A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-41

Nandini tiptoed and kissed her father's cheek softly. Mr Murthy seemed to be frozen as she withdrew.

"Thank you," She murmured and smiled merrily.

Her father looked at his wife yet again who looked equally clueless. Nandini ran upstairs without wasting another second. Door of her room shut with a sweet thud and her parents gaped each other trying to understand what just happened.

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Hall got filled with acclaim as soon as Colonel Singh called the session off. It was his last speech for fresher batch because this was last time they would be addressed with that name. They had made it to next year. Eclat didn't seem to slow down as boys cheered for one successful academic year in academy. Colonel Singh looked at cadets proudly and spotted Manik amid that crowd lost somewhere with a smile which didn't leave his side.

"Silence," Colonel screeched in mic to kill the clamor.

"You boys always seem to miss the fun part," He quipped and boys gaped him trying to depict that knowing look on Colonel's face.

"Before your next term starts from next week, I would like my boys to celebrate," He informed with glint in his eyes.

Harshad elbowed Manik trying not to get too excited about the news.

"It's an open house in Bardsley's this Thursday and you are free to bring your date," Colonel concluded and lowered the head of mic. That meant how colonel was done talking. He walked out of assembly hall followed by other ranked officers leaving a group ready to explode into cheers.

Harshad hugged Manik and then Samit in excitement. Almost every boy jumped in excitement. There were very few occasions when juniors were given chance to celebrate without seniors hovering them and this was that one time. Manik covered his ears as Harshad screamed how he was going to get laid after so long. Manik scrunched his nose in disgust and scrutinized his disgusting friend.

"What?" Harshad called out.

"If you don't get to do things, it doesn't mean I can't," Harshad uttered playfully and Manik glared him. But then sweet smile played on his lips remembering how he had have his first kiss last night. He bit his lip looking down.

"Come on, we have got shopping to do,"Harshad dragged Manik along as they walked to door.

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Daadu laughed wholeheartedly as Nandini and Rishi fought over a video chat.

"No, truth was you didn't have balls to kick that kid," Nandini argued sitting on arm of Daadu's chair when laptop was place on table in front.

Daadu gasped listening her words. Someone was in form, Daadu shifted uncomfortably in his chair.

"No, I had but you always needed to pick a fight with everyone before someone else could," Rishi said.

"Accept it that you were afraid," Nandini threatened.

"I wasn't," Rishi could have leeway knowing he was oceans away.

"Stop it, you two," Daadu ended the nonsensical argument over an incident happened years back. Nandini kissed Daadu's temple seeing him a bit irked. Daadu smiled immediately. He was sure how something very good happened last night because Nandini was in best of her spirit and that was rare.

Rishi went offline after a good conversation and now it was time to talk. Daadu held Nandini's hand and made her sit on table in front of him. Nandini held his another hand as Daadu adored his little baby.

"Tell me you have killed the cadet last night," Daadu asked and Nandini was instantly geared up for their kind of talk.

"I kissed him instead," She replied making Daadu go discomfit. It took him fine few seconds to register what she had said while she sat there tapping her feet.