Manan: HER

Chapter 1

His Touch

November is almost coming to an end yet the way it is humid in Mangalore, its hard for Manik to believe it. Its his first time ever coming here. But since it is so gratifying he can maybe just for this once let it slide that he had to come here. After all there are so many of those places around here where he can find peace. He liked to call them Heaven Parts but normally people also called them beaches.

After spending more than five hours on one of the beaches since the dawn he finally got to his car starting for the Malhotra Office in Mangalore. He was this calm after a long time he noticed, since even during the forty-minute drive his thoughts were only of the tides and the waves that roared and swept the sand near his feet when at beach.

So primarily he was in a good mood when he reached the Office. But that wasn't as easy for others as one might presume. So consequently, everyone was cautious in advance as to not rake him up. And hence his office time went on peacefully till the afternoon hours.

His body had started revealing the exhaustion by the way he was feeling prickly needles near and around his shoulders, his head throbbing at the temples and his left hand shaking with pain. But like always, he decided to ignore it.

All was going fine till the time he was in his chair. But as he signed the most probably last file of the day and sent Rica out, and stood up to go near the glass wall of his cabin to look out at his employees, he witnessed all of it without a blink of an eye.

He clearly saw the tiny girl in the white crop top and black bell bottoms, barge in his work place and thumping her hand on the receptionist's desk, talking frenziedly, scaring the woman behind the desk in the process, and then when the woman pointed, not-so-clearly, towards his office, that she started heading for and inside the office without a care. He was so galvanized that he failed to realize it that she was heading for none but him.

He was roused by her sight. She looked so petite if one looked at her frame, her tiny hands, slim wrist, slimmer waist, but one look in her eyes and you knew she wasn't small at all.

In fact, she carried the courage of ten. Her flaring eyes reflected the fire she was carrying. His eyes didn't leave her until she was right in front of him.

He was about to blink but refrained himself from doing it. But what he didn't see coming, was her hand that slammed against his cheek causing his face to whip to the side.

Shock, confusion, anger, fury, all of it appeared on his face as a reaction. She raised her hand again but he caught it even before it was inches near to his face. His hold was vice-like, biting through her skin. And his eyes bared untamed rage.

He held her other shoulder to clamp her on spot. "Who the f**k do you think you are standing in front of me?" he said through gritted teeth. "I am the one who will show you your real place, you screwhead." She said with hatred.

"Do not play games with me little girl, and answer me. Who are you? And what the hell are you doing here? Who do you think you are that you can come barging in here and slap me?" he shouted in her face.

"And who do you think you are to abuse a child like that? Do you not have shame at all? He was merely 14 years old, you sick psycho." She spat with abhorrence.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Manik said with utter confusion and irritation. "Don't you try to act innocent now. I very well know about b**tards like you. Do you really have no sense of humanity?!" she said incessantly.

"Hold your horses' little one. You really have no idea who you are talking to. Portraying yourself as a true defender, I must say you have failed big time. I don't understand how can one depend on someone so careless like yourself. You do not even know the person who is responsible yet, have the courage to barge in anyone's office completely clueless. Let me tell you this clearly, Miss Tiny Kitten, I am not any sick psycho, and have nothing todo with any fourteen-year-old. You are mistaken, and with that said, get the hell out of here right now." He started steadily but his voice rose as he ended his words.