ALL I HAVE IS YOU

CHAPTER 21

Manik called Navya first thing in the morning and she was all for Fab 5 working with Nyeonika Malhotra. The connection of Navya and Nyeonika was explained them. Navya was a student at SPACE. They then confirmed the date to the meeting and all was settled.

Because, Fab 5 was eating salads daily due to their diet chart, and they had got such a great news, she prepared a nice meal for them. After the meal was over, everyobe departed to their rooms feeling tired already.

Midnight. At terrace.
N

andini's P.O.V.

Arent there too many stars in the sky. I sat on the terrace as i count them one by one.

"...59, 60, 61, 62."

"Nandu, kya kar rahi hai. "Manik interrupts me. He might have just came here.

"Taare gin rahi hu Manik. Aaja betth." I offered. Its always nice to have his company. Feels complete.
Manik sat beside me on the ground.

"Tu soii kyu nahi??" He asks. Obviously, he would want to know about others and not care about himself.

"Neend nahi aa rahi thi. Tu kyu nahi soya?"

"Vahi. Cabeer aur Dhruv.."
Hai bhagwaan. Yeh teen logo ka kuch nahi ho sakta. Roz roz jhagda karte hai.
Anyway i laughed. Their fights are always hilarious.

"Hass mat. Main kal hi iska kuch karne wala hu. Yeh dono mujhe sone hi nahi dete." Manik said.

I shook my head in amusement. A long comfortable silence fell upon us.

"Nandu, i know humne iske baare me kabhi baat nahi ki, par aaj kar raha hu, kya tujbe yeh job karni hai. Humaari manager banna chahti hai tu??" Manik, itna smart hai par itni simple si baat nahi samajh sakta.

"Aaj yeh sawaal kyu??" I said though i knew why. He will again ask me to live my life..... etc etc...

"Bass kaafi dino se soch raha tha. Tujhe humesha se interior designer banna tha. Tune college me itna achhe numbers se score kiya hai. Tu jaha bolegi, tujhe vaha job mil jaayegi. Par sirf humaare liye, tu humaari manager banke rahe,yeh galat hai." He said.

"Yeh tera idea tha Manik. Apne idea pe shaq kar raha hai." I reminded him.

"Nahi Nandu.. par.... mein bohot selfish ho gaya hu Nandini. Bachpan se leker aaj tak,sirf tujhe apne paas rakhna chahta tha. Kabhi nahi socha ki tu kya chahti hai. Tujhe ek family chahiye ya nahi. Tujhe kis school me padna hai. Tujhe kis college me jana hai. Maine kabhi nahi socha. Aur ab bhi dekh n, tu dost hai humaari. Aur yaha hum tujhse naukri karwa rahe hai." This sure got me angry. Hiw dare he questions his sacrifices. He always did everything for me. Its not like i dont want a family, but with him i dont care if i dont have one. He doesnt have one too. He didnt stop living. Nor is he unhappy.

"Mujhe tum sabko chodke kahi nahi jaana. Aur tu n Manik, bhool raha hai. Tune jo kiya hai aaj tak, voh mere liye kiya hai. Chahe garage me job karna ho, yaa mujhe scholerships kebliye tayyaar karwana. Tune jo kiya voh sirf isliye kiya taaki mein apne sapne poore kar saku.." i replied.

He never recognises the person he is. Always a generous one.

"Lekin voh nahi ho raha hai Nandini. Nahi ho raha hai. Tu yaha hai humaare saath, manager banne ki training le rahi hai. Jabki tujhe ek achhi company  main ek achhi job karni chahiye. Ek settled job aur ek settled life jeeni chahiye." He says. Idiot. Duffer. Gadha kahika. Why cant he understand. I cant leave him. Nor anyone from this people. I love them. They are all my family.

"Manik. Uss life me tum sab nahi hoge. Tune bachpan me pucha tha ki mujhe family chahiye ya tum, maine tab bhi yahi kaha tha ki mujbe tum chahiye ho. Tu aaj puchh raha hai, mujhe ek job aur settled life chahiye, ya tum, main aaj bhi yahi keh rahi hu ki mujhe tum sab chahiye. Tune aisa kuch nahi kiya jo meri marzi ke kilaaf ho. Main bhi yahi chahti hu." I reasoned.

"Pakka??" He asks. Puchhne waali baat hai??

"Pakka." Confirmed and done.

"Ek waada karegi??" He asks.

I nod

"Tujhe kabhi bhi. Kabhi bhi aisa lage ki tujhe apne sapne poore karne hai. Tu karna. Uske liye chahe kuch bhi karna pade. Kabhi bhi lage ki tujhe humaare saath nahi rehna. Toh khud ko rokna mat." Again. Not again. Why is he so unreasonable. So dumb and so smart.

"Abe gadhe, tumhaare saath rehne me to mera sirf fayda hi hai. Ab harr kisi ko future rockstars ke saath rehne ka mauka milta hai kya??" I joked and it worked. We both had a laugh.

"Aisa nahi lag raha jaise saalo beet gaye ho hume aise chhat pe aake baatein karte?" I asked. Its indeed been too long.

"Hmm, bohot time ho gaya n?? Par humaare paas time hi kaha tha inn sabke liye." He says. Bilkul time nahi tha. Hota bhi kaise. Ek album launch me itna kaam hota hai kabhi socha bhi nahi tha.

"Ek baar album launch ho jaaye n Nandu. Fir kahi chalenge. Hum sab." He says.

"Hmm. Kaha chalenge??" I ask. Of course kahi chalenge

"Jaha tu bol." Yay!!! Its all upto me

"Mujhe n Manali jana hai. Treking karenge vaha pe" i said. Manali. Hayyy.

"Manali. Treking. Beta aap n bhool rahe ho aapko asthama hai. Samjhe. Toh Manali ko bol do bye bye okay." He reminds me of it. Arre yaar..... asthama nahi ho gaya musibat ho gayi. Ab Manali cancel.

"Nahi n Manik. Manali jana hai" i whined.

"No way. Kahi aur bol." Tough nut. I had to give up.

Kaha chale.... kaha chale.... haa

"Goa chalenge." I said. Cabeer bhai, Dhruv bhai aur Mukku di toh bohot khush ho jaaenge.

We never left the orphanage. And they used to take us out but never away from Mumbai. We have been to parks and other places but we never left Mumbai. Never had the money to sponser the trips. Ab paise hai toh.... thoda toh use kar hi sakte hai n.

"Goa. Haa humaare yeh do launde toh bohot shareef hai. Inhe bolunga n ki goa chal rahe sabse pehle daaru aur drugs ki dikaan pakdenge. Nahi. Goa is risky." Again. No. Goa jaana hai. Idiot kahi ka. Jo bolu usme isko nakhre hai. Mujhse puchtta hi kyu hai.

"Toh ek kaam kar haridwar chalte hai. Ganga me dubki lagaenge. Saare paap humne hi toh kiye hai. Sab dhul jaayenge. Huh??" I got angry at him. Isko toh hum sab galat hi lagte hai.

I got up and was walking towards the exit but i heard somethimg along the lines like
"Ab mene kaya kiya. Yar yeh ladki bhi n... harr cheez se problem hai."

ha ha. Main hi galat hu. Yeh janab toh bohot seedhe hai. Manik, Manik nahi hua einstein ho gaya. Aaya bada. Ab jab baat nahi karungi n tab pata chalega isse.