"Are we done?" Nandini asked sighing in frustration as Aashi kept braiding her hair in some patterns. She could see her hair tied in half do with some pretty braids.
"A Princess should get ready as one only," Aashi said giving her hair do final touch.
"What's up with you? Stop calling me that," Nandini asked irked. Aashi chuckled and let go of her finally. Nandini looked at herself as she stood in front of mirror. Her lacy white frock and gorgeous half did hair, she was looking good. She smiled and then hugged Aashi.
"Someone is happy out of sudden," Aashi quipped.
As the ladies were busy giggling, Manik stormed into dorm and saw them. Nandini had got shifted to another room as elders had declared their decision this morning. They had allowed her to stay there till the time conditions were hostile for her outside, for she doesn't raise any threat for people. She still could feel bitter of Chief's tone which had suspicion all over it. But she had seen brighter side how she could live near her people and gain their trust back.
"What?" Aashi asked him as he gazed them as if there's something urgent. His gaze left Nandini and he glared Aashi.
"Nothing," He said and then left the room. Aashi shrugged her shoulders not getting what that was.
"What's going on?" Aashi said as she saw Nandini biting her lower lip.
"What's going on?" Nandini asked trying to decipher Aashi.
"Never mind," Aashi sighed and then started to collect her hair kit.
"I shall leave I think," She said being dramatic and then left the room winking at Nandini.
As expected she saw Manik walking across the corridor. He was eager to be precise, she pursed her lips to control herself from mocking him.
"Princess is ready, your highness," She said and bowed down. He looked at her as if he had seen a lunatic. Aashi laughed aloud seeing his perplexed face.
"You are turning crazier day by day," He remarked as he sighed reading her humor.
"I have plenty of reasons to go crazy about," She passed another remark and he gritted his teeth.
"My brother is seeing a princess," She commented and he tried not to hit her. They weren't kids anymore.
"There's nothing like that," He cleared fumbling. She laughed aloud seeing his terrified face.
"Look at you," She said in between his uncontrollable laugh. he walked past her stomping his feet.
"Room is this way," She said aloud and he turned around to give her scariest of glare.
_____________
As Nandini walked in kitchen garden looking at plants, she smiled back to those ladies who were working there. They all had warmth on their faces. She could see how they all adored her as she walked between them. A smile played on her lips. Happiness was not that upset with her after all. As she talked to them, two pairs of eyes watched her keenly through window pane.
"Do you think it's right decision to let her stay with people?" Man asked.
"It is," Other one replied.
"We have to take small risks to reach big goals," He added.
First one just nodded as they both withdrew themselves from window.
Nandini saw Manik walking around ground doing some work. He was carrying some heavy weights and putting them aside. She walked to the end of garden and saw him closely. They were cement bags which he was carrying. The way he arranged them, seemed like a new bunker was in process of making.
He saw her standing there and dropped the bag on ground. Then he tried to pick it up and bag got opened leaving all the cement down. Nandini chuckled and he fumbled more. He picked up another bag and walked rapidly towards bunker. It was almost unreal how she had all the might to make him all flustered these days contrary to earlier times. He was not anymore that cold but his moods were amusing. Nandini could see him trying to reach her and then leaving nervous, she was feeling the same contrast but at least she wasn't that clumsy.
_____________
Aryan was out of dispensary finally. Harshad and his gang had taken care of him in all these days. He seemed to be accepted by gang. Harshad anyway didn't like Manik much for obvious reasons. Aashi had gone to see Aryan a couple of times telling Manik and as expected he didn't have any problem with that. Aryan had wished to meet Nandini but She had denied politely saying she was not ready to meet him yet. This news had made Manik apparently happy as he smiled a little more in past few hours.
As Nandini took final turn towards her room which was at end of corridor, a familiar grip pulled her behind a pillar. She knew that touch and pull. She just tried not to smile as he stood right in front of her with that small smile.
"How are your stitches now?" He asked as she tried not to blush. Her lips seemed to develop a habit to take upward curve whenever he was that close. And she found it embarrassing.
"They are fine and removed finally," She answered tilting her head.
"Good," He answered and then stood gazing her.
She bit her lip trying to hold the anxiety as his silence always was a bit too much to handle. Her heartbeats were again aloud and she suspected what if he heard them. She looked at him leaving all the abstract landscapes which she was gazing till now to avoid his gaze. It took a lot of audacity if she was asked. He loved to gaze her silently even if it meant making it awkward, didn't he? As she narrowed her eyes on similar thought. He raised his brow as if had read her mind. She shook her head immediately and looked away. She heard him chuckle.
