A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-10

Sitting in huge wooden living room, Mr. Singh seemed to have some fun chat with his buddy Madhav when ladies walked in with a trolley of breakfast. It was a wonderful morning with fine sunshine outside but still temperature was gelid. Murthy's estate was near Himalayan range and it was frosty cold there.

"Sahiba, arrange the food here only," Colonel asked.

"Yes, High time we have a normal cozy breakfast rather than those dining table fancy ones," Madhav too insisted.

Food got served in no time and four of them started to have their breakfast over fine set of conversation.

"Kids are still asleep," Colonel mentioned looking at wooden staircase.

"They reached early morning only. Glad they are taking rest after such a long drive," Sahiba said.

"Though I am amazed how come they reached late," Madhav wondered and dismissed the amusement immediately.

"Manik was driving so they had to be late," Grandpa informed while coming out of his room. He got settled in rocking chair near fireplace. Mrs Murthy immediately served him the food. He shrunk his nose seeing the boiled food and glared Mrs Murthy.

Manik walked down the stairs in his all time favorite check blazer. Everyone smiled looking at him as he walked in living room with a smile.

"Why are you awake so early? You should have rested," said Mrs Murthy.

"I am fine, Mrs Murthy. I cannot sleep till this late," He cleared and joined them over breakfast.

"And then there's my daughter who won't wake up before 12 in noon," She mumbled under her breath.

Manik tried not to laugh and started to have his food.

"Don't feel too good about it," He heard old man saying something.

"Feel good about what?" Manik asked mumbling settling near Daadu.

"She just hates my granddaughter for no reason," Daadu said and then glared his daughter in law who was happily gossiping with Sahiba.

"Oh," Manik exclaimed dramatically and then shook his head.

"BTW you need to decide your side," Manik said lowly.

"What do you mean, Malhotra?" Dadu asked in his typical stern military man tone.

Manik shrugged his shoulders and then said, "I mean, sometimes you take her side and then you don't...You know what I mean."

He smirked after making old man angry as he shot some daggers at Manik.

Manik looked at stairs and then again started to have his food quietly. He checked it was 10:30 am and she was still asleep. He was amused how someone could sleep that much. Last night was nothing less than a nightmare when she pulled that stupid prank on him. He couldn't come out of it entire journey. She hid her wrists under shawl all the way and slept like a baby when he drove them to mansion. Strangely, she didn't argue about driving again and let him take the wheel without an argument. Manik was not being able to draw out what made him panicked so much last night. Was it the ghost prank or something else? But he had put away everything as an army man could never be afraid but apparently she had all the power to drive him mad, terrified and drained. He sighed and put the dish in basin.

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Grandpa climbed down the stairs with difficulty and Manik spared some glances while reading some magazine. Elders had gone out for seeing the estate and he chose to stay at home for avoiding the human circus. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw the old man panting once he got down.