Manik crashed in his bed with a thump as he saw Nandini entering the room with apparent ire on her face. He was panting hard, his face was sweaty, he was a mess. 

"Glad you are here, Nandini," Doctor exclaimed in relief. 

"Never leave this man alone. He is a beast," He added with a taunt while Manik paid no heed to his words. His eyes were glued to her as she heard Doctor. 

"I am sorry, Doctor," She apologized while he just left the room telling her Manik would doze off any minute owing to sedative dose. 

She closed the doors and then looked at his relieved face. He was at peace. His eyes were constantly trying to read her face. 

"Did you cry a lot?" He asked in a meek voice. 

She didn't answer but kept scaling his face with her eyes. 

"You had left me to that only," She answered after a long pause. Her voice heavy, tears ready. 

He furrowed his eyes due to pain as he tried to move a bit. 

"Still you won't understand, right?" She asked bewildered. Walking to him, she paused a few inches away.

"You look tired," He said, his hands trying to reach her face. 

"You have no idea," She murmured as tears made their way out. 

His hand made its way to meet her trembling skin. She closed her eyes letting more tears out. She heard him sigh and she wiped those tears away. 

"I hate it," She said as she gaped his confused face. 

"I hate to be in this place," Her voice darker than ever, maybe coming from a deep dark valley. 

His hand traced tear lines on her face while she let that warmth sink in. There was no way she could let the elation subside. She was at peace in middle of storm. It was hard to make a difference. His mouth was a little open, maybe he was finding the right words but she knew he was bad with them. 

"What would you do if I walk out now and never come back?" She asked in low angry tone. 

He looked baffled. 

"What's wrong Nandi...," He finally spoke but she cut him in middle. 

"What if I send you to sleep and then don't be there when you wake up?" She questioned a bit loud yet so meek. 

He looked horrified. He couldn't get what was wrong. 

"You won't," He answered refusing to give thought a chance. His voice fierce yet cold. 

She chuckled sadly. 

"Yes, I won't," She agreed wiping some more escaped tears. He sighed aloud. 

"What's wrong?" He asked again trying to get up and then failing miserably. 

"Don't you dare, Manik," She roared getting up and pushing his shoulders back to bed. 

"Don't you dare," She warned while he blinked his eyes unable to get what's wrong with her. 

"Try moving from here and see what would I do," She added furiously. His face turned angry all of sudden leaving side of confusion. 

Pulling her towards him, he gripped her waist with his spare hand as one was tied to bed. Doctor had forgotten to untie that before leaving. 

Her front grinding against his chest as she struggled to get out of that clasp. 

"Tell me what it is?" He asked furiously. 

"Leave me, Manik," She spat incensely. 

"Tell me," He demanded pulling her even closer. His eyes were red and heavy. He was supposed to sleep, Nandini worried. 

"Sleep, it's nothing" She murmured on his lips as his eyes tugged them. 

Her voice soft and concerned. From where that transition appeared, she was the source. His eyes mellowed listening to her sweet command. 

"What if I open my eyes and you are gone," He asked innocently. She was the ringmaster. 

"I won't," She assured caressing his cheek a little. His stubble brushed her fingers making them burn a little. He tugged her more while his eyes tried to close. She rested her head in his neck trying to avoid every pool of emotion. She could drench him but she didn't know if it was going to be mild or fierce. All she knew that time was he needed rest. 

His lips groped her forehead for a hard kiss and she let more tears escape. 

"Sleep," She murmured again caressing corner of his shoulder. His arms had roughly encircled her waist. She had to pull her legs up, lying beside him. He wasn't going to let her go. She had put a spell on him or what. She slid down a bit as she felt his grip loosening. Keeping her head on his shoulder, she closed her eyes. 

"I won't ever do that, Manik" She whispered a promise. He was asleep as she felt his breaths getting even. His grip around her petite figure was still firm. She had no other abode so she didn't even protest. 

____________________

Drizzling.

It was raining mildly. People in camp were gathered to welcome the heroes. As the big truck made its way towards center of big ground, everyone walked to huddle it. Umbrellas up, faces down, tears dwelling; they were home. Chief climbed down the truck with an ached face. Container opened and two wounded men walked out. Young lads of camp rushed to them. 

"Nandini, they are here," Aashi informed Nandini. Nandini raised her head from Manik's chest to see an urgent Aashi standing at door. Nandini got out of his grip, he was in deep slumber. She rushed out of room with Aashi. 

