60. CALL DISASTER!!

Ca :- ARE YOU HAPPY WITH NANDINI?

Manik looks at him with wide eyes because he is not expecting this question at this moment.

Ma :- why are you asking?

Ca :- see manik, right now i am your friend not nandini’s brother. So, answer honestly. 

Manik smiles at his care but he is manik malhotra how can he answer anything without showing his naughtiness.

Ma :- look in my eyes and you will get your answer.

Ca :- ( with a bad face ) now who is acting like my wife?

Ma :- arey…. I am not acting.

Ca :- yr……. Don’t irritate me na….

Ma :- ( giggles seeing his expressions ) ok…ok….. I AM VERY MUCH HAPPY WITH NANDINI. SHE IS MY WHOLE WORLD. RIGHT NOW I HAVE NO WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW BLESSED I FEEL TO CALL HER AS MINE. 

Cabir noticed his genuine smile which proves that he is really happy with her. 

Ca :- is she loves you the same way you love her?

On this question manik bite his lower lip with a continuous smile because it’s too difficult for them to express what they feel for each other.

Ma :- why don’t you ask yourself?

Ca :- ( defeated face ) ok…… but at least give me some rough idea.

In reply Manik folds his knees with dreamy eyes and says. 

Ma :- I don’t have any idea…….. But I am sure she loves me the most.

Ca :- how can you be so sure? You know that nandini is not that expressive.

Ma :- yup!!! But her care and gestures reflect her love. Don’t you know?

Cabir nods because he knows her sister well. She is not good with words but her care towards her loved ones is beyond everyone’s imagination. She can do anything to keep her loved ones safe which is a very rare quality nowadays. 

Ram :- ( while sitting beside them ) I think someone is talking about my girl.

While saying this he snatched the beer glass from manik’s hand and gulped it in a go making him pout dramatically. 

Ram :- so, what are you guys talking about?

Ca :- nothing!! Just boys talk. 

Ram :- so…. Continue. 

Ma :- why will we continue our talks in front of you?

Ram :- ( sarcastically ) why don’t I look like a boy?

Ma :- ( with same sarcasm ) we said BOYS talk…….. and you are too old to fit in that category.

Raman shoots daggers at him and stands up to pounce on him but cabir comes in between to stop the war.

Ca :- dad, stop! Don’t forget that he is your soon to be son in law. 

Ram :- ( gives a pointed look to cabir ) I rejected his application for the post of my daughter’s husband.

Ma :- ( glares raman ) what are you saying? I didn’t even apply for that. SHE IS MINE AS I AM HER’S. There is no need for your approval. 

Listening to this raman is ready with his comeback but cabir interrupts them. 

Ca :- please guys don’t start again. Be a little mature. 

Raj :- look who is talking about maturity…… 

Listening to his voice everyone turns around to find Raj on the door with a pillow and bed sheet around his left arm.

Ma :- and here comes the leader of the im-maturity club.

Raj :- ( dramatically ) today, you broke my heart twice, manik. 

Ram :- ( while rolling his eyeballs ) can’t you stay away from me for a single night? I am fed up with you. 

Raj :- ( while adjusting himself beside manik ) how can a majnu stay away from his laila? Meri laila………

Ram :- aur yeah LAILA ( pointing himself ) TERI LE LEGI… TU LIKH KE LE LE. 

Raj :- ( hides his face dramatically and blush while giggling ) chup besharam ( shut up! Shameless ) 

While other side cabir and manik is witnessing the whole scene with a wide open mouth. Because they are behaving like them.

Ca :- yr…. Manik, we are the same like them but mannerful.

Ma :- ( grins ) ya…… THEIR YOUNGER VERSION. 

Ca :- let’s cheers on this…..

They cheered and the sound grabbed Raj’s attention. But soon his eyes landed on his beer bottle and what’s now…. Anger rushed in his veins and he puffed his cheeks. 

Raj :- you guys are drinking my beer? 

Ram :- ( pulling raj’s puffy cheeks ) take a chill pill baby. Cabir, give him one glass too. He is thirsty. 

Raj :- why only glass? Give me my whole bottle back. You guys don’t have any right to drink what is mine. 

Ca :- uncle, why are you behaving like a stubborn kid?

Raj :- cabir, i am saying give me my bottle back or else you will not live enough to see your kids face. 

Ma :- ok..cabir, give him his bottle back. ( cabir looks at him with confusion but his confusion suddenly turned into a smirk hearing him ) tomorrow i will tell mom about him and his secret chamber of drinks in his study room.

Listening to this raj looks at him with a fearful face. If nyonika will get to know that he is drinking behind her back then, only god knows what she will do with HIS DEAD BODY. 

Raj :- ( gulps his saliva in fear ) you broke my heart again……. 

Cabir passed him a shot and he too gulped it down in a go like others. They all started chatting over drinks like some college teenagers who met on some reunion bash. Raj and Raman tell them their some weird encounters, making them laugh. Overall they are having a gala time. 

This is how raj and raman treats their kids. Although they look like strict fathers from the outside, from inside they are not less than friends of their kids. Their kids can share anything with them because they all were so comfortable around their parents. 

