A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-15

"What is your problem?" He asked furiously. 

"Why are you behaving so difficult?" He asked further gripping her other elbow. 

That was instigating. She looked around as tried to come with a retort and then hit his foot with her boot. He winced in pain and let her go. She ran towards the forest leaving a wincing Manik behind. 

"Nandini," He shouted her name as she disappeared in dark. 

She had been walking rapidly for minutes then. She was angry and she wanted him far away. She didn't want to end up breaking his nose. As she crossed another giant tree, a hand grabbed her forearm and she was pinned to the tree. A few of nested snow flakes fell in her hair. 

"Leave me, you asshole," She wiggled under his grip. Manik had his jaw clenched and eyes red. He was real angry. He pinned her more to tree and hovered her badly. 

"You don't get anything at once na," He said in low yet angry tone. 

"I said it's not safe here," He said a bit aloud this time. 

"Stay away from me," She said and looked away. Her eyes had sheer impair. 

"Would you stop chanting it?" He shouted in her face. She closed her eyes in fear but then breathed long. Pushing him with all her might, she bestowed him with those deadly punches on chest. He huffed but didn't move. Giving up after a heated punching session, she slowed down. Her face had turned pale as cold increased. Her hair had snow flakes tangled in her waves. 

"Done?" He asked as she stopped punching him. 

"Stay away," She murmured final time. 

"Why?" He asked taking her offhanded. 

"Because only you asked that," She replied peeping into his eyes. There she saw what she wanted to see. Guilt flowed across his face as he registered her words. 

"Yeah," He murmured after a good silence and let her go. She felt a wave of rage approaching her and she said, "You are ridiculous, Manik Malhotra." 

Pushing him aside, she walked ahead. This time, she wanted to cry. She wanted to shout her lungs out. He was plain bipolar when it comes to his own stupid feelings. He was messed up and he had no right to vent it out on her. 

She reached a wire fence and tried to climb on. Her trouser got stuck somewhere and she winced as wire slid across her skin. She could feel wet oozing out. She was stuck. She kicked her to get rid of that wire but in process, she got a few more bruises. She growled in frustration. 

Next she felt someone lifting her completely and taking her out of that fence. She was put gently on ground and she crashed on snowy surface as her wound pained. 

Manik bent down and tried to reach her thigh. She jerked away his hand and he sighed aloud. 

Her black trouser was now patched with wet black from that area. It was bleeding. 

Manik again tried to reach her wound but she shoved him away. 

"Let me see it," He shouted even when he didn't intend to raise his voice. 

"No," She retorted and he puffed in anger. 

"You know how much I hate you," he asked out of sheer vexation. 

"Feelings are mutual, Officer," She retorted a bit chocked. 

He grabbed the rope off his shoulder and walked behind her. Tying her hands next moment, he made sure she had no way out. 

"What are you doing?" She panicked. 

"Open my hands, you moron," She yelled at him. 

Sitting in front of her, he reached her wound but she kicked him so hard on shoulder. 

"Dare you touch me," She warned through eyes. Manik was fuming by then. He held both her legs and shoved them under his knees. Sitting on her legs almost, he finally touched her wound through torn cloth. She hissed and cursed him bad. He looked at her and then shook his head hopelessly. 

"Take off your pant," He asked and her eyes bulged out. 

"What did you say?" She asked shouting. 

"Your wound needs to treated," He said a bit embarrassed. 

"I'll rather die," She spatted. 

"No one dies with a cut on leg," He said inhaling some needed air. 

"They die with septic," She replied trying to prove her point. 

"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked almost giving up. 

"I am not doing anything. You are the one who tied me. You are the one wanting to take off my pant. How could you even ask? You are the one irritating me," She started and Manik looked at her in disbelief. 

"You accused me for everything. You were so so mean, Manik," She said and He smiled. She finally had taken his name without a Malhotra. 

"You said I am responsible for your stupid messy brain. You were so rude. I thought we were having fun but no, you made it all about something else," She continued. He knew he had hurt her and he also knew he was wrong at accusing her. He kept looking at her all awestruck as she blabbered. Her nose was red due to cold. She could cry any moment. Her wound was bad. He smiled as she made faces condemning him for ruining their trip. 

He slowly took out knife from his backpack and started to tear her trouser. She was busy ranting and didn't even realize when he had cut her trouser till her mid thigh. As soon as cold touched her bare leg, she stopped talking. She looked down and saw him checking her wound. She didn't feel anything. She realized her leg was almost numb due to cold and blood circulation. 

"What are you doing?" She asked terrified and tried to fold her leg. Pain marked its come back as she moved. 

"I am sorry," He muttered and she looked at him. 

"I was wrong to accuse you," He admitted. She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped. She was anyway done. She shrugged her shoulders. 

"You were," She confirmed and he eyed her. 

"What?" She asked. 

"You are so stubborn," He remarked. 

She looked away as he checked her wound. Picking her up in one go, he walked them back to his jeep. He bandaged her wound. She sat quietly as things fell calmer. 

"So," Manik started and looked at her. 

"So?" She asked raising her brow. 

"When are you returning to academy?" He asked hesitantly. 

"I don't know," He answered casually. 

"Your training is still incomplete," He said trying not to sound too desperate. She had all the power to make him agitated and then make him most calmer heart at same time. 

"I will think about it," She answered cashing her sweet tantrum. 

He sighed and she smiled finally. Looking away, she let that smile out. Before he could notice her, she made that stern face. 

"Let's drop you home," He said and started the jeep. 

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Highly Unedited*