"She really hates you, dude," Harshad smeared salt on Manik's hurt ego yet again as they came out of dispensary. Manik gulped the tablet without water and Harshad chuckled hard.
"Look at you," He quipped and Manik gave him a life threatening glare.
"She is something," He added dreamily and Manik clasped his neck between his elbow to choke the dream quotient out. Harshad choked and tapped in air to give up.
"I don't want another word about her. That hell cat...," Manik made the last part inaudible.
"How's your butt now?" Harshad asked groping Manik's hurt rear and Manik cried in pain. Before Manik could strangle him to death, he ran away laughing hard.
Manik rubbed his butt hissing, he anyway wasn't in condition to chase Harshad. He cursed Nandini aloud as he blamed her more.
Few minutes back...
Manik walked towards Nandini as she waited him to take over the rein of horse. He straightened himself more to look unruffled when he was literally edgy the way she was looking at him. She did check him out from tip to toe and then leered like a predator. It was like everything else had gone still as he reached her and looked into her eyes. Did someone tell her that how perfect she look in that outfit? Manik shook his head to kick out the clutter. She smirked more as she gave the rein of horse to him.
"So," She said as she climbed up the horse.
"So?" He asked following the tradition.
"Ready to get butt-hurt?" She asked with a wink.
"In your dreams," He retorted with a wink.
Daadu smiled like a fan-girl as he witnessed the mute scene from far. His heart could jump out with elation to see the desired scenario. He looked around to ensure nobody notices his smile and then wore a stern face to mask his real emotions.
"Now see, how to ride a horse," Daadu seasoned the awaited scene as he bragged. Cadets looked uninterested as Manik and Nandini shared a few more muted gestures. There was a chemistry, a tension which they could easily make out that it belonged to venereal bracket.
Nandini reined the horse to get it going towards wider ground. Manik followed her and so does the gazes. They chased each other like heart chases feelings. Wanting to get caught when trying to get away. Daadu smiled under his mustache. He did find it utterly youthful.
Manik smiled shaking his head as she tried a trick him. His smile should have meant ridicule but it came out as an act of blush. She chuckled aloud seeing him trying to control that curve of his lip.
"Is it rose garden?" Harshad asked cadet standing next to him. That guy in return only sighed cold.
Manik was getting comfortable with her thrilling presence as he rode the horse effortlessly lowering his guard. She didn't look like trouble anymore. He sighed deep to inhale the endearing aroma. Following the pattern she made like a spellbound pony, he kept getting weaved in her web. Suspicious much? Manik sighed again kicking the suspicion out of window.
She paced her horse towards hurdles and ditches. He didn't know they were going to do steeplechase. She crossed one hedge and then another while he just could keep looking at her forgetting about his own horse. His horse jumped to cross one hedge and he came back to reality. He tried to grip the rein in hand but it was too late. He could feel his rear leaving the saddle. Air touched his warm ass and he threw his arms in air to manage the fall. Was there any way to look graceful while falling on your ass? He closed his eyes and his rear touched the ground. Horse kept leaping the ditches and Manik cried in pain.
Cadets laughed hard as they saw him flat on his ass holding his back. Daadu came out of reverie as he heard the laughter. He closed his eyes in dismay. Harshad controlled his laughter and ran to rescue Manik.
"NANDINI MURTHYYYYYYYYYY"
People heard Manik cursing and Nandini, she was gone with the wind.
Flashback over
__________
Manik reached dorm holding his back and as soon as he entered the dorm, he was welcomed with not so warm laughter. His friends laughed hard as he limped towards his bed killing each one of them through his eyes.
"Shut up, guys," Harshad shushed them all. Manik spared a glance at Harshad as token of gratitude. But didn't someone tell him that friends are biggest jerks? Harshad burst into laughter as silence prevailed. Manik threw all the pillows on him and crashed into his warm bed. To his surprise, his bed was well warmed, after all friends aren't that bad.
Soon, pain killers did the wonder and he wasn't feeling his rear anymore. He smiled in sleep as pain subsided. He like an excited fantasizer held his quilt near his chest and smiled more.
Nandini
He murmured as she appeared. She was wearing the same outfit as she wore in session that evening. She looked..
"Beautiful"
He murmured and then snuggled more into his warm quilt. She descended off the horse and walked towards him. He smiled wider.
She took her sweet time to gaze his desperate face. He waited. Then she smiled the most beautiful smile ever.
"You look beautiful."
He mumbled in sleep and kicked the quilt away.
She raised her hand to meet his face and that was so unreal. Dreams are funny.
"Ready to get butt-hurt?"
She asked sweetly and he nodded like a love struck puppy. She smiled more. Dreams are stupid as well.
