Alluring Prevarications

Her questions and his answers

Hey guys,

I know last chapter was having very less piece of information yet a longer one. This one is gonna be different . Thanks for your votes!

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SPACE HOSPITAL      1 :00 AM 

Nandini : Manik , What are you doing here?

Looking at Nandini; Manik's face looses its colors but he somehow quickly manages to keep a neutral expression. 

Manik : Nandini. What are you doing here?

N : Oh please Manik , If you think you can get along by ignoring my question , then you are highly mistaken.

M : What...What do you mean?

N : What do I mean...First you send me a message that you won't be coming today due to some personal reason...then I find you in Aryaman's cabin at 12 : 30 am at night that too in darkness...And on top of that you are behaving as if it is a casual thing....

M : Listen Nandini...

N : Don't you dare lie to me Manik.

M  : Are you done. Now will you listen to me....The reason I'm here is Aryaman sir himself. It was him who called me an hour before to get a file from his cabin. So, I am here. 

N : Wow! If you think you are an efficient liar then trust me you are not. There is nothing in your story that would make me believe this act of yours. Moreover you and Aryaman don't seem to like each other at all. You guys can't even stand each other.

Manik sighs. He takes nandini's hand and makes her sit on a chair.

M : Do you remember that SPACE arranges medical camps to villages in Dehradun every three months?

N : Why are you telling me this right now?

M : Because we are supposed to leave for the camp tomorrow. I was hired mainly for helping in these camps and of course for conducting different medical investigations in the camps. That is also a reason why I could assist you in your lab because I was never needed much in hospital's lab. My work was needed more for the camps but still I was given a position of lab assistant according to my work experience.

N : But what are you doing here?

M : Yeah, So I was with cabir an hour ago in poisonivy that's when I got a call from Aryaman that we are supposed to leave for Dehradun tomorrow. All the staff will reach there two days later but to do some formalities supposedly Aryaman is leaving at 4 : 00 am in the morning by a flight. He had a file in his cabin which is important to complete the formalities for the camp's permission and I'm here to collect the file. And yes it's true I don't like Aryaman at all but as far as professional work is concerned I never run away from my responsibilities.

N : Out of all the people why he asked you to collect the file?

M(Sighs) : It was me who suggested this.

N : And may I know why?

M : You are asking too many questions today...

N : Then why don't you give me an answer which won't lead to another question?!

M : What is your problem haan? What is the problem in me doing something willfully for the work I'm actually hired for?

N (Sighs) : Just this last question...If you were here to collect the file , what were you doing in the dark?

M : I came here just about five minutes before you entered. And for your kind information, I have never seen Aryaman sir's cabin from inside so I don't know where is the switch .... I only work on 6th floor and 10th floor you see. I thought the switch might be outside in the corridor so I told cabir to look for it. But before we could find the switch you came and accused me as if I'm a criminal.

Just then cabir appears in the cabin out of nowhere and says

C (Being oblivious to situation) : Manik bro, I couldn't find the switch to this cabin. I think it must be here somewhere....Oh ok its already been lit up...

(Cabir then looks at nandini and says-)

C : And you are...Yes...Yes you are the wallet girl...ummm...Nandini, right?

N(Sighs looking at Manik) : I don't know what is it...but there is surely some loop hole in your story which makes me think that I should not believe you....

Manik pulls his hairs in frustration...

M(Angrily) : Cabir! Just call Aryaman and give the phone to Nandini...

Cabir dials Aryamans number and hands the cell to Nandini...Nandini looks at the caller ID which shows Aryaman.

N : Hello?

Aryaman : Nandini?

N : Aryaman, Was it you who told Manik to collect a file from your cabin? 

A : Actually yes. I need that file. It is really important. I need to leave now. Will talk to you later.

With this the call ends with a beep sound.

In meantime manik takes a file from a drawer.

M : This is the file. Satisfied much?

Nandini just stares at Manik being speechless. After a minute she says...

N : But how is it possible for cabir to have Aryaman's No. ? He is not associated with hospital by any ways...

M(Angrily) : Because he is the one seeing arrangements of the camp this time and he will be leaving with Aryaman for Dehradun. Now if you are done with your inquiries then we are leaving. Let's go cabir.

Manik leaves along with cabir , he angrily closes the door with a thud sound. 

Nandini becomes rooted at her position and just looks at Manik and cabir leaving. When Manik closes the door she notices that a glass slide falls from his jacket's pocket on the floor. After a good five minutes she picks up the slide which was broken into two piece due to falling...Luckily the stained part of the slide was still intact and was in one piece. Nandini sighs. Keeping the slide in the pocket of her jacket she also leaves for her home.

On reaching  home she keeps the slide carefully in her drawer and falls asleep due to tiredness...

NEXT DAY : MORNING 

NANDINI :

Huh...What was the thing with yesterday night...It was too much...I just don't know...Manik  answered all my questions but I still cannot believe completely...It feels like something is missing in his answers...

It's true that SPACE arranges medical camps in different villages of Dehradun every three months. This is like a tradition from almost last 15 years. Dehradun was chosen as place for medical camps because it was my amma's hometown. And I just can't forget amma and appa died in a car accident during a medical camp like this. Yes the accident happened in Dehradun and I was in delhi for some of the formalities about my admission to Harvard. It was very dreadful and I don't like to remember that day. May be that was the reason why Aryaman didn't mention about the camp to me...I would have stopped these camps but My amma and appa always gave so much importance to those camps that I could not gather courage to stop this...They would never like it if I will stop the camps.

Those memories are very painful. I always hold myself from thinking about those some months after amma, appa's accident. I think I should also go for that camp. May be amma, appa will feel good... Where ever they are in this universe they will like it if I'll continue to do this work which they started years ago...

 I opened the drawer and took that glass slide from last night in my hands...I found that it was having a number '4' written on it in almost invisibly small size. Well taking into consideration about manik's love for such slides I'm not much surprised that he was having one in his jacket's pocket. But what is this number on this slide...I never numbered the slides in my lab.... Does that mean it is not one from my lab? or is it?

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Phew! I guess now you all might have understood that why the story had a tag 'camps' since the time it started.

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Take care!

Bye.