Parineeta

Talking to a Saint

I walked out of my room, my head throbbing with unanswered questions. I roamed around the resort aimlessly for about 15 mins, walking absent mindedly, sometimes turning into random corridors, hoping to reach somewhere close to some of my answers. The resort was a massive block of well designed walls with multiple rooms on different sides of it. A long passage at the back of it leading to a double storeyed swimming pool, 'what the... Double storeyed swimming pool'.
There were lush green gardens at eaither side of the passage which from the pool seemed to be turning to the right and continuing for some steps after which there were a flight of stairs leading downstairs prolly to the second swimming pool which was constructed adjacent to the first one, but below it.
My meaningless tour of the left me in awe of the whole resort, it was huge amd beautiful, the kind I would've loved to spend my weekend in, with the man in my life, or the man I always wanted, Manik, just the two of us, all alone in this huge place, loving each other, fighting with each other, and doing everything that people in love would've done, except that we weren't.. in love, he wasn't, I am not sure, but what I do know is these thoughts, the weird change that I've very recently experienced is driving me crazy. From letting Manik come so close to me as to make me heartbeats uneven amd even drop at intervals, to figuring out that Manik shopped for me, that his favourite colors, everything in my mind seemed likeba roller coaster and I needed to clesr these things out. I just didn't know how to. The best and the most accurate way to get all the answers would be to go to Manik itself, get straight to the point, confront him, ask him whatever I wanted to but just the thought of going in front of me especially after what happened back in the room, my insides were churning up amd I didn't know if it was in the good kind or the bad or awkward kind of churning. I had to look for the next best possible way to get all my answers but I couldn't figure out who or what it could be.
I stood still for a moment in the centre of what looked like a cross corridor. There three corridors on the three of my sides and there was the open garden space outside on the fourth, my front. All the events that had occurred since the morning reeled in front of my eyes as I looked for one way to get out of all of it.
I remembered waking up disheveled from last night's weird encounter with Alya, prepping myself to face everybody without Maddy, getting freshened up and dressed to start the day, the message, the.. wait the message.
I clutched my phone in front of my face as I searched through the messages to find that one chat box.

: Goodmorning beautiful:
:Now that you're back in town and not even married anymore, I guess I can freely flirt with you I hope:
: It's gonna be fun Nandini Murthy, the hide and seek ends today:
:And yeah, if it makes you feel better, I missed you:
:see you very very soon, Murthy.. no that's not what I call you.. Nandu, can't wait to see you:

