Chapter 10

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The car halted in front of a huge mansion in an upmarket locality. Manik stepped out, feeling strange at not being able to recognize a brick of the house he had spent his entire life in. He thanked Neel and began unloading his suitcases from the trunk.

Neel on the other hand was totally dumbfound. He shouldn't have expected anything less grander for the heir of Malhotra group of Industries. He started calculating the net worth of this sprawling property in his mind. He was good with numbers & currencies, in fact that is all he was good with. 20 crores is the minimum, the absolute minimum just for this piece land.

"Man, I have to befriend this guy and I would do anything and everything required." He thought to himself. He didn't know the whole background because despite his probing, Manik had been very guarded about his life. But from the very little that Manik had disclosed, he had concluded that Manik was perhaps new to the city and without any friends.

If Neel could play his cards right, he could easily make a connection and use it in future. But he would have to be very careful for Manik appeared to have zero tolerance for drama.

"Manik, it was such a pleasure meeting you. Its mystic how we bumped into each other but you know, nothing in life is a coincidence. May be we were meant to meet.

Anyways, as you already know I am getting engaged coming Saturday. So you will have to come to meet my beautiful fiancee Nandini and before you say anything, I wont take a 'No' for answer."

Manik grinned. "I will try." They shook hands and exchanged numbers before Neel left.

A few servants came out running. They politely requested Manik to let them carry his luggage upto his room. Manik silently followed. The mansion was as grand inside as it looked on the exterior. There was no sign of anyone other than a whole fleet of servants. Did his mother not live in this house like his dad? Should he ask one of the attendants? He decided against it and quietly went up to the first floor.

The sun was up and even though it was still early morning, the sweltering heat of Mumbai made Manik break into a sweat. Once the staff had left Manik locked his door and took a good look of his room. It was nice, luxurious but impersonal. There were expensive art works all around but not a single photograph of his on any of the walls. He ransacked his wardrobe, tumbling out of the closet came clothes and shoes - Brand new and ironed out, There were toiletries and a lot of other branded stuff. Dad had even made sure that his medicines were all there neatly classified and tucked. But where the hell was his personal stuff.. He didn't know what exactly he was looking for but there should have been something, something as a memorabilia from his past. He lost his temper and shouted for an attendant.

When one of them came, scared and shaking, he enquired "Who touched my stuff? Who has cleaned this room in my absence?"

"Sorry sir, I don't know. I have just joined two weeks ago."

Manik "Call the old staff right now."

Attendant "The entire staff was hired 2 weeks ago and ever since he came, we haven't shifted anything in or out of this room. We only clean it from time to time and Malhotra sir sent someone with the clothes and medicines."

Manik wondered why the entire staff was recently hired. He wanted to know what happened to the old staff. He wanted to know what happened to his staff. But this guy wouldn't know anything. There was no point asking him. He sent him off. Just then his phone rang.

M: "So finally .. Finally you have time to check if you sick son is still in one piece." He broke into a mock laughter.

Mr. Malhotra: "I am sorry Manik beta. You know I wanted to come with you so badly. But I was held up son. I just got done with the meeting with our French customers and now I will take a flight straight to India. I hope you didn't have any trouble on your way. Have you reached safely?"

M: "Busy..busy..busy. Don't you get tired of being busy dad? And well someone dropped me home because whoever u had asked to pick me up conveniently forgot. Seems I am not the only one here with a case of Amnesia."

Mr. Malhotra: "I am so sorry beta. Let me reach India and I wil make sure these ppl pay for the trouble you had. But promise me you would take rest now. Please my son, please take your medicine and take rest. I will meet you soon."

Manik took his medicine and started feeling drowsy. The long travel and all this anxiety had started to take its toll on him. He reclined on the sofa, his room and his mind in complete disarray, his bags unpacked and stomach empty.

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