Deceiving Veils

Chapter-69 {Soft Snowflakes}

There was a time when she loved morning haze but now it had started to scare her. 

Nandini searched Manik's cottage and then scolded herself for even thinking that he would be there. There was no way he would stop walking before bruising his feet. She stood in the  backyard and looked at the vast forest down the vale. 

She didn't know from where to start. 

That town was surrounded with too much wilderness. He could be anywhere. She started to walk down the valley hoping to find some sign of him. It had started to turn darker. Her heart hammered against her chest as she kept taking hurried steps. She could hear a stream nearby. Soon that sweet music revealed another sound which was of Axe chopping the wood. She closed her eyes in relief and cleared the final bush before she saw him near the gentle river. He was so engrossed in himself as he cut the wood mercilessly. She could see a pile of woods beside him. He had been beating timber for a long time and might have severed himself even more. 

"Manik," She called as she hurried on pebbles. He didn't stop but his jaw tightened. She knew she was calling out for a storm. She was summoning a wrath which might leave her bleeding unceasingly. 

She stood at a distance and waited for him to slow down but he didn't. 

"Talk to me," She said as she kept standing there waiting for him to speak up. He threw the axe somewhere in the water and got rid of that sweaty vest before he started to walk into the water. He was as always running away from her and from himself.

Nandini clicked her lips in annoyance and followed him. Her dress didn't help much as she descended in knee length water. She fumbled in her steps and fell. Her eyes traveled to his escaping figure and she got up while wiping the water off her face. Her hurried steps and his labored steps got them in middle of water. She held his wrist to stop him and he didn't take a second to get rid of her warm clutch. 

"I am not letting you bear it alone anymore," She announced angrily and held his forearm to turn him around.

He did and his face showed a mix of anger and pain. His jaw was tightened while hands were in a fist. He hesitated to meet her eyes while she kept looking into his without any fear. 

"Go away, Nandini. Go away before I end up hurting you," He warned finally looking at her. 

She smiled meekly and he looked less agitated. Her hand raised to caress his pained skin, a pain which saw no wound but ached bad. Her fingers met his temple and she knew that wall had started to melt down. He sighed deep. She saw his eyes relaxing and then transitioning into something so dark that she quivered. He held her hand in a stinging grip and jerked her away ruthlessly.

"I don't need your pity," He yelled mercilessly and she gaped him in disbelief. For a moment, it felt like he hated her for all she was. She couldn't comprehend how could he even think that she would judge him. 

Cold water had almost numbed her legs and his words froze her to her place. She expected him to walk away leaving him all drenched in her tears but he kept standing there. He kept standing there like he had no might to leave. He didn't even realize how bad he wanted to be held by her. Her eyes softened but then she couldn't blow her calming breaths on his veiled wounds anymore. Rage engulfed her and she held his forearms with his nails digging his skin.  

"I never pitied you," She spoke menacingly as she looked into dark water. His Muscles tightened listening her cold tone. 

"I don't know if you remember or not but I had promised you I won't ever ask you about your mother till the moment you want to talk about it," She spoke lowly yet furiously.