A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-14

Breaking every single thing in her room, she settled into her bed trying to find her calm. It should have felt good after venting out but this freaking prick wasn't going. She punched mattress hard and then stormed into bathroom. 

Coming out after along hot water shower, she threw her towel somewhere in room and was about to take a nap when she heard her mother calling her name. She mumbled some curses under her breath and stomped out of room. 

"Nandini, Manik is going back," Daadu said as soon as she came out of room. Daadu was standing outside her room. He looked frantic. 

She peeped down the railing and saw him bidding goodbye to everyone. He had his backpack and he looked...well determined. Nandini's nose flared as she saw the same unreasonable frown on his face.

"Good, he is going," She murmured and tried to leave. 

Daadu held her from elbow and stopped. 

"What happened, bachaa?" He asked with all his affection. 

"Nothing happened," She murmured and went inside her room. Closing the door with a thud, she drew attention of berserk soldier downstairs. 

He looked up and saw a displeased Daadu standing holding railing and behind him a shut door. He pursed his lips in anger and then walked out. 

"I don't know what happened to him. I thought he is enjoying here," Saahiba said being a little worried. 

Colonel hugged her sideways and assured, "He is like that, Sahiba. I am surprised that he stayed for this long even."

Daadu shook his head listening to their conversation. 

"This is dirty mess," He said and walked to his room. 

Manik sat in car which Madhav had arranged for him. His heart was nothing less than battleground where all his egoistic soldiers were getting killed by each second. He had started this uncalled war but then he didn't know how to handle it. 

He looked at house one more time and saw no human movement. 

"She doesn't give a damn," He said and punched the seat. 

Car started to move and in no time, he was away from the posh estate. 

With each mile he covered, he felt a void building. It was getting on his nerve. He didn't want to exist for those moments. 

"Fine, Cadet. Now that's a promise"

Her words echoed in his ear and restlessness touched the peak. She meant each bit of it, didn't she? But then when had she kept a single word of hers. She looked like a whimsical wave. She was never serious. She made his life joke since when she had walked in. No, not walked in, she had stormed in. he didn't even realize when he was dancing on her wild tune. She could never be serious. She never kept her words. She was too stray for that. She was too deaf for hearing words. She was too wild for keeping words. She could not be serious. 

"Stop thinking about her"

He yelled at himself for thinking about her more with each parting mile. 

_______________

Nandini put her hat and walked out of house. Driver handed her key of 'Rover defender' and she climbed on. She started to drive away. She was angry and it was unusual. Her anger never lasted this long. She sought fun, she got some. She never had plans to make anything this messy. He was hurt for God knows what reason. She was too fickle to even stick to her anger. But this time, it wasn't subsiding. She drove towards lake and saw the never ending view of water.