"Open your eyes, Manik"

"Wake up, you need to leave this place"

Drill siren in background piercing his ears and a dim voice telling him to run away...
A splash of water touched his flesh and he opened his eyes.

"Listen, You need to leave this place as soon as possible"

A contour standing in front of him, shaking him vigorously...
Manik with great difficulty opened his swollen eyes to see Aryan standing in front of him.

________________________________

Drill siren...
Shrilling voice of it made Nandini come out of slumber she was sent to last night.
Collecting the thread of events, she got up to see an empty tent and two guards on duty just outside her tent.
"Manik," she mumbled.

Siren again blew and she realized it wasn't military drill but something else. She walked to the window and saw army marching in haste with their weapons.

Had something happened?
She guessed yes.

Army was getting ready for some sort of battle. They were dressed for war. Their March had tune of war.
She knew it was impossible to escape seeing amount of tight security outside. She took an overcoat from stand and started to loosen knot of one of flaps.
___________________________________

From dark to rainy dull, Manik saw weather already mourning for something. Aryan had left the doors open telling him he needed to escape before they kill him. Aryan stood at a distance from cell looking around. His face was pale. Manik was amazed seeing his spineless brother taking such big risk.
Siren again filled the atmosphere with warning. Manik looked at tower where a few troops stood holding their guns. Something was unusual. Did something happen when he was imprisoned?

"There's unrest in camp. Just use this opportunity to run as far as you can," Aryan said while handing Manik his overcoat.

Manik took the coat and asked, "why are you doing all this?"

Both looked at each other. Aryan was the first one to take away his gaze.

"Certainly not for you," he said and walked towards the camp.

Manik stood still for a minute and saw Aryan disappearing in heavy rain.

He looked behind at forest and then at camp.

"Timing is ironical, Brother," he murmured, "your help came when I don't want to leave."

A smile crept on his lips before he started walking towards camp.

__________________________________
Hiding her face in collar of coat, she started walking in rain. Her legs were shaking, she assumed it to be weakness. But She was feeling much better than before. Large tanks standing at side seemed to be idle for moment. They hardly had any soldier nearby. She took it as apt way to escape that heavily guarded territory.

An explosion, somewhere very near...
Nandini covered her ears and jammed to her place as ground beneath her did shake.

She saw smoke coming from forest. Activity around paced up even more and she saw troops running towards tanks. She ran faster to reach shed of trees.

Explosions, one after one...

Was it an overnight war?
But why and with whom?

An anxiety was building in her heart thinking about everything.
"Would he be fine?"
"What if they had harmed him?"
Questions were haunting her while her feet seemed to give up. She still needed rest.

Coming out of shed of trees, she saw a scenario which froze her to her place. She couldn't believe her eyes.

Refugee camp was burning in pieces. There was smoke and ashes as far as she could see standing uphill.

"Mother," she murmured seeing the disastrous sight, being all worried for her mother.
________________________________

Hiding himself in coat, Manik had been walking through military tents. He needed to see her. He hadn't been this eager since a long time. Every emotion which could drive him was barred by him. He was nothing more than a stone heart.

Did promise which he made to her was that important?
He shut the mind out by concentrating on hostile surroundings.

"It's mere need to see her. To see that she is fine"

He answered the query with utmost ruthlessness.

____________________________

"Ms. Murthy"

Nandini jammed to her place as soon she heard someone calling her name. She closed her eyes praying for a rescue.

"Nandini"

She could feel a familiar voice approaching her covering the distance between them.

She turned around to see Aryan reaching her.

"What are you doing here? It's not at all safe to roam around like this," he said.

She sighed in relief. Aryan for sure wasn't a threat. He could be easily manipulated at any time.

"I was just.... What has happened around, Aryan? I saw those burning tents and army on alert," she asked.

"Rioters are back," he replied.

He told her how rebellion citizens had attacked the army base and army in return burnt entire refugee camp assuming rioters to be one of them. A lot of people had lost their lives and rest had ran away to save their lives. Army was planning for an invasion. Every civilian was a suspect now.

She was shocked to discover what had happened while she was asleep. A panic struck her thinking about casualties and unrest.

"Do you know where my mother is?" She asked in worry.

"Last I heard was that she was with lieutenant. They are supposed to discuss something important," he told.

Important...
That rang a bell. Her mind was working faster than she could handle. She reminded herself it wasn't time to think about state but about Manik.

"Where is he?" She asked quickly.
"Who? " Aryan asked.

"Manik. That guy who brought me back," she elaborated.

Aryan's face showed some uncertain colors. He couldn't depict worry on her face for his brother.

"Well... " he laughed a bit while trying to digest the importance given to Manik and continued, "he must be lying behind the bars or maybe even dead. Who knows? "

Nandini's eyes reflected emotions from horror to ire.

"Then go and find out. I want to know where he is?" She snapped.

"And I swear if any of you have harmed him, I will make sure this bloody army pays off," she added.