"Nandu" i whispered. Alot of people callede Nandu, how would I know who this was. I checked the number and it was a private one. What hide and seek was this person referring to. How did he know that I wasn't married anymore, that is one thing even I don't know yet. I don't know what Manik did with the divorce papers that I'd sent because I never heard of them ever. Nobody mentioned it, not even mom and dad.
No luck.
I put my phone away and began the further details of the day. Navya coming home, forcing me into his car, coming to the resort, him talking to Mukti.. wait.. Mukti? He told Mukti that he was going shopping for 'her and her mother' and I still don't know who that 'her' is.
I dialed Mukti's number but it was unreachable. I remembered Navya saying that Mukti was busy with something and she couldn't help Navya with Alya's dresses so how would she be able to take time out for me to talk. Actually, everybody was so busy here that it was really impossible to expect anybody to sit and talk but I had to, if I had to stay here for the whole wedding, I had to clear my head and get my answers.
I went on with my mental search and reached the point where Manik stood in front of me with shopping bags in his hand but I couldn't go to him, that's been discussed before, I mean I've discussed it with myself.
Hold on!
Cabir!!
I'd found just the person. The person who, if not entirely, could have alot of the answers to my questions. I had to find him.
I looked around at all the corridors around me and finally made way to the lobby hoping to catch hold of Cabir somewhere there.
I darted towards the main entrance and spotted Cabir at the reception leaning against the desk. He seemed engrossed in his phone as if texting someone and I hoped he was not too busy to talk.
"Umm.. Cabir?"I called his name, distracting him from his phone as he straightened himself sensing somebody else's presence. I took slow steps towards him and he looked at me confused.
"Busy ho?" I asked as i reached next to him.
"Haan matlab, bas vahi last minute arrangements.. mostly sab ho gaya hai bas guests ke rooms and kuch chhoti chhoti cheeze bachi hai.. bolo.. tumhe koi kaam tha?"he asked looking around, a hint of pride touched his face for a minute second as he looked up at all the arrangements that he'd made. I felt happy.
"Kaam toh nai tha.. but soch rahi thi kuch karu but.."I was cut mid sentence when he started off.
"Arey tum.. tumne vo outfits try karliye jo man.. I mean jo Navya ne bhjwaye the?"he looked at me and realised something. His gaze further moved down to my toes and back up studying me carefully as I looked around nervously, he wasn't supposed to make it that obvious.
"Yeh uss hi mei se hai?"he asked and I nodded slightly.
"Wow he has a good choice.."he muttered alittle louder than he intended to but he was lost in his thoughts and realised it seconds later as I looked at straight at him.
"I... I mean she.. she has a good choice.. Navya.. has a good choice.. I'll tell her to shop for.."it was my chance to interrupt him this time.
"Cabir... You don't have to pretend.."I paused and he looked at me trying to cover up his anxiety but his eyes, they gave it away.
"I know it wasn't Navya.. and I also know who it was.."I took longer pause to study his reaction but he simply sighed as he realised there was nothing he could do to undo it.
"How do you..?"he looked away, trying to trace Manik, if he was around but I guess he wasn't and Cabir seemed to be happy about it.
"I called Navya.. i just wanted to thank her.. but before I could say anything she blurted out that she'd forgotten all about my luggage and that she would make sure to tell you to arrange everything.. but this was very.. I had already figured something was up when I saw the colors of the outfits that were in there.."he blabbered everything and Cabir lookednat me confused.
"They were all Manik and my favourite colours.. and okay Navya would've known mine and maybe even his but she didn't like black or red or blue so to have a complete set selected.. there were no greens, no lavender.. Nothing that looked like Navya's choice.."I completed and I found Cabir smiling sheepishly.
"Cabir.." I called him out to make him realise that I was still here and he immediately straightened his face.
"I wanna talk to you.."I looked at him, my eyes flooded with questions.
"About all of this.. if you're free.."he nodded gently and I was surprised at the ease with which he agreed whileniywas nervous here wondering if he'd wanna talk about it or not.
He held his hand and pointed towards the garden outside the glass door at the back of the lobby and made way for me.
"Chalo.."he muttered as I took steady steps following behind Cabir as he led us to a silent secluded place outside.
"Hmm.. sooo.. what's up Nandini?"he looked at me, his eyes awaiting the list of questions and doubts that I had. It was almost like he expected this.
"Cabir.. I don't know how to.. I mean.. its just awkward.. for me to just show up.."he interrupted me as I started with something that I didn't could lead anywhere.
"Bro listen.. unless you just show up and decide to propose to 'me'.."he quoted the me in the air and I rolled my eyes letting out a scoff and a giggle.
"There's nothing awkward here.. infact I.. was kinda hoping for this.. because from what I know you, you like keeping out of drama, which is an irony though.."he said dramatically and I realised that it was true. All my life I had hated to create a scene but right now all my life was but a 'scene'. I looked in the distance.
"Now I don't mean it in a wrong way, but yoy know, everything that's happened.. anyways.. so yeah you won't approach anybody else except Manik, Navya or Me.. considering your equation with Manik at this point, you won't go to him, just yet.. although you would eventually.."he muttered the last part a little slower but I hears it and looked at him questioningly.
"Amd Navya is pretty busy right now and you've caught me so yeah tell me, seriously, what's on your mind?"he asked as my gaze stuck to his face. I didn't know how to start. This man right here did know me alittle too well than expected. I mean, it's not like I've spent anytime with him specifically but somehow he always understood me in a way that I can probably never explain. He has Always been like the elder brother that I never had and it always made me feel secure but right now all I felt was guilt. Guilt of leaving him uninformed. I had my reasons, he was Manik's friend and from what I know his oldest friend and I don't think he'd have been able to keep it to himself.
