"Who does that, Manik?" Harshad asked baffled as Manik told him how he told Nandini he likes her. 

"I was just being honest," Manik justified his little adventure, "Besides She said she would be okay if I say something she doesn't like."

"You are a fool," Harshad declared looking at running horses. 

Another day in academy and Manik's tales weren't helping. Exams were over and now they awaited result. 

"She says the same," Manik confessed smiling a bit while gazing the grass beneath. 

Harshad chuckled and looked back at his hopeless friend.

"You are whipped," Harshad remarked while Manik's smile vanished.

"Come on, let's see what is cooking in mess," Harshad threw his arm around Manik's neck and dragged him. 

______________

Nandini tossed on her bed one more time just to angle her thoughts better. 

"That's right," She elated adjusting on big fluffy pillow. 

Song played while she again dived into some very important thought. 

"I like you"

His words played like voice-over and she again tossed on her bed biting her lip. 

Giving up on the mindful way, she sat on her bed thinking about what was so special about his stupid rambling. He kept on saying one or another stupid thing but none of them had ever set her heart on heater. It was like it was mild snowfall outside and her heart was resting under a warm cozy quilt. 

Bad idea! It was a bad idea to fret over those three words said by him. 

Now she could feel this violent urge to see his funny face. She frowned thinking how his face wasn't looking funny to her since few days. 

He now a days was looking like a big ball of cozy fire. Nandini smiled unknowingly. 

She shook her head coming out of having weird analogies. 

What was with the heater and cozy ball of fire? She increased the temperature of room heater thinking she must be feeling cold. 

Something kicked inside, oh that was that violent urge! Urge to see him! 

"No," She argued. 

It was hardly few hours since she had dropped scared kitten to academy. But then...

"Screw the few hours," She mumbled before jumping out of bed. 

Putting her gumboots to cover her bare legs, she walked out wearing the woolen cap. As she descended the tower, well her room was a fort these days and she believed stairs didn't exist for her family. She looked at her parents as they gaped her amused. 

"Nandiniiiii," Her mother yelled as she passed by them without even saying a hello. 

"Why you even try?" Mr Murthy said reading some business magazine. 

"She is back at wearing long sweaters with no pants," Her mother showed her legit concern. 

Mr Murthy didn't nudge while Rishi rolled his eyes. 

"It's okay, mom," He replied negating Mrs Murthy's not so modernized thoughts. 

Mrs Murthy decided to be quiet, there had to be no way Rishi should feel he was somewhere very primitive. 

_______________________

"Oh please, academy is not a place to wear such cloths," Manik argued with Nandini as she drove on curvy roads. 

"Isn't it too cold?" Nandini asked wrapping the muffler around her neck while Manik glared her. 

"Wow, you are not even listening," He complained throwing his arms in air. 

"I am. I am," Nandini assured the freaked out cadet of hers. 

She bit her lip not to laugh at his little frown.

"No, you aren't," Manik replied nagging. 

"You just can't come to academy wearing a mere long sweater," He was shocked beyond limits. 

Well, scene few minutes back wasn't easy for Manik. 

He frowned thinking about those eyes with hearts out. That was how his seniors and batch mates looked at her when she had come to academy. 

Apparently, she was no good news when she walked like that in colonel's office. For God damn sake, colonel was already mad at Manik. He pouted further. 

No it didn't end there. 

She asked colonel if she could take Manik out for a day and surprisingly colonel Singh agreed. Manik could smell a rat. He knew he was having another late night conversation with colonel. 

It still doesn't end here. 

On top of that, Harshad announced it in dorm how Nandini had come to take Manik out. Every boy gave him a bad eye. Harshad readied him like he was a groom. It was embarrassing. 

"You could have called," Manik regretted further. 

"You mean your aunt?" Nandini mocked while taking another rash turn. 

"I am telling you, you would start feeling like my nephew if I don't stop calling you as your aunt," She showed her doubt. 

Manik shook his head reading the horror and she chuckled. 

"It's so easy to set you off," She said putting the jeep into top gear. 

________________________

Standing under the bridge, she demanded him not to look around but her. 

"No don't go far. I feel cold," She said pulling him back where she could wrap herself around his arm. 

"I was just clearing the way," Manik replied shying a bit. It was minutes, she was walking leaning on his arm and he could feel his stomach twisting. 

They were walking on water.