Till now all of them are a little drunk. They indulged so much in their laughter session that they couldn’t know that their voices were coming out from the door which was open. Alya’s room is near Manik’s room. That’s why their laughter disturbs Nandini’s sleep because she is not a heavy sleeper. She sits up on her bed while rubbing her eyes cutely and concentrates on the voices.

Among all the different voices she recognized Manik’s laughter. So, then she understood that the voices were coming from his room. Instead of going to his room knowing the fact that his brother is staying with him, she dialed his number and moved to the balcony.

Other side, Manik’s phone rings, gaining everyone’s attention. After putting down his glass he takes out his cell while frowning. As soon as he read the name of the caller, a smile crept on his lips. Seeing his smile others frowned and just to get the reason for his unusual smile raj peeped in his phone. 

After reading the name, Raj snatched manik’s phone from his hand before he could accept her call. 

Raj :- ( teasingly ) oh oh………. Why is my daughter in law calling you at this time? 

His words got Murthy’s attention, most importantly Raman’s. He glares manik. 

Ma :- Dad, give me my phone back. 

Raj shakes his head and dances crazily while saying “mai nahi doonga, mai nahi doonga” ( i will not give, i will not give ). 

Ram :- ( angrily ) why is my daughter calling you at this time?

Ma :- how can i know without talking to her? Dad, give me my phone back. 

Raj :- ( to Raman ) if nandini will not call him then to whom she will call? Sometimes I think you overreact in this matter. 

Ram :- ya….. I overreact all the time right..?

Cabir giggles seeing the drama and snachted the phone from Raj’s hand. After taking the phone he sits down on his seat and puts the call on speaker after receiving it. 

Manik shoots daggers at all of them because all of them are invading his private space. Before he could say or do anything a sweet voice broke his trance. 

Nan :- hello manik?

Listening to her sweet yet calm voice Raman sighs in relief and sits down on his seat before gesturing manik to talk.

Nan :- hello manik, are you there? 

Ma :-  hello….. Nandini. 

Nan :- where were you? I was calling you for so long.

Raj giggles seeing someone scolding his son. Whereas Raman and Cabir also control their giggles. 

Ma :- sorry….. 

Nan :- manik?

Ma :- hmmm……..

Nan :- are you drunk? 

She asked because she recognized the changes in his voice which is enough for her to know his state. Whereas this comes as a shock for others except Manik because he knows that he can’t hide anything from her. She knows his small to small details. 

Ca :- ( like a whisper ) how she got to know, without seeing you?

Raman palmed his mouth to stop him saying anything further. 

Ma :- um… ya… little bit. 

Nan :- ok…. But try to drink less. Ok? 

Raj :- ( amused ) she is ok….. With your drinking.

Ma :- hmm…. 

Nan :- is cabir bhai also drinking with you? 

Ma :- hmmm…

Cabir looks at Manik and whispers slowly only audible to them “she knows that we drink together?”. In return Manik nods. 

Ram :- ( glaring both of them ) you both spoiled my daughter to that extent……… I will not leave you both. 

Nan :- don’t say that you again steal the bottle from raj uncle’s expensive collection.

Hearing this the color of manik and cabir’s face fade away in a second. 

Ca :- ( whispers to Manik ) unknowingly my sister is planning to ban me from her in-laws house. 

Manik gulps hard and from the corner of his eyes looks towards Raj who is ready to kill them. Before Raj could do anything Nandini again speaks. 

Nan :- I am warning you manik, if uncle gets to know …… that you both always stole his cigarettes and alcohol without his knowledge… then he will not leave you guys alive. 

Raj :- ( glaring the boys ) aww……… how well my daughter in law knows me! She knows exactly what I will do with you both. 

Ma :- ( gritted his teeth on his girlfriend’s innocent act ) Nandini you called me at this time only to plan my murder? 

Nan :- huh!!! What did I do wrong? 

Ma :- no nothing….. say why did you call me? 

Nan :- ohh ya….. I called you to say…that you guys are laughing so loudly and because of that my sleep broke. So please lower your tone and close your door. Maybe that’s why your voice is coming out. 

Hearing this the most protective father got attentive and immediately rushed to close all the doors and windows. So that his daughter could sleep peacefully. 

Ma :- ( whispers to cabir ) her sleep broke that’s why she called then, what about our bones which is going to be doubled as soon as this call ends.

Saying this both the best buddies look at raj malhotra who is just waiting for a right opportunity to strangle them to death. 

Ca :- ( sarcastically ) you are right. Your girlfriend loves you a lot that’s why she is showering some EXTRA CARE, EXTRA LOVE and most importantly EXTRA BONES….. no? 

Ma :- what EXTRA BONES? 

Ca :- arey,….. When uncle will break our bones then the number of our bones will multiply na…. Simple mathematics. 

Nan :- hello….. hello Manik. Are you there? 

Ca :- (whispers ) yup! We are here now but don’t know till then? 

Ma :- hmmmm 

Nan :- and what is this? Why are you replying only hmmm…. ? 

Ma :- because you made me speechless with your act which you just pulled on me unknowingly. 

Nan :- uff….. I think you are highly drunk right now. So good night, have sweet dreams.

Saying this she cuts the call and goes to have her beauty sleep not knowing that she dug a grave for them. 

To be continued…