"Now, don't tell me you don't know how to hold a gun even?" yelled Manik.

Half an hour.
Since his precious half an hour, all Nandini did was irritating him. She had taken an oath to bring every freaking new limit of tolerance out of him.

"Why are you shouting? I am supposed to be a student and you a teacher," she stated innocently, not.

"You mean, out of sudden, you have forgotten how to hold a gun. I have seen you taking pointless shots when I walked in, Nandini," he yelled yet again.

She kept looking at him with that super animated pout and innocent eyes.

"Arghhhhh, what did I do to deserve this? What?" Manik started to stride from one end to other.

Nandini suppressed her laugh seeing him that bothered. She walked to stand and picked up the gun treating that like a never seen machine.
Sometimes pointing it aimlessly and sometimes looking into pipe, she was into her role to the core. Role of a amateur...a irritating amateur to be precise.

"Put that thing down," he commanded seeing her playing with it.

He strode towards her and took the gun away.

Taking two deep breaths, he finally held the gun firmly and showed her how to hold it.

She on purpose brushed her fingers to his flesh, just to see him flustered all over again.
He immediately withdrew his hands and gun dropped. He fidgeted a bit with his facet of disciplined teacher and then stiffened his torso.

"Enough for today. You are dismissed," he said exactly in tone Nandini wanted to listen.

He didn't meet her gaze and walked out of arena stomping his army boots.

She finally let the long suppressed laughter out. She laughed her heart out while he was frozen just outside the door after listening her sweet yet wild laugh.

"I knew it. You think this is fun, Nandini. I will make sure it is," he murmured before continuing his walk.

__________________________________

"Wake up, Manik," Harshad tapped his shoulder in order to wake him up.

"No, I don't know how to unlock a gun. Please, let me go," Manik mumbled in his sleep.

Harshad looked at him all perplexed and then finally jerked him hard to get him out of his nightmare.

Manik jumped on bed and sat like a kid who had just came out of a scary slumber.

Harshad touched his forehead and then his pulse.

"What are you doing?" Manik asked.

"Manik Malhotra needed to be waken up. Oh my God. I woke him up on this weird morning," Harshad said dramatically.

"Something is really wrong with you," he added.

Manik looked at watch and felt embarrassed. He was an hour late.

"I couldn't sleep properly last night so couldn't wake up," he explained in low tone.

Seeing him being highly uncomfortable about the fact, Harshad chuckled a bit. He patted Manik's back and said, "I am so proud of you. You finally showed some symptoms of normalcy."

Manik made a 'whatever' face and got off the bed.

"Get ready. Its last assembly of this season. No one is allowed to be late," Harshad reminded Manik.

Manik held his forehead as he got reminded of it and Harshad seemed to be unable to hold the happiness of telling Manik things for the first time.

"It feels so great. Yes," he boosted while Manik ran to get ready.

_______________________________

Cadets along with their mentor officers got settled in huge assembly hall in wait of Colonel Singh. It was going to be last assembly of season. Infantry was closing in winters. And like every year, Colonel would be addressing everyone.

Wind got stiffened as soon as Colonel Singh walked in with his ever so charming aura. He took a look at his disciplined lads across the hall and then smiled.

"At ease, Cadets," he said.

"Like every year, I am happy to announce winter break. These two months are much awaited by every boy here, that I know. You all have done great this past year and I wish you all a happy vacation," he added.

"Infantry unit would be closed for next two months as it is gonna be very cold here. I hope bags are pack and tickets are confirmed," he further said, "Happy journey."

Hall got filled with joyous exclaims and sweet mumblings as Colonel walked out of hall.

Boys rushed towards their dorms to take their bags. A smile floated on Manik's lips seeing all his friends happy. He was slowly walking towards dorm when Harshad put hand on his shoulder.

"You are coming with me to admin office," Harshad said, "I need to collect my NOS."

Manik picked Harshad's bags and they both walked towards office.

Harshad looked at Manik who was looking down as expected.

