There was an unquiet in morning as he walked to the stable. Bridling the horses as asked by his superior, he brought them out one by one. Looking at the administrative block, he took a pause for a minute or two. Horse whose rein was in his hand, Nuzzled in his face and he came out of his inertia. He walked to the fence and freed the horse there. Something was bothering him but he was way too stiff-necked to even think about it. 

"Manik"

He heard Major Thakur calling him. 

"Yes sir," he reached Major swiftly. 

"You can practice today. Colonel told me that you want to polish your riding skills," Major said with a smile.

Manik smiled slightly and thanked Major Thakur.

He took one of saddle horses and started doing the laps. He was not very fond of horse riding and maybe that's why he wanted to polish his skills. Hour passed in a jiffy it seemed as he noticed Sun had reached the mid sky. He noticed Lieutenant Singh in stands and thought of taking a break. He walked to stands and wished Lt Singh.

"You were good, Manik," Col complimented.

Manik smiled faintly and shook his head.

"I think I was not," He said.

"Why would you say so?" asked Colonel.

"I think I need to work on my riding skills. I still don't feel confident enough," Manik stated looking towards tracks.

"You are way too serious for your age, my son," Col patted his back and started walking downstairs.

"You have enough of time to learn all this," he added.

"Take a vacation. There are so many spectacular sites nearby. Make use of your giant bank balance," Col said looking at Manik.

Manik didn't respond but keep looking at tracks. 

"I feel academy is spectacular," he answered with a brief smile. 

"Your father would have been proud of you," Col said patting his shoulder.

Manik looked down for a second or two and then replied with a forced smile.

"He too would have wanted you to enjoy your life after a good academic year," Col added.

"I have a class and I can't abandon it," Manik said trying hard to divert the topic. 

"Class?" Col asked.

"Nandini. You asked me to train her," Manik reminded him, "besides, I love spending my vacations here."

"Oh yes! You reminded me about Nandini just at time. She won't be coming today," Col told.

"Why?" Manik asked almost panicking. 

Colonel who was looking at horses immediately looked at Manik.

"I mean, what happened out of sudden? She didn't even inform," Manik asked trying to reason colonel's amused gaze.

"Well, she didn't tell in particular. She just told me she won't be coming," Col elaborated. 

Manik's face got covered with an illegible emotion. His forehead formed fine lines as he seemed to wrangle something in his mind. 

"You alright, son?" asked Colonel.

"Yes, I am fine," Manik clarified coming out of his thoughts.

"I would take your leave then," said Colonel and walked away.

Manik kept standing there for a minute or two trying to come out of absurd melancholy. He told himself how it was a very good news and he could finally have one good evening. He walked down the stands making plans to spend sometime with his books in library. Boosting himself one final time, he adjusted the saddle of horse and rode it towards stable.

___________________________________________________________________

"I told you mom thousand times already," Nandini yelled at her mother, "I have no interest in attending your charity event. Besides I have to take Daadu to hospital."

"Keep your voice down, young lady. Your behavior recently have been nothing less than of hellion," said her mother.

Nandini sighed deeply and turned around after doing her hair in a messy bun. Plastering a utterly phony smile on her face, she said, "Dear mom, How many time I have to tell you that I am not very happy attending your charity events." she completed her sentence in utterly sugary tone and picked up her bag.

Nandini's mother shook her head in disbelief and stormed out of room.

"Daadu"

Nandini came downstairs calling out her grandpa.

"Why aren't you gone to academy today?" her grandpa asked as he walked out.

"Because it's your check up day," she told while kissing his cheek.

"No, I am not going for any checkup," he declared in his ever so authoritative tone.

"You cannot mess with it. You remember, you had promised me if I take my training seriously; you would take your health serious," she reminded.

"Alright. Alright. You and your mother always keep telling me things I don't want to do," he said and walked towards main door mumbling something under his breath.

Nandini smiled and collected his medical file from his room. 

_______________________________________________________________________

"So, tell me something about academy? Is it still the same as I left it," Daadu asked at driving Nandini.

"It is even boring," she uttered without paying much care.

"Nandini," Daadu warned her as she seemed to be okay with what she had said.

"I mean..it is same. What new it could produce?" she rectified and mumbled under her breath, "except for some more arrogant idiots."

"Aaahhh! I so miss being there," he exclaimed.

Nandini smiled seeing his wide smile.

"So, did you trouble Singh as I cannot imagine you doing something without fireworks," he asked raising his brow.

"Well..." she took a pause and looked at her grandpa with a mischief.

