing back horrible memories for the both of us.
"Nandini, I don't think you know how dangerous the Singhanias are! They are capable of anything! Mukesh Singhania is a sly old fox!" He exclaimed, as he let go of my hand, and looked at me with a fearful expression.
When I saw him all torn up, I immediately took a step closer to him and placed my hand on his cheek.
"Manik, I'm a big girl, and I know what I'm doing...I just need to stay there for one night! Just one night...and I promise I'll call you every hour using the spare burner that you gave me...I swear...nothing will happen to me! As long as Meenakshi aunty is there, I know they won't hurt me! Please Manik! Please let me go! It's the only way we can defeat the Singhanias and prove your innocence!" I pleaded.
Seeing the sadness in his eyes, I did the only thing I could think of to calm him down...
I leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips, taking him by surprise.
He cupped my face in his hands and said softly. "You promise you'll call? And you'll abandon the plan if you see it going south?"
"I promise!" I said instantly.
"And just stay away from that Madhyam, or else I'll actually go to jail!" He said giving me a firm look.
"What? Why will you go to jail?" I asked, puzzled at his assertion.
"Because, if he touches you, I will really kill him!" He said, harshly.
Alarmed at his aggression, I said. "Manik, don't say such things! Don't you trust me?"
Manik placed his forehead on mine as he said. "I trust you...it's them I don't trust!"
"Manik, I'll be fine..." I said, as a final reassurance.
"But please...be careful....for me...please..." He requested, as he kissed my forehead.
I nodded as I finally bid goodbye to him, picked up my bag and started moving towards the mansion, hoping that the next time I met him, I'd be carrying the lucrative item that would prove his innocence before the world...
***********************************************
7:30 pm, Singhania Holiday Home, Anjuna, Goa.
I took a deep breath as I inched closer to the colossal gates of the Singhania mansion. It was now or never!
As soon as I made an attempt to enter the mansion, two burly men immediately came and blocked my path!
"Who are you? Entry for outsiders is prohibited!" One of them yelled in a thick voice.
"Listen, I'm Nandini Murthy! I'm a family friend of the Singhanias! Please, you have to let me in!" I said, trying to sound sincere.
"We haven't received word of any guests arriving, from Mr. Singhania, so we can't allow you to enter!" The other giant said in a tone of suspicion.
"I'm not going anywhere until I get a chance to speak to Mr. Singhania!" I said, stubbornly, as I tried to push the gates open.
"Ma'am, stop!" One of the men yelled.
When I wouldn't let up, he grabbed me by the waist, and dragged me away as I kicked and screamed to get out of his grip.
However a few seconds later, he put me down, as I heard him speak to someone via Bluetooth.
"Really? Sir, you're sure you want us to let her in?" The man spoke into his Bluetooth set, as the other stared in confusion.
"Okay sir, we'll do that..." He said.
"Mukesh Sir has said that you can enter after we frisk you! You should consider yourself lucky that Sir was taking a look at the CCTV cameras, or else you wouldn't have been allowed." The giant said.
I waited patiently as they frisked me and checked my bag which had all the tools I needed to break into the safe.
I had hidden the toolbox as well as the burner phone in the giant packet of sanitary napkins that Manik had bought earlier, hoping that the guards wouldn't try to open it up in order to respect my privacy.
The idea worked perfectly! They didn't take a second look at the packet!
When the gates finally opened, I breathed a sigh of relief!
As soon as I stepped inside, I was astounded seeing the size of the house! It was massive!
I went to the door and finding it unlocked, I pushed it open.
When I entered, I immediately heard a voice say. "Nandini Murthy...someone I thought I'd never set my eyes on again! I thought I'd gotten rid of you...but you seem to be stubborn as hell! Frankly, my first instinct was to throw you out, but my curiosity got the better of me! So tell me, why have you come here?"
Mukesh Singhania! Seeing him made my blood boil instantly!
However, I controlled my temper and said. "Sir, I've come to apologise!"
"Apologise?! For what?!" Mukesh Singhania said, chuckling.
"Sir, you have to believe me! Whatever the media is saying about me is untrue! I was forcefully taken away by that criminal-Manik Malhotra! I didn't elope with him! I would never disrespect my family's decision like that, Sir! Please, Sir! I urge you to reconsider my alliance with Madhyam!" I said, with crocodile tears in my eyes.
"You're pathetic! You've honestly come here...to beg?" Mukesh Singhania said, in an amused tone.
"Please Sir, my family won't be able to bear this disgrace! No one will agree to marry me again! You know how the society is!" I said, trying to control my actual inner emotions.