"Would you come with me tonight?" He asked and she let her doe eyes gaze his face.
"Where?" She asked trying not to sound excited.
He drew her closer holding her elbows. She tucked herself back as if denying his craving. As she swayed back, her wisps touching her waist, he let her have her ways.
"You won't come if I don't tell where?" He asked as next thing.
"What if I say I won't," She said raising her brow trying to test his tenacity.
"Then I would just...let you go," saying that he let go of her arms. Her face hung low as she heard him saying that.
She gazed landscapes as she tried not to feel vulnerable. She didn't expect him to be so ready to let her go. He didn't even try to convince her. She frowned more as she fretted more.
"Okay then," saying this she came out of his giant casing. He pressed his lips to suppress the desperate chuckle.
She walked slowly towards her room literally punishing button of her sweater. As she plucked it away, she threw in somewhere. When she was about to enter her room, she felt two arms encircling her from behind as he swayed her in his arms. Sweeping her off her feet, he twirled her heartily. Even when she wanted not to chuckle, it escaped her throat.
"What are you doing?" She asked as he kept taking pirouettes. Her giggles mingled with air as she felt cold wind caressing her each pore.
"If you won't come, maybe I will just steal you like this," He said and twirled her more. She giggled more. Putting her down after listening her giggles to his heart's content, he settled his cheek against her silky hair. Her braids intrigued him to the core as he tried to untangle one with his nose tip. She tried not to exhale aloud.
"You are so confusing," She murmured playing with red thread on his wrist as his arms kept encircling her stomach.
"Why so?" He asked and stopped ruining her hairdo.
"You would avoid me whole day and then would just do the opposite when I get comfortable with previous," She explained meekly.
"I like to surprise you," He replied and she shook her head hopelessly.
Both stood like that for few countable minutes as she had solved knots of his thread and he had undone one of her braids.
"Would you come with me, tonight?" He asked once again and added, "I want to show you something."
She just nodded and he smiled. Putting a soft kiss on her cheekbone, he let go of her. He and his kisses, she felt gust of hot wind across her face. As she turned around to see him, he was already on his way out of corridor. She smiled and entered her room.
________________
"Take this. It will help," Harshad offered some wine to Aryan as dark hit the sky.
Aryan hissed as soon as wine drenched his throat. His wounds were still there. His jaw needed to be relocated. Aryan cursed Harshad and Harshad laughed aloud.
"I bet it hurt less than what hurt there," Harshad said pointing at his heart.
Aryan sighed and then gulped another shot.
"Seeing her with him, I know how you feel," Harshad said and poured more wine into Aryan's glass.
"That son of a...," Aryan mumbled and took another shot.
"I am going to kill him one day," Aryan announced as wine started to work.
"And that Nandini," Aryan gestured Harshad to refill his glass and continued, "I am going to throw her back where she deserves to be."
Harshad smirked as he heard Aryan's words. He shook his head as he tried not to enjoy the irony of situation.
"I am sure you would," Harshad encouraged him and then served him more wine.
__________________
"Are you going to meet your prince in your dreams as you needed to braid your hair at this time?" Aashi asked as she kneaded Nandini's hair in a gorgeous half do.
"Shut up, Aashi," Nandini snapped out of embarrassment.
"It's just it's easy to manage hair when they are braided like this," She clarified.
"Ohhhhh! That's why you made me do it thrice in last ten minutes," Aashi mocked her and Nandini hit her with elbow.
"It's okay if you don't want to tell me," Aashi said trying to be okay with it," As if I don't know what this all is about."
Nandini pressed her lips as Aashi uttered that. She dared not ask as she was least ready to answer anything when she herself was so lost in recent happenings.
"I am so sleepy," Nandini said changing the topic.
"So you are seriously going to sleep making me work upon this beautiful hairdo?" Aashi asked a bit shocked.
"I had told you before," Nandini said shrugging her shoulders.
Aashi muttered some abuses under her breath and Nandini chuckled.
"Good Night," She bade her night faking anger and then left the room.
"I love you," Nandini shouted as Aashi left the room.
"Go to hell," Aashi shouted back from corridor, "I know a man there you like."
As Aashi added that, Nandini's giggles were gone and it was Aashi laughing aloud in corridor.
