Covering herself in shawl so that no one sees her face, she walked swiftly behind him. His hand was clutching her hand in firm grip as he took her in an old building. It was dead dark but still there was this fine scent of abode around.
Home!
Her mind immediately rebuffed the notion as she knew there's no place called home for her, not especially when people there considered her enemy. Nandini's chain of thoughts got broken by a glimpse her prudent eyes caught. A familiar figure, a smile played on her lips as soon as they reached a bit closer.
Nandini ran towards that figure leaving Manik's hand. Taking her in bone crushing hug, she let out the overwhelm.
"Aashi," She mumbled as she hugged her tighter.
"Nandiniiii, I can't breathe," Aashi said.
Nandini abruptly backed down and looked a bit embarrassed.
"I am sorry," She said sheepishly. Aashi took her in warm hug and both smiled to their content.
"I think your meet and greet can wait till we get in," Manik said and started to unlock the door of old library.
"Why are you getting jealous?" Aashi taunted and he glared her. Nandini's smile faded a bit and she held Aashi's hand tightly. Manik unlocked the door and stepped away to let the ladies enter. Aashi got in and Nandini followed her, stopping by Manik for a second or two, giving him a compelling glance. He looked away, maybe pushing her away a little more. She had this power to peep into his soul, and he hadn't the courage to let her in.
She walked in and looked at the place. It was an abandoned library. One part of it was used to put the grain and other stock, while another was still untouched. A big window opened to the enchanting view of forest and mountains, and rest of the walls had these big glass almirahs with numerous books within. Smell of books could reach her nostrils and a smile touched her lips.
"It's heaven," She murmured.
Aashi walked beside her and said, "It's not a regular warehouse so nobody would come here except me."
Nandini looked at her smilingly.
"Or maybe Manik," Aashi added and looked at him who was standing at door looking outside.
Nandini nodded and said, "Thank you."
Aashi smiled at her and then side hugged her.
"We'll go for now as I don't want people to doubt us," She said and walked to the door.
"There's food on table and a dress beside. I hope it fits you," She added.
Nandini smiled and looked at door. He was not there. Manik had already walked out without even looking at her. Aashi said in low tone, "There's washroom at end of library. I have put hot water."
Nandini mouthed a thank you and Aashi locked the room.
"Why do you have to be so cold all the time?" Aashi shouted as soon as she locked the room.
Manik glared her as she reached him.
"None of your business," He said sternly.
"Whom are you fooling, Manik?" She retorted.
"Aashi, I don't want to talk about it," He warned and paced out of lobby leaving a baffled Aashi.
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Nandini came out wearing an off white dress and picked up the sweater from table. She smiled as she wore it thinking about how Aashi had arranged everything. She dried her long wisps with towel and walked to the big window which had dirty curtains hanging down. Life felt normal. She sighed. She didn't remember when did she last stand under a roof and had a moment with herself. Hot bath helped a lot to calm down the aching mind. She was feeling much content. Fear crossed her mind as she realized how everything of it was temporary. A thin veil was hiding the ugly reality, waiting when someone would brutally take it off and she would be standing naked. She didn't even own these moments. Everything was a mercy of time. But She still was thankful.
Having her food, she walked to the books and saw them with a smile. She was going to have an awesome time with those books and she knew it.
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Manik walked to the common room as chief had called an emergency meeting. All the men were asked to be present. It was something serious looking at the faces of think tank. Manik stood in a corner, totally wanting to avoid the attention while Aryan had seemed to take center stage.
"Gentlemen," Chief drew everyone's attention.
Silence took over the hall as everyone seemed to pay ear.
"Army is around," He informed and hall again got filled with whispers.
"They are heading towards our camp. One of our informers has alerted us just now," He added.
Whispers turned louder as shock traveled the room.
Manik's forehead had formed fine lines listening the piece of news. He was dreading it. When he thought she was safe, danger had arrived yet again.
"We don't have much weapons but if we strategize properly, we can defeat that unit of army," He shared.
"How's that possible? We don't even have enough ammunition to fill our refiles," One of men ranted.
"That's true," Chief agreed and then continued, "Tonight, we would figure out something."
