Sitting in huge wooden living room, Mr. Singh seemed to have some fun chat with his buddy Madhav when ladies walked in with a trolley of breakfast. It was a wonderful morning with fine sunshine outside but still temperature was gelid. Murthy's estate was near Himalayan range and it was frosty cold there.

"Sahiba, arrange the food here only," Colonel asked.

"Yes, High time we have a normal cozy breakfast rather than those dining table fancy ones," Madhav too insisted.

Food got served in no time and four of them started to have their breakfast over fine set of conversation.

"Kids are still asleep," Colonel mentioned looking at wooden staircase.

"They reached early morning only. Glad they are taking rest after such a long drive," Sahiba said.

"Though I am amazed how come they reached late," Madhav wondered and dismissed the amusement immediately.

"Manik was driving so they had to be late," Grandpa informed while coming out of his room. He got settled in rocking chair near fireplace. Mrs Murthy immediately served him the food. He shrunk his nose seeing the boiled food and glared Mrs Murthy.

Manik walked down the stairs in his all time favorite check blazer. Everyone smiled looking at him as he walked in living room with a smile.

"Why are you awake so early? You should have rested," said Mrs Murthy.

"I am fine, Mrs Murthy. I cannot sleep till this late," He cleared and joined them over breakfast.

"And then there's my daughter who won't wake up before 12 in noon," She mumbled under her breath.

Manik tried not to laugh and started to have his food.

"Don't feel too good about it," He heard old man saying something.

"Feel good about what?" Manik asked mumbling settling near Daadu.

"She just hates my granddaughter for no reason," Daadu said and then glared his daughter in law who was happily gossiping with Sahiba.

"Oh," Manik exclaimed dramatically and then shook his head.

"BTW you need to decide your side," Manik said lowly.

"What do you mean, Malhotra?" Dadu asked in his typical stern military man tone.

Manik shrugged his shoulders and then said, "I mean, sometimes you take her side and then you don't...You know what I mean."

He smirked after making old man angry as he shot some daggers at Manik.

Manik looked at stairs and then again started to have his food quietly. He checked it was 10:30 am and she was still asleep. He was amused how someone could sleep that much. Last night was nothing less than a nightmare when she pulled that stupid prank on him. He couldn't come out of it entire journey. She hid her wrists under shawl all the way and slept like a baby when he drove them to mansion. Strangely, she didn't argue about driving again and let him take the wheel without an argument. Manik was not being able to draw out what made him panicked so much last night. Was it the ghost prank or something else? But he had put away everything as an army man could never be afraid but apparently she had all the power to drive him mad, terrified and drained. He sighed and put the dish in basin.

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Grandpa climbed down the stairs with difficulty and Manik spared some glances while reading some magazine. Elders had gone out for seeing the estate and he chose to stay at home for avoiding the human circus. He shook his head in disbelief when he saw the old man panting once he got down.

"Had I told you not to become a superman?" Manik taunted as soon as Daadu settled in rocking chair.

Daadu breathed deep to control his gasps. Manik again got busy in reading a stupid magazine. He was least interested in that shitty gossip magazine but he needed to drive away the thoughts of her. He was worried and he knew it. She still hadn't come down. Her room hadn't been opened by anyone as everyone in family seemed to afraid of her 'Do not Disturb' warning.

"I needed to see her," Daadu blurted after catching his breaths.

Then he had entire attention of Manik. Manik put down the magazine and looked at him.

"She said she isn't feeling much well so she would sleep some more," Daadu told and Manik's face fell.

"Not well? What happened to her out of sudden?" He asked almost hitting the panic mark.

"Exactly! My firebrand was all fine. What happened, Manik?" Daadu asked and glared Manik.

This made Manik more worried and he got off his place and started to pace across the hall.

"Nothing happened," Manik murmured.

"She pulled the prank and now she herself is ill," Manik uttered in disbelief.

Daadu smirked listening to his self talk.

"So she pulled a prank. Hmmmm," Daadu exclaimed.

"YES," Manik said in a loud tone and walked to Daadu. He sat on step near his rocking chair and was about to tell him his sad story.

"I am all ears, Son," Daadu said in assuring tone and smirked.

Manik told him entire incident from previous night and then said, "Now tell me who gets ill after doing that much big stunt?"

He still couldn't believe that after all what happened last night, he was the one feeling vulnerable.

Daadu smiled a bit and then stopped.