She brought her fingers to his lips and closed his open mouth. Wasn't that a bit offbeat and offtrack? He frowned a bit as mind didn't stop to ruin his dream.
"Wake up, Manik"
She asked and he furrowed his brows. How could she ask that?! He frowned.
"Wake up, You Idiot"
She again asked and this time a bit irked. Then she didn't stop and kept asking him to wake up until he kicked so hard in bed that his buttt hurt. He opened his eyes and held his back.
"You look funny when you are dreaming"
He heard her saying and he snapped his head to look at a contour sitting near his bed on its knees. He got up with a jerk and was about to wake everyone up when a soft palm closed his mouth. Next moment, side lamp was on and he saw NANDINI. His eyes popped out of socket as he saw her there, for real. He furrowed his brows as if trying to know if she was reality or a dream. Nandini shook her head seeing the expected non-verbal parade of expressions.
"You are not dreaming," She affirmed and his eyes widened more. She could feel his lips moving under her palm as he tried to speak something.
"Do not shout," She warned and took her palm off his mouth.
"You are mad or what," He murmured aggressively.
"You cannot be here. It's a boy dorm for God damn sake," He added and looked around. She pressed her lips trying not to laugh at his petrified face.
"I know it's a boy dormitory," Nandini said trying not to mock him.
"How's your butt?" She asked looking at his rear. He covered himself in quilt as he saw her ogling his butt with sympathy.
"I..I am fine," He fumbled and then tried to look as fine as he could.
"Is it hurting bad?" She asked and poked side of his butt with finger.
He jumped at his place not because it pained but because she touched. He hissed as soon as he took a sharp movement.
"It is. But you can't just poke me there," He said warning her.
"You are butt-sensitive," She quipped and laughed at her own joke. He rolled his eyes but couldn't resist adoring her carefree laugh.
"Shhhhh, you'll wake up entire dorm and believe me it's not good idea," He asked shushing her.
"It will be fun being in middle of so many hot boys," She said looking at sleeping cadets.
Manik pursed his lips in annoyance and then looked around to make sure they all were asleep. They better not wake up.
"Who asked you to wear such strong perfume?" he asked as his nose caught her fragrance.
She just rolled her eyes absolutely getting his diffidence.
"Here," She handed him an ointment.
"Apply it. It works as magic," She added while zipping her small pouch.
"You came all the way here breaching the rules just to give me this ointment?" He asked amused.
"No I was just trespassing for fun and then I got reminded of how you fell on your butt," She told casually.
"You cannot be serious," He said narrowing his eyes.
"And you cannot be this dumb," She retorted.
"Of course I came here to give you this," She added.
He looked amazed, elated and what not as she said that.
"And may I ask why?" He asked holding his chin high.
"Good night, Manik," She murmured and got up. She walked towards door carefully without tripping. Was she cat woman for real? He asked himself as he saw her walking out. He gathered his stupid thoughts and limped towards her.
"Wait," He murmured as he entered the corridor. She was walking few steps ahead.
He paced up and grabbed her from elbow. Dragging her to darkest corner of corridor, he captured her between him and the wall. Her wrists finely locked at her lower back, her eyes finely locked with his. Her pouch touched the floor with a thud and they both looked around to find any sign of uninvited attention.
"You didn't tell," He asked exhaling white steam as cold night was on work.
"What?" She asked avoiding his gaze. She rubbed her bare legs together as cold tickled a bit more than expected. Her overcoat couldn't cover her properly.
"Why my 'pained butt' concerned you?" He asked with apparent stress on that word.
She looked everywhere but at him. She exhaled aloud and that hot white steam of hers touched his face.
"I haven't asked something inappropriate, did I?" he asked playfully.
This time she shot a dagger and how he loved that look on her face.
"Because I am not the kind of person who can go to sleep knowing someone might be wincing in pain because of me," She said in one breath, more like she wanted to get rid of it.
He bit his lip trying not to look unconvinced. But a smirk did float his lips.
"And now if you don't want to get kicked in groin, you better get off me," She said as next thing wiping that bloody smirk off his face.
"I have the ointment you see," He said showing her the tube in his hand.
"It doesn't work there," She said molding her lips into a smirk.
He let go of her wrists and she breathed in relief. Somehow he being that close wasn't a comfortable feeling. It felt like thunderstorm knocking the door and she didn't like unsettling noises.
"I gotta go," She said and walked away as fast as she could.
He kept looking at her as she disappeared in fog.