"Priority for now is to safeguard the women and children. We would camouflage this place as if it is still deserted to delay the encounter," He shared the plan.
"Defense for now is our only retort," He concluded sadly.
He walked among the elders and Harshad gathered the young lot to give some instructions. Manik got indulged in his own thoughts about how to protect her as he knew why that army was heading that way. Before he could fret more, he heard someone calling his name. He saw Harshad gesturing him to join. He walked towards them with a cold face.
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"And this one is amazing. I have just read three chapters and believe me, it's awesome," Nandini told Aashi with a grin.
She was showing her the books which she had found in reading condition and Aashi was intently listening to all her blabbering all that while. She had returned with a quilt and mattress few minutes back.
"You look even more beautiful when you smile," Aashi complimented as Nandini was busy talking about books.
Nandini stopped talking and looked at her in awe.
"And you always make me feel so so special when I am not," Nandini said and pulled her into a hug.
"By the way, has something happened between you and Manik?" Aashi asked suddenly.
Colors from Nandini's face faded away as soon as she heard his name.
"No. What would happen between us?" She quickly cleared and started to shuffle books.
"I mean, did you two fight?" Aashi asked upfront.
Nandini kept fidgeting with books as she had nothing to say. Aashi sighed when she saw no answer coming.
"I am no one to put a fight with him," Nandini spoke at last seeing Aashi a bit worried.
Aashi didn't grill further as her doubts were cleared then. She started to help Nandini to clean the books.
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There was hustle in camp as men were walking women and kids to the bunker which those people had built to hide in case they had no other option. Aashi was finding her bothers as she was terrified with the activity around. Both of them were nowhere to be seen. A man held her from forearm and started to drag towards the place.
"Miss, you shouldn't here," He said and dragged her.
"Leave my hand," she yelled and squirmed to get rid of his grip.
He immediately left her arm seeing her panicked. She ran back to the crowd to find Manik.
She saw Aryan walking towards her and she ran to him.
"Aashi, what are you doing here?" He asked panicked.
"What's happening, Aryan?" She asked back.
"An unit of army is heading this way and we need to vacate this place as soon as possible," He said.
"Vacate?" She asked all baffled.
"Not really. We are just moving women and children to safe place so that building can still look like deserted," he explained.
"And what about you people?" She asked.
"We would just hide ourselves in forest and would be ready with weapons in case we collide with them," He informed.
"Now please go join the ladies," he pleaded.
"No. I can't," she said being all panic struck.
She could not go underground knowing how Nandini was in library and she was the one who was supposed to take care.
"Where's Manik?" She asked, "I need to see him."
Aryan's face fell and he looked pissed listening his name. Before he could respond, Aashi ran away looking for Manik.
She saw Manik walking along Harshad. They seemed to be in a serious conversation. She ran to him and halted in front of them.
Panting hard, She said, "I need to talk to you, Manik."
Harshad nodded and walked ahead leaving them both alone.
"How we are going to.." She asked but got interrupted.
"It's sorted, Aashi," He assured.
"I am going to guard building staying inside. Just give me the keys," He said.
"But won't these people suspect?" She asked.
"I have just convinced Harshad how one of us should stay back. So it's not a problem," he explained.
She calmed down and he gave her an assuring smile.
"But what if that army found her?" She asked.
"Not till I am alive," He said in assuring tone.
She sighed and he put a kiss on her forehead.
"Now go join the rest of people," He said.
She asked him to take care and gave him the keys. Manik saw her going to the safe place and sighed in content.
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Soon that building which felt like home turned into deserted place again. Bunker was closed and men had left for forest to tackle the army away from that place. There was an uncertainty in air and it could be felt. Unaware of everything around, Nandini was busy in her world thinking how everything was coming to recline.
It was noon she guessed looking at the daylight. It wasn't easy to make out as clouds had hovered the place. There was an unrest in wind and she could feel it. Her heart got heavy with some strange vibe. Was something bad about to happen? Or had she started to dread again? She forced herself to read the book again to avoid the negative thoughts.