"I don't give a damn about you or your family! My son is engaged to Soha Khurana-someone of the same stature as him! And there's no way I'm going to call off that engagement! So you can keep dreaming about marrying my son, but it'll never happen!" Mukesh Singhania said in a menacing voice.
"Please Sir..." I began to say, but I stopped short when I noticed a man of almost the same age as me descend down the stairs.
As soon as he saw me, his eyes widened in anger as he said. "Dad, what the fuck is she doing here?"
Dad? That meant that he was Madhyam-my ex-fiancee!
As he stepped into the drawing room, I got a good look at him.
Well it would be wrong to say that he was unattractive, but after meeting Manik, every single guy seemed like a sorry disappointment!
"Dad, you didn't answer me? What is she doing here? Why did you even let this piece of dirt into our home?" Madhyam, spat.
I immediately suppressed my urge to slap him hard across his face! How dare he speak about me that way?!
However, if I truly wanted him to pay for his actions I had to keep calm enough so as to lay my trap...
I immediately rushed up to him and said. "Madhyam, I know we've never met, but trust me I've been looking forward to it since I was a child..."
"I don't give a damn! Should I call security? Just get out of here!" He yelled.
"Madhyam, just reconsider our alliance! Please! My kidnapping was an unfortunate accident! You have to believe me!" I said, sobbing frantically, putting up the best show of despair I could.
"Dad, why are we listening to her bullshit?! And why should we believe you anyway? Did that fucker Manik hold a gun to your head to sing a duet with him in public as well?! It's clear that you're fucking him! You're nothing but a common whore!" He said, with gritted teeth.
His words enraged me to an extent I never thought possible and I struggled to keep quiet and not get violent!
"Madhyam, my life was in danger...I did whatever I could to survive! I was just trying to appease my captor, so that he'd stop with all the violence! And the first chance I got yesterday, I escaped! After that, I was about to head home, when I got to know from Chachi that Mr. Singhania had called off our engagement! I promised Chachi that I would convince him to accept me once again! That's why I've come here...to convince you all of my innocence!" I said, trying to spin a convincing story.
Mukesh Singhania remained quiet as he assessed the probability of my tale being true, but Madhyam blasted off immediately!
"I don't give a shit, bitch! Get out of here! I'm marrying Soha, and there's nothing you can do about it!" Madhyam yelled.
"Madhyam, please, just let me speak to Meenakshi aunty just once! I don't know what she must be thinking of me! Let me justify myself to her, please! After all, it's because of her friendship with Amms that I'm here in the first place! I don't want that to suffer because of me!" I said as sincerely as I could.
I watched their expression change as I mentioned Meenakshi aunty. It was clear that they hadn't told her the whole story!
"You're not saying anything to anyone!" Madhyam hissed, as he grabbed my hand and started dragging me towards the door.
"No, please!" I yelled.
Shit! This wasn't good! I had to do something quick in order to stick around here for longer!
"Meenakshi aunty! Meenakshi aunty!" I screamed at the top of my voice, hoping that she would hear me.
Madhyam immediately covered my mouth, but I continued to shout.
"Shut up! You little slut!" He hissed at me.
He was almost about to throw me out of the door when I heard a voice say. "Mukesh, what happened? What's all the noise?"
I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw aunty come down the steps.
Madhyam immediately let go of me as she stepped into the room! Of course he wanted to trick her into believing that he was well behaved!
I immediately ran up to her and said. "Meenakshi aunty..."
"Nandini?" She said in shock as she finally recognized me.
It had been a few years since I'd met her and as I'd said, the spectacles I used to wear earlier made me look like a different person!
"Aunty, it's so good to see you again..." I said, genuinely relieved.
"What are you doing here? I thought you were..." She said, but stopped in the middle. "Nandini, I'm very disappointed in you..."
"Aunty, I know you're upset! That's why I've come here! To clear up all the misunderstandings! I wanted to let you know that I was kidnapped! The press is selling a story that's completely false! I didn't elope, aunty! You have to trust me! I would never betray Amms or you that way!" I said, pretending to cry profusely.
"But, what I saw on T.V? Are you saying that's all a lie? Tujhe pata hai, jab main tujhse pehli baar mili thi, maine yahi socha tha ki tu iss ghar ki bahu banne ke liye perfect hai, but I guess main galat thi!"
"Aunty please! You have to believe me! Main kidnap ho gayi thi! Jab mujhe mauka mila, main wahan se turant bhaag nikli, aur yahaan aa gayi! Aap hi batayiye, agar main sach mein doosre ladke ke saath bhaagi hoti, toh main yahaan waapas kyun aati?" I asked trying to raise doubts in her mind.
