Living in a Mirage

Chapter Fifteen

"Some people look for the obvious and make decisions based on that. However, sensitive people look for the subtle things in life. They observe what is missed, overlooked and rarely observed by others. They dwell at a deeper level of perception that clings to signs, body language and what is left unspoken. They are observers that will trust their instinct first over any fact or well-delivered speech."

Shannon L. Alder

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When she had heard Manik addressing his mother by her name and not how every other child addressed his mother - Ma, Mom, Amma, or Ammi - Nandini had been shocked and somewhat disgusted by the distant and rude attitude of the creature - whom she had thought as a monster - towards his mother. She had thought that something must have been really wrong with him if he couldn't even respect and care about his own mother.

But as time went by, she got to know the real Nyonika Malhotra, and then she understood the reason why her own son disowned her and never acknowledged her as his mother. But even then she never had she thought Nyonika could stoop this low, that any mother could ever do what she had done by demanding the court to give her the death certificate of her one and only child.

While any mother at her place would have felt shattered, mourning for the lost son, Nyonika wanted to claim the wealth owned by the Malhotra's one and only heir. It's wasn't just her who was disgusted, heartbroken and so horrified, each one of them was.

When she had come to know, thanks to Inspector Rajiv - who was still in contact with her - about the case being closed because of the demand made by the mourning father, Mr Malhotra, Nandini had tried to contact him but that had been an unsuccessful attempt. And when Nyonika had let them know what she intended to do, Nandini had been sure that at least then Mr Malhotra would make an appearance and stop what was happening. But he didn't...

Mr Malhotra had only sent his advocate and his PA to deal with Nyonika Malhotra in from of a settlement outside of the court. With a demand to not drag the case in the media, Mr Malhotra had promised Nyonika that the shares that were meant to be Manik's would be divided between them equally. Nyonika had whined by the unfairness of it, claiming mothers had more rights, making Nandini loathe the duo like she never had anyone.

She had been disgusted by how easily they were discussing the death of the Malhotras' only son, only child. Both of them were more interested in making his death into something that benefits them as much as it could. Seeing them barging over petty shares, money, and property, Nandini felt as if her heart would explode with all the pain and rage she was feeling. She felt dizzy with the cruelty she was witnessing.

How cruel a mother could be? And how disinterested the father was? Was Manik really their son? Their child? The only child? What kind of parents were they? Fighting over the material possession while the one who should have been their only and most prized possession was lost somewhere, alone...

When angry and disheartened, she had yelled at both parties for being insane - the advocate of Mr Malhotra had dared to ask who she was?

"Who are you?" A simple question.

"Nandini, Nandini Murthy," had been her answer.

"I meant, how are you related to Manik Malhotra? Who are you to him?" He had asked her specifically.

"I am...I-I am his girlfriend," Nandini had answered, after a lot of hesitation.

There has never been any need to define their relationship, to anyone. Never before she had to explain to someone what she was to him or what he was for her. Everyone around them had known what they were with a glance in their direction, whenever they stood together. There has never been any need to give their relationship a tag, a name.