Manik was left alone in building with a given rifle for his protection. He had to seed his plan in Harshad's mind how one of them should stay back in building to protect the property and stock. He was walking towards library to see Nandini with some food. He unlocked the door and saw her looking at the door. She had a book in her hand as she sat in a chair. She looked different. He noticed her wisps were a bit frisky and she had wore a grey sweater. She looked...beautiful. He kept looking at her while she bit her lip in order to deal with the upcoming awkwardness. Things were getting awkward between them recently. Either they were arguing or not talking. He came in and locked the door behind. She put the book aside and waited for him walk closer. He put the rifle beside door and that drew Nandini's attention. Her brows twitched as she tried to figure out need of rifle in his hand.
"Why are you carrying that?" She asked offhand.
He knew what she was referring to but he chose to ignore. He didn't want to concern her with latest developments.
"Here's food," He offered her and started to look around the room.
An umbrage embraced her as soon as he walked around blase. Had her presence become that wonted? He affected her in every possible way and she thought she was that unimportant as he always choose to ignore her conveniently. She would brazenly start over every time and each time he would make her repent that.
"Why are you here even?" She asked baffled. Her question came out as if an argument had reached a peak when actually she was having a battle in her mind, not in actual. He looked around to see her all gusty.
"It doesn't make sense," She mumbled looking down.
Manik walked back to her part of room without taking his eyes off her. She looked down for a second or two and then looked away. Her hair covered her beautiful face and he could guess she was crying. He sighed as he realized yet again their encounter had brought vulnerability to her.
"Haven't I told you before tears make me angry?" He asked sternly.
She immediately looked at him with flooded eyes.
"And why do you think it can make me stop from crying?" She asked fuming.
He looked into her teary eyes to find sheer ache.
"Maybe because I affect you," He answered plainly.
"Come out of your bubble, Manik. You can never affect me," She said and wiped her tears away. She got up and walked to put her books on shelf while he stood there looking at that petite figure in front of her. Her entire body screamed for anger she was feeling and there she had a dignity to save. He simpered and then walked to her. He took books from her hand and started to arrange them in upper most shelf. She looked at him with furrowed brows. He avoided her huffs and puffs entirely, and kept doing his work.
"Did I ask for your help?" She asked folding her arms.
"No, you didn't," He answered plainly and looked at her.
"You know how bipolar you are?" She asked all flustered.
"You know how much I affect you?" He asked folding his arms.
"No, you don't," She declared and walked away just to get grabbed by his strong pull.
He folded her arm in her back as she collided with his rugged torso.
"Hey," He said as she wiggled to get rid of his grip.
"Leave my hand," She demanded.
"Not until you tell me what's wrong," He stated in gentle tone.
Nandini shook her head as he uttered that.
"Nothing is wrong, Manik," She said simpering in disbelief.
"For something being wrong, first there's need to be 'something'," She added.
He twitched his brows to get what she had just said.
"What do you mean?" He asked losing his grip over her wrist.
Nandini saw this dreading expression on his face as he tried to depict what she had said.
"It means...there's nothing...between us to go even wrong," She uttered with a teary rage in her eyes.
"We don't share any such bond," She declared. His face turned pale as soon as she uttered that. It was hard to see transition when his face turned red from being pale the next moment.
He grabbed her from waist and dragged to the window until her back collided with cold surface. She cried in pain as her head hit the glass with a thud. He paid least heed to her hiss when there was blood rushing in his head. He was angry and she could see it.
"Say it again," He challenged as he dug his nails in her waist. She hissed in pain but he had gone deaf ear to all her whimpers.
"Leave me, Manik," She yelled as he kept pressing her between his rugged torso and glass pane.
"Say it again," He snapped. She shuddered under his intense gaze.
"There's nothing which makes me liable to obey your unreasonable commands," She retorted with utmost valor.
She heard something cracking behind but couldn't make out what it was as he kept fanning her face with raging hot breathes of him. He leaned closer and she gulped hard.
"Is this the 'nothing' you are talking about?" He asked as she quivered under his breathes. She looked away so that his hot gasps could take her cheek as the drawing board. His anger was working shivers on her thumping heart.
"I don't know what are you talking about," She answered sternly as a tear escaped her eye.
