"Neonika!!?" Srikant voiced out. Manik closed his eyes to control his anger.
Nandini stood near Manik and holds his hand.
"Tum yaha kyun aaye ho?!" Srikant asked in anger.
"Ji, mere saath aayi hai... jab inhone Jenni ko dekhne hospital aaya toh.... Manik ko dekhna chaha" Dev said coming from her back.
"Dev, iss aurat ko yaha laane ki kya zaroorat tha?!... Tumhe nahi pata, iss aurat ne"
"Mujhe maaf kardo Manik... main yaha sirf tumse maafi maangne aayi hai. Main bahut sharminda hu Manik"
Manik angrily walked towards Neonika,
"Ab yeh drama kyun?! jo kuch bhi tumne kiya, voh kaafi hai... mere baare mein mat socho par ek baar apni khud ki beti ke baare mein soch sakti thi... par voh bhi nahi kiya. Paisa chahiye the na, ab maafi kyun?!"
Neonika stood there looking down, without speaking a word. Her eyes held tears and she didn't know how to ask for forgiveness. Srikant also stood silent.
"So, you can go now. Iss baar yeh drama dekhne ke liye kisi ko koyi interest nahi hai. So please"
"Manik..." Neonika called him with a helpless face. But Manik turned back to go inside.
Nandini walked towards him and held his hand. Manik looked at her in confusion, but she gave a small smile to him,
"Manik, aaj jo Neonika tumhare saamne khadi hai, voh drama nahi kar rahi hai... voh sach mein sharminda hai..."
"Nandini, you know how this woman is! then why?!"
"Haa, main jaanti hu... par meri dil keh rahi hai ki iss baar ek nayi Neonika khadi hai humare samne... maaf kardo Manik" Nandini said to Manik
"Haa Manik, yeh jo bhi ho, aaj ek Maa ki mamta chalak rahi hai inki aankho mein...maaf karde beta" Mohini also said to Manik.
......................
Night
Manik is standing in his balcony, with Cabir....
"Manik, tum mujhse kuch baat karne ke liye yaha rukhwaaya na, phir tum chup kyun ho?!"
"Cabir...., aaj bhi voh mujhse naaraaz hai?! Kya main ithna bura friend hai?!" Manik sighed and asked in a sad tone
"Tum....Dhruv ki baat keh rahe ho?!"
"Voh mujhe ek baar bhi milne nahi aaya...! kya voh tum logon ko call kiya?! mere baare mein kuch pucha?!"
"Manik.... Dhruv...humhe nahi pata, ki voh kaha hai...kaisa hai... kya kar raha hai! Hume toh yeh tak nahi pata ki voh!" Cabir closed his eyes
"What?!, Yeh tum kya keh raha hai?! Dhruv ke baare mein nahi pata, matlab?! "
"Uss din, humare last performance ke baad Dev ne party diya tha na, aur tumhe yaad hai, usne vaha nahi aaya tha. Voh performance ke baad kaha gaayab ho gaya, yeh abhi tak hume nahi pata....Uske baad tere accident, phir Nandini ki halat.... in sab mein hum sab ulach rahe the. Par maine aur Mukti ne usse doondne ki koshish kiye the, par shaayad voh humse milna hi nahi chahta... ek baar usne call bhi udaya tha... par kaat diya. Phir jab call ki toh, voh number available hi nahi tha..."
"Hmmm...., main toh usse apna bhaayi manta tha na, phir bhi voh mujhe samaj nahi paaya..."
"Manik, Dhruv ke insecurities ke vajaise voh humse door hua tha... ismein tumhara ya humara koyi galati nahi hai, okay!.. so please.........{Then Cabir held his shoulder}, hum sab hai na, together"
Anupam and Anurag came there, "Tum dono soye nahi abhi tak?!"
"Yeh Dhruv kaun hai?!" Anupam asked
"Dhruv, hum Fab 5 ka hissa tha..matlab hai, par voh kaha hai, koyi khabar nahi humein"
"Matlab?!...Dhruv, voh jo tum logon ke saath Manglore aaya tha na?!...."
"Haa, vahi hai.... Dhruv ko Manik se jealous tha. Manik Fab5 ka lead singer hai, uska khud ka college hai, isiliye Dhruv ko lagne laga ki, sab Manik ke ishaaro pe chalte the... Usko apna kami Manik e vajaise bada feel karne laga.... oopar se Nandini"
"Nanni?! ismein Nanni ne kya kiya?!"
"Actually, Nanni ki bhaiyya... hume pata hai ki aap apne behan ke liye bahut protective hai, isiliye aap please hume galat mat samajiye..Please" Cabir said in a dramatic tone.
Manik slapped his head,
"Chup kar! Sid, voh... Dhruv ko Nandini se pyaar tha, par Nandini aur main ek doosre se.... So he felt like, jis ladki ko usne pyaar kiya, voh bhi mujhe mil gaya.... and all that.."
"Ohhhh!!"
"Anyway, ab tum logon ko so jaana chahiye" Anupam said, but Manik and Anurag stood with no interest in sleep.
"Haa yaar..... itna kuch ho gaya... and kal raat se jaga hua hu, mujhe bahut neend aa raha hai" Cabir said while yawning widely.
Then he was about to go with Anupam, but Manik pulled his collar from behind, to stop him.
"Kya yaar... sone de na!"
Manik and Anurag looked at each other. In the same way, Anupam and Cabir also looked at each other in confusion.
"Voh... humein ""Nandini"Prerna"" se milna hai" Manik and Anurag said in unison.
""Abhi?!"" Anupam and Cabir asked them in unison
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