Let's Make A Night To Remember

Part 3

WHAM!

Manik BREAKS down the door with just one POWERFUL kick.

He rushes in followed by Nyonika and finds Nandini wake up with a start from a very deep sleep.

She sits up and gapes at them, confused. The music still plays LOUDLY in her ears.

Manik's eyes are wild. His nostrils flare madly. His face is twisted in rage. And his chest heaves furiously.

Nyonika is equally dumbfounded. She stares at Nandini with questions plastered all over her face.

NANDINI: (to Manik) How did you get in here? I thought that I had locked --- (the words fade away to a stop when she realizes what must have happened) --- the door.

With one swift and dangerous move, Manik raises his hand at Nandini to strike her down ---

Nandini screws her eyes shut and cowers.

NYONIKA: (jumps forward to stop him from hitting her) Manik!!!!

--- But instead he RIPS the earphones off her and FLINGS it aside!

Nandini opens her eyes and finds Manik standing before her with his hands curled up into a tight red fist. He is still breathless and trembles all over.

By now, Mr. Malhotra arrives at the scene in a night gown. His eyes are all crinkled and sleepy.

MR. MALHOTRA: What was that noise?

He brakes abruptly at Manik's angry outburst.

MANIK: (To Nandini) I'll slap the shit out of you!

He hangs around briefly to take in Nandini's response. All what she can manage is a few seconds of his deadly glare before she quickly looks away.

Manik swerves around, blindly shoulders past his parents and storms out of the room.

MR. MALHOTRA: (quietly, to Nyonika) What happened?

Nyonika doesn't answer him.

Nandini is red in the cheeks. Her ears are a bright shade of pink and her big glassy eyes are glued far-far away from his parents. With the desire to disappear from their sight, her toes and fingers curl up, gathering a little bit of the flowery bedsheet in the process.

DOWNSTAIRS

Manik thunders into the kitchen. His lips ramble on, muttering curses.

MANIK: Goddammit. I slog through the day and come home to get this! Great! Just great!

The poor fridge bears the brunt of his fury. He almost rips off its door from the hinges, savagely grabs a bottle of water from its racks and SLAMS it shut with enough force to send tremors through its entire body.

When Nyonika comes in, she finds Manik chugging the water down his throat.

NYONIKA: Manik.

He pretends that she didn't even exist.

NYONIKA: Manik. Son. Just relax.

He continues to ignore her and rams the bottle back into the fridge.

NYONIKA: See. The poor thing isn't well already. She looked so terrible this evening. And now, after seeing you in this state, she's much more worried. So just be calm. Please don't get mad at her.

He shoulders past her without a glance.

NYONIKA: Manik! Did you hear anything what I said?

Nyonika stops in her tracks and sighs, nodding her head with defeat. She doesn't want to make any further attempts to pacify him because she knows her son too well. Once he loses it, then there's no calming him down.