Recap : Manik's father comes over, and tells him how he is gonna ruin Nandini next. Nandini also comes over to talk but they both have a fight and he forces her out. Nandini meets Simran who gives her some important information, meanwhile Manik has a terrible Nightmare about his mother again. When he wakes up, his doorbell rings again.
"If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets." - Haruki Murakami, Kafka on the Shore
"Fuck my life", Manik grumbled rather loudly, pushing the diary and pen away with such a force that the poor things fell off his study table and kissed the ground immediately, along with a few more companions.
The door bell rang again, clearly giving away the visitor's impatience.
Chugging down another rather large gulp of his precious red wine straight from the bottle, Manik cursed again, limping out of the study. For a split moment, he considered letting the door bell ring and not pay heed. Whoever it was would go away eventually if he didn't open the door. Either way people these days had patience thinner than a sewing thread, and given how exhausting the day already had been for him, it was definitely an engaging thought, but when the door bell rang again, and this time along came a loud thud, he limped through his drawing room, stopping only to keep the bottle of wine on the coffee table and opened it.
A huge box - a cake box to be precise - was thrusted into his hand and a familiar ball of red rushed passed him inside, and he couldn't decide if it was a surprise or shock.
"What the hell are you doing here? ", he snarled in a low voice, gritting his teeth but Nandini Murthy was busy inspecting the bottle of wine instead, looking non chalant.
"Just 3/4th?", she turned at his question, "Shouldn't you be like three or four bottles down?"
Manik frowned, getting angrier. He was in no mood to entertain anyone, especially her and given his temper right now, he wasn't sure how long would he last before actually throwing the petite woman out.
"Nandini", he called her name with extreme annoyance, "what do you want? And what the fuck is this?", he asked pointing to the cake.
"That's cake, duh", Nandini answered, rolling her eyes, "Atleast close the door. The breeze is cold outside. And wait-", she paused to give him a sickly sweet smile, a tease dancing in her doe eyes, "Didn't you say I was just Dr. Murthy few hours before? Change of heart in a jiffy?"
Manik gritted his teeth, letting her know how acutely annoyed he felt. She was behaving like they didn't just have a nasty argument a while ago while he was too aware of that conversation - it hadn't let him breathe in peace for one moment since she left. And whatever semblance he had left, the horrifying nightmare that followed had stripped him off it.
"You seriously need to get yourself treated", Manik commented rudely, closing the door behind him and walking inside to put the cake box down, "I already have a diagnosis - News flash - Short term memory loss".
Nandini giggled.
She actually giggled and then burst out laughing, trying her best to stop by clasping her mouth with her hands but the attempts fell short and Manik's living room was filled with the rich, vibrant sound of Nandini's laughter.
Manik watched her, dazed. He could actually feel the anger, the annoyance leaving his body. It was almost if he was transported back in time - as if the past two years were erased and he was standing in the auditorium of Nandini's college, for the conference and watching her laugh with her friends while trying to steal glances of him.
YOU ARE READING
Chaotic Tangles!
Fanfiction**Can be read as General fiction** The young, leading psychiatrist in the country, is charged for allegedly provoking suicide, but is bailed and later declared innocent. He thinks the complications are over, but when a young free spirited recently p...
