Nandini stood at bus stand impatiently waiting for Manik. It's been 3 days since she had seen him. That night when she had trespassed the academy, it was in vain. Manik wasn't in his bed. She couldn't understand where her kitten had eloped when only one he had got to come to was her. Yesterday was even weirder. The same watchman who used to allow her in was nowhere to be found. There was some new man who took his duty way too seriously. She couldn't get in. Manik never showed up after that night at Mayor's. She waited at her home keeping the balcony open, she stood at door of academy thinking how he would try to meet her but he didn't show up. 

She was scared, again. 

Sighing deep, she pushed all the negative thoughts away. She couldn't afford to be like him when he was one authentic copy of himself. There couldn't be any shamming.  She couldn't give in to fears. 

Honk of bus brought her out of her thoughts and she smiled instinctively. People got off the bus one by one and Nandini's lips couldn't cease to stretch into a smile.  Her eyes caught glimpse of Harshad and she was sure Manik was just behind him. 

"Hey," Harshad said with a nervous smile while bus left the stop. 

"Where is Manik?" She asked being impatient. Harshad exhaled loudly trying to put it in safe way. He was hell afraid of Nandini. Manik had told tales of huntress Murthy. 

"He couldn't come," He answered and then saw Nandini's face turning into stone expression. She looked scary. 

"He wanted to. But Colonel Singh won't let him out. He is bearing penalty for breaking the rules and that means no coming out on weekends. There's nothing else," Harshad spoke in one go dreading what if Nandini dug his grave there only and he didn't get to complete what he had to, then Manik would not let his ghost rest in peace. Manik had certainly painted Nandini as one mad lady amid his friends. Well, that seemed to work as well. They won't think of wooing her ever. 

"You're lying," Nandini said after a long pause. 

"Uncle Singh won't restrict Manik," She couldn't buy how her Uncle Singh had turned up at wrong time in their little story. 

"I don't know what happened but...look...It's weird and please don't kill me for saying that but Colonel Singh has changed a lot these days," Harshad tried to vent out. He was waiting for someone to prick so that he could bitch about Colonel at length. 

Nandini saw Harshad making faces as if he was having hard time containing something. He looked funny to be honest. Nandini shook her head trying not to come up with something witty. 

"Manik gave this," He brought out a letter from his pocket and handed to Nandini. 

"And he said...I don't know what it means...But he said his aunt didn't call since a long time and he is worried, he said you could help," Harshad said breaking the words as if it was some tough verse. 

"I don't know how you can help but yes...that's what he wanted me to say," Harshad said nodding his head. Nandini couldn't understand how come Manik had such a stupid friend. He did sound sane when he was drunk that night. 

"Tell him...his aunt would call tonight," Nandini replied hiding a smile. 

"That was quick," Harshad chuckled only to earn a glare from Nandini. 

"I think I should get going. I need to buy stuff for Manik," He said sensing the situation. Nandini rolled her eyes as Harshad disappeared amid regular crowd. 

Looking around to find herself a place to sit so that she could read first love-letter of her life in peace, she tried to feel enthusiastic about it. Letter was neatly written, no wonder cadet was a topper. 

"Don't kill me"

Nandini widened her eyes as if flash of such horrendous opening had ached her eyes. Her teachers were all wrong when they said to start your letter with a salutation. 

"I am dying to see you, Nandini. I can't even tell."

She huffed, now it had turned into gust of emotions which had magically came out of that piece of paper. 

"Then what these two pages are about, cadet?" She mumbled before she prepared herself to read it without feeling like murdering the kitty-kat. 

"A lot happened after that night."

I swear," Nandini mumbled agreeing. 

"I just hope you are fine."

"Never felt this alright before," Nandini muttered. 

"And don't try to trespass, Colonel isn't in good mood."

"Already got to know, cadet," She answered. 

"Something terrible happened after that night when we...ummm...you know what we did."

Nandini shook her head not believing the guy, "Why would you start a sentence when you can't even talk about it."

"I heard Colonel saying to his wife he couldn't allow us meeting in academy any further. It was a shock to me. I never knew he knew that we met in academy." 