"You can tell me, daughter of devil," he said, "as my genes are responsible , not you."

Nandini laughed out loud.

"What is daughter of devil now? You just called dad devil," she said dramatically.

"No, I said myself father of devil," she said and both chuckled.

After a minute or two, he again asked, "blurt it out."

"Who is the poor soul whom you are troubling?" he added.

Nandini smiled a bit looking at road ahead and then uttered, "A certain Malhotra."

"A Malhotra! Hmmm, interesting," Daadu smirked.

"He is my trainer and a cadet at academy. Singh uncle likes him a little too much," she further told.

"So, you have made him cry or it is in progress?" he asked to which Nandini tittered. 

"He is one stiff-neck. A total khadoos," she muttered pulling the engine. 

"But you know me, I am gonna piss him off till he doesn't lose all his hair," she added undoing the seat belt.

Her grandpa laughed and get out of car.

______________________________

Manik spent all his day being a little extra starchy. He kept himself indulged in useless work. Or maybe it was better to say that he invented a series of useless tasks to rein his mind from wandering. 

"As she isn't coming, so I have entire evening to complete all of this," he mumbled while arranging his book shelf.

He neatly arranged his already arranged book shelf and stood admiring it for minutes.

"As I won't be going to shooting range today... as she isn't coming, so I can surely treat myself with a hot cup of coffee," he mumbled and smiled.

Walking out of dorm, he looked around to find a tranquil surrounding. He breathed the scent of it and then smiled. Unaware of facetious behavior of him, he kept adjusting his mind's ever so disturbed frequency with bliss of ignorance.

Sipping the coffee, he hummed in pleasure.

"Such a calm evening!" he exclaimed. 

"You alright, Manik?" asked the cook.

"I am more than alright, Kaka," he said with smile.

"You sound different today," cook said.

"There's nothing like that," Manik denied and then silently finished his coffee. 

He walked out of mess with a pensive face.

"What can be the reason that she didn't come?" he mumbled as he sat on bench in ground.

"Was I bit too rude?" he interrogated.

"But then she deserved it. She is pain in ass," he defended himself.

He sat there for minutes wrangling his own thoughts.

Walking back to dorm, it was already dark. He didn't feel like having dinner so he decided to go to bed early to end the awful day. He was tired trying not to think about her and why she didn't come. He tucked himself in bed and switched off the light.

______________________________________________

"That's the last time I am telling you that you are coming to estate with us," Nandini's mom declared after having a long argument with Nandini. 

Nandini sat down on her bed trying to calm her down. After minutes, she took her bag and walked downstairs to see her parents having breakfast. 

"Nandini, come here," she heard her father calling her.

She unwillingly walked to dining table. 

"How are you, Beta?" he asked as he gestured her to sit down.

"I am fine," Nandini answered briefly. 

"You didn't even meet me. Aren't you happy seeing your father after long 3 months?" he asked.

"There's nothing like that. I was tired so I went to bed early last night," she said and tended to get up.

"Sit down," her father asked sternly, "I am still not done."

Nandini sighed deep to compose herself.

"Your mother was telling that you don't want to come with us to estate," he asked.

Nandini's father had many tea estate in beautiful upper-hills. He had returned from a foreign trip after three months and he wanted to have a outing with his family and friends. His elite friends and their super phony families, Nandini was least interested to be part of that social drama.  

 "I am doing a part time job so I can't come," she stated.

"Job?" her father asked raising a brow.

She knew he was going to ridicule everything in no time so she wanted to end the conversation as soon as possible.

"I am learning shooting and doing some voluntary service at army academy," she told.

"How many time I have to tell you to stay away from army and that academy?" he yelled.

Nandini glared at him.

"If I being there make Daadu happy, I will do it," she shouted back, "You couldn't give him slightest of happiness. Now please don't ruin it when I am giving some."

She finished and stomped out of house.
___________________________

"Yes, that's the right angle," Manik mumbled in his sleep.

"But you can do better, Nandini," he mumbled again.

Turning on his stomach, he murmured, "Now, don't skip the class again."

Mumbling some illegible stuff further, he again turned on his back. His alarm again buzzed as he had set it twice. He shot up on bed and stretched his arm.

"Again late!  What have you done to me, Murthy?" He said with an irked face.

"You terrify me. Seems like again I had some nightmare," he picked up his cloths and left.
______________________
After having his breakfast, Manik left for admin office to meet Lt Singh. He was called by him.

"It was a good riddance, Manik. Now stop thinking if she would come or not," he wrangled with his own thoughts before turning towards Lt's office.