_______________________________
Manik tossed the bread to Harshad as Harshad asked to pass him the toast. Harshad gave him a skeptical look as he tried to judge Manik's weird behavior. If Harshad was asked, Manik was behaving a bit weird since morning. He was up early and his butt looked fine. Not like he had seen but limp was gone and he looked better. He had given smiles to almost everyone since morning which was not so Manik. He was not much grumpy like every day and it was certainly not normal.
"You sure, you haven't taken the overdose of painkiller?" Harshad asked for nth time as he looked at Manik who was buttering his toast with utmost affection.
"I haven't, Harshad," Manik answered calmly. Harshad furrowed his brows more. Now he was worried.
"Manik Malhotra, Colonel Singh has called you, NOW," peon announced in mess and Manik walked out immediately.
"May I come in, Sir?" Manik asked after knocking the door.
"Come in, Manik," Colonel said.
"How are you this morning?" He asked as next thing eyeing Manik's butt with sympathy.
"It's..fine, Sir," Manik answered awkwardly. It was getting awkward almost everyone gaping his butt as if he was a beautiful woman.
"I heard about yesterday's accident. Be careful, my son," Colonel added.
Manik just nodded.
"Here's your cheque for the month," He handed Manik the piece of paper.
"And there was a call from trust as well," he added and Manik's eyes shot to meet his.
"They need you to sign some papers by end of this month. Your parents had some investments which would mature this month so your signatures are needed as you are the nominee as well as legal heir," He concluded trying not to start something which would go out of hand.
Manik just nodded curtly without uttering a word.
"Is that it?" Manik asked after a brief silence.
Colonel nodded and Manik walked out of room.
As he joined his friends to the classes, Harshad seemed happy.
"Now you look normal," He remarked seeing a frowned Manik.
Manik just smiled a bit seeing his silly friend happy about his turbulent mind.
_________________
"How's his butt?" Asked Daadu as he walked to breakfast table.
"Do I look like a doctor?" Nandini asked munching her food.
"You don't but you do look like someone who had sneaked out of house last night," Daadu quipped and she choked on her food. Daadu rubbed her back to bring her back to normal.
"Who said I went to see him?" She asked once her coughing subsided.
"So you did go," Daadu remarked having his juice. Nandini bit her tongue.
"So what's the regime for today's class?" Nandini asked trying to divert Daadu.
"Nothing much. A few cadets to kill, some horses to ride, a story to make," Daadu said abstractly making Nandini narrowing her eyes in confusion.
"Forget that I asked," Nandini said shaking her head.
She left for academy and Daadu chuckled a bit seeing her all flustered.
________________
"Annual Ball
Yes, It's that time of year"
Manik read the first line aloud as he read the notice board and then his words went silent as other boys started reading the further part with elated loudness. It was time for annual military ball. And that meant all kind of socialization. Manik huffed aloud making Harshad chuckle.
"Dance with partner," Harshad grabbed Manik's hurt back tightly and started dancing in corridor making all boys excited. Everyone laughed, cheered and then showed the excitement making a huddle.
"I am so excited," He added. Manik kicked him in foot and he winced in pain.
"Don't worry. I wasn't taking you as partner to ball," Harshad assured holding his feet.
Manik walked out of stupid huddle. He had to be least interested in this weird event as he hated mingling. He certainly wasn't going to ball if he was given a choice.
"I think I should ask Nandini," Harshad said grabbing Manik's shoulder. Manik shot him a quick glance and Harshad smiled dreamily.
"No, You shouldn't" Manik said instantly.
"Why? I mean she has to be hottest mess I wanna be in," Harshad said all excited. All colors flew away from Manik's face.
"I am gonna ask her after class," Harshad added and then blushed like a boy. He was a boy, Manik slapped himself mentally at realization. Harshad was a boy, Manik seemed as if life was sipped out of him.
"No, You won't," Manik said trying not to sound terrified.
Harshad gave him an unsure look while Manik just kept ruining Harshad's face in his head.
"She bites," Manik said calming himself down.
"What?" Harshad asked all bewildered.
"She is dangerous," Manik added.
"She is a witch I think," He added more.
"She can kill you," He concluded.
"You have lost it, Manik," Harshad said shaking his head in disbelief.
Harshad walked past him and Manik stood there like a confused kitty.
"No, look at me, what did she do to me. She is one dangerous woman," Manik said matching Harshad's pace.
"She won't do that to me. I am born to play with fire, and she is fire," Harshad bragged, "I am not you, Bro."
"You cannot go with her," Manik said like a lost advocate throwing ultimate sore tantrum.
"I will," Harshad announced and walked away.
Manik kept standing there wearing a frown as he didn't know what to do. He shook his head, then talked to himself, calmed himself down, panicked again. Stomping his feet, he walked back to dorm.
It was going to be one hell of bad day.
__________
________________
Unedited*