"It was common sense, cadet. You really thought we were invisible?" Nandini couldn't help but talk to herself. 

"I am barred from coming out of academy on weekends. I don't know for how long."

He was sad, Nandini could sense. 

"Oh lord!" She muttered under her breath.

"I am not," She added and read the next line.  

"Don't even think. I just said Colonel is in some seriously odd mood."

"Damn you, cadet," Nandini cursed knowing how well he knew her. 

"Just call me. I miss you."

Nandini stared at clause for God knew how long. 

"We cannot screw anything, Mrs Singh said. She said things are quite tensed between Colonel and your father."

"My father," Nandini knew that villain. 

Nandini read the rest of letter quietly as it was usual Manik stuff like preaching and lecturing over how She should not skip her seminar and must not go reckless. Nandini could kill the kitten for being such a nerd. 

Folding the paper in her hand, Nandini stared at busy street. Her heart was feeling this void she couldn't name. It was a joke that she joked about everything he wrote. She just was trying not to miss him any further. 

"You better find a way, Malhotra," She murmured before she walked to her jeep not knowing where to drive it. Home wasn't a home, it never was. His academy was a forbidden place. She was homeless.

____________

"What else?" Manik asked Harshad as he sat opposite him on his bed. 

"Nothing more. She looked angry, I just told you," Harshad explained for third time. 

"I mean...did she look fine?" Manik asked being totally a nut case. 

"She looked angry," Harshad stated not knowing where he was going wrong with the words. 

"She wasn't sad, right?" Manik asked playing his broken record. His face was impatient and his need to know was urgent. 

"I will punch you in face, Manik," Harshad warned gritting his teeth. 

"Okay...don't get angry," Manik said withdrawing. 

"I just needed to know if she was fine," He stated sadly as he got off Harshad's bed. 

Harshad could melt seeing that face. He knew that face. Manik was being pathetic in love again. 

"She was fine," He replied trying to console the poor lover. 

"Your aunt is on phone, Manik," A boy informed as he entered the dorm. 

Manik gaped him for a second or two before he ran out of dorm like there was a bomb inside. Cold flurries hit his warm flesh as he had forgotten to take the coat. His bathroom slippers didn't help his feet as he aimed for a gold medal. 

Banging the door of admin office, he earned a glare from on-duty officer. Muttering a halfhearted sorry, he entered the glass cabin just to pounce on receiver. 

His breathless wheezing touched Nandini's ears and she already felt like summer was there.

"Nandini," He called urgently and she bit her lip. 

"Cadet," She replied and he smiled shaking his head. Hearing her say this was life. 

"I missed you," He breathed telling her how much happy he was. 

Nandini chewed her lower lip trying her best to cop up with explosions her heart was witnessing. 

"Speak please," He said tapping his feet. 

"I wanna see you," She said feebly. There was no way she could have it less than that. 

"NOW," She demanded knowing he couldn't do much about it but still. 

He sighed failing to hold it himself. 

"I too want to see you," He stated lowly and Nandini threw the soft toy in her hand in farthest corner of her room. 

"Why would uncle Singh won't let you out?" She asked getting up. 

"I broke the rules," He answered. 

"Why won't he let me in?" She asked, her voice cracking a bit. 

"I don't know," Manik was restless as he tapped his ankles on floor. 

"Are you fine?" He asked. 

"I mean...did your parent say anything after that news thing?" He asked further. 

Nandini huffed as if telling how she was in no mood to talk about it. 

"They were pretty predictable. They did usual boring how-they-wanna-disown-me lectures," Nandini told trying to be very careless about it. 

"And you?" She asked opposite of her mind was saying. She was worried, her heart was an alibi. 

"I am alright," Manik replied carefully and watched officer from corner of his eye. Officer was looking at him suspiciously. Manik knew his face was a big give away. He turned his back on officer letting cord of receiver wrap around him. Silence talking a thousand words prevailed as they both didn't utter anything further. 

"You know..." She started but then stopped. 