"She is one hellion," Daadu showed his amusement and then patted Manik's shoulder.

"But you shouldn't have handled her that harshly," He added.

Manik looked at him as if he had said the exact thing what he was thinking.

"I know," He said and pouted.

Daadu pressed his lips to suppress his laughter. He didn't know what happened but he could tell seeing Manik restless since morning. He hadn't even talked to Nandini as she didn't wake up when he checked on her in room. He played a trick and Manik got trapped in it. Daadu was well pleased with himself.

"I think we should call doctor," Daadu added and Manik's face turned paler.

"Is it that bad?" He asked in low tone.

Daadu nodded and then kept patting Manik's shoulder to console him.

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Nandini got up and saw the time. It was 1 pm. She jumped off her bed and cursed herself for sleeping till that late. She didn't want to miss gorgeous morning of that place. She put on her slippers and felt chilling cold in atmosphere. Fire was down in fireplace. She opened the curtains and saw the heavenly view of snow capped mountains. She stretched her arms and folded them around her chest. Her wrists ached as soon as they came in contact of fabric. She saw them and her brows twitched. They had turned blue. She sighed and went to take the shower.

Wearing her all the time favorite loose sweater with slacks, she opened door of her room. She saw Daadu and Manik in some serious conversation as she looked down. She immediately pulled down the sleeves of her sweater to hide her bruised wrists. She walked down the stairs with a smile. Seeing her, he got up on his place and his eyes had this worry she couldn't depict. She flinched a bit and then looked at Daadu who was wearing his ever so charming smile. She smiled back and got down.

"Are you fine?" He asked as soon as she walked near them.

"I am fine," She fumbled and then looked at him suspiciously. She rolled down the sleeves till her fingers to make sure no one sees the blue marks.

His worried expression was still the same as she walked to dining table and took an apple. He followed her like a lost puppy and wished to start a conversation. She didn't want him around as she wanted him to know about the bruises as last thing.

She walked to kitchen and he followed her.

"Do you need something?" She asked when she realized he won't leave just like that.

"No," He quickly replied and then looked at her covered wrists.

Daadu smiled deviously seeing them playing around.

"Oh My packet of entertainment! These two shall work just fine," He exclaimed and laughed.

____________________________________

Entire day went awkwardly weird. Manik behaved like lost puppy. Nandini was least interested in teasing him. Daadu made things even more twisted. Elders timely irked them with not so important remarks. Nandini took their leave and retired to her room to end the shitty day. She wasn't in her element that day and she knew it. Before she could lock her room, she saw nob opening and he walked in with this urgency on face. Manik walked in with a bothered face as it was entire day. Before she could say anything, He grabbed her wrists softly and her eyes popped out in fear. She didn't want him to look at them. She was kind of girl who hated concerns over such pity things.

She writhed under his touch to get out of it.

"Please, let me look at them," He said almost pleading and it made her even more flustered.

"Manik, it's nothing. Why are you behaving so strange?" She asked being a bit irritated.

"If it's nothing, then let me have a look," He snapped back.

She gave up and he rolled up her sleeve and saw the blue marks. His body burned up seeing the marks his grip had made and he felt guilty. He rubbed them with his thumb softly expecting a hiss but she didn't even make a sound. He looked up and saw her glaring him.

"What did doctor say?" He asked being all worried.

"Huh? Doctor?" Nandini asked being totally unaware.

"Yes, Doctor," He said looking at her intently.

Nandini stood there perplexed as all his words seemed to be coming from another planet.

"Daadu said you had gone to see a doctor in evening," He elaborated.

"In evening?" She asked getting away.

She had gone out in evening but that wasn't for seeing a doctor but meeting the staff around.
She thought over a bit and it didn't take long to figure out how Daadu had played poor Manik.

"Daadu said I was gone to see a doctor?" She asked to confirm and walked to balcony.

He followed her impatiently and said, "Yes."

She sighed deeply and then turned towards him looking dead serious. She held his hands and again sighed.

"Doctor said...," she said and took a dramatic pause, "They said my hands need to be amputated."

Manik withdrew his hands and stood numb.

"What?" He murmured and he looked paler with the news she broke.

"And before you faint and then go all hulk on me when you wake up, lemme tell you that you have again got fooled," She said in one breath.

"And this time I am not the one who made a fool ...a fool," She added.

"It's Daadu," She ended.

