Deceiving Veils

Chapter- 50{Taming the heat}

Babbling brook marked the start of a journey as hundreds of them started their aimless trek. 

Them. 

For now it was nothing more than a herd of scared people who clung to each other because it was better to survive knowing there were others as helpless as you. It was better to stick along.

Nandini walked on stony paths all lost in her thoughts. Wayfaring was her childhood fancy and she had not thought in her wildest dreams that she would be having it in this way. Her foot slipped on damp pebble and a shriek escaped her lips. Her eyes reflexively shut tightly and before her back could meet the slippery ground, an arm grabbed her stealthily. 

She knew that warmth, she could read it even in dead dark. 

She opened her eyes only to find him peering into her eyes all worried. Creases on his forehead disappeared as soon as Nandini blinked. That's what Manik was doing since their last intense meet last night. He was trying very hard to mask what was going inside him. 

"Need any help, Princess?" He asked straightening her up. 

Nandini pursed her lips in irritation listening to that hailing. He was asking for her worse. It was like same Manik who used to irk her with that 'Highness' hail. 

"No, I am fine," She replied and got out of his firm hold. Continuing her stroll, she turned around to find him simpering. He did hide it as soon as he saw her watching. 

She could see her father walking a few steps ahead with Aashi and Aryan. She smiled thinking how Aashi had succeeded in gelling up with her father. That girl could befriend anyone in minutes. 

Manik followed her but maintained a few meters' distance. She knew he was right behind her but she won't try to initiate a conversation again. He was being unreasonable and was surely deriving pleasure from annoying her. 

They all were walking by river. They were going to take shelter in deep valleys till they find some help. Nandini hadn't still figured out how to work on her father's plan. Aabid Bhai was trying his best to locate any person from ministry but all was in vain. All of sudden her innocent ignorance about state affairs started to seem a sin. She believed she should have taken some interest in her father's work. 

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Manik again worked on tent peg to stake down the tent, Nandini was sitting at a distance with her father in grey of evening. A bonfire warmed them while Manik arranged a tent for them. Nandini could feel wind tickling her pores and she knew that tickling was about Manik doing a thing for her father. She didn't know why but his acceptance meant a lot. They both were not objective yet when it came to their feelings. They had a long way to go. 

Manik looked at her as he ended up fixing the tent for her father. He could see relief on her face in orange of fire. He threw the hammer in side and walked to them. 

"It's ready," He informed formally and then turned away. 

Nandini shook her head knowing how he was trying to be rude when he was being considerate in real. She didn't dig him at that moment and took her father to little tent. They were staying night at that junction before they resume their journey. 

Nandini came out after making her father feel comfortable in tent and looked for Manik. He was nowhere to be seen. She sighed as her eyes found him nowhere. She saw a contour at river bank and she narrowed her eyes to make out who was it. As she walked closer, she found it was Aryan. She found it right opportunity to talk to him about a lot of things. She was trying to thank him since long but time wasn't allowing her.