CHAPTER 56

                                    

                                          
MANIK
I came to my room after having dinner with Mom and Cabir. I was getting ready for a shower when my phone rang. It was Abhi.
"Heyy."
"Hi. Tomorrow we have practice right?"
"Yeah but only in the morning. Evening practice is cancelled. Uhh by the way, I had to ask something."
"Yeah?"
"Do your parents know?"
"About what? Mukti?"
"Yeah that and about me and Nandini."
"No to both of them. Like they do know you guys are close, but not that you're dating. You wanna disclose to them?"
"Yeah I mean, Mom knows. So it's only fair if they also know. Right?"
He laughed at this. "Good luck with Dad."
"Enough okay. I'll talk to him."
"I'll be there at the front row seat to this. By the way, you guys confessed?"
"You're being too damn nosy with this question but tomorrow I'm planning something for her."
"Really?"
"Yes really. Accha listen?"
"Haa?"
"What was that text about?"
"Which text?"
"When Nandini came back after attending the call. That time you were looking at your phone all in tension. What was that?"
"Nothing much. Just Madhyam is not in Mangalore and it does cause sirens blaring. He's always up to no good."
"Madhyam? Who's this now?"
"Nandini's chacha's son. He's a bastard. With that threat that he gave on court, and now Madhyam going off grid, it all doesn't settle well. But maybe we are being just paranoid."
"Did something else happen?"
"No just this. Don't worry. It's probably nothing. Sid's Dad thinks that maybe we are just overthinking."
We hung up soon after that. It maybe was nothing, but there was an uneasiness inside me, hearing this.
I took a shower and then called Nandini. 
"Hiiii" I heard her chirpy voice. This was all that I needed.
"Hey. What are you doing?"
"Nothing much. Mama Mami returned aaj so spent some time with them and now I'm back in my room with a novel and curled up on my swing."
I smiled imagining her.
"So Miss Murthy, I have a proposition for you."
"How can I help you Mr. Malhotra?"
"Well you see, I need some of your time tomorrow."
"My time? Don't you know it's very expensive? I don't give it to just a random anybody," she giggled.
"Accha bacchu? Random anybody? I've created a devil, haven't I?"
"Yes sir yes," she laughed.
This was the most pleasing sound to my ears, her giggles and laughter.
"Accha oki yes, you have all my time but what happened?" she asked when she sobered up.
"Umm I kinda have a surprise for you and for that I need to steal you away."