His face took a 360° turn and it went all action movie from being a daily soap.

"What?" He said gritting his teeth.

Nandini laughed at his angry pout and then walked back in room.

"You know what that's why you are my all time favorite clown," She said in between her giggles.

"Who gets worried like this and then believe anything and everything?" She mentioned and laughed louder.

He walked in and strode across the room like hulk.

"That old man," He cursed under his breath and Nandini laid down on her bed holding her stomach.

"Ufff," She coughed as her giggles subsided.

He was still flaring his nose in anger and stood holding his waist.

"By the way," She started and got up.

"I won't mind if you stay here tonight but I know your scared heart won't take it along with of my mother's," She added.

He got reminded that he was still in her room. He turned red hearing her and immediately walked out hitting his shoulder in door in haste.
Nandini laughed more on his ever so entertaining antics and closed the door.
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Next morning brought altogether new mood. Men of house had taken Manik's words a bit too serious as they all left for a morning drill to prove their endurance. Daadu was the ringmaster and he was the happiest. Ladies chose to talk over stuff they thought would suit the occasion. Well, Nandini had just woken. She walked down the stairs and saw the ladies giggling over coffee.

"Good morning, Mothers," She wished and her mother frowned seeing her dress.

She was wearing a loose sweater only reaching mid thighs with her gum boots.

"Who would say you are daughter of a billionaire?" Her mother complained.

"Well, you know I don't need to wear my birth certificate," She mocked and turned to hug Sahiba.

"Where is everybody else?" She asked and both the ladies chuckled as if she had just asked about a personal joke.

_________________________

Horses running on grassy land, Sun caressing the cold flesh; in middle of a heavenly scenario, a man ran after a pony to catch him. He was sweaty as young horse dodged him for nth time. He wiped his sweat and took last piece of cloth off his upper body. Manik was trying to tame an untrained young horse for an hour then. Other three men were looking at him with their own set of bets.

"He won't be able to catch it. I told you," Daadu smirked.

"Do not jump to conclusion, Brigadier. You don't know Manik," Colonel Singh put his bet.

Madhav was quiet audience of marvelous contest. He had a great taste in horses and that reflected in his entire family.

Nandini walked to them almost panting and saw Manik chasing the horse. She smiled seeing the bare sight and sat on arm of Daadu's chair. Men looked at her and nodded in greeting. Silent show went on as Horse didn't seem to cut the chase and Manik didn't seem to give up.

Witnessing the 'Catch me if you can' for minutes, Nandini got up and said, "Let me show him how."

She jumped in the range and Madhav smiled proudly. It was maybe only thing he adored in his daughter.

She walked nearer and Manik saw her. He turned away as if trying to hide not so precious view of his bare body. Nandini chuckled a bit as his body tensed up as she walked closer.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

"This isn't the place to roam around," He warned.

Nandini gawked him from tip to toe as he dripped in sweat. He was self conscious and she knew it.
She smiled and then walked closer. She was hardly at an arm distance now.

"What she is doing?" Wondered Colonel seeing the mute scene from far.

"She is playing," Daadu said with hearts almost falling off his eyes.

Colonel looked even more flustered.

Nandini tip toed to reach his ear and he stiffened.

"Watch me, Baby boy," She whispered and handed him her hat.

Before he could gulp her proximity, she backed off quickly and looked at wallowed horse. She smiled and ran towards him.
Manik could just saw when she ran beside horse and chased him in every possible move. Horse was dodging her, showcasing his skillful moves and she closed him in each of them. Horse's pace got a bit controlled as he matched Nandini's speed. He showed he wanted to play along. She tamed his juvenility with participation. And it looked like he wanted to surrender as he strode along her matching her pace. Looking at each other intently, Nandini advanced her hand and he bowed his head a bit. Manik's jaw dropped as he saw a treaty taking place. Madhav whistled for his daughter as he saw horse surrendering. Nandini slowly held the rein and rode on. He carried her like a princess as she rode him towards Manik. He was standing there spellbound, admiring the sheer beauty. Nandini stepped down as she stopped in front of him. His jaw was still touching the floor in amusement. She made him close his mouth by lifting the jaw with her palm.

"That's how it is done," She said and took her hat back. She waved back at other three smitten men while one stood right in front of her with admiration written all over his face.

"Not bad," He mumbled and she saw him with 'excuse me' face.

He looked away smirking and she walked away not before mumbling, "MEN."