Love will Find The way

Chapter 21- Boyfriend

"How do you know?" he asked as she told. "Aryaman just gave a peg but anybody can say that you were heavily drunk last night" Nandini said. "You're just throwing a stone in dark, but not going to hit a bullseye" Manik ignored her as he got from the couch. "You were highly intoxicated on the day you fainted in your caravan" Nandini said to Manik and he was stunned. "Am I right or am I right?" she grinned with confidence. Manik's charm on his face seems drained. "How do you know all this?" Manik didn't understand. "Because I know how people drink, you were out if your capacity that day, so you fainted. And now you're high so you don't even remember what happened last night?" Nandini said.

Manik was stunned when he realized that Nandini now knew about his drinking. "I'm not a habitual drunkard" Manik justified himself. "I know, insomniacs generally drink just for peace" Nandini said. Manik was again speechless. "Ah before you blame me, it's you who told me about being insomniac last night" Nandini said keeping away from his anger. "My foot! I was not in my senses when I told you that" Manik said. Satya got black coffee for Manik just then. Manik had it as he felt his head would blast with hangover. "I can't believe that I just served black coffee to infamous Manik Malhotra" said Satya. Manik looked at him weirdly. "I'm a big fan of you, I was on cloud nine when Nandini told she is working with you, I'm so elated" Satya kept on blabbering as Manik didn't pay heed to him.

"Shall we leave?" Manik asked her. "Yeah, I'll be ready in 5" Nandini said and went inside to get ready. Manik waited for her patiently as he asked Satya to make something to eat. "It's my pleasure to cook for you" Satya exclaimed. Meanwhile Nandini got ready and came out. "Shall we leave" he asked her. "Satya is making your favorite egg Maggi noodles for you, please have it, he will feel good" Nandini asked in a requesting tone. Satya was quick to serve Manik his favorite noodles. Manik slurped them and thanked him wholeheartedly. Nandini and Manik walked out of the place in silence and reached her car.

As soon as she got into the car, she turned to fasten her seatbelt and stunned to see Manik so close to her left cheek that his lips brushed through. "Don't think that these yummy noodles will calm me down. I will learn your secrets just like you've got to know mine and I'll make sure to use them against you" he said in a threatening tone. "I don't let my secrets out when I drink, I assure you" she said with a smile. "And I have no secrets that could actually ruin me, better luck next time" she winked at him playfully. "Should I drop you till your car at the hotel?" she asked him and he nodded. Manik took his car from the hotel and headed home. 

''At least ek call bhi nahi kiya Manik tumne?'' Mukti asked Manik as he reached home. Manik thought that they were worried as he went to Nandini's place uninformed. ''Mukti I'm sorry, call karna it just slipped out of my mind'' he said and Mukti laughed at him. ''Tu chup kar, humesha Manik ko tease karegi, no need of any phone call Manik, I know tum Siya ke saath ho, its OK'' Nyonika said and Manik was disappointed to hear her. He then went to his room and called Siya. ''So now you woke up, itni late?'' Siya spoke normally. Manik understood that Siya is thinking that he went home after the party. ''Its ok, waise bhi idhar tum poore raat so nahi paye, I hope you slept well last night'' she said. Manik instantly became sad. ''Siya thought main apne ghar mein hu, and mom aur Mukti ko lagta hai ki main Siya ke saath hu'' he thought to himself. ''Nandini, how would you manage to get everyone's secrets? Pehle Aryaman phir mera'' he thought. ''I will try to find out your secrets and expose you'' Manik had an evil smirk on his face.

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''Hi bro, good morning'' Aryaman wished Manik. ''Oh, I was waiting for you'' Manik smiled sweetly. ''Kyu?'' Aryaman asked. ''Kyunki tumne kal raat mere drink spike kiya hai'' Manik said giving in a punch in Aryaman's stomach. ''Main aisa kyu karunga?'' Aryaman said in pain. ''Shayad tumhe yaad nahi hai, but you are the one who spiked my drink'' Manik assured him. ''Agar tumhe pata hai ki that I spiked your drink, why did you drink then?'' Aryaman asked. ''I didn't knew it, mujhe Nandini ne bataya. Because of you, I couldn't go back home last night, mujhe Nandini ke ghar jaana padha'' Manik said. ''She took you home! Satya kuch nahi kaha?'' he asked Manik. ''Ha, there was an old man there. He made black coffee and noodles for me'' Manik said. ''Mujhe tho ghoor ke dekha tha unhone'' Aryaman said in a complaining tone. ''Nandini said he is my fan'' Manik said. ''But I couldn't see anyone other than him'' Manik said in a surprising tone. 