I watched as her expression changed slightly! My plan was working! There was now an ounce of doubt on her face, regarding the truth...
"Dadi, don't believe a word she says! Yeh ladki ek number ki jhooti hai..." Madhyam yelled.
Of course, he was yelling! If aunty started believing my story, he would be in trouble!
I had to do something drastic! Something that would guarantee me an overnight stay here!
I shouted and said. "No aunty, you have to believe me! Please...." I said, purposely trailing off in order to give the impression that I was losing consciousness.
I staggered backwards, and ultimately fell flat on the floor so that aunty would think that I'd fainted.
"Mukesh! I think she's fainted! Get help! Call the doctor!" I heard Aunty scream, as she came closer to me.
"Maa...aap kya bol rahi hai? This girl is none of our concern!" Mukesh SInghania screamed.
"Chup Chaap, doctor ko call kar! I don't care what this girl has done! It's inhuman to throw her out of the house when she's in this state!" Aunty screamed.
"Dadi, woh drama kar rahiye hai!" Madhyam yelled in frustration.
I didn't move an inch and kept my eyes shut tight so that aunty wouldn't have any doubts as to whether I'd fainted or not! Desperation had turned me into quite the talented actress!
"If you don't call the doctor, main akele hi ise hospital le jaungi!" I heard her say, firmly.
"Fine Maa...we'll do as you say...just calm down..." I heard Mukesh Singhania say.
The next thing I knew, I was being carried off into a different room...
***************************************
8:00 pm, Singhania Holiday Home, Anjuna, Goa.
It had been about fifteen minutes or so since I'd pretended to faint. The doctor had finally arrived to check on me.
I was extremely nervous about the checkup! Obviously, he would realize that I was feigning!
However, much to my surprise, all he did was check my pulse and declare that I'd fainted due to stress and weakness!
This doctor was definitely a quack!
Either that, or he just really wanted to head home! After all, it was quite late!
I heard Meenakshi aunty and the doctor scuttle out of the room, leaving Madhyam and his father behind.
Aunty was conversing with the doctor regarding my treatment. I felt bad about tricking her like this, but it had to be done! After all, she deserved to know what horrible things her own family was capable of!
"Dad, this is all your fault! You should have never let this bitch inside!" Madhyam yelled.
"Madhyam, dheere bolo! Maa is standing just outside!" Mr. Singhania whispered.
"You let her in and now we're stuck with her! I think we should kill her right now!" Madhyam hissed.
"You idiot! I only let her in because I thought she might have information about Manik! I thought that there was something going on between them...that's why..." Mr. Singhania said.
"And you honestly believe her story about escaping?! It sounds like bullshit to me..." Madhyam said, in frustration.
There was a bit of silence, until Madhyam said slowly. "Dad, do you think she knows about the recording..."
I gulped upon hearing his question. I prayed that they wouldn't connect the dots...
"Shut up, Madhyam! Your Dadi may hear you and this girl might regain consciousness any moment! I really doubt Manik would have revealed anything to her!" Mr. Singhania said in a frustrated voice.
"So, what do we do now?" Madhyam asked.
"I'll convince Maa, to let us shift her somewhere else! Actually, if it were up to me I'd leave her out on the street, but maybe I can arrange something else to satisfy Maa..." Mukesh Singhania said in a low voice.
"That's good! Keeping her here is too risky!" Madhyam said.
The next moment, I heard a pair of footsteps come into the room yet again.
"Mukesh, the doctor has said that she needs rest, and she needs to be fed as soon as she wakes up...So she has to stay the night here..." Meenakshi aunty said.
"But, Maa...how can we keep her here?! Let me arrange for her to be shifted to a nursing home or something!" Mukesh Singhania replied in a bewildered tone.
"Mukesh...she stays here...after all, she's Kishori's granddaughter! No matter what she's done, I have to take care of her! I'm obligated by my friendship!" Aunty said.
"I can't handle this shit!" I heard Madhyam say, and storm out of the room.
"Maa, but..." Mukesh Singhania started to talk but was cut off in the middle.
"No, buts! She stays here..." Aunty said firmly.
"Alright! I'll ask the servants to keep an eye on her...now will you please come down for dinner!" Mukesh Singhania said in a flustered voice.
"Haan chalo, neeche chalte hai!" Aunty said.
I heard both of them exit the room and I loosened up a few seconds later.
Once I was certain, that they'd left, I rose slightly from the bed and smirked to myself.
Stage one of my plan was successful! I had succeeded in entering the fox's lair...