Quiet!
Yes, it was all quiet since the time he had left the room. There was this faint in atmosphere. Though, she was retrenched of any human warmth except for his sullen one, that merciful fickle warmth of his which would drench her when she tailors herself for frost and would leave her avid when she thinks she could have it.
Door was still open and she could go out if she wanted to. But did she want to? She asked herself and then closed her eyes. She didn't want to. She walked to the door and saw an empty corridor. There was no one in that part of building. It was hauntingly aloof. Unknown of the fact that she was only figure in that abandoned building now along with his mercurial presence, she took one more step and came out of door. Walking to the railing, she looked at vast green view. Lush green grass was decorating the land. Her eyes caught glimpse of him as she looked around. He was pacing from one end to another all lost in his thoughts. She looked back at room and saw his rifle still lying near door. He didn't come back to take that. She remembered what had happened a few hours back. His words, his actions, his presence; everything was something she had started to dread owing to the fear of retrenchment of same. She looked back at him and saw him plucking a few grass strands in utter disquiet. A minute or two, it wasn't long when he looked up and saw her standing near railing. He looked her with this affinity as if finally he had found something he could be content about. Nandini felt his keen gaze piercing her facet of indifference even if he stood meters away.
She looked away leaving him baffled and walked back to her room shutting the door. She stood panting hard leaning on door as storm she had calmed by hundreds of efforts was evoked again. She heard a knock and she knew who it was. She walked away from door and door flung open. He walked in and looked at her trying to read her face. She started to shuffle her stuff on table as he stood there looking at her.
"I just came to take this," He said pointing at rifle.
She didn't look but she knew what he was referring to. She stayed quiet and started to flip pages of a book.
"I am sorry," His words came out a bit offhand and she looked his way, still not looking at him. His gaze followed her eyes as if trying to lift it.
"It's okay," She mumbled in firm tone and again started to work something on the book.
She heard him sighing. The heaviness of it didn't speak for relief but density of his emotions.
"An army unit is on its way towards this place," He informed.
She looked at him finally meeting his rueful eyes. As soon as his words sank in her heart, she looked perplexed why he was telling her this piece of news then.
"And it's coming for me," She replied after a long pause.
"It won't reach you. I promise," He said and that melancholy turned into tenacity.
"You need not to make that promise, Manik," She replied impassively.
He took a step towards her unknowingly and she looked away stopping him at his place.
"This is my battle and I think I am ready to fight," She uttered.
"I think I am finally ready to take whatever it is," She said with a resolution.
His eyes drowned in worry as he tried to read her. She had turned a page or what. She wasn't there where he had left her. She had walked ahead. Was he the reason that she was sounding austere? He looked everywhere to find an answer when he knew what was the answer.
"You don't have to," He mumbled as he acknowledged that answer.
She didn't reply. He waited but she never uttered a word afterwards.
He walked out of room with an apparent storm inside and didn't stop until he knew he could let the vulnerability out.
"Whom are you fooling, Manik?"
Aashi's words echoed in his ears and he twitched his forehead in discomfort.
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Manik heard a screech of owl. It was a message from one of men in forest. He knew what it meant. It meant army was nearby and was heading towards building. Manik ran back to the room and locked it from inside. Nandini was igniting the fire in fireplace and got scared when door got shut with a thud. She looked back at an anxious Manik who was locking the door. He ran to her in haste and turned off the fire she had started.
"What's wrong?" She asked as he killed the dull fire.
"They are here," He answered and ran to kill every possible source of light in room.
He undid the curtains of one window of room which was opening to the forest to keep an eye and then completely covered the another window with curtains where she was sitting. Nandini just looked at him in that grey of dark. It was late evening and night had started to cover the grey with black. She was anxious with the news. She was scared.
"Where's Aashi and everyone else?" She asked in panic.
"Don't worry about her. She is safe," He answered looking out of window.
"I'll be back in few minutes," He said and looked at her for a minute or two. She tried to cover terror in her eyes with a blank but she knew she was failing.
