"There she was sitting with children and ladies, helping them with some chores. Even when she furrows her brows trying to understand what those ladies are saying, she looks perfect."
Manik who was cleaning his rifle sitting in a corner of garden had every reason to be distracted. Nandini was sitting with ladies, trying to participate in those activities of which she had whatsoever no knowledge. He smiled as she copied one woman while trying to learn how to make chunks of rice paste. The way she turned around when someone called her name and tried to entertain every amused commoner, she was same as he thought she was all these years. He had seen this Nandini every year greeting her people whenever she walked the street with her parents. But she was something else when she was with him. Only he had all the right to know what she is. He held his chin high as that thought warmed his heart. Only he had entitlement over what her heart held. He smiled warmly at enchanting reality. Warmth of sun felt a bit more warming as all his thoughts settled together.
She bestowed a tight kiss on a kid's cheek and his eyes furrowed. He put the gun down and extracted himself from tree on which he was leaning. As she brushed her lips over kid's cheek to make him giggle more, he could feel qualm spreading over his heart. He shook his head and tried to concentrate on gun again. He couldn't be jealous of a kid. He again stole a glance of her as he couldn't help but follow his mulish heart.
"No, she couldn't be doing that."
She giggled aloud making that kid smile. Her arms warmly wrapped around that kid, Manik shook his head trying to get out of land of resentment.
"She is getting accepted slowly, isn't she?" Manik looked up at a smiling voice. Harshit was standing near tree with a smile. His eyes were adoring Nandini. Manik pursed his lips in displeasure. He tried to get up and leave but Harshit insisted him to stay. Harshit sat beside him.
"You hate mankind or what?" Harshit mocked Manik as Manik stayed back with an apparent frown.
"I hate nose pokers," Manik answered cleaning his rifle vigorously. Harshit chuckled and Manik fumed more. Manik could feel Harshit looking at Nandini's way and smiling. He certainly could kill Harshit if his rifle wasn't empty.
"She is precious, isn't she?" Harshit asked as he smiled looking at Nandini.
"I have a bad record, you know that, right?" Manik asked assembling his rifle.
"Pretty bad," Harshit said pretending to be afraid.
"I mean nobody hits his own brother like you did," Harshit taunted and Manik started to refill his rifle.
"Now think, What would I do to others," Manik said in utterly controlled tone. Only his moves were urgent.
"I don't want to imagine," Harshit said chuckling.
"Then excuse yourself from eyeing things which don't belong to you," Manik said as he finished refilling his rifle.
"Exactly, Manik," Harshit said in stern tone.
"Eye what your petty eyes can hold," He added. Harshit was clearly trying to tell off Manik.
Manik had to exert all his patience not to grab his throat. He huffed to contain the drive and stood up.
"Don't dare to talk about me or her. You won't like the consequences," He warned and turned to leave.
"Admit it, Manik. She doesn't belong to someone like you," Harshit said getting up.
"I said DO NOT," Manik warned through his teeth.
"Look at her, she is someone to be treasured and what are you?" Harshit said putting all his courage.
Next moment he was dragged to harsh bark of tree as Manik had gripped his throat tight and he wasn't able to breathe.
"Listen to me, and listen very carefully," Manik said digging his nails in Harshit's flesh, "She is someone you won't talk about. You won't even look at her and if you do, I promise, there won't be a next time."
Harshit glared Manik and tried to loosen his grip from his neck.
"Understand that?" Manik asked spitting fire and then left him with a jerk. Harshit held his neck and coughed bad while Manik walked away angrily from there.
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Nandini rubbed back of her neck as she walked towards her room. Aashi had sent her to rest forcefully and now Nandini was glad that she did. She indeed was feeling tired. As she took final turn towards her room and entered the final corridor, two arms grabbed her so hard that she gasped aloud. His grip screamed for anger and her heartbeats fastened. He pinned her against wall and she finally could have clear picture of his face. He looked angry as he huffed very harsh on her face. He was panting and she wasn't able to understand why.
"What's wrong, Manik?" She asked worriedly. He just tightened his grip over her arms and inched closer. She could see how everything was wrong with him as he was trying not to hurt her and was failing to contain the force. She with great difficult freed her hand from tight valley of their bodies and brought it up to his face. As she touched his face lightly, she could feel him unclenching.
"I don't know," He said and Nandini furrowed her brows more trying to decipher him. She looked at him for a second or two and understood he was answering her question. He looked away directing his hot breaths away from her beautiful face. She could feel the unrest he was in. Turning his face with her hand, she made him look into her eyes. He could still burn a village if he was put on the course. But he was holding it, she could see it.
"Tell me what it is," She asked stepping on his shoes to reach his face. She peeped into his raged eyes as she ascended to meet his height. She was losing balance as she tip toed and as her ankle twisted, his arm grabbed her tight from waist. He lifted her as if obeying to her wish. She breathed uneven as she got ironed with his hot flesh. He surely was on fire, all credit to his anger.
She collected stray thoughts and asked again a bit too composed, "So where were we?"
"You were trying to reach my lips, I guess," Manik said a bit disoriented as he aimed nothing but her concerned lips. They were shouting for mercy as he was making her all sort of nervous.
