Amidst of scorching fire and deafening gunshots, world seemed to be at calm for those few moments when he saw her. Drenched again; trembling a bit, she stood there with that something in eyes for which he could actually walk a few more miles. He slowly started to walk towards fire and he could see how she too had taken a step ahead.
He had realized long back that not all the questions have answers. He hadn't listened to them since a long time. Asking him, he still wasn't going to pay any heed. He hated it when he didn't get to find answers to so many questions as a child. He hated buzzing mind.
But now looking at her, she was one unsolved puzzle. Her pink lips always had to open to knit another set of queries. Her eyes always had something to ask.
And he believed, he loved to watch her like that.
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It was hard to tell why her heart was beating so fast. It wasn't thumping like that when a few bombs scared the angels away. But now it was racing like desperate after watching him stand there.
He came.
Was she a little too happy?
No, she guessed it was mere release of burden off her shoulders seeing him alright.
Oh, then why her chest felt like exploding with joy when his eyes met hers?
She shut it up saying it's mere relief, nothing else.
Nandini started to walk slowly and realized she was trembling even more. And it wasn't for cold rain, it was sheer inability to hold the feeling.
She realized he too started to walk towards her. Forgetting about war around, she could see herself muting death music.
Just a few meters away from each other, their meeting point ached to touch them.
But, could battlegrounds ever make midways?
A massive explosion burnt the place into pieces. Black smoke took over faces. Cries and few more explosions around, place where they stood was turned into death pit.
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Mrs. Murthy had been looking for Nandini for an hour then. A guard holding umbrella for her was trying to match her steps.
"Where are you, Nandini?" She murmured.
She turned around to see four men accompanying her.
"Is there any news about that boy who brought Nandini home?" She asked one of them.
"Ma'm, we have sent a guard to check on him. He is imprisoned," he answered.
Mrs. Murthy knew deep down where would Nandini be. She had raised a daughter and she could read what daughter's eyes had when she asked about Manik. It hadn't been easy for Mrs Murthy to cope up with Nandini's outrageous behavior recently. She was worried for her daughter. It was for her that they were doing the dirty job against their own people. And Nandini, she was expected to honor the dishonor her parents had chose to live. Strange ways! was Nandini obliged to live up to their mean expectations? She didn't know.
Walking down the hill, Mrs. Murthy stumbled over a rock and got a fine cut on knee. She sat down on rock with help of a guard. Tears brimmed in her eyes due to immense pain as well as with tsunami of thoughts striking her mind.
Her husband had put his weapons down a long back in front of dictator. She herself had a hard time digesting the fact how he could do that. He was kept away from state on purpose so that autocratic army could have their own ways. He never told it openly but she knew he had received a handsome amount for it too. On asking, she was told how it was in best interest of them and most importantly of Nandini.
Mrs Murthy gulped the lump in throat and tried to control her tears while her knee was taken care by a guard.
It wasn't easy to accept for her that her husband had sold this state to dictator. Money, power and politics; she cared for nothing... Nothing but her daughter. She still remembered how she had no answers to Nandini's questions. She had lied to her about a lot of things to safeguard her faith in good.
The day they had entered this camp, she knew now she too had to play this game, whether she wanted to play it or not. For surviving, she had to give in or at least play along.
Her husband had instructed her to follow every word of lieutenant as any breach could cause a harm to Nandini. It wouldn't be much of task for army there to kill them or throw in front of mad mob.
She shivered a bit as guard applied the antiseptic on wound. But she knew it wasn't about knee but her fear. Fear of losing Nandini...
She wasn't ignorant of mild threats officers gave her time to time. They timely marked the subtle warnings if she stopped cooperating. She had given speeches in favor of them. She had tried to represent them. And she had sold her soul for nothing but a void promise that they won't touch her child.
Latest puppet act did send her to deepest hole. She knew there was no redemption for it. She had announced autocracy in state and army as official order there. Of course, it all happened on instruction of dictator and her husband coaxed her to do whatever they were demanding. She had told her own people how their all property now was owned by state and they would do, whatever and however, reallocation of it. She had taken away all they owned in just one announcement.
