Deceiving Veils

Chapter-27{Turning back the clock}

"Would you please not sit loose-bodied, Please?" He asked in tone filled with concern as well as irritation. 

"Concentrate on road," She murmured and added, "She might not like you talking to me." 

It was plain absurd how they both were behaving but none cared. It was very prominent to maintain thick air as they couldn't do normal very well. 

Manik slowed the truck as they neared another check-post. It looked deserted as well but he needed to be very alert. They were travelling in a trailer which belonged to one of local companies. Camp people seemed to steal it as they had two-three of big trailers standing in forest. 

Manik saw a contour in fog and asked Nandini to lay down. Nandini followed his words and set down on seat. As Truck reached that contour, it happened to be some aloof traveler. He gestured Manik to stop the truck and give him lift but Manik ignored and paced the vehicle.

"Who was it?" Nandini asked getting up. 

"Some random man," Manik asked and focused on road. 

"Are we there yet?" She asked after a minute and Manik glared her. 

"What?" She asked shrugging her shoulders and then looked away. 

After good drive of two hours, they entered the town. Nandini looked around just to witness devastating visuals. Burnt shops and looted stores, her eyes traveled as far as they could.  There wasn't a single trace of human activity. A few stray animals roamed on roads while town looked like a wrecked nightmare. 

"What did they do to this place?" Nandini murmured in heavy voice. 

"They killed it," Manik answered briefly. 

A strong stench touched their nostrils as they proceeded. 

"Nandini," Manik called her name to draw her attention off the street. 

"Don't look out," He said and while she covered her mouth with cloth. 

"What's that foul smell?" She asked a bit uneasy. 

"Just don't look outside," Manik asked again but she seemed to deduce what it was. She knew what that stench meant. 

Manik saw corpses lying on road. She covered her mouth in palms as she tried not to cry. 

"Come here," Manik called her stretching his arm. 

She was too traumatized to even respond to his love-filled voice. 

"Nandini," He called her name loud this time to draw her attention. 

"Huh," She could just exclaimed. 

"I said don't look out and come here," He commanded. 

"No," She said with a lump in her throat. 

Manik leaned towards her holding the wheel with spare hand and dragged her roughly towards him. She was shivering badly. He enclosed her in his arm and literally buried her face in his chest. 

She sobbed a bit as that stench intensified. 

"Shhhhhh," He shushed her, "It's fine." 

There were dead-bodies lying on road waiting for a burial and that was certainly not an easy sight even for man like Manik. He tried to focus on his way avoiding to look at those corpses. 

Shaking his head to subside the utter rage in him, he felt nauseated. Her sobs had turned louder as she gulped down the scenario he didn't let her see. 

"It's okay, Nandini," He stated and she looked at him. 

"It's not," She murmured in between her sobs.