Parineeta

She Is Mine!

Manik parked his car in the underground parking of the massive building where his father was in for a business meeting and wouldn't want to be disturbed but Manik couldn't care about the urgent meeting his dad was in. Instead he had decided to barge right in and scream his frustration out. The frustration not days long but hours long. He had tried his dad's number for almost a million times but the former did not seem to be interested in taking the calls. For the first few times his calls got disconnected from the other end and later on the phone was switched off. Manik Malhotra never takes this from anyone. Already the pain and pressure inside him had made it difficult for him to breathe. He needed a break. A break from his life but wasn't that out of option for him.
Manik took the lift to the reception and was heading to where his dad's meeting was held when a young girl came in his way with her hand on his chest.
"you're not allowed to go in!"she said with authority and Manik looked at her with grave expressions.
"do you know what are gonna be the consequences of stopping me.. Do you even know who i am.."he said jerking her hand off him.
"name one who doesn't know you mr. Manik Malhotra.."said the girl and manik smirked.
"you have got some guts to have stopped me receptionist!"he said getting impatient.
"Soha.. Soha khurana.. The receptionist.. There..."she pointed to somewhere behind him but he couldn't care to check.
"get away.. I need to go in!"he said slowly loosing his patience.
"not when my dad's in there for a meeting with your dad... You're not allowed.. just like I'm not!"she said passing one of those seductive smiles that any guy but Manik could fall for.
"just shut up and get lost!"he said getting irritated. He could've easily pushed the girl away and walked in because he claimed he was still the Manik Malhotra who could bully anyone anywhere just like he'd been doing before Nandini came so close to him but today his insides did not support him to do that. A voice in him was telling him that it would be wrong. A voice, he recognised immediately. A voice that belonged to Nandini. She had told him once that bullying people could be hurtful and he had listened to her like he did today.
"oh cmon.. Manik.. We've got better options! Let's go and have a drink till they wind up with the meetings.. Because i suppose you won't go back until you meet your dad! Right?"she asked and he rolled his eyes but for once he knew he had no better option than waiting because his dad was afterall his dad and was more devoted to his priorities.
Without further exchange of words, he followed Soha wherever he supposed she was taking him, to a hotel opposite his dad's office, but he did not argue. He wanted to relax and if that meant this.. He was ready to give in.
"so.. You wanna spend the night here or you would like to get to your place.."bang on. He thought. She too was thinking about the same. YOU WISH!
"naah there's no one waiting for me back there.."he said trying along.
"cool then.. Let's order drinks and then listen to your 'sagar-kinare-dil-ye-pukare' Story.."she said and he looked at her.
"yaah.. Absolutely.. I don't mind.. Telling a story and then listening to one.. Maybe.."he said closing his eyes as Soha ordered a few drinks settling on the bar counter.
"so you actually meant this when you got me here.."he asked.
"haan.. Aur kya.. Vaise.. I don't tell stories because mine is a novel.. One which hasn't got it's end yet.. And now at this point I'm too tired for either twists or the end.. So its a pause basically.."she said giggling.
"it sounds like tum koi writer ho.. Jisko apni book ka end nhi mil rha!"he said.
"aur tum antaryami! I'm writing a book too besides my life ki novel! Anyways chalo.. Ye lo two drinks down and all your secrets out!"she joked.
"mujh pe drinks ka asar nhi hota!"he added as he took the first drink.
"really! Everyone says the same.. Phir do teen drinks ke baad jab glass ki jagah girlfriend ka chehra dikhta hai na toh sab bahar aa jaata hai!" she was talking as if she was experienced. "bhot experienced ho.. Tum yhi karti ho kya.. Logo ko pila kar unke saare secrets nikalwa leti ho!" he said gulping down the next.
"aarree! Baba Manik ki jai! Tum toh sach mein antaryami ho yaar.. Chalo batao.. Dad se milne ke liye itne pagal kyu ho rhe the! Girlfriend ko unki bahu banane ke liye ijazat maangne aaye ho.."she said as she ordered a big glass of beer for herself.
"girlfriend aur wife ke beech mein confused hu!"he said as the third drink rushed down his throat.
"arey haan.. It was in the news sometime back... Tumhari marriage.. Another business man's daughter.. You guyz were family friends, i suppose.."
"best friends.. But this marriage ruined everything.." he Completed.
"bade besharam ho! Extra marital ke liye papa se opinion maangne aaye ho.."Soha was now talking like a carefree girl that she in real was. Behind all those fake seductive smiles and that fashion she was all just the girl-next-door.
"nhi yaar.. Aisa nhi hai.."he said taking another glass down.
"bas haan devdaas.. Iske baad no drinking.. Nhi toh jisko drinks nhi chadhti vo kuch der mein table pe chadh ke naachega!"
"yeh joke tha!"
"umm.. Lame?"
"yaah!"he said and they laughed and finally Manik spoke out everything that he wanted to. But not to his dad. To a stranger, he had just met, but talking to her made him feel better. Maybe he just wanted someone to listen.
