Nandini brushed her wavy wisps with her fingers as she descended the stairs. Her mother's mouth opened in shock as Nandini had expected and she couldn't help but let that goading smile appear. 

"Now tops are getting shorter," Her mother whispered and Mr Murthy looked up to find reason of his wife's out of place commentary. There walked his daughter wearing a cropped sweater with rugged jeans. He shook his head over a petty concern of his wife. 

"Nandini," Mrs Murthy called and Nandini halted with all her will. 

"What have you worn?" Mrs Murthy whispered as she reached Nandini. 

"Cloths," Nandini answered with that deliberate ingenuity to cause her mother click her lips in annoyance. 

"Stop playing smart, Little Lady," Mrs Murthy said sternly. 

Nandini sucked her lower lip trying to look sincere. 

"Come have dinner before you leave," Mrs Murthy said authoritatively. 

Nandini couldn't wait to have dinner with them that night. She walked to dining table and looked at her father who was silently having his meal. 

That man was someone who could be at peace after causing a storm. Nandini narrowed her eyes trying to prove how eyes could yell. 

"Puppy shop isn't a place to work," Mr Murthy spoke without even looking up. 

"It isn't a shop," Nandini corrected dissecting the omelette with fork in her hand. 

  "Right, it's not a shop. It cannot be called a shop even," Mr Murthy mocked and Nandini looked up trying to decipher that man. He loved to insult everything she does, have and would have. 

"Says a man who trades horses," Nandini murmured and Mr Murthy looked up. He looked at his wife trying to tame his anger. Accusing her was always an easy way out of Nandini's sharp comebacks. 

"I think we shouldn't talk over dinner," Mrs Murthy said and Nandini shrugged her shoulders. 

"Tell your husband," She sang the part as fork made the messed up symphony. Rest of dinner went quiet and that certainly screeched how her parents had got the point. 

"Anyway, Have a nice sleep. I will try not to see you in the morning," She said with a plastered smile as she got up. She looked at both her parents and walked away. 

"Is she meeting that cadet again?" Mr Murthy asked impatiently. 

Mrs Murthy furrowed her brows not knowing why would Madhav ask that question. 

"Why do you think so?" She said serving herself food. Mr Murthy couldn't put a finger on it but it did seem that Nandini was a lot like how she always was, goading little devil. 

"Forget it," Mr Murthy dismissed his own doubt and watched his daughter walking out. 

Fog welcomed her as she stepped out of her house. She rubbed her hands to tackle the dip in temperature. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked as soon as she reached her jeep. 

"I am coming with you," Daadu answered with his signature smirk. 

Nandini glared him folding her arms across her chest. Daadu patted the driver seat telling her to hop in. 

"Since when you are interested in my job," She asked she fastened the seat belt. 

"Since you have stopped to share details with me," He answered impudently. 

Nandini shook her head totally getting what Daadu was up to. 

"There's nothing to tell," She murmured and Daadu giggled. 

"Yeas, sure," He replied and Nandini drove off. 

___________________________

"Keep this," Harshad handed Manik woolen scarf as Manik got ready to leave for his daily duty to stand under the lamppost. 

"What would I do with this?" Manik asked baffled. 

"It's cold outside. You would need it. Wait, I will bring you tea flask," Harshad said walking towards the door. 

Manik saw him leaving in haste and couldn't understand what was wrong with that man. He had turned himself into a mother who was preparing for her son's picnic to some park. 

"This," He returned with a steel flask. 

"Do you think I am going out camping?" Manik mocked and Harshad opened his mouth to say something. 

"You know you behave so weird sometimes," Manik didn't let him. 

"Leave it," Harshad didn't even try to reason his anxiety. 

"Tell her tonight that you love her," He instructed keenly. 

"Are you having temperature?" Manik checked Harshad's forehead. 

"You are talking some all over the place shit tonight," He added after bestowing a light pat on Harshad's forehead. 

"Leave it," Harshad again shrugged off his previous rambling. 

"Listen," He started to say only to get a glare from Manik. 

"Okay," Harshad shut up totally getting the signal how he shouldn't blabber anymore. 

"It's still an hour," Manik sat on his bed fully dressed up. 

Harshad looked at impatient Manik and then at clock. Even he couldn't wait for Manik to go out and do something worth evading the academy every night. 

___________________________

Daadu sipped another mug of coffee to keep himself awake. Harlow sat in his feet cuddling to his boot. 

"How's he?" Daadu asked as Nandini entered the office. 

"Scared," She replied crashing into her chair. 

A newly rescued puppy was having his first night in shelter and that called for a night duty without cheating on it with sleep. 

