Celebrity Castaway | COMPLETE | MaNan Fiction

29| The Nightingale

A/N: Hello my wonderful readers! How are we doing today? Can you imagine we are into April already?! Time flies so fast :O

Now I have to say, I absolutely loved all the theories you folks shared on what could be the rib curdling truth Nyonica was going to shed in this chapter, but I have to say, no one but one came close to the version I have penned! So, I hope this chapter really catches you off guard & you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed penning it down for you!

On that note, happy reading! :D

***

"Manik, for understanding my leverage, there is one more truth you need to know." Nyonica sank down on the couch. This was going to be a long story. She gestured for Manik to sit down too, and all though perplexed, he agreed and sat opposite his mother. Posture terse, attention rapt.

"Nyonica beta, I need to meet you urgently. How soon can you return home tonight?" Nyonica was startled receiving a call from her mother-in-law that night. Did she sound a little breathless? Her mother-in-law, the legendary Asha Devi Malhotra, was not only a poised and elegant woman, but also the calmest of their lot. Nyonica was attending a cruise party on the Arabian Sea, to mark the twentieth wedding anniversary of a very dear friend.

"Beta, are you there on the call? Can you hear me?" Asha Devi's urgent voice caught her attention and Nyonica immediately tried to check if there was an emergency.

"Mumma, are you fine? Do you feel unw.." Nyonica panicked.

"I'm fine love, just come home the soonest." her mother-in-law urged again.

"Mumma, I am on a cruise that's in mid sea, it's supposed to return to shore in the morning! Even if I try to cancel its route to get back, I cannot return in another three to four hours! Mumma if you don't feel well, I can get my secretary Aneesh to reach you immediately! Also, I think Shrikant is shooting closeby tonight, in Film city; wait let me call him.." Nyonica replied with worry laced in her voice.

There was a sudden calm from the other end. After a few seconds, Asha Devi sighed. "Beta, I need you to promise me, you won't tell a soul that I asked you to meet me tonight. Okay?..and I am all healthy, so don't worry about it. Meet me the soonest you can" before Nyonica could probe any further, her mother-in-law disconnected the call. It felt weird. Nyonica wondered what was going on. Her mother-in-law was a kind, loving & most importantly understanding woman, her demand that night made no sense, nor did her request. Nyonica felt something was off, and so instead of brushing off the odd feeling, she insisted her friend figured out a way to drop her home at the earliest, stating her son Manik had called her & he wasn't feeling well. Of course re-coursing the vessel and killing the party wasn't something she encouraged, but after a lot of effort & a lot of time, a chopper was arranged to pick her up from mid-sea.

As a frantic Nyonica hurried back home, the first thing she wanted to do was meet her mother in-law, but it was very late into the night and as she walked into Asha Devi's room she saw that the older lady had called it a night, she wanted to ask her, what had bothered her so much, but decided not to be disturb her mid-sleep, she looked so peaceful while sleeping, maybe her concern was taken care of? She was worried & fatigued anyway, the rest would do her good. Nyonica decided to meet her the next morning; however, she felt strange. Why would her mother-in-law call her urgently and not wait for her?

In many ways, the next morning was the start of a time cycle that saw to it that every bit of peace in Nyonica's life was taken away from her.

As Nyonica tried meeting her mother-in-law again the next morning, she was informed that Asha Devi had already gone to her 'rewaz' room for the day and wasn't going to be available until afternoon. There was no point calling her, because she never received calls in between music practice anyway. Again, in the afternoon when Nyonica approached, she was told that the old lady was recording a new song. Wait. Recording a new song? Hadn't her mother-in-law retired only last year from recording, due to old age and a weakening voice? Again, she had to wait. Understandably by nightfall Asha Devi ji was too tired to meet anyone & called it an early night again.