She saw smoke coming from other side of camp. She tried to stand up with support of man beside her.
No wonder there was a uproar and revolt. She had started a fire which could burn everything.
A thunderbolt struck somewhere and she asked herself, "Is her daughter immune of this fire?"
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Black cloud of dust and smoke settled down a bit. There were people lying on ground crying in pain. Nandini found herself on ground with a burning sensation on her shoulder. She was unable to open her eyes as smoke was so toxic. She saw Aryan approaching her. He was crawling on ground. Her eyes tried to find the one for whom she was there at first place. In fog of gunpowder, she saw a man lying on ground covering a girl. It was Manik. He moved a bit and Nandini sighed in relief. She saw a terrified Aashi beneath him.
His eyes too seemed to find something. She couldn't realize what until he saw that someone which was her. A smile crept on his bleeding lip as he saw her. Nandini was too dazed to even respond. An arm lifted her up and started to drag before she could even start to believe that they were alive.
"Come on, Nandini," Aryan said while dragging her to other side.
Panic struck in terrorised leftover of mob as soon as alive ones recovered from shock of explosion. It was soon to be a stampede.
"No, no, wait," she answered trying to stand up.
"There's no time to wait," Aryan yelled at her.
Nandini saw Manik and Aashi standing up. Smile on his face had faded away and a blank overtook. He was looking at them with a stern ire. She didn't take away her eyes off him to realize that ire was focused on Aryan, not her.
Manik strode towards them like a thunderbolt while Nandini tried to get rid of hurting grip of Aryan. Manik walked past her and pushed Aryan so hard that he landed on ground. His eyes were spitting fire and she could see a feared Aryan lying on ground. She moved in shed of his broad contour and suddenly there wasn't any unrest in her heart. It was all fine. She felt for a moment that then it was all right.
Their conflicted encounter was broken by a cheering noise as rebels had taken down a tank of army. Manik turned around and met Nandini's gaze. She was looking at him intently. Behind her, there was terrified Aashi standing all numb.
Nandini turned around to find out whom Manik gazed that softly.
"Aashi," she murmured.
Something sank inside for a moment or two.
Who was she to him?
She heard herself declaring how question was downright out of context and her rights.
She lowered her eyes.
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Mrs Murthy walked between the pool of blood as she entered war affected area. Dead bodies around, she covered her mouth with her palm.
"It's all my fault," she murmured as she was walking down never ending lane of such drastic site.
"What did I do?" She choked while trying not to cry.
With great difficulty, she crossed that valley. She wanted to see her daughter. A guard had informed her a few minutes ago how Manik too had escaped the cell. She wanted to see her daughter fine. She started to walk as fast as possible with an injured knee.
Gunshots and explosions' were sounding to happen very nearby then. She kept walking ignoring all the warnings of guards about not going there.
As she took a turn out of bushes, she saw her standing there behind that boy. Her Nandini was standing behind Manik and another man was lying on ground. She couldn't make it who he was from behind.
Guard warned her again about sensitivity of situation as if she got noticed by mob, they would slit her in pieces. Mrs. Murthy listened to no one and strode towards Nandini.
__________________________________
Aryan got up and held Manik from his collar.
"You thankless moron," he yelled, "how dare you push me?"
Manik pursed his lips in anger and held Aryan's collar.
"Stay away from her," he warned briefly.
"No, you stay away from her, you filthy piece of shit," Aryan retorted.
Nandini kept looking at them in utter shock till the moment her eyes caught glimpse of her mother.
She saw her mother running towards her with a lump. A relief crept on her face as she saw her approaching her. Her smile faded as she noticed her bleeding knee. She ran towards her mother making Manik and Aryan baffled.
Mrs. Murthy filled Nandini in arms and let her cry as much as she wanted to.
"Where were you? And what happened to knee?" Nandini asked while bending to see her wounded knee.