As soon as he looked ahead, he saw her coming towards him. She was not looking up and seemed a bit upset.
He realized he had been looking at her without blinking. He looked away and she passed by him without paying any heed. Manik being all amused looked back.

"Hello"

He called her out and then bit his tongue for doing that.
She looked back with no expression. Manik looked everywhere but not at her. She being already mad at her dad decided not to poke him back and turned around to walk.
Manik saw her going again and felt restless.

"Where the hell were you yesterday?" He shouted seeing her go.

"Not now, Manik, please," she told firmly without turning back and left.

Manik kept looking at her as she walked to her office. He couldn't understand what's wrong with her and moreover what was wrong with him. It should have been best time in long time as she wasn't bugging him but it was most weird time ever. He felt suffocated listening to his disputed thoughts.

"I need to gather this shit," he mumbled and walked towards ground.

_________________________

Nandini threw the bag on table and crashed in chair. Remembering the argument she had back at home, she picked up a glass of water and gulped it down.
"I don't wanna think about all this," she murmured and picked up the files from table.

Day passed in a jiffy and it was time for her shooting class. She picked up her bag and left for shooting range.
___________________________

"This doesn't suit you, Nandini," she said to herself while tying her hair, "divert your mind and stop thinking about your messy family."

She walked towards range and saw Manik practising.

"That's my entertainment package," she smiled a bit and walked towards him.

"My punishment had worked real well on you it seems," she said while wearing her headgear.

Manik looked at her and tried to figure out what was she up to.

"I missed screwing you, I swear," she added with a wink.

Manik's anger shot to the sky seeing her all cool and calm. He put the gun down and grabbed her hand which was setting the gun.

"What are you doing?" She asked as soon as she felt his grip over her wrist.

"Here I am a mess and you missed screwing me," he yelled and held her both wrists tightly.

Her eyes shot up to meet his eyes and she could see he was real angry.

"What's wrong with you, Manik?" She asked while struggling to get rid of his grip.

"I was just kidding," she added.

"This is not funny," he said instantly.
"You coming into my peaceful world like a storm is not funny. You leaving my life upside down is not funny. You messing around with my mind is not funny," he yelled pulling her closer.

"You disappearing like this is not funny," he said gritting his teeth.

Nandini winced in pain as he grip firmed a bit more.

"You are hurting me," she yelled back.

"And you are making me mad," he shouted again.

"You were gone. I should have been happy. Instead I was trying hard to be happy when I was feeling pathetic," he added.

"Have you gone nuts?" Nandini asked and freed her wrists from his grip.

"Why you didn't come yesterday?" He asked.

"It's none of your business," she said sternly.

"Really! Okay, then let's talk business," he said and handed her the gun.

Nandini looked at him perplexed.

"Take the shot and if it doesn't hit the board, get lost from here," he warned.

"Manik, you are being unreasonable. I don't know what has gotten into you but stop it now," she stated.

"Do what you are asked or else get out," he yelled again ignoring what she had said.

Nandini loaded the gun in anger and mumbled, "I wish I could put you instead of board."

She took a shot and luckily, it hit the outer circle of board.

She smirked and looked at Manik who was a bit lost somewhere.

"So how's it?" She asked putting gun down.

"Hmmm," he buzzed and looked away.

"What hmmm?" She asked coming closer.

"Next time you take a leave, inform me prior," he said and stepped back.

Nandini walked closer again and whispered in his ear, "Did you miss me, Cadet?"

Manik drew back and said immediately, "Are you mad? Instead I had such a good day when you were absent."

"So what was the mess you were talking about?" She asked stepping towards him.

"None of your business," he said and smirked.

"Oh, tit for tat," she quipped, "Not bad."

"You are a bad company, Murthy," he said, "Go away soon."
"Not that easily, Malhotra," she said and winked.

Manik looked away and she giggled.

Rest of the hour went quite unquiet as she teased the sanity out of him and he yelled sufficient.

Walking out of range, she disappeared towards exit and Manik walked towards dorm.

"Now head feels lite," she mumbled while putting seat belt.

Manik dropped the bag on bed and cleared his throat, "now lungs seem fine."

__________________________

"Not a problem, Murthy. We'll be there," Col Singh said and hung up the call.

"Mrs Singh, Madhav called. He has invited us to party in his estate," Col informed.

"Mr. Murthy and his famous parties," Mrs Singh shook her head.

"He is a friend. I can't refuse," Colonel said.

Mrs Singh chuckled and took the plates to kitchen.

"I was thinking... " Colonel said and followed her to kitchen.

____________________
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