Tales of the Heart

Chapter 13

Manik, Avneet and Siddharth followed the waiter. When they reached the hall, they found the environment uncomfortable. They couldn't believe that Nandini comes here regularly.

"There she is." The waiter pointed towards a table and left.

When he left, they all looked at Nandini. They couldn't believe their own eyes that it was their Nandini. She looked completely different. Her dress, her attitude, everything was changed. Manik stepped towards Nandini.

"Nandini." Manik called out her name softly. 

Sid and Avneet too stood behind Manik. They saw so many empty glasses on her table. They doubt it was all, maybe she had more than this. 

"Nandini." Manik called out her name once again. This time louder than before so that she responds as the music was playing on too loud volume and she was drunk, so she might have missed his earlier voice. 

Thankfully this time Nandini looked back towards them but she didn't say anything, to be more precise she was not in a condition to say anything. She only started at them blankly with her drowsy eyes. They felt Nandini would pass out any moment.

"Di!" Avneet couldn't believe her own eyes that her sister can do something like this. "Di? You? Why're you doing this?" She was on the verge of crying. She controlled her tears and held Nandini's hands. "You're harming your own self, di. Why?" 

Nandini was still silent. Maybe she was trying to absorb her surrounding. She was far away from senses. She had no idea of what was happening around her or where she was or if someone was saying anything to her or not. She was in some other world. 

"Why is she trying to vent out her anger like this? I thought she is sensible enough to know, it's not doing any good to her. Because of that person, she is damaging herself in a way which would lead to something really fatal." Siddharth said looking at Nandini.

Avneet was trying to handle Nandini who was not ready to come. Manik was looking at her without saying anything. 

"I won't leave that Sanjay Kapoor. How dare he!" Nandini yelled but her voice broke due to over drunk condition. 

When Manik saw Nandini was going out of control, he went forward and held Nandini's hand. "Nandini, come with me."

She nodded her head in no and tried to free herself. "Leave me. I won't go anywhere."

"I said let's go. At least for my sake don't do this." Manik spoke softly to Nandini who was not in a condition to hear or understand anything. 

Before Nandini could say anything, Manik grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the pub with him. Avneet and Siddharth too come out after paying the bill. They were shocked seeing she had drink so much.

"Should we drop Nandini at her place?" Sid asked worriedly looking at Nandini's condition.

"But dad is there. What if he does something seeing di in this state?" Avneet was scared.

Manik who was holding Nandini looked at Avneet. "Don't worry, we'll drop you both home safely."

Avneet nodded her head in no. "He won't leave you, if he sees you. He'll insult you both again."

"It's not the time to think all this. Moreover, it doesn't matter to us. Right now Nandini is more important to us. Come." Siddharth said and opened the door of car for them.

This time Avneet sat beside Siddharth and Manik settled at the back seat with Nandini.

This fog-shrouded view of the city in this winter night is truly amazing. Amidst the fog filled almost empty road, their car was moving without caring about anything.