"You sure, you want to stay here? You can always come with me to my home, buddy," he asked Manik.

Manik smiled warmly and patted Harshad's shoulder, "I really appreciate it, Harshad. But I am better here."

Both walked silently to admin office and then Harshad finally took his leave.

Walking back to dorm, entire campus sounded lifeless. Manik came back to empty dormitory and started to undo his shirt's buttons.

"Godddd," he heard a voice and came out of his thought.

There she stood covering her eyes with palm on door.

"What the.... " he mumbled in frustration. He buttoned his shirt again and yelled, "what are you doing here?"

She slid her index finger off her eye to see him storming towards her in his ever so ready anger.

Nandini straightened herself.

"Before you literally set me on fire. Listen, I am not here to mess...." She genuinely tried to explain just to get interrupted by him.

"Don't you know girls aren't allowed in campus?" He yelled.

She flinched a bit and then opened her mouth to say something.

"And who walks to boys dormitory and then storm in like this?" He further added.

"Actually, I was here... " she tried to speak.

"Are you following me?" He asked taking her offhand.

There her expression changed from startled to offended. She greeted her teeth in anger, first time ever matching his arrogant face.

"Excuse me," she retorted, "I have better things to do than following you. And for your kind information, I was sent by Singh uncle to call you."

"So you are the new peon," he mocked.

"I am not. I was coming this way so he told me," she retorted looking into his eyes.

"Who recruited you anyway and why?" He pricked further.

"None of your business," she said, "at least I am doing something in my winter break unlike a few who seriously have nothing to do."

He didn't reply but walked closer to her spitting fire through his eyes. She didn't back off either and reverted with equal ire.

"Now, if you stop hovering the door and let me go," he said.

"I am hovering?" She mumbled in disbelief while he walked away.

"I'll see you in shooting practice today," she mumbled, "Khadoos."

_________________________________

Mumbling endless curses under his breath, he walked towards Colonel Singh's office.

"Manik! come in," said Colonel Singh hearing a knock on door.

Manik walked in with a smile, a forced one to be more precise.

"Have a seat," Col offered.

Manik, being highly doubtful, sat with a visible scare on his face. Recently, Colonel Singh hadn't been much of relief bearer for him. He had just met one of disasters Colonel had sent in his life.

"I was thinking... " Colonel started to talk, "are you alright, Manik?"

Colonel stopped seeing Manik lost in his thoughts.

"I am fine, sir. You continue," Manik answered.

"Yes. I was thinking you should join Nandini in accounts office," Colonel continued.

Manik shot up from his seat and looked at Colonel in utter disbelief. He couldn't believe he still could come up with more lethal weapon. He wasn't able to stand her for an hour, and there colonel was thinking to make him work with her.

"Can't happen," Manik uttered without giving any thought to ranks for that very second, "I suck at accounts and account keeping. "

Colonel tried to read horror on Manik's face.

"Relax, Manik. I was just worried you being alone in academy as your batch mates have already left," Colonel explained.

"I have got a job," Manik lied, "I talked to Major Thakur last week about helping him in military stable. I desperately want to Polish my riding skills this vacations."

He made up a story in one breath. Col Singh looked at him keenly.

"You seriously cannot think beyond uniform and duties, can you?" he blurted out looking at Manik.

Letting a chuckle escape, Col Singh let Manik go.

_______________________________

It was a task to convince Major Thakur to let him work in stable for few hours a day. Manik was returning back to dorm after having a chat with Major Thakur who was officer in charge for horse keeping.

"I hadn't lied, ever. Now I did. All credit goes to that girl. I never was scared of a single thing. Now I dread. All credit goes to that stupid girl. I loved shooting, Now I wanna run away from it because she had to love the same thing. I swear I may end up killing her by end of winter vacations."

He entered the dorm and changed into casuals. He needed to leave for shooting arena as his one and only student must be waiting.

"It shall be fun, girl. If I don't make you run away in a week, my name isn't Manik Malhotra."

