Living in a Mirage

Chapter Seven

"Sometimes at the best moments, a single word or a look is enough."

- Honore De Balzac

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Dedicated to the amazing Cooldude101 from India.forums; she had ranted, cried, pleaded and begged, from God to the fairy god for this moment to come soon. When I had imagined and had penned a small part of this moment, I had decided I would dedicate this chapter to her...

So here it is, I hope it was worth the wait! :)

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"Okay, so let's meet in the morning? At 8'o clock?" Nandini asked him, impatient to start the search as soon as possible.

"Yeah, sure. But before that let's have breakfast and only then we should start the day," answered Cabir, knowing how difficult it was for her to wait for the morning.

"You remember the address, right?" Cabir inquired as he stood up to make his way to out of Nandini's hotel room.

"Yes," Nandini assured him, holding up her mobile for him on which she had saved the address.

"I know you won't be able to sleep but try to get some rest, okay?" Cabir urged her before turning to walk out of the room.

"Cabir?" she called him out, walking behind him.

"Yes?" he answered, turning back to look at her as she stood near the door.

"I wanted to thank you, for coming here. I know that you came here for me. So thank you, for everything that you do," Nandini told him, grateful.

"There was no need to thank me, but now that you have, shall I act like Mr Desai and say 'you're welcome, Nandini-ji'," Cabir replied with his hand folded.

The accuracy of his imitation of the ever formal colleague of theirs made her laugh a bit.

"Now, I am going to crash. Goodnight," he wished her yawning, half-dead on his feet.

"Goodnight, Cabir." she wished him back as she saw him walking towards his room.

As Cabir closed the door of his room, he could not help but think how this time around he would have to console the girl who was exposing herself to more pain due to her undying hope even though she herself has been nothing but a blessing for everyone around her. Now, more than anything else, more than ever, Cabir wanted her to be happy, whichever might be the result of the search they were on, he wanted it to be accepted by her, for this trip to finally put an end to the fruitless search of hers.

'What to do with you, Nandini Murthy?' he sighed out loud.

The tiny girl had become very dear to him when he found out that she was the sole reason why his Man-ek had a smile on his face. He started to respect her when he got to know the real her. And he tried to be there for her, whenever she needed, ever since that night. But now what he wanted for her to live her own life, for once.

The only way for that to happen was finding Manik, and he knew there was no way to find his lost friend, so what remained was the second and the only option: to make Nandini accept the reality, for which he was ready to spend every ounce of the energy he had, this time, he has to succeed in the quest...

As much as Nandini was right in thinking that he came to London because of her, there was no denying that there was also a selfish reason why he was now standing oceans across to his homeland: his freedom.