Shreya's flat: Living room: 10:00 pm:
All were sitting after a light dinner. Manik didn't come yet so Dhruv had to wait for him in Shreya's flat. It was decided that Manik will come over here and they will further go to Manik's flat. Nandini was vexed since she had a word with Manik regarding the party. After that, she didn't call him once. 'His life, his wish. I have better things to do.' Her hostile mode chose to ignore.
Dhruv: (Exasperated)" What the hell Nandu? What rubbish are all these? I mean who puts this kind of condition and who agrees to it? Didn't you both have any other option rather than choosing to stay separately like a bachelor? This is ridiculous."
Nandini:(Sighed in despair) " I know but trust me that time this was the best option as we had hardly any time. But this is not for a long time. We will move together as we get any better place to live."
Shreya: " I know it is a little awkward but trust me Varun is searching for another flat. It's just a matter of some time."
Dhruv: (Smiled as convinced) "Anyway...but where is Bro? Nandu...when will he come back? It's almost 10:30 pm."
In reply, Nandini just pursed her lips showed 'Don't ask me. I hardly care' attitude.
Dhruv: (Turned to Navya) "Navya, when is the party supposed to be over?"
However, Navya didn't pay any heed to his words and kept on biting her nails indicating she was lost in some deep thought.
Nandini: "Navya.....Navya...O... Madhubala...where are you lost?
Her tone was frolic. Navya startled at once and looked at her. Gradually she gauged the tease and rolled her eyes at Nandini.
Navya: (With flared nostrils) "Why did you stop me? I wanted to teach him a lesson. Bloody moron. How dare he call me Madhubala? I am a drama queen? Really? He just said that? You tell me Dhruv, am I a drama queen?"
Navya shifted her question to a confused Dhruv who was thinking 'What should he say? Truth or a sweet lie.' After a brief silence, he decided only to nod in negative. Who wants to make a drama queen upset. However, Navya didn't get fully satisfied and turned to Nandini.
Navya: (With a hopeful smile)"You say Nandini. Do I create unnecessary drama?"
Nandini immediately wobbled in denial which made Navya give a satisfactory smile but it was a short life reaction.
Nandini: (With a poker face) "You don't create drama because you are the drama. The biggest DRAMA QUEEN. I appreciate his sense of humour. He correctly chose the word."
She paused and suddenly laughed her head off while the other two joined her immediately. Navya gaped and suddenly rushed towards Nandini.
Navya: (Yelled) "YO.......UUUUUU."
Nandini leapt up from her seat and ran towards the exit but forcefully banged into someone. She was about to fall when two strong arms grabbed her waist.
Manik: (In a teasing tone) "Easy, Mrs Malhotra. I am here only. I didn't know that you were so eager to meet me and like this! I mean... WOW!"
Nandini looked at his eyes for a moment and at once freed herself from Manik's hold. She gave a 'Dare to come near me' look to Manik and again sat on the sofa. Manik smirked to see her cute anger and approached Dhruv.
Manik: (Tightly hugged Dhruv) "Happy to see you, Bro. We were missing you."
Dhruv: (Patted his back with lots of affection)" Same here, Big Bro. I was dying to come too."
Manik sat between Nandini and Dhruv and shackled both of their shoulders. Nandini frowned and tried to distance herself but Manik pulled her again.
Navya: (Enthusiastically) "How was the party, Sir?"
Manik: (Pursed his lips in despair) "Not again Navya. No Sir and all. Not among the family members. And don't ask about the party. It was boring like hell. It was a 3 hours punishment for me."
Nandini: (Murmured)"Good for you. You deserved this punishment."
Only Manik heard it and looked at her with a smile. Suddenly Nandini felt his hand travelled to her waistline and it settled at the bottom of her breast. Manik slid his hand between her arm and the side of her breast and slowly started caressing her bosom. Nandini was startled and looked at his poker face. Her body stiffened.
Manik: (Whispered)"I can compensate myself for these three hours of punishment."
He had an eccentric smile on his eyes.
Nandini: (Murmured) "Move your hand."
Manik: (Mumbled) "Give me your smile."
Nandini: (Murmured with gritted jaws) "Never."
Manik: (Whispered) "Okay, as you wish."
Nandini felt a hard press on her breast. She jerked and immediately pulled down her dupatta more to hide Manik's hand.
Dhruv: "Bro, we should leave now. It's around 11 and I am hell tired."
Manik: (Nodded and turned to Nandini) "Sure, Nandini give me the file that I gave you. After that, we will leave."
