Lips Do Lie

Chapter 14 - Dodging Death

"Hmm good food Aunty...I hope you taught some to Nandini because she just knows how to fry my brains", Manik smirked cheekily and munched a cucumber slice and aunty took the compliment with a smile and served him some more rice.

Normally I would have snapped back at his comment at the very moment but I didn't, I just didn't feel like fighting with him. Manik glanced at me through the corner of his eyes and may be saw the brooding smile on my lips and twinkle in my eyes. I served some more curry to Uncle who looked plain constipated. His appetite had dried up completely after seeing the gun. He was continuously trying to make his wife stand far from Manik and more so because he often passed sly smiles at the old man and he shuddered more. I felt pity on him and gestured Manik to behave and he straightened. Lunch was just fine.

While I was cleaning myself after lunch I suddenly felt a heavy air behind me. It had to be him obviously.

"Which dish did you cook from those?", he whispered softly into my ears.

"None I just helped Aunty..I don't know how to cook", I confessed honestly feeling a bit upset. He really wanted me to cook for him. He chuckled with an air of disappointment and moved ahead to have a look out of the kitchen window which gave a clear view of the road which had led us here. God knows what he saw that irked him a little.

"Nandini time to get out of here", Manik said in a somewhat alarming tone

"Why what happened suddenly? We were supposed wait till evening right?"

"What will you take to not ask questions? Just come", my questions always irritated him.

"Okay just wait I will say bye to Aunty", I was about to step out of the kitchen when the main door opened with a thud and there was a thundering shower of bullets. Manik grabbed my hand at pulled me back into the kitchen. I shrieked loudly and hid behind Manik with my face buried into his back.

Manik peeped to see four armed men, one at the door two guarding on either sides and one approaching towards us. He nudged me to hand over the tray to him from the kitchen counter but I was so scared that I couldn't part him, helpless Manik stood there in an alert position waiting for the man to reach us and no sooner he saw his shadow close to us, Manik grabbed his hand and pulled him inside and delivered a kick on his stomach, he tumbled backwards and dashed against the kitchen rack with all the utensils falling over his head and before he could get up and create ruckus for us Manik aimed straight at his chest and fired 2 continuous shots and silenced him forever. I stood back in horror while Manik quickly picked his gun.

"Stay here and don't move", he directed in a low composed tone.

"Where do you think you are going? I wo..wont let you go", I mumbled in fear.

"Nandini for god's sake just stay here okay", he warned me again and without waiting for my response he ventured out with two guns in his hands.

The moment the assailants got a slight hint of his presence they open fired, Manik dodged down and with an aim shot at one's leg, the man cried in pain and thumped on the floor and he shot another one on his wrist making him drop the gun and hit the floor whining in pain and didn't waste another second in shooting right through his head with one gun and the other fired at the guy guarding the other side. Reciprocating shots were fired by the man at the door and Manik ducked behind the dining table. He aimed at the man's leg underneath the table and shot him and as he tumbled down took two more shots on his body. But before Manik could come out another set of men attacked, Manik aimed once again but to his dismay he had run out of bullets. I could see hiding behind the chair but what could I do to help him. Those men just fired blindly covering the room with smoke. I had to be quick before they got Manik.