38. MRS. DRUMSTICKS

Manik is looking at his sleeping Fireball who has a white bandage wrapped around her forehead and an oxygen pipe near her nose for easy breathing. He looked at her without blinking and waited for her to get up. It’s been 30 minutes since they are in the hospital but these minutes felt like his last 30 minutes of life. Sometimes he feels like he is watching Nandini’s twin sister who is so calm just opposite to his Fireball who is everything but not calm. Unfortunately, his fireball has no twin sister. 

No matter how much he curses himself or hates himself but the truth is he can’t see his Fireball like this. From the last 30 minutes, he didn’t hear a word from her mouth giving him a feeling of being half dead. He is conversing with her with the hope that she will answer him back in her usual notorious way but she is not ready to say anything. 

Manik:- You know what, I should be here in your place.

He waits to hear her question “Why?” but nothing comes so, he continues with a sad face. 

Manik:- The way you proposed to me all of a sudden and said those cute and lovely words for me without getting shy. ( Cutely ) Don’t you think that confession was harmful to my health? 

He chuckles and looks at her with love but suddenly he remembers what the doctor told him.

Manik:- ( Worriedly ) Her previous reports? How can I bring those reports? I don’t know her family or won’t have anyone’s number. Oh god!… Now, what will I do? 

He gets worried and thinks about ways to contact her family. After thinking a lot, he stood up and went near the nurse who changed her dress and collected her accessories in a separate bag. 

Manik:- ( to Nurse ) May I get the belongings of Nandini? 

Nurse:- Bed number? 

Manik:- 2034 emergency ward.

The nurse nods and hands over the one plastic bag to him which contains all of Nandini’s items from her rings to her cell phone. Manik thanked her with a smile and walked back to his Fireball. He picked up her cell phone and luckily there was no lock so he could easily access her phone. He went into the emergency dial list and saw only three numbers. The first number brings tears to his eyes because that number was his saved as “MY SHY BOY”. If he has some guts then he would kiss her passionately right away but damn to his innocent self. He can’t do anything except blush.

Keeping his shyness aside for a moment, he saw two more numbers in the list which were saved with strange names. He frowned and glances at her with that weird face and nods his head in disbelief. The names were as follows:

MR. DRUM

MRS. DRUM-STICKS

Manik:- Why did I expect anything good from her? ( looking at the names ) Now, whom do I call? 

Keeping the faith, he dialed the second number which was named “MRS. DRUM-STICKS”. Someone picked up the call in the first ring only and lashed out at him imagining it to be Nandini. 

“Where the hell are you, Nandini? Do you even know how worried we are for you?”

Manik looks at the phone screen with horror, hearing the shout and crying silently while murmuring “Why is everyone so loud in her family?” Whereas he heard another shout from the other side of the phone which almost dried his blood. To be honest, the lady on the call is giving him a tough time. 

“Now, why are you silent? If you are playing that stupid mute-mute game with me then hear me out, I will never let you talk with your SHY BOY. I will imprison him so that he can’t even meet you, understand?”

Manik sweats in fear, hearing the threat. He looks at the phone screen and then looks at the sleeping Nandini with the hope that she will save him from this punishment. But his Fireball is resting so cutely and enjoying his condition royally, making him scoff at her. 

“( Frustratingly ) ARE YOU GOING TO SAY SOMETHING BEFORE I MURDER YOU?” 

Manik:- ( Innocently ) Why me?

Hearing the man’s voice, the lady goes silent and Manik relaxes a bit just for a second because the lady again yelled but this time her voice held anger giving him an attack. 

“Who the hell are you doing with Nandini’s phone?” 

Before Manik could open his mouth to say anything the lady again chirped in a panic. 

“ARE YOU THE KIDNAPPER? DID YOU KIDNAP MY GIRL?” 

Hearing the accusation, Manik widens her eyes and looks at Nandini and a thought crosses his mind, “WHO WOULD HAVE A GUT TO KIDNAP THIS FIREBALL?” Literally, no one has that much courage to keep this NAUGHTY DEVIL hostage. 

“Hey!… Kidnapper! You messed with the wrong girl. Just wait for an hour and she will make your life hell and you will come home to drop her off safely. But after that, I can’t give you a guarantee of what her brother will do with your dead body.” 