I looked away trying to suppress all that was going through within my head and start all over. Point by point. I had to focus on first things.
"Cabir.. I'm sorry.. I didn't tell you where I was, what I was doing or how I was.. I'm sorry for practically shutting you out, abandoning you, I'm sorry for never talking to you.. I mean you always knew whenever I went missing and all but this time I just left you hanging without any fault of yours.. it's just that.." what the hell! It was like my mind lost all control of my mouth as I blurted out my guilt ridden apology to him and he smiled a little.
"Its just that I'm his friend and you didn't know if you could trust with keeping your location and you a secret from him?"he completed my sentence for me and the trust part made me feel even more guilty.
"No Cabir I trust you.. I really do.. it's just that you guys are too close and I didn't want you to feel the need to hide something from your bestfriend, because as much as I know him, if he really hates me as he said that day, he might not want any of you to keep any contacts with, but that's what I don't evem know whether I know him or not anymore.."my pitch lowered. I remembered whatever happened back in the room. Even if he wasn't intending for it to be me, it somewhere meant that he didn't hate me.
"Cabir really.. I don't know this man.. it feels like I've never known him.. I mean what is he? There was a time I felt that he was the most predictable person but it all feels like a hoax.. it just feels like I was trying to know him the way I thought he was when he really wasn't.."he continued without letting Cabir speak.
"A year ago, the marriage, he agreed to it, infact he was the first one to agree to it and then Alya and all of that, at some points he made me feel like I was the most important person for him and the others it was like I didn't matter it all.." I looked at Cabir but his gaze was stuck to something in the distance and I knew he was figuring out what to say. Talking to Cabir felt like talking to a saint, a soft smile playing on his lips like that of a philosopher with abundant knowledge about whatever I was talking.
"You're right... And wrong"he took a small pause, his gaze unmoved and his smile still a consistent. I looked at him intently cause I knew he had more to say than just that.
"That's exactly what all this is about.. you don't know him.." I looked away. It felt like a stab in my heart, to hear that the only person I was the closest to for most of my life was unknown to me.
"But it's not your fault.. because he didn't even know himself.. until you left.. and even now he doesn't have himself all figured out but he's listening to his heart for a change.."I scoffed.
"So you're trying to say.. he changed after I left? A good thing or a bad thing? If my absence is all it takes for him to change then I might as well leave again.."I muttered alittle frustrated.
"Neither.. actually.. his change has been for a reason, for the realisations that hit him after you left.. and so the change, it was neither good nor bad.." I looked at Cabir almost unbelievably at how he was still trying to defend him.  Well he's his best friend, afterall!
"Cabir.."I fiddled with my phone in my hand. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to call him out directly for defending his best friend because whatever might've been he was sitting here, with me, to help me clear my head and I couldn't blame him for nothing.
"Okay now... Nandini.. I get it.. tumhe lagta hai I'm his best friend so I'll defend him.. but I'm not defending him.. infact what I'm about to tell you has nothing to do with the last one year.. I won't tell you what happened, what he did, how he was, how changed he is or anything, because one I know you don't want to listen to that right now and two I'm not allowed to.."he paused and my eyes turned to him, intrigued.
"Allowed to?"I raised my eyebrows.
"Yeah it's his struggle.. he'll tell you if and when he wants to.. none of us allowed to talk about the last year.. it's his strict orders.."he giggled as he said the word strict and I smiled.
"But what I'll tell you is something he still doesn't know.. something that's always been there.. unknown to both of you, especially himself, infact everybody.. yes you don't know Manik, nobody knows Manik, because he hasn't let anybody know himself infact he locked himself away a long time ago... Yes you thought you knew Manik because everyone thinks so.. but that's also true that you knew the Manik you thought he was, and the ome you expected him to be and also the one he pretended to be or he let everyone see... But Manik is way more than anybody's expectations.. he's way more than he thinks he is.. and I've seen it.. known it.. understood it..closer than anybody else.. even his own parents.. Manik is unpredictable because alot of the times he gets tired of being the person that he thinks he is or he should be or people want him to and that's when the real him, the actual Manik comes to life" he went on like he had a thesis prepared on Manik. I felt like i was listening to a horror story and I was surprised at how closely he knew his best friend.
Cabir was indeed a real best friend. I didn't know what he was about to say yet but I had understood that Manik was way too lucky to have Cabir as his best friend who could understand him even when he didn't understand himself.

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So how do you think will the story unfold? What do your think Cabir's gonna tell Nandini and how pro or against Manik will the story get?
What do you think is the story behind Manik? Who is he?
Leave in your guesses!!
This might be your chance to have a say in the storyline!
Although I have a well prepared storyline, I'd really like to see your guesses and if I feel really connected with any of them or if any of your guesses fit right with the plot that I have in mind, I might just slip it in somewhere until then have fun reading it♥️

Loads of love
Stay safe
Sri♥️