Little devil again started to yelp and Nandini groaned in helplessness. 

"You go and look after him. Harlow and I have got the post here," Daadu spoke without taking his eyes off the road. 

"What exactly you are giving this night duty for?" Nandini asked getting up from her chair. 

"Harlow has been telling me how someone comes here with a puppy face every night," Daadu quipped and Nandini couldn't believe that prying man. 

"You go, real puppy is crying," Daadu said and Nandini left knowing how Daadu won't budge.

__________________

 "Maybe I played my cards wrong
Oh, just a little bit wrong"  

Harlow woofed knowingly and Daadu opened his eyes lazily. A tall man was walking out of haze wearing a coat Daadu knew. Daadu smiled and waited for Manik to roll all the pebbles he had. Manik stood under lamppost and looked up rubbing his palms. Daadu chuckled seeing how that young man was so predictable.  

 A comparatively larger contour caught Manik's eye as he tried to look beyond slightly smoggy window. Manik blinked his eyes two-three times to have a clearer view. 

"Since when Nandini had gained this much weight," He murmured unsure and that thick contour moved away from window. 

"What if someone broke into her office?" Manik's mind came up with dramatic assumption and he ran to main door. 

He attacked the shutter like a mad person as he tried to lift it when it was locked from inside. He banged it and it made noise like an annoyed piece of tin. 

"Open this damn door," He yelled not knowing how to think rational. Dogs started to bark from inside as well as in street. 

"Open it before I break it," He shouted on top of his voice and door clicked. Someone was unbolting it. Manik looked around angrily to fetch some weapon. He saw a thick wooden stick and picked it up. Holding it as baseball bat he waited for door to open. 

Door clicked open and shutter took a second or two to scroll up. Nandini stormed out angrily with that barking of dogs as background score. 

"What's even wrong with you?" She yelled and Manik walked past her to enter the building. 

"Manik," She yelled and followed him. Running to block his way, she had that round of sidesteps with him. 

"There's a man in your office," He said frustratingly seeing no way to walk past her. 

"So?" She asked baffled while they lunged each other to gain the lead. 

"So? Someone has broke into your office," He yelled at her and she glared him. 

"I know there is a man in my office," She spoke furiously. 

"Who is he?" He asked aloud throwing the wooden stick on floor. 

"Would you stop making noise, Manik? You have freaked all the dogs in shelter," Nandini tried to put some sense into him. 

"Who is in your room?" He asked almost dying out of urgency. 

Nandini huffed in frustration and pushed her tongue in her cheek to smack that man in front of her.

"My boyfriend is there," She answered crossing her arms across her chest. 

"You don't have a boyfriend," Manik replied walking her to glass door of a room. 

"I have," She retorted as her back collided with glass door. 

"No, you don't," He spoke infuriated as he plastered himself to her body. 

"What if I have one now," She was in mood to push him to limit. 

"I'll kill him," He spoke as his entire frame trembled in some unknown blaze. 

"It shouldn't bother you, Manik," She snapped at him with ire brimming in her eyes.  

"It does and it always will. There cannot be anyone but me. I would kill that guy if he dared to take my place," He was out of his mind as rage had blinded his wisdom. 

Nandini stared into his eyes as he hovered her in every way and felt this urge to kick him in gut so hard for being so conveniently convenient. 

"Then why did you listen to my dad?" She asked spiting fire only he could sense. 

Before he could answer that in fit of bravery, Daadu broke their little confrontation. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked and Manik looked at him. Nandini looked another way and Daadu's eyes darted towards their proximity. Manik realized how he had almost pasted Nandini to that glass door and stepped back. 

"I..I...," Manik opened his mouth to say something but before he could, she walked away not before punching him hard in stomach. Her stomping feet did the talk for her ire and Manik stood there wincing. 

"Didn't I tell you to stay away?" Daadu asked wearing the mask of anger. He needed to play the little villain to train them enough to face the real villains out there. 

"Out now, Cadet," He roared in his army voice but Manik kept standing there like a statue. 

"This isn't a park. This is a dog shelter. Out now if you don't have any concern here," Daadu added and Manik walked out in anger not wanting to have a spat with Daadu after having a bout with Nandini. 

He kept walking on street without a stop to calm his anger until he heard a low crying sound in dark corner. He walked there just to find something which was enough to make him smile in glee. 

______________________

Harlow raised his head from his bed rest to see Nandini. Nandini was sitting in her chair trying to come at terms with whatever happened few minutes back. Daadu was snoring in his chair. Nandini couldn't help but smile at that amazing man. He kept himself up to see Manik and now was sleeping like a boss. Then she looked at Harlow who was ardently gazing her. 