_______________
Nandini peeped out of door and checked the corridor nth time. It had been two hours since she was ready and Manik was nowhere to be seen. It was dead dark outside and she was anyway sleepy. A thought passed her mind what if he was not going to come. She frowned and then sat down. In a minute or two, she heard a faint knock on door and she pursed her lips in anger. She should have been relieved but she was angry. She opened the door and saw him panting hard. He had taken a run or what. She examined him from tip to toe as he caught his breaths.
"Is this a time to take any girl out?" She asked a bit frenzied.
"I am not taking any girl out," He answered cheekily.
Neither had she guts to ask him what he meant, nor he was going to tell. Both gazed floor as words sank in.
She locked the door behind and as he waited for her. They quietly left the building and once they entered the frosty forest, Nandini draped herself in shawl she had brought.
"Where are we going?" She asked trying to match his steps.
"You'll see," He said and crossed a log leaping. She stood there trying to figure out whether to climb the log or cross it. As she tried to manage her shawl and dress, he was back at her side. Lifting her in one go as if picking up a lamb, he crossed the log. She was red-faced thinking about how he handles her half of times as if she has no weight. As he put her down once they were back on easy path, she adjusted her dress.
"How far is it?" She asked as her freshly healed wound pinched.
"Not far," He answered pacing more. She frowned as he was literally one man army walking in jungle forgetting how she was also with him.
"Why don't you go alone?" She asked and stood her at place. He turned around and saw her tired angry face. She had put her entire weight on her one leg and as soon as he realized why, his face turned rueful. He strode back and said, "I totally forgot." She just kept looking at him angrily.
Holding her hand, he started to walk again but this time with a snail speed.
"Do you want me to pick you up?" He asked trying not to exert his desire.
"No, it's perfect," She replied casually as she looked around. He smiled and looked at knot of their hands.
"We are almost there," He said as he cleared the bushes from his spare arm. He walked her ahead of him making way for her. As bushes ended, they stood at edge. She crippled to her place as her eyes captured the view ahead. He still had his arms holding bushes on her head as he stood right behind her. There was a lake wearing color of nebula and snow capped mountain range behind. It looked like stars had came down to have a bath in lake. It looked ethereal.
"Do you like it?" He asked in her ear.
"It's beautiful," She answered still trying the absorb the view in front of her.
"We can look at it closely," He said fighting with bushes in hand.
She looked up as few wet leaves touched her face.
"Oh!" She exclaimed and added, "Sure."
They walked out of bushes and stood at rocky edge to see the endless view of water and stars. She looked back at him and then at view. Smile didn't leave her lips for a moment.
"I have never seen something this beautiful," She uttered as she looked down at starry lake.
"Even I haven't," He murmured as he looked at her smile.
She quickly bestowed him a look and he diverted his gaze towards view. A cold flurry caressed them and she quivered. His arm intuitively gathered her close and she snuggled in his coat.
"Can we go down?" She asked hiding in his chest.
He held her hand and started to climb down the rocks. Treasuring her at each step, he walked her down at lake bank. White pebbles and then crystal clean water, view was inviting.
She looked at him and he gestured her to go have a closer look. She walked to shore covering herself more in shawl. Wind was freezing cold. She reached the water and saw her own reflection in it. Starlight and cold had made her look different. Her shawl flew away with heavy gust of wind. She looked back when her hair barred her vision. She saw him chasing her shawl as he grabbed it from rock. She sighed in content. Life hadn't felt this beautiful in long time. She had forgotten every pain for that very moment.
Manik looked at her as she struggled with her crazy hair and then gave up. She was looking at him without a blink. He looked down and then at her again as he collected her shawl. She still was looking at him intently. Was she smiling? He looked keenly and saw that small smile on her face. She in her white dress, starry Lake with snow-capped Hills behind, it looked like a scenery had come alive.
He sat down on pebbles and she started to walk towards him. As she sat beside him, he leaned further flat on his back. His arm a bit open, eyes a bit asking, face a bit calm; she knew what he was asking. She laid beside him and saw the nebula sky. His arm folded under his head supporting him to turn sideways. She gazed sky and he gazed her. She could feel her skin tingling but dare she tried to meet his gaze. His fingers untangled her hair which were spread on pebbles. She inhaled deep trying not to lose it. His fingers touched side of her face as he tucked a stray wisp behind her ear. And it did what cold couldn't, it made her quiver. Thing she then realized was he never took time before, nor he gave but now when he was, it felt like her undoing. Tracing her cheekbone and then temple, his forefingers reached her forehead. She closed her eyes with a deep sigh. He certainly hadn't stargazing as a thing on his mind.
