MANAN- Strings of love

30. Insult

   Thank you for your multiple votes and comments.

    I was held by the Manik and I was still bound, but thanks to Manik he had removed the rope from my ankles. The safe my brother had made stood long and elegant in front of me. It was like a locker found in banks for storing money. 

    Aliya was dragged by Druv to the same room. Mr. Malhotra entered with Mr. Khurana and Soha was staring at me with smirk. "So, you don't know how to open it?" Mr. Khurana asked as soon as he saw me. "Should I tell this to you in some other language?" I asked tired of answering the same thing.

   "If you don't answer then we will have to involve Aliya in it. If you don't answer, we will not think twice before hitting Aliya. So, answer all our question." he said and heavy weight settled on me.

    "Did your brother tell you anything about this locker?" He asked and I decided to answer all his questions. "No, Till Mr. Malhotra came into my life, I didn't know anything." I said and looked at Manik for a moment before averting my eyes.

     "When did he gift you this locket?" Why were they eyeing my locket. "8 years back." I answered short. He looked at Mr. Malhotra where he nodded him a no. "Any important thing you remember? Like file or any equipment?" I nodded in no. "The only file I had was handed over to Mr. Malhotra." I said and Manik nodded at Mr. Khurana.

      "Do you have anything your brother gave besides your locket?" he asked but I didn't remember anything.  The only thing I remembered was locket and others were Shikha's toys. If they ask toys of Shikha when she was 1 then I think they need to search it in orphanage. I have already donated it.

    I again nodded in no. Then he asked some questions and nothing was benefitting them. "I don't think she knows something." Mr. Khurana said and Soha was glaring at me. "If your stupid interrogation is over then can we leave?" I asked and I finding hard time in sitting here. I wanted to pee.

    "Look out your tune. This is not your house. This is interrogation room, if something happens to you, even one strand of your hair will not be available." Her words brought a wave of anger in me. "I don't know about my hair, but there is a white hair strand falling on your forehead." I said and Aliya bit her lips to prevent from laughing. 

    "Shut up!, Didn't your parents teach you how to respect others.?!" She hit the wrong chord. "Yes, they thought me to give respect and take respect, but when respect is not returned my mother told me to throw shit on their faces." I smiled with most innocent smile.

    Soha was about to open her mouth when Mr. Malhotra intervened. "Soha, you cannot expect anything from a fatherless daughter." His words did hurt, but I swallowed and decided to answer it. 

    "Definitely, I may have not raised by a father, but I was taught to not cheat or betray others unlike you, who decided to teach his son to cheat, to lie, to threaten." I said and now Manik was fuming.

     "How dare you say that?! A illegitimate like you can never understand the importance of father." he said with eyes red. Whenever, in parties if I was called illegitimate, I didn't care but now I felt as if I was hit with a bulldozer. Never thought Manik's words effect me so much.

    "She may be a illegitimate, but she is definitely not like one of you. You are all worse than the terrorists. She is a strong lady who took care of her niece alone. I heard Soha put her nephew to adoption? Yeah, how can I expect everyone to be like Nandini?" Aliya's words brought silence.

    "I cannot sacrifice my career for some child." Soha said. "You know, Nandini wanted to do CA but due to Shikha she sacrificed it. What's the use of becoming the daughter of a rich father who have everything but don't have a heart.?" Aliya's word made Soha to move towards Aliya and slapped her.

    I was struggling against Manik when Druv came in front of Soha. "Stop it!, I think they both are not required now." He called someone and we were accompanied outside the room.

    When we reached our home, Aliya went inside, but I remembered the vegetables. I turned towards Druv who was accompanied by Kabir. "Where are vegetables?" I asked to which they frowned. "Before we were body snatched, we bought vegetables." I said and they took out 100 rupees note. "It costa 1000." I said and they handed me 1000 rupees.

     I went inside and banged the door. Aliya was staring at Druv's car and she closed the curtain after few seconds. I heard the car zooming. I decided to call Harshad and enquire about Shikha. I told everything that happened with us to Harshad and he told us to pack all our stuff so we can go back to Saxena Mansion. 

    I was packing the things, when door bell rang. I think Aliya had opened it when Chikkappa, Abhi's father came and started searching. As soon as I came into view he heaved a sigh. "I told you to stay away from trouble." he said hugging me. I could see even Abhi had come and enquiring to Aliya. There was a slight hand print on her left cheek. 

    "Ayyo , I am ok. You don't have to worry. I have a question. You told the locker which Anna prepared was with you then how did they have that?" I asked when he let me out of his bone crushing hug. 

    "The project was to be submitted three years back so they came yesterday and took the safe" I nodded. "Where are you going?" he asked me seeing me packing. "We are going back to Saxena Mansion. I had called Harshad , he told he will come and pick us." I told and started packing the dresses which was inside the cupboard.

      "Nandini, can we not stay here?" Aliya's words made my brain halt. "After everything, you want to stay here?" I asked. "I know, it is the foolish decision but if I go there everyone looks as if I have lost everything in life and don't have anything." she said looking at her fingers.

     I was about to protest when Abhi said "Nandini, You can stay here , I will appoint a bodyguard for both of you." I was about to object but he had already called Harshad and was talking with him.

_________________________________________________________

So, what do you think Nandini should do?

Character's Opinion

Lotus_dream: Don't you feel regret?

Mukti: Yes

Lotus_dream: Then why don't you ask sorry?

Mukti: I am a spy, what I do is my duty. I should not feel sorry for anyone.

Lotus_dream : Do you think Manik's words of illegitimate were right?

Mukti: No, he did wrong but he really respects his father.