Manik agrees with her totally and giggles knowing the fact that her family knows her completely. But now this is enough, he can’t hear any more accusations from her so, he says. 

Manik:- Mam, Nandini is in hospital. 

“What!… Nandini, hospital?” 

Manik waits for the melodrama as this is a usual thing that happens when someone gets to know about his/her family member who was admitted to the hospital. But much to his astonishment, he heard the lady huffing tiredly. 

“Correct your statement, gentleman, THERE IS SOMEONE WHO IS ADMITTED IN THE HOSPITAL BECAUSE OF NANDINI?” 

Hearing the lady’s question, he confirmed that she belonged to Nandini because there were lots of similarities between them. One of the similarities is, Nandini doesn’t hear anyone and assumes the scenes on her own and now she does the same. He palms his face and glares at the innocent devil for leaving him alone to deal with this situation. 

“Now tell me who the guy is? Did Nandini beat him to death or is he still in ICU or ventilator?” 

This was not a shock for him. He knows Nandini is a Fireball who can beat anyone to death. But this is the limit to his patience, he took a deep breath and narrated the story in a single breath. 

Manik:- Mam, Nandini is admitted to the hospital. She is still unconscious. She had a panic attack in the rain, so I brought her here. 

Hearing him, the lady went silent for a moment and the next second he heard a sob. He sighs in relief as the situation is under control. This is the behavior he is waiting for. The lady didn’t say anything and he understood her condition. She must be in shock because it is hard to believe that a girl like Nandini is lying on the hospital bed like a lifeless baby. 

Manik:- Mam, will you please come to the Night Care Hospital?

After a minute, he heard the lady’s voice again filled with sorrow as if she just cried. 

“Is Nandini alright? Give her the phone, I will talk to her.”

Manik:- Mam, she is unconscious. 

“( Begged ) I will just hear her voice. Please, make her talk to me.” 

Manik:- Mam, Relax yourself. There is nothing to be worried about. She is alright but please come here as soon as possible. 

Although, he is consoling her but he is going through the same emotions. He is also waiting to hear her voice once again. 

“Ya, I am coming… but please, don’t leave her side until I come there.”

Manik:- ( Looking at Nandini’s sleeping figure ) I am not going anywhere leaving her. 

“Thank… Thank you so much.”

He can feel the way her tone lightens knowing that he is staying with Nandini until she comes there. 

Manik:- No need!… Mam, please bring her previous reports. Doctors said he will need those reports to understand her case. 

“Ok, I will bring. By the way, who are you? How do you know Nandini?” 

Manik:- ( Politely ) Mam, I work with…

Before he could complete, the lady says, making him blush like a fresh tomato. 

“YOU ARE HER SHY BOY?” 

Manik:- ( shyly while rubbing his nape, cutely ) Y… yes! 

“I am coming so, just stay beside her and don’t you dare to do any hanky-panky with her.” 

Manik who was holding Nandini’s palm left it instantly with terror. He can feel the coldness in her tone which is enough to dry his blood again. He heard her again but this time her tone held insecurity and pain. 

“Are you telling the truth? She… she is alright.”

Manik:- ( Smiles genuinely seeing her concern for Nandini ) Yes Mam, the doctor said she got a panic attack but she is stable now. ( After a pause ) Mam, would you please tell me who you are so that I can recognize you when you come here?

“I am Nandini’s only BHABHI… NAVYA. I AM MARRIED SO DON’T TRY TO FLIRT WITH ME.” 

Manik’s eyes popped out hearing the lady. Not having any answer he cuts the call and wipes his sweat. 

Manik:- ( While looking at his Fireball ) Your Bhabhi is dangerous… ( After a little pause ) BUT LESS DANGEROUS THAN YOU. 

He had talked with two ladies from Nandini’s family and these two conversations were enough to make him realize that he is going to have the CRAZIEST IN LAWS. It would not be a shock if he tried to register his name in the GUINNESS BOOK OF WORLD RECORDS for handling the CRAZIEST IN LAWS. There are the possibilities that he will get the record on his name while one will also add up the list of HANDLING THE FIREBALL WITHOUT GETTING KILLED. 

This is his condition just after a call but only God knows what will happen when he will meet them personally. 

To be continued…