Aiyoo Ayyappa- MaNan FF

Chapter 21 The pathway

"Nandini...wake up!!" Kabir turned to look at Navya who was sleeping resting her head against Kabir's back. Navya never expected this ride to be so much fun. Kabir is so fast, faster than the wind and the wind, the back hug..all made Navya a bit dazed. She was in Kabir-land

Navya looked around and she was standing outside a boutique. She could see the mannenquins kept next to the glass doors. The mannenquins had on completely fashionable dresses...one of the girls were in a mini-skirt and the other had on a black pants, grey shirt and a black hat. 

"We've reached our first destination! Let's get some clothes for U!" Kabir said as he looked at Navya who got off the bike and stood looking with large gooseberry-like eyes at the huge boutique. 

"Ok comeon! Let's go in and get you some stylish dresses and then off to beauty parlour to doll you up a bit! U need a thorough work from head to toe!" Kabir continued looking at her from head to toe. 

"Kya?? Beauty parlour bhi?" Navya asked her eyes going huge. 

"Ya beauty parlour bhi! Apne look dekhi hai? The party will be attended by fashionable guys and girls and U shouldn't like an alien! So comeon in fast! We don't have too much time left" Kabir replied looking at the watch. 

Navya followed Kabir who walked into the boutique and talked to the girl on the counter. Bring us some latest collections we need for a party. 

"Woww! Fab 5's Kabir" the girls on the counter whispered looking with dreamy eyes at Kabir. Navya noticed the way the attention of the whole boutique turned towards Kabir

"But who is that country-like girl standing with Kabir? She doesn't match his style a bit" a girl whispered who was standing next to another girl behind the counter. Navya gave a sharp stare to the girl and she looked away as she realized that she had infuriated Navya. 

"Inn logon ke baaton ko zyaada mind mat karo! Today evening...nobody will identify U at the party...U'll be changed that much..trust me!" Kabir said with a little smile as he looked at the trolley of dresses that were brought into the room for his selection. 

"Chalo..now let's select one for U!" Kabir said to Navya as he looked through the dresses. 

"Hey bhagwaan..aap tho humko identify karoge na?? Warna humko aap bless kaise karoge?" Navya thought looking up at god. But god was busy looking  at two people on a bike... that he didn't notice what Navya said.

Was it minutes...or hours that passed Nandini didn't realize...her eyes were closed and she didn't look at where she is now. Suddenly the bike came to a halt. Nandini opened her eyes and looked around. It was a lonely street. The sky was dark with stars shining everywhere on the sky..its as if a starry carpet was spread above them and now there's not just venus but also the full moon looking at earth with a shine on her face

"Manik...hum pahunch gaye?" Nandini asked as she rubbed her eyes a bit. Her eyes had gone blurry coz of the little sleep that she had momentarily slipped into. 

"Ok...get off Navya!" Manik ordered "We've reached". 

"Manik...ye kaha hai? I can't see your house anywhere...where are we?" Nandini asked with a confused look on her face as she got off the bike and stood looking around her. 

"This road looked like a highway with large trees and plants on both sides. Why did Manik stop in the middle of the highway?" Nandini thought as she got off the bike. 

"Navya it seems there's some problem with the bike. U see that pathway? We must go a bit to enter into my property and my house is there. Let's go!" Manik said pointing to a not so-wide pathway which went deep into jungle. 

"Jangal ke andar ghar?" Nandini asked with a confused expression on her face. 

"Nahii..not jungle actually. It's our landed property. It's just a bit of walk on the pathway into the area...where my house is located. After we go a bit in there...we'll reach my house." Manik replied looking at Nandini. 

"But why are there no vehicles parked anywhere here?" Nandini asked with a confused look on her face. 

" Don't worry about all that. Let's go to my house now. It's a bit of walk from here and now my bike is also not working. We need to walk and we'll reach soon. Chalo..chalte hai...comeon!" Manik said to Nandini. Manik parked his bike to the side of the highway and started to walk towards the pathway. Nandini didn't move. She was scared as she looked around her and nowhere was a single being seen even in the street lights that were on the side of the highway at a bit of distance.  Nandini continued to stand there looking around. Manik crossed the road and walked to the opposite side. He turned to look at Nandini who was still standing there looking with a scared look on her face. 

"Navya...U don't trust me?" Manik shouted from there. "If U don't shout me..just stand there and don't come after me. After sometime ...some vehicle will pass by! U can take a lift and go back home. If U trust me...come after me" Manik said as he turned away from Nandini and started walking into the jungle. 

"Should I go after him or wait for a vehicle??" Nandini thought as she looked at the sannatedaar street. There was not even a chance of any vehicle coming this way. Nandini looked at the watch around her wrist and it was 7.30 P.M. 

"One hour passed...my god!!!!!!!!!! How much time had passed? Where is this place? There is not even a sign board seen anywhere! Manik! He's gone! I've no other option..must run after him!" Nandini thought as she quickly ran the way Manik had walked. She once again paused for a moment on the opposite side of the road and turned back to look at the pathway in front of her. It was wider and seems like people pass through this way. 

"Ayyappa...please protect me...help me" Nandini prayed as she walked into the pathway. The pathway took a curve at a distance and Manik was seen nowhere around. Nandini quickly ran on the pathway deeper into the jungle. 

"On both sides are trees...I feel when I reach the curve of the pathway..I will find Manik ahead of me." Nandini thought as she ran towards the curve on the pathway.