''Who were you expecting there?'' Aryaman said as he heard Manik. ''Her boyfriend'' Manik said. ''How do you know that she has a boyfriend'' Aryaman said. ''you told me once that she lives with her boyfriend'' Manik said. ''Manik, this is not fare, you are accusing for me nothing today, you said I spiked your drink which I don't remember, and now when did I say that she is in a live-in with her boyfriend'' he said.  ''So, do you mean she doesn't have any boyfriend'' Manik eyes showed a spark. ''No'' Aryaman declared. Manik's happiness knew no bounds when he heard Aryaman and Navya barged in just then. ''Can I come in'' she asked. ''Tum already andar hi ho'' Aryaman said. ''Ab tak Nandini nahi aayi, she isn't answering any calls too. Shooting postpone karna padega'' she informed. ''Kaha gayi ye Nandini?'' Aryaman asked. They asked Navya to cancel the shoot. ''Aise achanak kisi ko bina bataye wo kaise jaa sakti hai'' Manik thought.

''Mujhe Nandini ke baare mein jaan na hai'' Manik asked Aryaman. ''Why?'' Aryaman gave a weird expression. ''Mujhe uska koi secret jaan na, kal usne challenge kiya'' Manik said to Aryaman. ''Ok, dosti ke naathe I would help you but Nandini is also my friend, remember that'' Aryaman said. ''I will take you somewhere tonight, then you can talk to her'' Aryaman said. ''Ok, I will wait'' Manik said. Manik waited for Aryaman to call him. ''Oh God! Uska koi boy friend nahi hai, itne din se main kya kuch soch rakha tha uske baare mein'' he thought. ''By the way, main kyu itna excite ho raha hu? This Nandini has definitely cast her spell on me'' he thought to himself and his chain of thoughts were broken by a phone call from Aryaman. ''Manik, ready hai tu?'' asked Aryaman. ''Ha, I was waiting for you'' Manik said as Aryaman asked him to come and meet him in the car. Manik sat in the car and Aryaman drove. ''Where are going now?'' Manik asked. ''To talk to Nandini, talk and sort it out, uske koi bhi secrets mujhe pata nahi'' Aryaman said and drove Manik to the bar.

''Why did you stop here? Don't tell me you want to booze'' Manik asked. ''Manik, hum yaha Nandini se milne aaye hai'' he said. ''Nandini yaha regularly aati hai kya?'' Manik asked checking the surroundings whether someone could recognize him. ''Regularly nahi, roz aati hai'' Aryaman said looking for Nandini as they went inside. ''What! who the hell goes to a bar everyday?'' Manik asked and corrected himself, ''I mean every night''. ''Stop it yaar, she works here!'' Aryaman told him. ''Nandini works here! Strange'' said Manik. ''So you don't know this! then it is a secret of her'' Aryaman said and enquired about Nandini. ''Bad luck, Nandini yaha bhi nahi hai, she hasn't come tonight'' Aryaman said. ''Ab kya kare?'' Aryaman asked. ''Let's go to her place then'' Manik suggested. ''Wo Satya kuch kahega'' Aryaman did not encourage Manik but Manik stood stubborn. ''Main hu na! I will manage him'' Manik said and he drove to Nandini's place in no time. They reached and knocked on the door. Satya opened the door but didn't expect them. 

''Hi Satya, Nandini hai?'' Manik asked. ''Hi Manik, what a surprise! Nandini isn't at home'' he said. ''Acha subah se set pe bhi nahi aayi, kaha gayi wo'' Aryaman asked. ''Please come and sit, I will get something to eat'' Satya changed the topic instantly and Manik observed him. Manik asked about Nandini after some time. ''Wo kisi kaam se baahar gayi kal subah tak aajayegi'' he said. ''I want to know where she is! please batao mujhe'' Manik asked in a pleasing tone. ''Nandini ke kuch khaas insaan ke birthday hai aaj, par wo usse mil nahi sakti. Whenever she is not well, she goes off missing, I hope she will return by morning'' Satya said. ''Hope! do you mean to say that even you don't know where she went?'' asked Manik. ''Sorry even I don't know where she went, sometimes she randomly goes missing'' Satya said. ''Kaun hai ye itne khaas insaan, she don't have parents or siblings, uska koi boy friend bhi nahi hai'' Manik said.

''Who said Nandini doesn't have a boyfriend?'' Said Satya. Manik looked unbelievably. ''His name is Sid'' Satya revealed.