Chance Connection

Part 3

Cabir told Manik that he was only concerned for Nandini and there wasn't anything like how Manik had assumed.

        Cabir : "If you are okay with it shall I ask her to join us. Anyways we have the whole cabin to ourselves, and it is a matter of just one day."

        Manik didn't want his friend to be upset, but at the same time he wasn't sure if that was a good idea.

        Cabir : "Just think, if it was one of my cousins or your sister in her place would we have left her on their own."

        Manik : "We wouldn't, but she isn't one of them. She is a stranger and there is no need to be concerned for a stranger. Showing concern for a stranger is like inviting trouble for yourself.  It is her problem, and let her deal with it. There might be so many like her on this train, are you going to be concerned about everyone, no right? So just drop that idea."

        Cabir : "Please for my sake." 

        Cabir managed to convince Manik and Manik agreed though reluctantly. Cabir didn't waste a single minute after that. He went to Nandini and convinced her to join them. Nandini felt that it was better to stay with someone who had helped her than among a bunch of strangers, so she agreed. Cabir was back to his usual self when he returned with Nandini, and that was enough for Manik for now, though he wasn't comfortable with that arrangement.

        It started drizzling outside.

        Cabir : "Where are you planning to stay at Silgiri?"

        Nandini mentioned the name of the hotel.

        Cabir : "We are staying there too. How long are you going to be there?"

        Nandini : "I have no idea. I hope I will be able to go back home as early as possible. How about you?"

        Cabir : "Even we have no idea how long we are going to stay here. You said you haven't been out of your city, so that means this is your first time to Silgiri too."

        Nandini : "Yes, it is. Have you been there earlier?"

        Cabir : "Yes, a few times. If you need anything you can contact me while we are there."

        Nandini : "Thanks!"

        Nandini remembered her friend telling her that they could start at the college and then figure out how to proceed further based on the information they receive.

        Nandini : "Any idea how far Siligiri college is from the hotel? Since my friend was supposed to join me and he knows that place, I didn't bother to check anything before I started."

        Cabir : "It will take 15 minutes by cab. Are you planning to join that college?"

        Nandini : "No, I just need to get some information from there. I just completed my studies and I have no plans of studying further."

        Cabir : "Oh.. you look so little, so I thought you might be just joining college." 

        Nandini : "I don't know why everyone feels that I am little. You know I am going to get married soon."

        Cabir : "What?! .. Are you kidding?"

        Nandini : "You don't believe me. See, this is my engagement ring. I am going to Silgiri for my friend, I mean my fiance."

        Cabir : "I really can't believe it. So that friend who was supposed to join you is actually your fiance. You said that he also told that you look familiar when you first met and that meeting led to your engagement?!"

        Cabir came to his own conclusions based on what he had heard from her so far.

        Nandini : "No, it isn't like that. The one who was supposed to join me is my friend. I am going to Silgiri for my fiance, and of course he is a friend too. My friend, I mean my fiance, was studying at Silgiri college."

        Cabir : "Oh! .. My cousin was studying at the same college too. Even I will have to visit the college at least once. We do seem to have a lot of things in common when it comes to this trip."

        Manik's thoughts : "I don't know why but I am beginning to feel that he is slowly going to tag her along there too, it is not going to be just here."

        Nandini : "Yes .. but I think the purpose of this trip is certainly going to be different."

        Cabir : "Yes, you are right."

        Initially, Cabir didn't have any plans of telling why he was going to Siligiri. Except his aunt and Manik no one in his family knew about it, but later he felt that there was no harm in telling it to Nandini.

        Cabir : "My cousin left home without informing anyone and she isn't picking up my aunt's or my calls. My aunt, that is her mom, is worried, so she wanted me to go and check on her. I tagged him along because I didn't want to travel alone. I thought even he will get a break from his work, but he has carried work with him."

        Nandini was also not planning on telling about the purpose of her visit, but they both were more or less in a similar situation.

        Nandini : "Oh.. I am in a similar but a more complicated situation. My fiance did the same. He left.."

        Manik's thoughts : "What is she up to? Could she be cooking up a story to match what Cabir is saying? What could be her motive behind this? Whatever it is, if she plans to take advantage of Cabir in any way, I am not going to let her be successful."

        Nandini : "He left home without informing anyone and we had no idea where he is. My neighbor saw him getting into this train, and since he was studying at Silgiri, we are assuming that he might be there, but we are not sure. I am hoping that I might be able to get a clue about his where abouts from the college since he was staying at the college hostel earlier. Everyone at home is upset because of this. Right now I am so mad at him that I feel like punching him."

        Manik's thoughts : "No doubt he left. Who would want to marry a girl who would be ready to punch him?"

        Cabir : "I thought that you are meek, but you turned out to be a lioness."

        Nandini : "I am not meek, but I am not a lioness too. I told that I felt so, but I am not going to punch him for real. How could he go like that? He could have at least informed me."

        Cabir : "Why would he inform you when he hasn't informed his own family? .. How long have you know him for?"

        Nandini : "We are childhood friends and till recently I thought that I was his best friend."

        Cabir : "Childhood friends to life partners. It is true that a girl and a boy can't just remain friends, love comes in between."

        Nandini : "Why can't they? We would have remained friends if our parents wouldn't have wanted to get us married. .. But looks like this relationship has weakened our bond of friendship. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done so. I hope I will be able to find him and take him back home with me as early as possible."

        Manik's thoughts : "Parents expect their children to fulfill their wishes. May be he was forced to marry her because of family pressure and may be he left to escape from it. It isn't possible for everyone to prioritize themselves over their family and take such a step."

        Cabir : "Why are you so upset? May be he would have gone to meet one of his friends and didn't get a chance to inform."

        Nandini : "Hope it is just as you say, but I am really worried. Nothing seems to be going fine from the past few days, I don't know what else is in store .. I just hope he isn't in any kind of a problem."

        Cabir : "What else has happened that you are  so tensed?"