His lip tentatively met her skin as he struggled a bit too hard to reign his untamed emotions. She closed her eyes and this time there was no stopping for tears as they emptied the eyes. A tear slid down touching his lips as he didn't cease to sway across her skin.
"Is this the 'nothing' you were talking about?" He asked again, this time a bit softly. She choked as she tried hard to restrict her sobs.
She didn't answer but her gasps filled the quiet room. His nails in her waist had carved their own space as she got used to the pain. Something wet touched her waist as she paid attention to ache he was causing and to the pang she had just got used to. She opened her eyes to reckon what it was. His finger touched her chin as she sill was busy with her thought. He held her chin and made her look into his eyes. She looked at his ached eyes and saw a parallel. He too was ached.
"Is this the 'Nothing' you were talking about?" He asked almost mumbling.
"Manik," She called his name but he put his finger on her quivering lips to shush her.
Wet on her waist was dripping down her tail bone now. She couldn't take the sensation and pushed herself into him to make some space to slide her hand behind her back. Her hair caressed his lips as she struggled hard to reach where that sensation was creeping.
Her hand touched his hand which was still dug into her waist and she touched something wet. She brought her hand back and saw color red all over her finger tips. It was blood. He saw the blood and horror hit him like thunderbolt. He immediately let go his grip over her waist and turned her around to discover her entire dress was draped in blood from her back to a bit low. She knew it was paining like hell but she still didn't think it could bleed. His nails could leave marks, not dripping blood. She saw a broken piece of glass in foot of window and it had blood over it. She immediately turned around and saw Manik's hand which was bleeding badly. It was his blood. Her face turned white as she saw a cut near his knuckle. She took his hand in hers and looked around to see something to wrap the wound.
"When did this happen?" She mumbled as she looked around to find something. She was panicked and he was just dazed, lost in his lost land.
She ripped the frill of her other dress which was hanging on chair and came back running. Holding his hand carefully, she started to wrap the piece of cloth around his cut. Tears didn't stop to blur her vision as she wrapped the wound tightly.
"You are mad or what. You didn't even realize your hand was cut and bleeding?" She asked as she turned his hand to check if cloth was properly tied.
"And you say there's nothing?" He said and she looked at him in disbelief. He was stuck there. She felt a typhoon building in her heart as emotions hit her like hurricane. She wanted to cry out but she didn't know how. She kept looking at him with a wobbled chin. She was about to burst into tears any moment and before she could hit the saturation, he grabbed her in arms and she rested her head on his chest.
"I don't know," She mumbled in between in sobs. His arm wrapped around her waist and a hiss escaped her throat. This time he paid heed and immediately withdrew his grip.
Without giving her time to react, he turned her around and made her take off her sweater. Without wasting time and giving her a second to think, he pulled down the zip of her frock. She gasped in shock as cold touched her back. His hand touched her lower back next moment and she hissed. She freaked out as she registered what he had done. She immediately flinched away from him turning around. She was mortified. He realized how embarrassing his action was. He fidgeted with words as he tried to say something. She was standing with her hands behind and wall wrapping her naked back.
"I just wa...nted to see.... if you are... hurt," he said fumbling with words.
She didn't look up as he tried to justify his unflinching action. He stood there and it seemed like a decade when silence pierced the awkward air. She looked up finally to see him drowning in guilt as his face was gazing floor and pain covered his each crease. Her feet unknowingly moved closer to him and she stood only inches away from him. He was still looking down. She cupped his face and made him look up. He looked into her eyes which were filled with forgiveness. She smiled a bit as he kept looking into her eyes. And then again she saw a veil flashing in his eyes, he looked here and there, she knew what was coming next. She wanted to tell him it's okay. She wanted to comfort him. But then he jerked her hands away and backed down. She could see him withdrawing and running away. She still wasn't allowed. He took three or four steps back and then turned around. He stormed out of room leaving her to tackle with wind-whirl of emotions. She stood their dejected and baffled.
"What is this?" She mumbled and closed her eyes to let out a cry.
It was perhaps too much to handle for a young heart. She was drenched and she didn't know the address to the shed. Door was still flapping because of the force with which he had left the room.
"I don't know what it is," She mumbled and sat on chair letting a painful sigh out.
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