Yes, that's how she liked it to be mentioned. 

It was low stream and water was gentle. They were walking in river which could hardly wet their ankles. 

"Nandini," He started to say something with that singing tone. 

"Hmmm," She replied kicking another pebble. 

"Why are we here?" He asked trying to get some satisfactory answer about their recent rendezvouses. They were meeting frequently for not doing anything. They weren't bantering much. They were being unreasonably quiet when they were around. He knew he was loving it but what about her. 

Was she just upset about her home matters and was finding an escape in him? He undermined his own self. 

"Because I am feeling very cold these days and believe me room heater isn't enough," She replied causally only to leave Manik baffled. 

"Then how wandering in frosty cold is helping that?' He asked shocked, "Let's go back somewhere warm."

"Noooooo na," She protested pulling him closer where she could clutch his arm to her content. 

"Strangely you are the only warm thing I need," She confessed looking into his eyes and he could feel his heart doing a flip. It was more of a monkey flip but it was a flip. 

"You are my heater," She declared with Moon-eyes.

"You are mad," He replied amused. It seemed like she had built a little tornado inside. 

"You like me, right?" She asked pouting. 

Manik felt his throat going drier as she said that. She was supposed to forget that. It was a mistake. He cursed the words. 

Parting away, Nandini came in front of him looking unreasonably impatient. 

"You don't like me?" She asked impatiently. 

Manik tilted his head trying to come up with an answer which was less risky but then his lips clicked unable to let out any word. 

"What you want to hear?" He asked terrified. 

She narrowed her eyes angrily while undoing her muffler. 

Manik doubted she was about to strangle him. 

"To be honest, I do," He replied backing off, "But honesty isn't always the best policy."

Nandini's pout eased down a bit. 

"Then why won't you return my kiss which I gave you yesterday?" She asked stepping on his boots. Manik gaped her as if she had landed from mars. She was a book he might end up reading a thousand times and still she would surprise him every-time. 

"Huh?" He asked confirming if his ears had misheard something as kiss. 

"The kiss..yesterday..I gave," She repeated in fragments while looking utterly cute. 

"..I...don't...know...," He started series of audible nonsense and she looked away huffing. He was going to go utterly irritating. She knew. 

She was angry. 

Manik quickly pecked her cheek and then looked away dancing inside his boots. He couldn't stand in his place. His breaths refused to sound less hoarse as he gasped. It had to be bravest thing he had ever done. 

Nandini smiled to herself and then hurled herself on him totally trusting him with fact that he won't stumble or let her fall. Well, Manik was getting habitual now. 

"Good boy," She cooed kissing just beside his ear and then commanded, "Now pick me up and we are going to eat ice cream." Manik just stood their counting his difficult breaths while she waited for getting picked. Manik didn't know how. Nandini wrapped her legs around his waist and he held her tightly. He couldn't let her fall. 

"I think I am gonna faint," Manik murmured. 

"You won't," She replied and he mentally slapped himself for again thinking aloud. 

He held her protectively while she clung to him like a baby. It was hot out of sudden as he felt like taking a dip in ankle leveled water. 

__________________

"So Uncle Singh, here I deliver your cadet safe and sound," Nandini entered Colonel's office already starting what she wanted to say. 

She halted seeing the person sitting there as he turned around. Manik entered the office and looked at the serious faces. Nandini's father was there. 

"I am glad, Nandini," Colonel Singh tried to cut the thick air as Madhav glared Manik and Nandini glared her father. 

"So you are spying now," Nandini asked folding her hands across her chest. 

"I just gave my friend a a visit. What are you talking about?" Madhav replied sweetly. Nandini knew that salty sweet. 

"What a coincidence!" She mocked and Colonel Singh sighed. 

"Manik, you leave," Colonel ordered the baffled Manik. Manik kept standing there reading the tension. That was against the protocol. 

"Cadet Malhotra," Colonel Singh shouted and Manik straightened. 

"Do you understand when your officer asks you to leave?" Colonel asked in clear words. 

"Yes, sir," Manik reverted and saluted before leaving. Nandini looked at him as he left the office. 

"He is a pet, Nandini," Mr Murthy said taking a dig at army men. He chuckled while Colonel Singh tried not to blast him for mocking an army discipline. 

"I don't think so," Nandini said gritting her teeth. 