"I was certainly not there," She stated trying not to sound like putty of his hand.
"I see, you are not huffing anymore," She said trying to put him in tight spot. She couldn't be the one embarrassed every time.
"Maybe I am saving my breaths for better things," He stated unabashed.
Nandini looked away and descended back on her foot which were still on his shoes. Her forehead aligned with his lips, he could feel a pull to graze her twitched forehead.
"So I shall assume all this drama was just to get my attention," Nandini poked him and raised her eyes to catch him all flustered.
His lips touched her forehead and lingered there without any urgency to answer her quip.
Inhaling her scent to pacify his rage, he kissed her skin. She could feel her cheeks exhaling heat which he was releasing through that kiss.
"You won't go away, would you?" He asked as next thing, leaving her all bewildered.
"Why would you ask that?" She asked stepping down his feet.
Coming out of the little dreamland of hers, she examined his face as if dreading something he was masters at. She had own sets of fears when he himself was tackling with his own.
He hovered her as her back hit the wall. Caging her in his arms, he extracted her from the wall.
"I am telling you, I don't let people go once they are in," He stated against her nose.
She looked in his turbulent eyes and found every answer.
"I don't intend to go," She answered lowly.
Kissing her cheek lightly, he hid his face in crook of her neck. His hot breaths warming side of her neck, she held him tight. Trying to enclose his broad frame in her petite arm case, she failed miserably. He smiled against her skin as he felt her urge to hold him. He grabbed her tighter making her feel content. She wanted that assurance and even he did.
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During dinner time, dining room was nothing less than a chirping shack. People were indulged in chitchat while having their meal. Nandini sat beside Aashi and Manik as they were her only family. She smiled at non-deliberate deduction.
She could feel a group of people glaring her through dark corner. She looked at them and saw Aryan there. He was sitting with Harshad and his friends. Aryan smiled at her and that's when she decided not to look that way again. She still couldn't get over how he had talked to Manik that day and to her as well. Manik gestured her to have her dinner which was getting cold due to her scattered thoughts. Manik glared at Aryan to wipe that reconciling smile off his face. Aryan looked away very moment.
"Attention People"
Chief drew attention of people and chatters reduced to mumbles.
"Now when things are getting settled. We need to make some plan to survive," He put.
"We need ammunition. We need food. We need medicines. We need warm cloths," he told.
"We need to get these things as early as possible. It can snow any moment and we are not ready," He ended.
People discussed within small groups and a few put forward their suggestions.
"Back at bungalow, we had a lot of spare stock," Nandini mumbled to Manik.
"There's no need to put it forward," He closed her idea even before it could bloom.
"Manik, you are not getting it," She replied trying to be more precise.
"Cloths and food stock, we can easily refill it if we can get to my house," She said.
"Nandini, it's a bad idea. You cannot be near that house," Manik argued back. It was a closed topic already. She tried not to reply back as it wasn't a time. Manik was not easy nut to crack and that was certainly not the place. She continued to play with her fork.
"Ms Murthy"
Nandini heard someone calling her. She looked towards elders table and saw Harshit calling her.
"You wanna share something?" He asked with a warm smile. Nandini heard Manik cutting the plate with his fork as he heard Harshit's voice. He didn't even look up. She looked at Harshit and then at people around who were gaping her.
"You are more than welcome to put your opinion. Believe me, every opinion matters here," Harshit put as politely as he could.
Manik put the fork aside with a thud and looked at Harshit. He had warned him but it seemed like Harshit was all in for getting beaten. He glared Harshit which Harshit conveniently ignored.
Nandini could feel intensity of Manik's displeasure from across the table. Air was thick as she didn't know whether to put her suggestion forward or stay mum.
"What it is, Nandini?" Asked chief this time.
Nandini opened her mouth to say something, then looked at Manik who was still glaring Harshit. She sighed deep and decided to speak what her mind had. Those people were helping her to every extent and that was least she could do for them.
"There are plenty of woolen cloths and food supply back at Murthy Mansion," She told them and they all looked amused. She saw that amusement turning into appreciation as she read more faces. Smiles spread across the hall as she looked around at happy faces except for that one face which mattered the most. Manik looked more than displeased. She didn't like that apparent ire on his face.
"That's very sweet of you, Nandini," Harshit said grabbing her attention.
She heard many applauses as she tried to go through every voice. She could feel unrest forming in her heart as she knew he was not happy.
"So we should get that if Nandini is fine with it," Chief said elated.
"I guess yes, I think she can even accompany us when we go there. I mean there must be so many memories, so many belongings," Harshit added.
Nandini could feel her throat filling up with elation but at same time, something wasn't fine. She had her mind set on Manik even when she was hearing all. She turned to see him but he was gone. When did he leave? She looked around and saw him at door. He was storming out. She shook her head. She didn't mean to hurt him. She didn't want this conflict to happen. She wanted to leave at very moment but there were talks, a lot of talks engaging her ears. She was trying not to listen but they all were aloud. She just wanted to go after him and tell him...tell him that she didn't mean what he thought. She didn't even know what he thought. She just looked at door and sat there trying to escape.
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