He smiled to himself on that thought. When he thought he had a war to fight in order to save his sanity, he was totally ignorant of fact how he was touching new strings of insanity.

_________________________________

Wearing gloves, she smiled deviously thinking of executing all her little plans on him. He was chosen one, by her of course, as ultimate entertainment for period she had to spend there in academy. She hated army and its everything. But she couldn't hate her Brigadier grandfather. She loved him. He wanted his grandkids associated with this noble profession. Her brother couldn't care, she couldn't give in. Hence, every winter vacation of hers was dedicated to Indian army. Now she being a non containable force, needed some fun to save her sanity in that boring place.

Tightening her pony tail, she walked out of locker room and proceeded towards shooting range. Hearing the gunshots, she smiled to herself. He was there at time and she was almost 10 minutes late, on purpose.

Her scent teased his nostrils before she could reach him.

"You are 10 minutes late," he said in high tone while taking an aim.
"I was stuck up with work, Sir," she answered carelessly as he wasn't even looking at her.

She proceeded to take a gun when he told her to run a round of ground outside.

"Excuse me?" She asked.

"One round of ground outside,NOW," He said firmly.

"I am here to learn shooting, not for running," she said mockingly while wearing the guard.

He stormed towards her and took off her eye guard.

"Out. NOW," he said in a dangerous tone, "Else, say goodbye to this class."

She looked into his challenging eyes. Her face had turned red with anger.

"I am not doing this," she said trying to control her ire.

He smiled listening to her dropped tone.

"Good, go tell Colonel Singh. I am sure he can fit you in some other class," he said calmly.

She took back her eye guard and said, "I said I am not doing the round thing you asked."

Saying this she walked to stand and started taking aimless shots.

He growled in anger looking at that stubborn butt. He walked to her, picked her from waist and marched outside.

Leaving her on ground, he said, "Run a round or else say goodbye to shooting."

She got up and walked to him. Pointing her finger towards him, she gave some non verbal warning, sort of, before she started to run.

Tumbling, tripping, dripping and thumping; she completed a round and stopped right in front of him bending a bit.

He walked inside telling her to follow.

"Oh Malhotra, you are gonna pay for this," she said while wiping sweat off her face.

________________________________

"Nandini!!" He yelled for nth time seeing her holding the gun wrong.

"How many times I am supposed to tell you? Is there something in that skull at all?" He added pointing at her head.

"I already said I am not getting anything you taught," she said shrugging her shoulders, "Maybe you are a bad teacher."

Saying last bit, she sipped water from her sipper.

"I am a bad teacher," he greeted his teeth, "Wow. I can't believe this."

He stormed towards her, took her sipper away, made her hold gun and finally stood firmly behind her. Shrinking his brows and stiffening a bit more, he slowly held her hands and made them raised towards target.

"Block everything around. Look at that bulls eye," he whispered into her ear. She flinched a bit.

"That devil head of yours needs to calm down," he added and she looked back at him turning her head a bit, "yes, calm that engine."

She pursed her lips in anger a bit on that remark. His finger slid on her finger and he made her hold the trigger.

"What do you see, Nandini?" He asked as she seemed to calm down a bit.

"A wall," she answered.

"Concentrate, there's a board on that wall," he tried not to blast her.

"Do you see it?" He asked.

"Yes," she answered sweetly.

She seemed calm while havoc she was had seemed to enter his body. He could feel her breathing. Her scent was lethal. Her energy was pricking.

"Now just focus on that bulls eye," saying this he slowly withdrew his hand. She took a long breath and fired.

Bullet hit the outer circle of board and she sighed in disappointment.

She could tell he wasn't standing behind her anymore. She looked around to see him packing his bag.

"See you tomorrow," he said and walked out.

"Come on, I wasn't that bad," she mumbled in frustration.

"Damn it," her voice echoed in hall.

At end of day, neither of them could actually do what they wanted.

He wanted to scare her. He himself was terrified. She wanted to tease him. She herself was feeling teased a bit.

Well, Day ended.