"It's so cold here and I don't know what to do," She added not knowing how to word the anxiety. 

"And your personal heater isn't there," Manik murmured and Nandini groaned. 

"Why?" She asked tired, "Why it has to be like most twisted thing ever?"

"Maybe because...." Manik tried to answer but earned a grumble from Nandini. 

"Don't answer it, you bad bad kitten," She yelled. 

"How am I a bad kitten? What did I do?" Manik asked baffled. 

"I can't talk...No, No I think talking is a bad idea. I seriously don't wanna fight with you when I can't even come to hit you in head. No, We are not having this conversation," She said and waited. 

"What's wrong with you Nandini?" Manik asked yet again not understanding that she was going cranky. Little hellion was never good coping with cuffed hands. And here she was locked out with handcuffs on.  

He heard her groaning and then off hook tone indicating how she had hung up. Manik kept standing there forlorn hoping that she would call again. That was another thing he hadn't put the receiver back. 

"This is not done," He mumbled as he put the receiver down. 

Coming out he faced a suspicious on-duty officer. 

"You are the first guy here who talks that long with family," Officer sounded complainant. 

Manik gave him a sheepish smile and left for dorm. 

_____________________________________________

Driving back home, Nandini's jeep had its own mind again. It ended up taking her to his academy again. It was two days since she had talked to him over phone. It was late evening and dark was taking over. Nandini could literally feel it creeping in. It was getting difficult without him. She never knew cadet was that much of a must. She saw guard already making faces as she walked to the gate. 

"Madam, why don't you understand?" He said totally not wanting to have it all over again. 

"I don't get it," Nandini said shaking her head. 

"I worked here. Why I am not allowed to go inside? I am not barging in or something. I am asking so nicely," She added frustrated. 

"I told you no one can go inside after visiting hours. It's 7 in evening," He stated. 

Nandini mumbled some curses and hit the road just to hurt her toe. Honk of an army jeep broke series of her imprecations. She gave it a way but it stopped right beside her. Window rolled down and there appeared the simpering face of Lieutenant Kalra. 

"What happened, granddaughter of Brigadier?" He asked, aping the situation to the T. 

"No more wandering in the academy allowed?" He asked and laughed. 

Nandini glared him. It started drizzling again. Her flowy wisps started to settle down with mild downpour. 

"Want some inside news?" Kalra asked not leaving the opportunity to mock the brat. 

"Your little lover..." He started and then sniggered at Nandini. 

"He is having hell of a time. I didn't like this place this much in years. It's fun to have him under my club," He added. 

"Buzz off," Nandini yelled and started to walk towards her jeep. 

"And guess what..." Kalra yelled. 

"He isn't favored anymore. You know...no more mercy," He added and then chortled. 

Nandini's head was burning in flame which burnt the hell. She had to act before that mustached sadist runs away. She ran towards her jeep and started it. Taking a sharp turn, she invaded the newly made mud pit. Splash of it washed Kalra's face along with his jeep. Nandini smiled in satisfaction as she saw the scene from rear mirror. 

You can always have little revenge, even when life is being a total swine. 

_______________________

Manik walked inside dorm all drenched. His white T-shirt was now somewhere muddy. He crashed on his bed not caring about his precious tidy setting. Harshad threw a towel on him and Manik looked at him. His face could tell how he was not liking the recent developments. Manik was on evaluation desk. Colonel wasn't getting any milder on him. Nobody had seen Colonel Singh like that. Manik was put under aggressive training for two weeks. 

"It's just a matter of few days," Manik tried to reason Harshad's glare. 

"It's not matter of few days. It's matter of your rights," Harshad stated. 

"You need to ask Colonel why," He added. 

"We talked about this, right?" Manik wasn't in mood to go rounds all over again. Colonel loved him that was a fact. He had high hopes in him. And now when he had brought some swathe for academy, Colonel wanted to make sure his favorite cadet focuses on his training only. That was all. Manik was naive to believe it. He too knew deep inside that it was some personal battle too. 

_______________

"Your professor called," Nandini heard her father say. She halted and found him sitting on his giant chair. 