He walked out of room and she finally let the sigh out. She ran to window and saw him going away. She then ran to other window to watch the forest which was looking dead dark. She didn't know what it held for her. She wanted to face it but she was afraid. She wanted to end this chase but she didn't want to get caught.
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Manik walked to the bunker and saw it well covered in grass and thorns. He sighed in relief and turned around to go back to Nandini. But before he could walk back towards building, he saw soldiers entering the building with guns. They weren't few but plenty. His face turned pale as he realized how far he was from her. He cursed himself for leaving her alone and coming there. He hid himself in long bushes and waited them to enter the building.
Sitting in dark, she couldn't see a thing in room. Her heartbeats were racing and she was trying not to gasp. Her own gasps were sounding daunting to her. She looked out lifting the curtain a bit and saw fog taking over the night. She couldn't see anything. She closed the curtains again and shrunk her legs near her belly. Looking at door for nth time, she waited for it to be opened by him.
You still wait for him?
She asked herself and then shook her head. She didn't need his mercy. She didn't need to have delusion that he cared. But then he cared and she couldn't deny that. Then what was it which haunts her and asks her to run away. She pushed all the thoughts away and again tried to look out. Wind caressed her cheeks as it entered the room through a crack. Her eyes were back on door.
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Manik had reached the building, hiding himself behind the pillars. He heard soldiers talking nearby and he stood still without making a noise.
"Go check the first floor," Commander said to two soldiers and asked others to rest as they would camp there for night. Manik's heartbeats thumped in his throat as he heard two soldiers ascending the stairs. She was upstairs in library and was still unaware that army was there for her. He was stuck behind pillar, not able to move because entire unit was settled near only stairs of first floor.
Soldiers were walking heedfully in the corridor, kicking every door open. Nandini heard some thuds as they walked nearer. She looked around the dark room as sound covered distance in every bang. She saw two contours through window and quickly took her spare dress off chair and hid under the table. Door to the library flung open and she pressed her lips so that she doesn't make any noise. Two men walked inside and strolled across the room attentively. She heard the knob of bathroom open and she closed her eyes. She prayed to God that they don't notice the fresh towel and water bucket there. Men walked out of bathroom and seemed to be at leisure. Dark helped her stars. She saw two legs walking towards table. She shrunk to her place more and waited for him to go back. Men walked to the window and torn the curtains in one go. Milky fog covered in moonlight entered the room through cracks. They took their time to examine the room and then walked out leaving the door open. Nandini took a sigh of relief and stayed at her place.
After 10 minutes or so, she saw those two contours walking back to the stairs and then every sort of noise went faint. She still didn't come out of table. Minutes passed and her back was paining bad with cold and due to posture.
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Manik saw those two soldiers return and then telling their commander that it was all clear. He sighed in relief but he couldn't afford to stay away from her all night. He waited for those tired soldiers to sleep. They drank and talked for hours it seemed. Manik's patience was giving up. Thoughts of her being alone were haunting him each minute which had passed. He heard voices getting drowsy and then a complete silence. He looked at them from behind the pillar and saw them all dozed off. It was time to take the call.
He slowly came out of shed of pillar and walked towards stairs. Soldiers were lying in way. He carefully moved avoiding every possible mistake. A few of them were mumbling under inebriation. He walked to the stairs carefully and then ascended quickly. Reaching corridor of first floor, he saw every door flung opened. He walked swiftly towards library. Door of it was open as well. His heart was thumping in his throat. Pulse in his neck had gone insane as he peeped inside and didn't see any human figure. He walked inside and closed the door. Fog had covered the room and nothing was visible. He paced from one end to another finding her but she was nowhere. He searched in washroom and then behind the almirahs, but she was nowhere to be found. Anxiety was too much to handle for him. He tripped on something and fell down. He saw a white cloth tangled in his foot which made him fall. That cloth lead to her hand which was holding it firmly. There he saw her, lying on cold floor with her legs folded near her tummy. She was asleep. He gasped the air in relief. He immediately crawled under the table and shook her. To which she stirred a bit but refused to wake up. He smiled a bit as she mumbled something in her sleep. She was cold.