Breathing uneven she reached the place where everyone was. A lady offered Nandini her umbrella as she stepped out in rain. Nandini denied shaking her head. She saw those two standing there with grief on their faces. The same two who had helped her getting away. Those two who had refused to leave their buddies behind. She gulped hard. Her legs trembling as she took each step towards them. People were carrying the dead wrapping in blankets. Her chin wobbled seeing the visuals. Salted water touched her lips, it was raining hurt. She reached the center and one of them saw her. A sudden relief engulfed those eyes, he was relieved seeing her fine. She felt this urge to go to him and console him. 

"We are home," That man said with a broken smile and Nandini lost it. She cried aloud unable to hold her ground. She was engulfed in a side hug as she lost the last string she was holding on to. Aashi was there standing next to her giving her strength to see off those who had given their everything. She looked around only to find everyone in almost similar agony. 

"I am sorry," She murmured to man standing next to her. 

"Don't be. It's not your fault," He said instantly. 

"They were warriors and believe me they are happy dying such graceful death," He said with pride. Salt diluted in water more as they headed to bid them goodbyes. 

Wet clay unable to hold itself was waiting to engulf them.

"Come here," Man with wounded leg called Nandini as she stood a little far. She didn't have the courage to accept the ugly truth. It hurt bad seeing them dead who were alive just a few hours back. They were Manik's gang as she called them. They were with her vowing to protect her when they hardly knew her. She walked weekly towards the tomb as one of them rested there. She stood next to men with wounded leg. 

"Bid them goodbye," He said holding her hand. 

"I am sorry," She murmured again unable to hold the feeling. 

"It's not your fault," He repeated the same sentence as other one.

Filling her hand with handful of soil, he asked her to repeat what he did. 

"Watch them going. It's easier to sleep at night like that," He said with tinge of nothing. They were stoned souls, God knows how deep they were cut and for how many times. 

Nandini let the soil slip her hand as she paid the last tribute to those men who didn't return. Sky heavy, eyes raining; rest in peace fellas. 

Requiem was quiet, dull and drenched. She saw the departed ones mixing in clay and that dug a hole in her heart. She didn't know if it would ever heal or not. 

___________________

Nandini wiped the side of his lip as he on purpose spilled a little. Soup, that's what Doctor had asked to feed him. Manik was comfortably leaning on soft cushion and she sat in front of him. Not a single word spoken, maybe he now knew she was very much upset. Upset wasn't the right word, she was terrified. She didn't think if she could ever smile or even feel alright. A lot happened. She had almost lost him. They had lost men. Horror never looked this scary. 

She huffed aloud as he repeated the spilling act again. She was tired and he didn't care. Stubborn man was busy bringing curves on her face, didn't matter to him if they were frowns or ire. His eyes never leaving her face, Nandini was drained. Bowl got emptied and she thanked him silently. She got up to leave and he held her wrist. She was expecting that. 

"Why are you so mad?" He asked lowly. 

"Ask yourself," She replied coldly wiggling under his grip. Her wrist could get rashes the way his grip hardened. 

Little tug of war as she resisted his pull and he didn't give up. She sat on bed still looking away. Her back facing him, she wasn't going to melt this time. Maybe being stubborn was her only choice. 

His hands wrapping her belly as he pulled her closer. His face so close to her ear that she could hear him breathing heat which would melt her down in no second. Another wood crackled in fireplace as a wet piece caught the fire, they both tried to absorb the heat. 

"What is there I can do?" He asked planting a tender kiss on curve of her neck. Another one and she could feel warmth in her heart trying to make her feel alright. 

"You can do nothing, Manik," She answered lowly as a tear dropped. 

"Tell me and I would do," He said intimately leaving another kiss on her aching skin. Right in back of her ear, his lips touched and she held his hands tightly over her belly. 

"You won't," She denied the assuring heat. 

"Try me," He dared, kissing her cheek tightly. 

"You would not, Manik," She opposed the assurance he was putting in. She agreed words were not sufficient and his actions had already left her trembling.  

His finger traveled to her chin from other side and jerked her face to face him. She now could look at his face, he looked recherche. She could still read a bit. He was going to shush her up in no second. She could see him coming. His hand lingering on her neck as they stared into each other's eyes. 

"Tell me and I would do it," He said refusing to take his eyes off. 