After half an hour of listening to his story from all three sides and analysing it from the same, Soha finally spoke.
"tum ladke na.. Actual vaale idiot ho.."she said as she gave a partly drunk Manik slight Slap.
"meri koi fault nhi hai.."he said defensively.
"ek aur thapparh lagau.. Tum ladke toh bachpan se hi itne seedhe hote ho.. Vo toh bas hum ladkiya hi pagal hoti hai jo aise seedhe se tedhe janvaro Ko insaan banane ki koshish karti hai!"she gasped as Manik looked at her with his eyes trying hard to shut.
"haan thike... Shaadi karte time maine Nandini ko itna seriously nahi liya tha.. Mujhe laga tha vo mera saath degi!"he said.
"Nandini? Tumhari girlfriend.. Naam se toh seedhi si lagti hai.."she added.
"girlfriend.. Vo toh Alya hai.. Nandu.. Meri wife.. Vo bhot seedhi hai.. Bas mujhse gussa hai!"he confessed and Soha smirked.
"ahaha..itna pyaar.. Nandini se Nandu... Jab itna pyaar karte ho toh girlfriend kyu hai.. Tum ladko ki na problem hi yhi hoti hai.. Jitna mile utna kam.. Tum logo ko toh dono haath mein laddoo chahiye hai na.. Ek taraf girlfriend bhi chahiye aur dusri taraf biwi ko bhi jaane nhi doge.."Soha knew a hell lot of sarcastic remarks that got Manik back to reality each time he thought he was getting drunk.
"mai Nandini se pyaar nhi karta.. Mai Alya se pyaar karta hun!"he said defending his love for Alya.
"mujhe bata rhe ho ya khud ko samjha rhe ho! Aur agar pyaar nhi karte Nandini se toh jaane do usse.. As it is she is asking for divorce!"she said looking at him gravely this time.
"yaar tum ladkio ki problem kya hai.. Jiski dekho divorce maang rha hai! Nahi dunga mai usse divorce! Nhi dena mujhe usse divorce!"he said irritatedly.
"yeh achha hai.. Tum khud girlfriend se pyaar karte ho.. Uske saath future banana chahte ho.. Lekin Nandini ko move on nhi karne doge.. Usse apna future nhi secure karne doge.. Uske bhi toh kuchh wishes hogi.. Ho sakta hai tumse move on karne ke baad usse koi aisa mil jae jiske saath vo khush rhe!"Manik was getting on to her nerves now. His stupidity was waking up the woman in her.
"arey yaar nhi! Vo meri hai.. Meri biwi.. Meri bestfriend.. Meri Nandini hai vo.. Do you get it... She loves me.. Maine padha tha.. Uske messages.. Vo kisi ke saath khush nhi rahegi.. Sirf mere saath! Vo mujhse move on nhi kar sakti.. She is mine.. Mai usse kisi aur ke paas ya kisi aur ke saath nhi jaane dunga... Aur aur vo Madhyam Singhania.. Usse kya lagta hai vo thorhi sweet baatien karega.. Meri Nandini ke saath flirt karega toh vo ek saal baad uske paas chali jaegi.. Nhi jaane dunga.. Vo sirf mere saath rahegi coz she is my wife... Abhi thorha gussa hai but maan jaegi.. Aur abhi gussa hai bas is liye divorce maang rhi hai par mai jaanta hun usse nho chahiye divorce! Aur tumhe kya problem hai kyu Nandini ko mujhse dur karna chahti ho.. Jealous ho.. Ho na? .. Koi baat nhi.. Mujhe farak nhi padta.. She is and will be my wife.."Manik now was drunk and Soha knew it by the way he was shouting at the counter gathering everyone's attention.
"Achha ok.. So you love Nandini!"Soha finally hit the last chord and Manik silenced.
"maine kaha na i don't love her.. I love Alya.. Nandini is just my wife and my bestfriend..."the kud in Manik repeated just whatever he had said before and Soha sighed though she felt disgusted with this person in front of her.
"hnmm.. I know you love her!"she spoke inaudibly as she held him and got him out of the bar and dragged him back to the office. Their dads weren't yet finished but Manik wasn't in a condition to stay back any more. She spotted Manik's dad's driver and asked him to take Manik back to Bombay and to his address safely. The driver though was hesitant but looking at Manik's condition he agreed to drive him back when Soha assured him that she would handle Manik's dad.
"Manik what's your address.."Soha asked making him sit in his car.
"mujhe ghar nhi jaana mujhe Nandini ke paas jaana hai!"and Manik began cribbing.
"ohky okay fine.. Toh vo bhi toh tumhare ghar pe hi hogi.. She is your wife!!"Soha was pissed off now.
"nhi vo Murthy mansion gyi.. Driver.. Murthy Mansion chalo!"he said suddenly jumping straight on his seat.
"Nandini.. Nandini.... Nandini mai aa rha hun.."he said like one of those bollywood filmy heroes coming to rescue their heroines after which the driver sped off.