"Come here, Boy," She called Harlow and Harlow was more than happy to oblige. he walked to her and Nandini bent to hug him tight. Harlow licked side of her cheek and she giggled. 

"You are a good boy," She murmured kissing his forehead tight. 

A proper knock on door downstairs drew their attention and Harlow barked. He opened the office door for himself and ran downstairs. Nandini picked up the iron rod and walked behind him. Manik was gone, who could be it now? She was unsure. 

Harlow was scratching the shutter door continuously while waging his tail. That was such a mixed signal, Nandini frowned. Opening the shutter, she looked out only to see a sight worth gasping. Her lips parted in shock as she saw Manik standing there holding three puppies in his palms. Harlow jumped to sniff the pups and Nandini ran to get a hold on Harlow. 

"No, Harlow," She scolded him and he withdrew like a good boy. 

"What is this?" She asked unable to believe her eyes. 

"Hold them, Please," Manik insisted uncomfortably and Nandini took the three pups carefully in her hands. They yelped a bit on sudden movement and Nandini cooed bringing them near her neck. 

Manik brought another two out of pocket of his blazer and all Nandini could do was gape him. 

"Who puts puppies in blazer's pockets?" She asked in disbelief. 

"I couldn't pick them all at once," He replied innocently while balancing the pups. 

"I can't believe you stole puppies just to be here," Nandini cursed him and he clicked his lips in objection. 

"I didn't steal them," He clarified. 

"They were alone on street, crying and shivering in cold," He informed passionately. 

"So I brought them here," He added shrugging his shoulders. 

"I can't believe you, Manik Malhotra," She whispered before walking towards street. Harlow strode past her as if trying to tell how he was the leader. 

"Where are you going now?" Manik asked baffled before chasing her. 

"Their mother must be around looking for them," Nandini was panicked and Manik couldn't understand what was wrong. 

"There was no one around them," Manik clarified. 

"She must have gone to find food," Nandini was sure and Manik frowned. 

"You are such an idiot, Manik," She yelled as she walked faster. 

Manik was in two thoughts now. He didn't think about it. He just wanted to protect those puppies apart from finding an excuse to be with Nandini. He frowned further. Harlow sniffed around and didn't bark. Nandini's heart sank thinking how those pups were abandoned in real. Harlow would have sensed whiff of other dog if their mother was around. 

"There's no one," She whispered and bestowed a kiss on head of one pup in her hand. It was beyond sad how those little pups were alone in bone-crackling cold.  

"I told you," Manik tried to justify his desperate rescue. Nandini glared him and he pouted. 

He walked to her and stood beside her. She holding three pups, he holding two and a calm Harlow; scene was worth getting framed. 

"Now what?" He asked unsure. 

"You are name of trouble, Manik Malhotra," Nandini blamed it on Manik and he glowered. 

"By the way, I just saved them, you know," He bragged and she looked away. 

"Let's go back and take care of them," He suggested as if it was his routine. 

This time, Harlow ran after him to reach the building first. Little pup in her hand yelped and Nandini finally moved. She hid them in crook of her neck to give some warmth. 

Reaching shelter building, she saw Harlow kissing the pups as Manik bent down for Harlow to have a proper look at puppies. They both followed Nandini as she walked towards nursery. Opening it, she saw other puppies who were comparatively bigger sleeping peacefully. Nandini put the pups down and prepared a bed for them.  She put the three pups in warm bed one by one and then turned to take rest from Manik. He handed them over to her and watched them all cuddling to each other. He was already proud for rescuing them. 

"Now go to academy," Nandini said finding her a spot next to puppy's bed. 

"I won't," He said sitting on other side of bed. 

"I have rescued them. I will stay the night," He declared and Nandini glared him. He didn't budge and start to stroke one puppy. 

"You won't leave me alone, right?" She asked gritting her teeth. 

"Never," He replied with a grin and she pursed her lips in frustration. 

"I am..." He started to lead a conversation. 

"Sleep, Manik," She put a full stop before comma could come. He pouted and decided to be quiet before she throws him out of building. 

At least, they were babysitting puppies, he could be happy that she was sitting just a puppy bed away and he could gaze her all night. He had a story to tell after all, that was the day when he babysat little pups with her. He smiled to his heart's content. 

________________________________

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Unedited*

A/N

Hello Lovely readers

So recently I got a chance to be featured in this "Into the world of authors" by sayitaloud and it It was a fun experience to answer the set of questions for this interview. Do give it a read if you wish to know about me beyond my stories. 

Thanks sayitaloud for this lovely experience. It was love answering all the questions. 😘❤

Regards

Aditi