"Never love me too deep," She mumbled, tears clouding her vision. He looked like an abstract from cascade. 

His hand tugged her neck gently as he waited for her to say further. 

"Never love me enough that you leave," She demanded breaking into pieces. Wasn't she expecting a little too much? She wanted to have it. 

"Never love me so much that you never come back," She added scorching. 

"Never love me that much...that I sit in a room and you walk in with a bullet in your flesh," She demanded fiercely, her nails digging his flesh, eyes unable to see a thing. 

"Never love..." She started to speak but words got pushed back as he sealed her lips with his. His hand tugging her hair tightly, his lips caging every word inside. Tears flowed endlessly, sliding down his cheek as there was no gap. Her sobs getting lost in his warm mouth, her heartbeats synchronizing with his, she was truly melted. 

Everything was null; he, she and everything. Nothing existed for those minutes which felt like null. She guessed she didn't count, she felt nothing mattered. His lips left hers in a jiffy only to grope her salty cheek roughly. 

"Anything else?" He asked whispering on her soaked lips. It was amazing to her how he could sound in control when he left her in spinning. 

She couldn't open her eyes. She couldn't say a thing when she opened her eyes to see unmoved him. Did this man understand a thing what she said? But any of that even mattered? Yes, it did. If they were going to be like this, there would be some amendments. He had to learn not to die or even try. 

"You didn't listen a word, right?" She asked with unconvincing ire. 

"I did," He asked instantly trying not to make her mad. 

"And what did you do about that?" She asked totally calling upon herself. 

"I promised whatever you asked," He answered sweetly. 

"That was a promise?" She asked innocently. 

"Yes," He answered briefly. 

"That's not how I am going to believe," She refused to fall in his fluffy trap. 

He looked amused, then thoughtful and then simply okay. 

"Work upon it, prove me you won't ever pull this on me again, You would never ever leave me alone even if it is for me," She demanded seeing him all casual about her urgency. 

He smiled sweetly, bringing the same flavor on her lips. 

"Just tell me what to do," He promised crashing in his fluffy cushion taking her along. 

"You know I am bad with it," He showed his incapability. She could feel his heartbeats against her back and they sounded content. She smiled, then frowned. Why he had to be so difficult? She wasn't going to tell him how. He should know it. But then didn't he just close the deal? She frowned difficultly because smile wasn't vacating the spot. 

"It's going to be very difficult," She spurted trying to mark her annoyance. 

"No problem," He replied with ease. 

She closed her eyes loosing herself a bit in his arms. She couldn't believe it was done and over. She corrected herself it wasn't over. She was going to make it very difficult.

_____________________

It was two day since he had made her that promise. She still couldn't figure out what she was going to make him do. She arranged the shelf in her dorm with her books and other stuff she had brought from her home. It was noon and Manik was asleep in dispensary, it was still a day till he gets discharged. His wound was healing fine. Though doctor had have enough of him and couldn't wait to kick him out. Nandini chuckled at thought. 

"Hello beautiful," Aashi chirped as she entered the dorm. 

"Look who is here," Nandini replied looking at happy girl. 

"I am always around, it's just you don't have time for me," She said as she settled in cozy bed. 

"Says who," Nandini taunted. 

"So what's up?" Nandini asked as she sat next to Aashi. 

"What's up?" She asked shrugging her shoulders. 

"You and Harshad," Nandini hinted with a knowing smile. 

"I and Harshad?" Aashi asked unaffected. 

"I heard he showed you around," Nandini revealed the supporting piece of information. 

"Yeah, he did," Aashi accepted trying to hide her elation. 

"I mean meanest guy is sweet to someone. Sounds good,"Nandini teased further. 

"Hey, he isn't that mean," Aashi defended and Nandini chuckled. 

Leaving the topic pending for another time, Nandini got up to resume her work. 

"He told we might be leaving the building soon," Aashi revealed with a tinge of worry. Nandini looked back at her confused. 

"Why?" She asked. 

"He said we can't stay at one place for long, it's not safe," Aashi answered. Nandini nodded trying to get the point but discomfort had made a come back. The feeling to leave that place was horrifying. She had finally started to feel home. 

Aashi engulfed her into a hug from behind and Nandini smiled. 

"We are together in this, you know that, right?" She asked.

"Yes, I do," Nandini answered holding her arms. 

Both smiled in content. 

________________________

Unedited*