"Nandini, I am fine, honey," Mrs Murthy uttered.
"I am just so happy that you are fine," she added with a heavy throat. She too had been crying silently.
She looked beyond and saw Manik and Aryan looking at them.
Aryan smiled broadly and took the opportunity as favorable. He walked to Mrs Murthy and said, "I was just bringing Nandini back to you, Mrs Murthy."
Nandini looked away in disgust. Mrs. Murthy didn't pay much heed to Aryan's sweet play and looked at Manik who was standing far away with his arms folded. He returned the gaze with utmost cold in it. Mrs Murthy sighed a bit and then looked back at her daughter.
"I need to talk to you, Nandini," Mrs Murthy said, "Alone." Aryan took the hint and backed down.
Nandini looked back at Manik and saw him standing firm. She knew he won't leave. Why he won't leave? Well, she chuckled a bit thinking how it's something he needed to know.
"State is with army now," Mrs Murthy informed Nandini.
Nandini's attention had been drawn cruelly to this new development.
"What? How? I mean...how...how is that possible?" She fumbled a bit while trying to digest it.
Before Mrs Murthy could elaborate, they heard a crowd. A pack was running in their direction. Army men immediately came forward to protect Nandini and her mother.
Those 5 guards versus a mad crowd.
Crowd stopped right behind Manik and Aashi as soon as they saw Mrs Murthy. Their faces filled with anger and disgust seeing minister's wife and daughter. They stiffened to their places just to channelize their anger in form of violence. What could be better than getting a chance to take revenge on the ones who sold them off?
Mrs Murthy froze to her place as she saw the mob looking at them with rage.
It took Nandini a minute to understand what was it about.
"It was your call," she said in low tone to her mother.
Mrs. Murthy nodded her head in acceptance.
Manik's gaze kept swaying from angry still mob to Murthys. His eyes filled with a terror as soon as he managed to read the situation. He immediately looked at Nandini who was looking distressed.
"Stay away," a guard warned raging crowd showing his rifle.
It was a lost battle. That fuming mob could literally bury them alive two feet under the clay mere with a raged rush. Still, guards attempted to scare them with guns.
Manik slowly gathered Aashi and moved aside. Nandini's eyes followed them in fear and then relaxed seeing him settling down at side. His eyes met hers and strangely they held assurance.
Aryan came behind the gunmen to protect himself. Mrs Murthy's face was pale. She looked done.
"Nandini," she mumbled her name loud enough to draw Nandini's attention.
"It's time to fulfil your promise, munchkin," she added while clutching Nandini's hand.
Nandini narrowed her eyes being unable to understand. Her mother didn't stop looking at mob. She never looked at Nandini, not even once after that roaring crowd came in.
"What promise?" Nandini asked all bewildered.
"Promise that you would survive," Mrs. Murthy answered reminding Nandini that twisted statement which she said when they entered the camp.
"Promise me, if ever anything happened to me; you would survive,"
Her mother's words struck her like lash. A flashback of that day danced in front of her eyes when she couldn't read her mother's anxiety and her mother asked her to promise this.
For a moment or two, Nandini fidgeted with thoughts which were making her blank. Then finally she gathered herself and said, "I never made that promise."
Finally her mother looked at her sharply. Nandini didn't look away and met her commanding gaze.
"I am not leaving you, Mother," she declared while clutching her hand tighter, "how could you think I would leave you alone?"
Her mother's eyes softened a bit seeing tears brimming in Nandini's eyes. She looked at her daughter in awe. There was a longing and utter affection in her eyes. She hugged Nandini tight and looked at Manik who didn't take away his gaze for a second from Nandini.
"Sometimes, we have to part so that we can meet again. Sometimes, we have to make hard choices," Mrs Murthy whispered in Nandini's ear while hugging her tighter.
Nandini sensing the tone of parting tried to break the hug but her mother didn't let her.
Roaring crowd wasn't roaring anymore. It was advancing towards them with swords and rods. Guards fidgeted but stayed firm. Manik gathered Aashi and tried to cut the mob which had just crossed them.