He slowly slid her out and picked up in arms. Putting her on table, he brought the quilt out of almirah and covered her in that. She opened her eyes as soon as something heavy hovered her body. She got up with jerk and realized it was just a quilt. She saw around and found him standing next to table. She saw beneath and realized she was on table. She immediately got on her feet. Manik just saw her discarding everything he had done. She fidgeted with quilt while folding it and then struggled to put it back in almirah. He could just see her undoing whatever he had done. His heart ached as she relinquished each and every thing. Manik's hands were itching to hold her and ask to stop being so stubborn. His pores ached to touch her and tell how it was hurting to see her withdrawing. He tried to control the urge but then it was too late.
She was walking towards the window and was almost disappearing in fog. He couldn't even realize when his feet had moved in that direction. He strode towards her and grabbed her in one go. His hands gently held her arms and she looked at him being all confused. They were standing under moonlight which was battling with fog.
"Punish me," He asked in an urgent tone.
Nandini could just stare him with a impassive face which was about to explode in tears.
"Punish me so hard that I learn not to hurt you," He said in fierce tone, "But don't...don't turn your back on me."
Blank in her eyes turned into soft affinity for a second or two but then again she wore her facet of indifference. She turned her face other way and he came closer to her. In a second or two, he embraced her so tight in his arms that she felt she would shatter in there, not because of his clasp but his warmth. She knew where it all would end. It would end at she standing alone all scattered and he won't even care to collect the pieces. He was convenient that way. She closed her eyes and then pushed him away with all her force.
"Don't do it, Manik," She asked in a subtle tone.
"Don't break me again. It takes so much for me to build myself again," She added in a broken voice.
He just stared at her and then lowered his gaze. She sighed in content that at least she was right assuming how he would again sink in his vulnerability and leave her all shattered. Her heart had this slight pang about how he might be needing her but then she knew she was not allowed in his world. He himself had barred her.
She walked near window and looked outside, maybe for hours. Sitting on chair, she didn't look behind for a moment because she wasn't that brave. He gave her peace but that piece of peace costed her piece of her heart every time. Sleep floated in her eyes and she put her head on arm of chair. Sleep brought some leeway.
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Gunshot!
She heard a gunshot and her eyes shot open. She immediately looked around to find him. He was grabbing his gun and was unlocking door.
"Manik"
She called him and he did look back. His eyes were red as if he hadn't slept entire night. He looked at her with rue and her heart flinched seeing him that bothered.
"Just stay here. I promise they won't reach you," He said in firm tone and she ran to him. He saw her approaching. She halted right in front of him. His arms were a bit opened as if he was ready to sway her in arms but she halted. Her eyes had this so much going on, tears brimmed in those beautiful eyes. Her lips quivered as she tried to say something.
"Take care," She uttered almost mumbling and then stepped back. He heard her and nodded.
Then he walked away.
Another gunshot and then there was some uproar. Nandini ran from window to window to figure out what was happening. It was early morning. She saw commoners rushing in with guns. Maybe civilians from camp had attacked. Manik reached downstairs and saw a soldier aiming at one of camp mate. Manik aimed his rifle at him and fired. Bullet hit that soldiers's arm and he hit the ground in pain. Manik walked past him and saw a clash between army and men of camp. Harshad was leading the small group. He didn't see any elder. A bullet passed him almost making a screech in his ear. Manik saw an army man taking another aim at him. He hid himself behind pillar and waited to take an aim at that soldier. He couldn't walk away from veranda as he could not give any of army man a chance to climb the stairs to reach her.
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Nandini's heart flinched at every gun shot. It was not some rare firing now. It was continuous gunshots. She covered her ears as some explosive erupted somewhere near and building almost quivered with its intensity.
