GolMal (Complete✅)

Chapter 18- " Challenge accepted..."

Shreya's Flat: Living room: 6:30 pm:

Dhruv: (Adamantly) "I don't want to listen to anything. You are coming with us and after dinner, we are going to your flat and will spend the entire night chit-chatting and having fun. Please Nandu I have come only for 5 days. Can't you do this much for me?"

He folded his lips with a puppy face. Nandini covered her mouth to hide her smile. Although Manik and Dhruv are very unlike in their characters their expertise in creating drama is the same. 'Both are drama queens sorry drama kings.' Nandini smiled in mind.

Nandini: (Raised her hands in surrender) "Okay...okay, stop your drama. Lemme understand it clearly. You want me to stay at OUR FLAT (she air quoted the word) till you are in Mumbai. Are you joking? It's impossible. You know our situation. I can't even go there in daylight and you are talking about 5 whole days. Your Big Bro will kill you."

Dhruv: (Scrunched his eyes) " He only gave me the idea and I know how you spent a night and a whole day in that flat without letting anyone know. So, what's the big deal? It's only a matter of 5 days."

Nandini: (Rolled her eyes) " Oh...so this superb idea has been popped up in the superbly intelligent brain of my husband! But has he forgotten that I am now doing a job and every morning I have to go to my school? Will I leave for school in disguise?"

Dhruv: (Wobbled in negative) "Take a leave... Students won't fail without your lecture for 5 days."

Nandini: (Made a face and mocked) "Take a leave...is it any kind of joke? I have just joined and moreover, our school is going to participate in the inter-school competition and Princy has given me the responsibility of conducting a drama. I have to go to school regularly and probably have to extend for the coming days. How is it possible Dhruv?"

Nandini sounded hapless.

Dhruv: (Disappointed) "Okay, I won't insist you further. As you wish. If I had known this complication then I wouldn't have come here. I think I should prepone my return."

Nandini stared at him for a while. He is her brother com friend. How could she disappoint him?

Nandini: (smacked his bicep) "Okay, enough...no need to prepone your return. I am coming with you and will stay with you both for the coming 5 days but....but only at night. I will go there after midnight and will come back before 4 am."

Dhruv: (Gaped in surprise) "Means you will go there only to sleep? Then how will we spend time?"

He whined like a baby. Nandini tweaked his ear playfully.

Nandini: (Pretentiously scolded)"I will not sleep. Only will talk to you and you too will better do that."

Dhruv: (Freed his ear with a puppy face) "How? You will sleep in the school then."

His eyes were wide in amusement.

Nandini: (Huffed with a smile) "Don't worry I will manage in the evening. I come back around 5; after that, I can sleep till 10 pm. But I can't disappoint my best friend."

She playfully pulled his cheek which turned Dhruv in red.

Dhruv: (Confidently) "I will also sleep in the morning after Bhai goes to the office and will tell him to lock the door from outside. I don't want to be embarrassed like today."

Remembering the morning incident his ears became hot and red. He turned his face to hide his embarrassment.

Nandini: (With a frown) "Like today? Who came there to embarrass you?"

Dhruv turned his face and with a shy smile and said,

Dhruv: " It was so embarrassing Bhabi...(he addresses her Bhabi whenever he feels shy)...I came out after taking bath......."

And he explained the entire cock-up. Nandini heard all sometimes with wide eyes and sometimes with a riot of laughter.

......................................

Manik's flat: Manan's bedroom: 2:00 am:

Manik: (With dozy eyes) "God, please spare me. I have a meeting tomorrow morning. Can't entertain you both anymore. Lemme sleep for some time."

Dhruv and Nandin giggled to each other and glanced at the clock.

Nandini: (Teasingly) "It was your idea...right? So why are you trying to dodge now? No, you also have to sit with us and enjoy."

She pulled his arm.

Manik: (With puppy face) "It is no enjoyment for me anymore. It's like a torcher. Your endless talk, kiddish never have I ever game, this ludo and Dhruv's shameless cheating."

Manik intentionally flicked the ludo board with his finger and all the tokens scattered.

Dhruv: (Whined in disappointment) "Bhai...what the hell is this? I was about to win again and you spoiled the entire game. You, jealous. Can't you handle your defeat?"

Manik: (With mocking tone) "Defeat?...Hmmm. You are saying in such a way that you have won a FIFA world cup or Olympic medal. It's just a ludo game and by the way, you won by cheating. I saw you flicking the tokens into finishing square without rolling the dice."

Dhruv: (With rolling eyes) "Bro...I swear...I never cheat..ask Nandu. Nandu have I cheated? "

Before Nandini could say anything Manik retorted,

Manik: "Birds of a feather flock together. She was equally involved in this."

Nandini: (Rolled her eyes) "Oh...really? We are cheaters and you are a saint. Okay, then tell us about your kind of game. We will play and you will lose again."

Manik: (With a mischievous smile) "Are you sure?...you can't back off."

Dhruv: (Confidently) "We won't..you just tell.."

Manik: "Okay, if you both are insisting. It's a kind of truth and dare but the difference is we will give only dare to our opponent which she or he has to fulfil within 24 hours. Each person will be given two options of dare which he or she can pick according to his or her convenience."

Dhruv: (Excitedly) "Sounds interesting...I am ready."

Asking for approval he turned to Nandini who was observing her husband minutely with scrunched eyes as she knew his innovative, twisted mind.

Manik: (Arched his brows) "What?...Scared? I told you that my game would be challenging."

Nandini: (Rigidly) "I am ready for this challenge. Dhruv, bring a bottle and spin."

Within a minute the set-up was created. First Dhruv spun the bottle and it settled between Nandini and him. It was Nandini's turn to challenge Dhruv.

Nandini: (Rubbed her palms) "Okay, so your options are...either you have to ask Aliya for a movie date or you have to lunch in a posh restaurant without paying the bill."

Dhruv widened his eyes in surprise. He never thought that Nandini could be so merciless on him. Manik started laughing to see his reaction. Dhruv parted his lips to say something.

Nandini: (Raised her hands in defence) "Don't request me to change my options. These are final."

After so many pleading when Dhruv couldn't change her mind he unwillingly chose the first option. The bottle was spun again and the game went on. After half an hour finally, Manik got a challenge from Dhruv that he will kiss Nandini in front of any member of the Deshmukh family while Manik gave a dare to Nandini that she has to leave this house in daylight without letting anybody know about her real identity. To Manik's surprise, Nandini accepted the challenge very confidently with a mystic smile. As all of the dares had to be completed in 24 hours, Nandini had to stay that night in Manik's flat. All three were tensed yet excited. Around 3 pm they went to crash though none of them knew what twist is coming into their lives tomorrow morning.