Deceiving Veils

Chapter-11{An end or a beginning}

She shivered a bit as guard applied the antiseptic on wound. But she knew it wasn't about knee but her fear. Fear of losing Nandini...

She wasn't ignorant of mild threats officers gave her time to time. They timely marked the subtle warnings if she stopped cooperating. She had given speeches in favor of them. She had tried to represent them. And she had sold her soul for nothing but a void promise that they won't touch her child.
Latest puppet act did send her to deepest hole. She knew there was no redemption for it. She had announced autocracy in state and army as official order there. Of course, it all happened on instruction of dictator and her husband coaxed her to do whatever they were demanding. She had told her own people how their all property now was owned by state and they would do, whatever and however, reallocation of it. She had taken away all they owned in just one announcement.

She saw smoke coming from other side of camp. She tried to stand up with support of man beside her.

No wonder there was a uproar and revolt. She had started a fire which could burn everything.

A thunderbolt struck somewhere and she asked herself, "Is her daughter immune of this fire?"

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Black cloud of dust and smoke settled down a bit. There were people lying on ground crying in pain. Nandini found herself on ground with a burning sensation on her shoulder. She was unable to open her eyes as smoke was so toxic. She saw Aryan approaching her. He was crawling on ground. Her eyes tried to find the one for whom she was there at first place. In fog of gunpowder, she saw a man lying on ground covering a girl. It was Manik. He moved a bit and Nandini sighed in relief. She saw a terrified Aashi beneath him.

His eyes too seemed to find something. She couldn't realize what until he saw that someone which was her. A smile crept on his bleeding lip as he saw her. Nandini was too dazed to even respond. An arm lifted her up and started to drag before she could even start to believe that they were alive.

"Come on, Nandini," Aryan said while dragging her to other side.

Panic struck in terrorised leftover of mob as soon as alive ones recovered from shock of explosion. It was soon to be a stampede.

"No, no, wait," she answered trying to stand up.

"There's no time to wait," Aryan yelled at her.

Nandini saw Manik and Aashi standing up. Smile on his face had faded away and a blank overtook. He was looking at them with a stern ire. She didn't take away her eyes off him to realize that ire was focused on Aryan, not her.

Manik strode towards them like a thunderbolt while Nandini tried to get rid of hurting grip of Aryan. Manik walked past her and pushed Aryan so hard that he landed on ground. His eyes were spitting fire and she could see a feared Aryan lying on ground. She moved in shed of his broad contour and suddenly there wasn't any unrest in her heart. It was all fine. She felt for a moment that then it was all right.

Their conflicted encounter was broken by a cheering noise as rebels had taken down a tank of army. Manik turned around and met Nandini's gaze. She was looking at him intently. Behind her, there was terrified Aashi standing all numb.

Nandini turned around to find out whom Manik gazed that softly.

"Aashi," she murmured.

Something sank inside for a moment or two.

Who was she to him?
She heard herself declaring how question was downright out of context and her rights.

She lowered her eyes.