His finger traveled down her nose and then finally brushed her lips. Too much to take, she turned sideways and hid herself in his chest. As she clutched his coat and snuggled into his chest, he chuckled. She knew she had given him a striking reason to laugh about. His warmth stirred as he let out a heartily laugh. She tried to veil herself into him when he was the only one making her revealed.
"What?" She asked raising her head from his chest.
"Nothing," He answered controlling his laugh.
"I was just feeling cold, That's it," She clarified.
"I am sure," He quipped and then chuckled.
As she kept looking at him with a pout, his chuckles subsided.
"Okay, I won't laugh," He said and she again enveloped herself into his chest.
His fingers lurked around her nape as he tried to brush her hair with his intemperate fingers. She bit her lips finding no way out of that feeling. Where else she could hide herself then? Tremors were already revealing her state to him. He kept grazing her skin audaciously. She wanted to dig a hole for herself and jump into that.
"Let's talk," She said raising her head and his fingers rested on her nape.
"I am talking," He said and then drew some doodle on her skin.
"You are not," She said lowly trying not to sound anything.
"I am," He said stubbornly.
She whimpered and hit him in chest. Hiding herself back in his chest, she whined like a child who didn't know what to do.
"You might not like it if I start talking my mind," He whispered in her ear and she shrunk more.
"You want me to talk?" He asked and she shook her head still hiding in his chest. He chuckled.
Kissing her hair tightly, he looked at night sky.
"Look up," He said and she raised her head from his chest.
"I don't want to talk," She said nervously.
"That afraid of me?" He asked amusingly.
"Look there," He pointed at sky and she turned on her back. Aurora was waving in sky. The same light, which they saw other night, were dancing right on top of them. She exhaled the awe.
"You wanted to be near them," He murmured as she saw northern light dancing in night-sky.
She looked at him astonished and he just smiled bright.
"Yes, I did," She replied and got up. Sitting there under northern lights, it felt mythical. All such places, she had only heard them in tales.
"I don't want to go back," She murmured and he got up.
"Neither do I," He added as they gazed the sky.
_______________
In Heart of City
A room full of ranked officers and then those suited tycoons, air was thick as they all were indulged talking upon some grave matter.
"Gentlemen"
A man in uniform drew everyone's attention as he stood at head of giant table.
"Boss is here."
As he announced, lights went off and a screen lit up on white wall. A video conference, people looked keenly at screen as if waiting for that much awaited face to pop up. But nothing appeared. Video played and a magnificent mansion flashed on screen.
"Where is he?" One of suited men asked.
"Shhhh! You don't speak when he is on other side," Man in uniform warned.
"Hello gentlemen," A voice echoed as screen froze at a door.
"I heard I was summoned," That masculine voice asked.
"Sir," Man in uniform spoke with utmost respect, "Investors are losing patience."
Major takeovers all across the state were investments of biggest tycoons all across the globe. And since promises were made and money was lent, big purses needed their stakes.
"We need just one signature," That voice assured, "I am sure you all know how things work. Sometimes things take time."
"You promised the acquisitions in three months. We have waited enough," One of businessmen complained.
"That state and its land belong to us now. We have paid. Then why your ambitious project isn't up yet?" Another one shot.
"Calm down gentlemen," That calm voice appealed.
"I said sometimes things take time," He said assuring, "It isn't a joke destroying a state and then performing a massacre."
"Even if we kill each citizen of that land, we still need that one signature," He put forward.
"And that one signature cannot be taken unless you have his daughter," One of angry tycoons uttered.
"First you lost his wife, then his daughter. How in world you are going to get him sign that paper," He asked hitting the table.
"CALM DOWN," Voice on video call roared.
"Just because I am being patient that doesn't mean I am not the ringmaster," He threatened.
"I still can kill each of you right here and believe me none can put a finger on me," He added.
"SO when I say things will be done, they will be," He concluded.
"That girl is going to be here very soon and then Murthy doesn't have any other option but to sign," He informed.
Investors left the room and then there were only ranked officers left of that army.
"Why that girl is not here yet?" That voice asked furiously.
"Sir, we are trying our best," One of officers said.
"That Murthy, torment him that much that he gives up," Boss asked.
"He is already half dead with kind of drugs we give him," Officer informed.
"If we push him more, He'll die," he added.
Silence prevailed as none came up with a solution.
"Find that girl and get her here even if that means burning the entire state," Boss ordered and screen turned white.
________________
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Unedited*