Chasing her jeep for minutes, Manik was feeling irked as she was taking unknown routes. It was dead dark and snowing. Speeding was anyway her favorite sport so jeep was skiing on frosty roads. He had kept himself a little far as she was granny of witches when it came to being alert. He didn't want her to get idea. He followed her and cursed himself for nth time in past few minutes. He had deserted his duty and was chasing cat woman in this hour of terror.
She took a turn and her car entered the forest. She was on raw path. Her jeep trembled as she accelerated the jeep on a wooden log trying to cross it.
"Mad woman," He mumbled as he saw her doing stunt in mid of night.
He too brought his jeep on flimsy paths still keeping it away. He turned off the headlights so she doesn't get alerted. She slowly drove car between forest and now they were far away from highway. Manik wondered how come she knew so remote paths. Then he remembered how it was she after all. Her jeep stopped moving. Manik furrowed his eyes trying to know the reason. She came out of car after a minute or two. She looked frustrated as she hit the Tyre. Manik smirked as he assumed she had punctured the tyre of her car by that hell of driving. She looked his way and his smug got wiped away. He got down hiding behind steering, then lying on seat, then hitting his foot somewhere and hissing. He forgot his jeep would still be wide visible.
She looked keenly towards the dark end and something flashed. Some sort of glass, maybe. She brought out an iron rod from her jeep and started to walk towards that flash. As she walked closer, she saw an army jeep. She knew who it was. She sighed aloud and then dropped other end of rod with thud on rock. She heard something move and next moment, her 'once upon a time favorite' clown jumped out of jeep with his machine gun. Running towards her and then passing her, he looked everywhere like a hawk eye. Nandini pursed her lips trying not laugh at his antics. He had all the might to make her laugh in gravest of situations.
"What was that?" He asked covering her behind him.
Nandini again hit the rod on ground and he jumped in his place. He turned around and saw her standing with rod in hand.
"What are you doing with a rod?" He asked furrowing his brows.
"Trying to smash my stalker," She answered looking away.
"Do I look like a stalker?" He asked putting hands on his waist.
"Following a girl and then hiding in jeep, what we call this act, officer?" She asked glaring him.
"Officer?" He asked all bewildered.
"Army officer," She corrected herself.
"What's wrong with you, Nandini?" He asked perplexed.
"See officer, It's not crime to be in a jungle so you don't need to be concerned. I am sure you have better business to take care of," She said gritting her teeth.
"What's even wrong with you? Why are you talking like this?" He asked a bit frustrated now.
"People who want to have nothing to do with me, I talk to them this way only," She said indifferently and folded her arms near her chest.
"Huh?" He exclaimed and then held his head in frustration.
"What are you talking about?" He asked and added, "Whatever. It's not allowed to trespass and you cannot be here."
She exhaled in disbelief and murmured something which he couldn't get.
"What did you just say?" He asked as if she had just called him a name.
"Stay away from me," She yelled and pushed him aside. Walking back to her broken jeep, she threw the rod somewhere.
Manik clenched his jaw in anger and followed her. Reaching her, he grabbed her from elbow and turned her around.
"What is your problem?" He asked furiously.
"Why are you behaving so difficult?" He asked further gripping her other elbow.
That was instigating. She looked around as tried to come with a retort and then hit his foot with her boot. He winced in pain and let her go. She ran towards the forest leaving a wincing Manik behind.
"Nandini," He shouted her name as she disappeared in dark.
She had been walking rapidly for minutes then. She was angry and she wanted him far away. She didn't want to end up breaking his nose. As she crossed another giant tree, a hand grabbed her forearm and she was pinned to the tree. A few of nested snow flakes fell in her hair.
"Leave me, you asshole," She wiggled under his grip. Manik had his jaw clenched and eyes red. He was real angry. He pinned her more to tree and hovered her badly.
"You don't get anything at once na," He said in low yet angry tone.
"I said it's not safe here," He said a bit aloud this time.
"Stay away from me," She said and looked away. Her eyes had sheer impair.
"Would you stop chanting it?" He shouted in her face. She closed her eyes in fear but then breathed long. Pushing him with all her might, she bestowed him with those deadly punches on chest. He huffed but didn't move. Giving up after a heated punching session, she slowed down. Her face had turned pale as cold increased. Her hair had snow flakes tangled in her waves.