Mrs. Murthy didn't let Nandini break the hug and continued, "Live for me. Make right what we did wrong. Grant me that redemption which I can never get. Survive so that... "
She choked and couldn't complete her sentence. Nandini hugged her tighter and let the sobs out. Her mind wasn't working. It all was sounding like a nightmare from which she wanted to wake up.
"Run, " Mrs Murthy finally let go of Nandini after kissing her a goodbye.
Nandini unable to control her sobs stood there dejected. Mrs Murthy looked at Aryan who was terrified to death seeing mob. Guards had created a wall with rifles and were stopping the mob.
Manik reached at rifle-made barricade when a guard hit him in gut. He cried in pain. He saw at dejected Nandini who was crying badly. He pushed the guard hard to get in. Seeing her broken was absolutely aching. His chest filled with unbearable pain. He pushed guard hard and let Aashi in. She ran to Aryan.
Another butt of rifle on his stomach and a lump of blood got out of his mouth.
He gathered all his strength not to fall down. He saw her again. She was still crying and another pair of eyes was keenly looking at her.
Mrs Murthy was looking at her intently deprived of any readable emotion. A stone flew towards that end where Nandini stood and hit Mrs Murthy.
Maybe, that was the wake up call for Nandini to get out of that aching slumber. She gathered her broken self and approached her wincing mother.
"I am not leaving. Not at all," she said while cupping her face.
"You have to," Mrs Murthy told sternly.
Manik had finally pushed the guard enough to make a way. He came running towards Nandini and then stopped at a distance.
Mob had gone crazy by then. A guard let a gunshot. Sighs filled the atmosphere with mourning silence. A man lied on ground covered in blood. He was shot dead. And that left public even more mad.
"I can't leave, Nandini. I can't come with you. Please understand. I have done all this. It's all my and your father's fault. I have to be here taking responsibility. I am their culprit," Mrs Murthy said in one breath seeing mob trying to reach them.
"You are my mother," Nandini shouted while clinging to her like a baby, "not anyone's culprit."
"Listen to me, Nandini," Mrs Murthy extracted herself from Nandini with difficulty.
"Let me do one right, baby. Let me try to mend things by staying here," she added, "I promise we would meet soon."
That was a void promise. They both knew. Slowly she could see her mother withdrawing herself and going away even when she was still standing there. That was it. Was it?
Manik, who by now was trying to help guards in defending Nandini and her mother, looked at a frightened Nandini. She was looking at her mother and she was afraid.
"We have to leave," said a frightened Aryan.
Mrs Murthy took one final sigh and then called Manik.
"Manik"
He heard someone calling and came running.
"Take her away, please," Mrs Murthy said.
Aryan couldn't believe his ears when he heard Mrs Murthy saying that.
"I am not going anywhere," Nandini declared sternly.
"Please, take her away," Mrs Murthy again pleaded to Manik.
Manik for the first time felt this perplexed about what to do. He looked at a broken yet fierce Nandini and then at her mother.
Another gunshot behind and one more causality, mob took charge on that guard and killed him with rod.
"Don't waste time. You are making it worst. We are killing people in indecision," her mother said while looking at Nandini.
She was angry. She looked angry not meeting gaze of her mother.
Mrs Murthy folded her palms in front of Manik as one last plead. Nandini's ire had no bound till that moment.
Manik held her hand and started walking towards forest in speed. She was shattering in pieces with each step. She started crying as they kept striding. And then with a sudden jerk, she stopped and looked back at her mother. She was looking at her with facet of brave. Her mother brought her fingers to her lips and then sent a kiss Nandini's way. Her facet was finally down. Tears didn't stop at all.
Manik gave them that moment and Aashi too had reached him by then. And a shocked Aryan followed her. All waited while a guard came to Mrs Murthy and tried to escort her out.
Manik finally dragged a numb Nandini towards their unknown destination. She got dragged like a corpse looking at her mother who had managed to smile at her daughter. Maybe, for one last time.