Kismat Connection

Part 8

Abhi left with Dhruv. Cabir and Manik continued with their conversation.

        Cabir : "Manik, I won't let you go off the hook so easily. I am sure there is more to it, which you aren't telling me. It is my chuddy buddy (close friends) right to know everything that is going on in your life. I want to know all of it now."

        Cabir : "What did you see in her in one meeting that you are not only defending her, but you are also accepting that she influenced your thinking?"

        Manik : "She is a lot different from us..."

        Cabir (joking) : "You mean to say she is an alien."

        Manik : "I meant by nature. You agree that once we form an opinion about something, we don't really bother to see it from a different perspective."

        Cabir nodded his head indicating an yes.

        Manik : "I think she is at least 3-4 yrs younger than us, but she has this quality of seeing things from a different perspective. When I met her, I heard what she said, but I didn't consider any of it seriously. It was only when I thought about it later, I figured out that whatever she said made sense. She also managed to put forward conflicting thoughts in a polite manner. She seemed to have good control on her emotions too."

        Cabir : "Would you care to explain?"

        Manik : "When I went to the village, I focused on everything which wasn't right there. She didn't deny what I said, but she tried to suggest alternative solutions for the issues I brought up. She also pointed to what she thought was positive about the village. Once the perspective changed, the remaining stay at the village seemed better than before."

        Manik : "I agreed to meet her because I wasn't ready to tell mom about Alya, I didn't know how mom would react. She was the one who pointed out that mom would be putting efforts to find a suitable match for me and get disappointed when I reject the alliance. I didn't think about it then, but that's what happened. So, I considered her advice and told mom about Alya. Mom responded more or less like she said. I don't know why I decided to follow her suggestions and implement it, but it turned out beneficial to me."

        Manik : "According to her, she was very tensed when I met her, but she didn't let it reflect on her face. She seemed to be happy and I misinterpreted it."

        Cabir : "Did you go there to reject her or did you go there to get to know her?"

        Manik : "I had no intentions of knowing about her, but I couldn't help noticing what I told you. Though not exactly the same, but I was in a similar situation too. I would have behaved way different from her. Once I even thought of telling her directly on her face that I wasn't interested. I wouldn't have bothered to explain the reason. Neither would I have been polite nor would I have bothered to think about the implications on her or her family."

        Cabir : "I haven't heard you talking so highly of any girl so far. It's another thing that Alya doesn't let any girl come close to you in the first place. I must say that, that girl has left a very good first impression on you."

        Cabir's thoughts : "I don't know why but I feel that if you weren't in relationship with Alya, probably you would have agreed to get married to that girl."

        Dhruv and Abhi returned with the food. Cabir took his share and started eating immediately.

        Dhruv : "I am assuming Cabir has finished his interrogation session."

        Cabir : "Yes I have. I am getting ready for the entertainment session, but first let me finish with my pet pooja (fill my tummy)."

        Abhi : "Who are you planning to target today?"

        Cabir : "Target is sitting right beside me."

        Dhruv was sitting on one side of Cabir.

        Dhruv : "Why me?"

        Cabir : "Not you, I am talking about Manik."

        Cabir : "Time to pay penalty for not disclosing it earlier. I had to drill so much to get all the information out of you. Now, I will pass it on to Alya."

        Manik : "Saale! Don't spoil the day for me."

        (Saale means brother-in-law. It is also used as slang for a friend.)

        Cabir : "How many times to tell you that I am not your brother-in-law? Alya is my friend, not my sister. Sorry to say that she doesn't meet the criteria to be called as my sister. Even Mukti doesn't. So right now, only Dhruv is a possible candidate to call me saale (brother-in-law) in the future, that too only if he chooses a girl who matches my criteria list."

        Abhi was lost in his thoughts thinking about his sister, so he failed to catch that Cabir was linking Mukti with him.

        Manik : "Ok fine. Give your criteria list to Dhruv so that he can find a girl meeting your demands and gain the right to call you saale."

        Cabir : "She has to be very considerate, I mean towards me. I don't care how she treats any of you guys. She shouldn't cast evil eyes on my food habits like Mukti or Alya or any of you. It will be a plus, if she can prepare delicious food and serve me. She shouldn't punch me like Mukti. She should take my side against you when you guys try to pick on me..."

        Manik : "Your list seems to be never ending. Dhruv, I think it's better you forego the right now itself. You won't be able to find someone who can bear with his eating habits. If he had a sibling, even she would have got fed up of it."

        Dhruv elbowed Cabir and pointed towards Abhi and they realized that their talks about a sister must have reminded Abhi of his sister, so they stopped the conversation on that topic. 

        Cabir saw Alya and Mukti at a distance.

        Cabir : "Ok, time for some entertainment for us at your expense. If you think you managed to divert my attention, then you are mistaken. You need to learn a lot more to do that."

        Manik : "I will get whatever you want to eat for one whole day, if you don't tell a word of what I told you to Alya. Please spare me, you know how she is. She will take up the whole matter in an altogether different sense, make her own assumptions and blow it out of proportion. My whole day will be spoilt trying to pacify her. Try to understand. I just finished with your interrogation session and I don't want to get into another grilling and pacifying session."

        Cabir : "Not just one day, if you are ready to get whatever I want for at least three days, I won't tell her anything."

        Manik : "Okay, done!"

        Cabir : "Are you sure about the deal?"

        Manik : "Yes 100%, it takes far less effort to fulfill your deal when compared to pacifying her."

        Cabir : "Okay, I will spare you for today."

        Mukti and Alya joined them.

        Cabir : "How long do you girls take to get ready and come? You missed a lot because you are late."

        Alya : "Girls need time to look good. We aren't like you whose focus is always on food. You didn't even wait for us and finished eating already."

        Mukti : "So, what did we miss?"

        Cabir : "A guest is going to come to Abhi's house."

        Alya : "What is so special about it? Guests do come and go to everyone's house."

        Cabir laid more stress on his statement just to annoy Mukti.

        Cabir : "The guest is a girl and she isn't going to come, and go. She is going to stay under the same roof and also attend the same college as Abhi."

        Mukti was taken aback at Cabir's sudden revelation.