"Done?" He asked as she stopped punching him.
"Stay away," She murmured final time.
"Why?" He asked taking her offhanded.
"Because only you asked that," She replied peeping into his eyes. There she saw what she wanted to see. Guilt flowed across his face as he registered her words.
"Yeah," He murmured after a good silence and let her go. She felt a wave of rage approaching her and she said, "You are ridiculous, Manik Malhotra."
Pushing him aside, she walked ahead. This time, she wanted to cry. She wanted to shout her lungs out. He was plain bipolar when it comes to his own stupid feelings. He was messed up and he had no right to vent it out on her.
She reached a wire fence and tried to climb on. Her trouser got stuck somewhere and she winced as wire slid across her skin. She could feel wet oozing out. She was stuck. She kicked her to get rid of that wire but in process, she got a few more bruises. She growled in frustration.
Next she felt someone lifting her completely and taking her out of that fence. She was put gently on ground and she crashed on snowy surface as her wound pained.
Manik bent down and tried to reach her thigh. She jerked away his hand and he sighed aloud.
Her black trouser was now patched with wet black from that area. It was bleeding.
Manik again tried to reach her wound but she shoved him away.
"Let me see it," He shouted even when he didn't intend to raise his voice.
"No," She retorted and he puffed in anger.
"You know how much I hate you," he asked out of sheer vexation.
"Feelings are mutual, Officer," She retorted a bit chocked.
He grabbed the rope off his shoulder and walked behind her. Tying her hands next moment, he made sure she had no way out.
"What are you doing?" She panicked.
"Open my hands, you moron," She yelled at him.
Sitting in front of her, he reached her wound but she kicked him so hard on shoulder.
"Dare you touch me," She warned through eyes. Manik was fuming by then. He held both her legs and shoved them under his knees. Sitting on her legs almost, he finally touched her wound through torn cloth. She hissed and cursed him bad. He looked at her and then shook his head hopelessly.
"Take off your pant," He asked and her eyes bulged out.
"What did you say?" She asked shouting.
"Your wound needs to treated," He said a bit embarrassed.
"I'll rather die," She spatted.
"No one dies with a cut on leg," He said inhaling some needed air.
"They die with septic," She replied trying to prove her point.
"Why are you doing this to me?" He asked almost giving up.
"I am not doing anything. You are the one who tied me. You are the one wanting to take off my pant. How could you even ask? You are the one irritating me," She started and Manik looked at her in disbelief.
"You accused me for everything. You were so so mean, Manik," She said and He smiled. She finally had taken his name without a Malhotra.
"You said I am responsible for your stupid messy brain. You were so rude. I thought we were having fun but no, you made it all about something else," She continued. He knew he had hurt her and he also knew he was wrong at accusing her. He kept looking at her all awestruck as she blabbered. Her nose was red due to cold. She could cry any moment. Her wound was bad. He smiled as she made faces condemning him for ruining their trip.
He slowly took out knife from his backpack and started to tear her trouser. She was busy ranting and didn't even realize when he had cut her trouser till her mid thigh. As soon as cold touched her bare leg, she stopped talking. She looked down and saw him checking her wound. She didn't feel anything. She realized her leg was almost numb due to cold and blood circulation.
"What are you doing?" She asked terrified and tried to fold her leg. Pain marked its come back as she moved.
"I am sorry," He muttered and she looked at him.
"I was wrong to accuse you," He admitted. She opened her mouth to say something but then stopped. She was anyway done. She shrugged her shoulders.
"You were," She confirmed and he eyed her.
"What?" She asked.
"You are so stubborn," He remarked.
She looked away as he checked her wound. Picking her up in one go, he walked them back to his jeep. He bandaged her wound. She sat quietly as things fell calmer.
"So," Manik started and looked at her.
"So?" She asked raising her brow.
"When are you returning to academy?" He asked hesitantly.
"I don't know," He answered casually.
"Your training is still incomplete," He said trying not to sound too desperate. She had all the power to make him agitated and then make him most calmer heart at same time.
"I will think about it," She answered cashing her sweet tantrum.
He sighed and she smiled finally. Looking away, she let that smile out. Before he could notice her, she made that stern face.
"Let's drop you home," He said and started the jeep.
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Highly Unedited*