"I think you are arrogant," She retorted and smug from her father's face got wiped away.

Storming out of room, she strode towards exit totally not knowing how to calm down.

As she took a turn out of admin block, Manik pulled her behind a pillar. 

She didn't flinch but she was quivering. Her nose was red and her eyes were on fire. She was hell angry. 

"Nandini," As Manik started to say, she punched him in chest. He winced a bit totally being taken off guard. 

"You are not a pet," She said pointing her finger at his shocked face. 

"Who said I am?" He asked baffled as he tried to hold her. 

"Never ever walk away when Mr Madhav Murthy is trying to act smart," She commanded and Manik felt like filling that little wild cat in arms. She looked chaotically gorgeous. 

"Ooooo," He said trying to be scared, though he was really scared about all the upcoming punches. 

"We are meeting tonight in stable," She declared the meeting point. 

"It's already evening," Manik mumbled as she inched towards him. 

Stepping on his boots, she met his confused eyes. 

"It's war, soldier. There is no day or night," She mumbled over his lips simpering. 

"Till then, Let me drop my arrogant father home," Saying that she got away leaving Manik on heated grill. He was all ready to be barbecued. 

Saying that she again stormed back into colonel's office. Manik awaited the outcome. After five minutes, Mr Murthy walked out miffed along with a happy Nandini. He hid behind pillar. As they walked out of block, Manik shook his head. 

"One hellion," He murmured and slowly walked away from colonel's office. 

_________________________

"Oh Nandini," Daadu exclaimed seeing her entering the house with her annoyed father. 

"Daddduuuu," She twirled as she hugged him tight. 

"It's because of you she is this hellion," Mr Murthy yelled throwing his coat on couch. 

Both Nandini and Daadu gaped each other totally planning to go deaf ears. 

"She is roaming around town with that cadet," Madhav roared taking out wine bottle. 

"And she has no shame accepting in Singh's office that she would keep doing that in future too," He added while pouring it in glass. 

"And this..is because of your wrong influence," He blamed Daadu yet again. Daadu couldn't care less. Nandini slowly grabbed his hand to escape the dramatic scene. 

"How conveniently you forgot about Raghav?" Mr Murthy said painfully gulping another shot. Daadu stiffened at his place listening the name and Nandini could feel his hand going cold. 

"And now you want your granddaughter to jump into same well," Mr Murthy accused a bit loud. 

"Madhavvv," Daadu yelled at his son who had crossed all his limits. 

Mr Murthy didn't speak further and gaped the floor in regret. He didn't want to mention it. 

"I..," before he could try to take his words back, Daadu stormed into his room. 

Mr Murthy left for his room as well leaving a baffled Nandini behind. 

It was after years she had heard name of her late uncle in house. She couldn't draw out what his father was hinting at. She strode towards Daadu's room only to find it locked from inside. 

"Open it," She said tapping it. 

"Daaduuuu," She called calmly. 

"Not now, Nandini," She heard him telling her off lowly. He sounded pained. 

She didn't push it further. All she knew her father had played some wrong string. Restlessness kicked in so hard that she didn't know how to wait. She wanted to make sure Daadu was okay but she didn't want to push him at the moment. She looked at the time. It was 7 pm. She walked to her room. 

_____________________

Nandini kissed Daadu's knuckle lightly as she came to check on him before leaving for stable. He was sleeping and he looked somewhat less stressed. Getting up, she tiptoed to get out of room but then there couldn't be her any adventure of which Daadu wasn't a sponsor. 

"Going to meet him?" He asked, his eyes still closed. 

Nandini smiled and turned around. 

"Yes," She admitted walking back. 

"Tell him I want to meet him," Daadu said smiling. 

"Tomorrow in dog-shelter," He told the meeting point. 

"I will," She said pecking his fluffy cheek. 

"Drive carefully,"  Daadu said and she nodded. He smiled, still his eyes close. 

Nandini tiptoed to her room and closed it from inside. She wasn't going out from main door. She couldn't let her insensitive family talk shit to Daadu again. She crossed the railing and climbed down the iron stair. She had it ready. Getting down, she walked to her jeep which she had parked outside around 8 pm. It was 1 am as she checked the wristwatch. 

"I hope Manik doesn't fall asleep with horses," She murmured starting the engine. 

She needed to see him at any cost. Introspection was overrated. 

_____________________

_______________________________

Unedited*