"Manik"
She called his name and then ran towards door. She came out in corridor to find him and found him nowhere. Her heart was dreading something. There was a foreboding. She just wanted to see if he was alright. Another explosive erupted right in front of her in ground and she landed on floor. She crawled back into room and hid herself behind door. She was breathing heavy with each gunshot. Glass of window shattered into pieces as a bullet hit the windowpane. Pieces of it slid down her arm leaving scratches. She cried in pain as one big piece hit her thigh.
There was nothing visible outside as smoke took over entire atmosphere.
Manik had to move away from veranda as it became only target of army men seeing him hiding there. Harshad along with some other men rescued Manik from there and they all started to take shots at army hiding behind trees.
Army slowly took over building and civilians were cornered to the trees only. Few of them moved upstairs to take better aims at them. Manik's breaths got stuck in throat as he saw 10 of men climbing the broken stairs.
Nandini couldn't hear footsteps in noise of firing and sat there in room pressing her wound. She cried hard because pain was unbearable. Blood was oozing out with no bar. Harshad threw a grenade towards that block and Manik yelled at him.
"What did you do?" He shouted on top of his voice.
In no time grenade exploded and every glass of that building burst into pieces with unimaginable force. Nandini crawled out of room as windows spitted broken glasses and all the almirahs in library broke apart. She yelled and got out of room in time only to draw attention of those soldiers hiding behind the pillars. One of them saw her and his eyes shone in joy.
"Ms Murthy"
He shouted and every men looked at her with a victorious smile. Nandini saw their elated faces which were covered in dirt and blood, and she gulped. She tried to get on her feet her but injured thigh didn't let her. She tried to drag herself with a lump towards other end to run away somewhere.
A man reached her while all others again got busy in firing. That man grabbed her from arm and started to drag towards stairs. She put her entire strength to oppose him and then run back to some room. But his grip was so strong that she just got dragged to staircase. She bit his hand and he cried in pain. She took the opportunity and ran back to nearest room but that man yanked her back holding her hair. A slap burned her cheek as that furious soldier reacted in pain which her bite had given him. Nandini cried in pain holding her cheek and that soldier glared her in utmost fury.
Manik saw some struggle going on in corridor and it didn't take long to figure out that contest was going on between Nandini and some man. He saw the soldier slapping her and that was it for him. He ran towards building ignoring all the gunshots. Harshad yelled his name to stop him and finding it of no use, he gave Manik a cover so that he could reach one of pillars safely.
That soldier again dragged Nandini towards stairs. Reaching there, he literally yanked her down the stairs with her knees thumping on each of those. His ire had made him blind that he didn't even realize how he was not supposed to hurt Nandini. It was a strict order. Harshad without knowing about Nandini threw another grenade towards staircase to block the way of men who were upstairs. Grenade hit the last stair and then it exploded. Staircase burst into smoke of cement and bricks. Manik ran towards stairs but it was too late. As soon as smoke got settled, she rolled down the stairs almost covered in blood. Her injured body landed on last step. Commander saw Nandini lying right next to where he was and gasped. Manik halted in his place as he saw her bleeding so profusely. He stopped breathing and slipped into a blank for those few seconds. Everything went dead tone. Another body rolled down and it was that soldier. He was dead. He laid unmoved right next to Nandini. Nandini opened her eyes and saw a man advancing her.
"Manik"
She mumbled but her vision failed her. It wasn't Manik but commander. She tried hard to keep her eyes open but pain in her head was so dominating that she couldn't. Manik ran towards her but a man hit him with butt of rifle. Manik held him from neck and snapped his neck in one go. Two other men tried to stop him but met the same fate.
Nandini had closed her eyes but then she heard a gunshot so close to her ear. She again opened her eyes with difficulty and saw that contour stumbling.
"Manik"
She again called his name. That man dropped on floor right in front of her eyes and then he saw someone standing behind. Now she could see clearly. It was him. It was Manik. She closed her eyes and he rushed towards her.
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