Aryan looked at her, dumbstruck. He couldn't apprehend what side it was of her.

"What that worthless piece of junk had done to earn that concern? " He blurted out without even realizing his rights.

It was beyond his understanding how and why anyone in this world could even care about a person like Manik.

Nandini looked around before his ire-generating words hit her.

"Don't you dare," she said raising her finger, "your services are no longer required. Leave from here right now."

Aryan stood there numb as she walked past him towards the place he had left Manik.

"He ran away," he yelled to make Nandini jammed.

"He broke the cell and escaped," he added with utmost venom.

Nandini turned around with a little shock in her eyes.

"It can't be. He can't," she murmured as Aryan strode towards her.

"Yes, he did. What you had expected from a shit head like him? He never cared for a single soul on this earth. He is a cold hearted moron who lives for himself and can only bring trouble to people," he spewed.

Nandini didn't realize when her hand raised to slap him. She slapped him hard.

"Shut up," she shouted..

____________________________

Manik was standing frozen as he saw camp burning in front of him. Anger had built with each tent his eyes had seen. He walked inside to discover burnt bodies and ashes. Half burnt dead bodies and smell of gunpowder, His hand had turned into a fist as he looked back at military camp and those tanks. He could make out what had happened there.

A small girl lying dead on ground...
He got reminded of his little sister. Terror struck and he ran back towards house. With each meter he crossed, his heartbeat was dipping seeing everything he knew turned into ashes.

He saw wooden house, where she lived, standing alright. He ran even faster and broke the door flat. She shouted listening to sound of it. There he saw her sitting in corner all afraid. She was fine. He breathed in relief.

Aashi came running to hug him tight.

"You alright?" Manik asked.

"You are alright," she said in low tone.

"Did they hurt you?" He asked.

"No. We live in their colony. They didn't come this way. Rioters burnt a few cottages but army didn't let them reach here. Aryan too made sure I am safe. But I cannot tell how happy I am to see you fine," she said slightly touching his wounds.

He hugged her tighter and dragged her outside.

They heard uproar and cries. Gunshots and crying people...

"They are back. Now again one cruel encounter," Aashi said being all afraid.

Manik started to run towards army base holding Aashi's hand.

"Manik, this is wrong way. We need to get away," she uttered.

Manik kept running without paying any heed to Aashi's words. He needed to see Nandini. He didn't know why those words he said to her were so important. He knew he shouldn't go there. But he just couldn't let go of her thoughts. He needed to see her. He needed to know if she was fine. He needed her to feel that he was there when she opened her eyes. Whys could wait.

As soon as they entered the territory, they saw a blood shed. Rioters and army was going head to head.

"Manik, Manik, no. We should not go there," she said pulling Manik backward.

Manik held her closer and started to walk in.

____________________________________

There was silence since she had slapped Aryan. They were walking down the hill towards nowhere. She didn't know where to find Manik and he wasn't going to tell. His wounded ego was making him repent his decision to help Manik. He wanted Manik to disappear and never show up. He hadn't received a bit of consideration from Nandini ever. And there, she had slapped him for Manik.

On the other hand, Nandini was traumatized listening what Aryan had said. She did feel he knew Manik. There was so much of unreasonable venom in his words. She wanted to preserve what wasn't hers. She knew even if Manik had left, it wasn't going to be something which she should hold against him. He needed to leave to save himself. He had right. He was not supposed to be there for her. He was no one to do that.

She put her wet strands behind her ear and looked ahead to witness same riot.

_________________________________

Aryan held her hand as she didn't seem to care about scene in front of her. She got rid of his grip and started to walk again.

"Are you mad?" He yelled at her and held her from shoulders making her face him.

Nandini shot ire-filled glares at him and snapped back saying, "Leave my hand."

"Can't you see a blood pool in front of you? They will chop you in pieces," he warned.

His words didn't scare her a bit and she struggled to get rid of his clasp.
"Why that worm is so important?" He spewed.

Nandini looked at him with utmost disgust and said, "He is far better than a bootlicker like you."

Aryan tightened his grip around her forearms.

"Leave me. You are hurting me," she yelled.

"And what about me and my hurt?" He uttered, "he can never be more than me. Entire life, it had been about him."

Nandini looked at him all perplexed.

"What's wrong with you?" She asked in utter disbelief.

He collected her near his chest and said, "You are not going there, Nandini. Not after what your father did and this mob had gone crazy, they would kill you."

"My father...
She murmured listening to him

I don't believe you anymore."

She bit his hand with teeth and escaped his clasp.

She ran towards riot place. Frustrated Aryan followed her. She cut through crying crowd. Black smoke had imprinted on her wet cheeks as she crossed by a huge fire. Right before an explosion occurred in front of her, she was pulled back by Aryan.

She kept looking though fire and once it settled down a bit, she saw Manik.
She saw him standing all terrified and relieved at same time. He did stand by his words.

He came.