"He said you aren't paying much attention," He said and the put the newspaper down. He looked at Nandini and found her looking at window. She wasn't listening. 

"I had told you that I want you to give your best to this seminar. Renesh showed interest in taking you as intern in his London branch," Mr Murthy divulged and now he had Nandini's attention. She looked at him unsure. 

"I don't understand," She uttered and then chuckled not believing his father. 

"I had told you that I am not interested in business," She said as matter of fact. 

"You did," Mr Murthy was calm. He could't risk his daughter going a total rebel. He needed to make her agree. 

"It's just an internship, Nandini. Not everyone gets a chance to work with Renesh Samuels," He stated trying to reason the bull. Nandini took a deep breath trying to stay calm. 

"I am doing this seminar just because that pet of yours, that principal threatened me with grades and how he could hold my result if I don't cooperate. That is all about me tolerating this non-sense," Nandini cleared in one breath. Her voice had tinge of frustration. 

"If you haven't notice, I am standing here all drenched and I am so damn tired. I would not like to repeat things," She said and strode upstairs. Out of sudden, it felt so lonely to be this alone. Daadu and aunt Aparna was gone to visit her uncle's army school. There was some event which they needed to attend. 

Taking her vinyl jacket off, she fought to get rid of her soaked t-shirt. Throwing herself on her bed, she dived in it with expectation that it would embrace her. 

"Screw you Malhotra," She mumbled burying her face in mattress. She needed him. 

___________________________

Colonel Singh walked on red carpet along with his lovely wife and applaud didn't seem to cease. It was opening ceremony of town's first ever shopping complex. This small town had not seen the face of a mall before. Colonel Singh was the chief guest. He did the required and soon they all were gazing an utterly beautiful complex. 

Colonel Singh was accompanied by head of commerce association and that event had every big purse of town. Colonel's eyes found glimpse of Madhav Murthy and that's when he started to feel uncomfortable. He hadn't met him since that day. His brows twitched in discomfort and he tried to change his course. 

"And there Mr Murthy is," Head of commerce association did the honors and Colonel didn't know how to avoid the encounter. 

"I wonder how come Mr Murthy hadn't received his dear friend today," Head of commerce association said while Mr Murthy stared blankly at Colonel. 

"Things change, Mr Goyal," Mr Murthy spoke and atmosphere turned a bit denser. 

"Singh, I hope you are doing good," He mocked the stone face. 

"Absolutely, Madhav," Colonel said with a proud smile. 

Both didn't say anything for a while and that made Mr Goyal excuse himself. 

"How's your academy doing?" Mr Murthy asked scornfully. 

"Busy producing some great soldiers," Colonel replied broadening his chest. 

"I hope your guys aren't making headlines for wrong reasons anymore," Mr Murthy quipped and Colonel's face turned stiff. 

"I thought it's your daughter who made it there," Colonel replied bearing the grudge. 

Mr Murthy's simpering face turned paler as colonel again didn't hesitate to draw the swords out. 

"It's a shame that my daughter regarded you so high," Mr Murthy said taking the offence when he himself never cared for Nandini. 

"Anyway, my daughter is busy preparing for her internship in London. She is better off some people," He bragged just to get back at Colonel. 

"Good for you," Colonel said after a pause. This game was turning sordid. Once upon a time best chums were turning into enemies.  

"I am relieved in fact," Colonel added for some extra effect. Mr Murthy gaped his friend being participant of vile fest. 

Mrs Singh saw both of friends talking and smiled. She walked to them just to greet Mr Murthy. 

"How are you, Madhav?" She asked with a genuine smile. 

Mr Murthy's ached muscles turned softer as he looked at Sahiba. 

"I am fine. Thank you," He replied curtly. 

"Could you please excuse me?" He ended the prospect of any exchange of sweet words and walked away. 

Sahiba saw him going away and then at her husband who looked quite pained. 

"What was that?" She asked. 

"It was nothing," Colonel answered and walked towards herd of renowned people just to lose his thoughts. 

__________________________

Unedited*