Nandini tried to get up but Manik's tight hold on her breast didn't let her do so. She looked at him pleadingly. Manik smiled nonchalantly.
Manik: (In a pretentious innocence) "What happed Nandu? Go and get me the file. We are getting late."
Having no other option Nandini smiled at him. Manik secretly winked at her and moved his hand from her bosom. Nandini at once got up and brought the file. Suddenly she remembered something and turned to Navya.
Nandini: (Vaguely) "That guy...to whom we encountered....I heard him before. His voice...it was much known. What did he say?... What was his name?"
Navya: (In a vexed tone) "Cabir Dixit."
.............................................
Deshmukh Niwas: Cabir's bedroom: 11 pm:
Aliya: (Excitedly) "And you just let her go? How dare she call my bro a stuntman of a circus? She said that you are doing drama and you didn't even show her your injury? What is this, Bro? I had slapped her if I would have been there. How insensitive she is!"
Cabir: (Putting ointment on his injured knee) "Leave it Aliya. She was not fully wrong. People do this kind of drama. She must have some bad experience."
Aliya snatched the tube from Cabir's hand and started applying it to his knee.
Aliya: (In a curious tone) "Say the truth, Bro. Was she beautiful?"
Cabir didn't notice the tease in her voice.
Cabir: (Unobservantly) "Hmmmm....very.Her eyes were very beautiful."
Aliya: (Softly) "Her voice?"
Cabir: (With dreamy eyes) "Beautiful...like a musical tune."
Aliya: (Tried to suppress her laughter) "Her smile?"
Cabir: (Still in trance) "I didn't get a chance to see...but I am sure her smile would as beautiful as her."
Aliya: (Whispered in his ear) "And her high heel?"
Cabir: (Unmindfully) "Her high heel...her high heel? What are you talking about? How come her heels in this?"
Cabir's reverie broke and he rolled his eyes at Aliya.
Aliya: (With a pretentious innocence) "Yeah, you observed her so minutely that I thought you noticed her high heel too and knew its number because I think she must have thrown it at you."
Cabir gaped in surprise.
Cabir: (With open mouth) "Why should she throw her heels at me?"
Aliya: (Chuckled) "Because any girl will do it if a boy ogles her like this. Bro, have some shame. You behaved like a roadside Romeo and I was unnecessarily blaming her."
Cabir was looking at her for a moment and at last smelt the sarcasm. He tried to hit Aliya with a pillow but she dodged and got down from the bed. Cabir couldn't get up because of his injured knee but darted the pillow at his sister. Aliya again moved aside and unfortunately, it thumped to Aloka's face who was entering the room.
Aloka: (In irritated tone) "Uffff.....what are you doing kids? It's 11:30 pm and you both are fighting like cats? Cabir, if this pillow had hit my hand this glass would have fallen. Now drink this soon. It will lessen your pain."
Aloka forwarded the glass of turmeric milk to Cabir who would have refused some other time but grabbed it immediately. His Mami was angry with them and he didn't want to add fuel to the fire.
Aloka: "I came here for another reason too. Do you have time tomorrow?"
Aloka addressed Cabir.
Cabir: (Confused) "Yeah, I mean I will go to the office as usual. Why Mami...do you need any help?"
Aloka: "You have to go to our flat once again. I have fixed a housemaid for Manik. You have to tell him about this."
Cabir: (Made a piteous face) "Again? But I can inform him on the phone too."
Before Aloka replied Aliya intervented.
Aliya: (Eagerly) "Umm....Mom...Bhai has a meeting tomorrow. If you say I can drop your message in the way of my college. I don't have any problem."
Cabir looked at her sister with wide eyes. Aloka thought for a while and finally nodded in positive.
Aloka:(Before leaving the room) "Both of you...go to sleep. Cabir needs rest."
Cabir: (With rolling eyes) "I have a meeting tomorrow and surprisingly I don't know anything about that. Sisi...tell me...what are you up to?"
Aliya: (Bit the inner wall of her cheek) "Nothing...Just wanted to save you. You don't want to go...right?"
Cabir: (Chuckled) "And you eagerly want to go....right?"
Aliya nodded in negative and suddenly changed it to positive while biting her tongue. Cabir giggled and Aliya left the room in a hurry but not before showing the tongue to her brother.
Cabir: (Smiled to see her antics) "Crazy kiddo."
Author's note: Lines in Italic are the thought of the characters. Plz, do inline comments.