A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-31

She walked ahead and he followed her like a dream-chaser. She looked back and he smiled. It had to be a perfect dawn. She had stolen him from academy, just like a knight comes on horse of wind and takes what is his. She was his knight. She smiled back while her long wavy wisps danced in wind. Manik blinked his sleepy eyes to have a better view of her. Who could believe the girl who used to drive him nuts few days back had become the girl with whom he would start his days. It wasn't twilight yet. It was hardly 5 am and they both were heading towards somewhere she wanted to take him. They were walking on narrow paths towards peak of that mountain. She halted and Manik came out of his morning dream. No, it wasn't one of his sweet nightmares anymore. It was for real. She reached for his hand and dragged him impatiently. 

"I don't want us to miss it," She nagged while dragging him faster. They reached the top of hill and she smiled so merrily. 

As they stood at edge, she walked in front of him and held his both hands as she gaped the grey sky. 

"Hold me tight," She commanded and he obeyed like a true soldier. His trembling arms enclosed her tummy and rest she sealed the silly distance. His arms on her warm belly, he shivered to the last bone. 

"What is.." He started but she shushed him. 

"Just see," She said pointing towards endless sky which was turning bright. 

Sun came out of hills gloriously and their fleshes bathed in yellow of it. 

It had to be beautiful thing ever. Manik couldn't make out what was more flattering, she or warmth of sun. It was like he had held his personal ball of fire in his arms while he still had to learn how to play with it. 

"It's beautiful," He murmured and her ear was its only audience. 

"That's where sun rises in this town and we are the first ones to see it today," She explained victoriously and Manik admired her little smile he couldn't see from that position. He knew it was playing there. 

He played with fiber of his own blazer as he stood there holding her. He didn't know what was going on her mind these days but whatever it was, it was well set to put him on grill. He was any way having hard time tuning his emotions and there she was, making it altogether impossible for him to behave sane. 

"When is your morning drill?" She asked bringing him back to frost reality. 

"There is no morning drill today. Everyone is going home," He said still lost in beauty of moment. 

She turned around to face him while he felt outright disappointed for not being able to hold her anymore. She gazed his face while he observed her red cheek which were clearly telling how careless she was about herself. 

"You are going home?" She asked and he shook his head. 

"Good," She mumbled and wrapped her arms around his waist. Her face rested on his chest while she tried every possible angle to find that one cozy place over there. 

"Your family isn't like mine, right?" She asked raising her head to look at his calm face. 

"Nothing like it," He replied relieved and she raised her brow. It had to be one relieving fact that he didn't have a dramatic family like hers. 

"My parents are up there living happily ever after," He replied gesturing towards sky while trying to talk dreamily about it. 

She gazed him as if trying to find any minor cut which could bleed. Losing the people you love isn't easy thing. He smiled instantly giving her answer. 

"I miss them but I am happy they are together," He answered and she bit her lip. It had to be first time when Nandini didn't know how to tackle her favorite person.