A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-36

"Chin up," Commander yelled and Manik straightened his torso. It's been five days to that terrible night. 

Five days, he hadn't seen her. 

He shook his head to throw that thought away. 

"Tez chal," Commander let out the command aloud and cadets started to move their feet faster. Manik participated with all his mind. He was on a proving spree how life could be same without her. 

"What's wrong with you, Manik?" Officer yelled as Manik broke the march. His mind was too busy feeling amazing about the blinder he had worn. 

"Out of line, NOW," Officer commanded and he marched out of formation. 

He cursed himself as he had failed miserably for third time in these five days. He closed his eyes to take a deep breath and all he could see was her face. He cursed himself more. It was like she had started to live in his mind. She won't ever go away. 

"What's the issue?" Officer brought him out of his cursing spree. 

"I have been noticing how you are doing pathetic these days," Officer asked sternly. 

"I am sorry, Sir. It won't happen again," Manik had no other option but to apologize to escape the grill. 

"Look, Manik. I know it's vacation time for your batch and I get it you are here for sake of it but if you decide to take part in a drill, you have to give your 100 percentage," Officer tried to address the possible issue with Manik. 

"Keep this in mind next time," Officer said patting his back and walked away. 

"There is nothing I am doing for sake of it," He mumbled to himself and walked away. He was angry all of sudden. Why it was so necessary for everything to shout out how he was being royally pathetic without her. He walked to locker room and threw his shirt in some corner. 

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Nandini sneaked out of her room as clock struck 8. It was already dark outside. She wore her other gumboot as she descended the stairs. She looked up as she stepped down the last stair to find her family settled for dinner. Her mother got up excitedly seeing her there. She looked away and started to walk towards door. 

"Nandini," Her mother called her name aloud and she had to stop. 

"Have dinner at least," Her mother had this unreasonable hope in her voice. Nandini clenched her fist trying not to come up with some nasty remark. 

"I am not hungry," She mumbled without a tinge of any emotion and walked out of her suffocating house. 

She had returned home two days back. Uncle Bernard was more than ready to have her in his house for however time she wanted to stay but then she could see Daadu's wrinkles getting darker. He had this furrows on his head every time he came to see her. It explained how much her parents were troubling him regarding her absence. She couldn't let the only person who loved her suffer because of her stubbornness. So yes, she had returned to Murthy Mansion only to show her face to her parents once in a day. She won't come out of her room and when she would, she made sure nobody dared to talk to her. 

"Let's do it," She mumbled to herself starting roaring engine of her newly customized Land rover defender. Rishi had it done for her and she couldn't refuse it. She loved engines. 

It was her first day of night job. She was going to work in Uncle Bernard's rescue center for night shift. She couldn't wait to drive her life back to road. She played the song loud as unwanted thoughts started to creep in. She had been away from herself for long, she couldn't wait to streamline her life again. She won't even mention how there was this someone who had walked away.