Next two days were about medicines, resting and getting bored. Well, no one asked her to get out in rain so she was bearing the consequences. She laughed at the thought how in her world, it was crazy to get drenched in rain and people can actually make a fuzz about it.

Her mother and her endless instruction on what to do and what not, getting scolded on stepping out, being kept under indirect surveillance; oh well! She knew why Aryan was with her.

"Commandos found some suspicious movements in camp last night," Aryan told her. Nandini had managed to make him utter a few details about the business here in these days. 

"Is it?" She replied showing utmost interest.

He walked to her and sat beside her. "Deputy suspects some refugees to be involved only," He uttered trying to look all equipped.

Nandini pressed her lips trying hard to control her laughter at what her mind just had processed. Aryan's trying to be smart attitude and he being total braggy about it, she couldn't help but laugh.

"People here are thankless. You see, lieutenant has helped us in this hour of need. Especially when our own minister is nowhere to be found," He uttered carelessly and next moment he knew what he had said.

Nandini's smile dropped listening to mention of her father. Aryan realized and said, "I am sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay," Nandini faked a smile.
She walked to the window and thought how Aryan didn't say anything untrue. Her father had indeed left people of this town when they needed him the most. All this army there, she didn't know why they were there after those riots. She didn't know why her father was not in charge anymore. She didn't know anything. She sighed in frustration.

"You want to go out," Asked a guilty Aryan. Nandini turned around and nodded in yes.

After two boring days, she was going to get to some fresh air to breathe. All tucked in overcoat, she squeezed inside even more as soon as freezing wind crossed her air.

"Where are we going?" she asked.

"Somewhere you haven't been," Aryan asked with a smile.
She smiled back. In all these days, for the first time she smiled genuinely to him.
___________

They walked down some slippery ways. Nandini looked at the snow capped mountains as they walked out of dense valley.

"Beautiful!" she exclaimed.

She saw an under construction colony in front of her as they started to walk down the hill.

"What is this place?" She asked Aryan.

"This is where I live," He said, "These are to be quarters of officers."

Nandini looked at the laborers working there. They were for sure refugees, working hard for their bread and butter.

They walked by that long lane and reached a shack.

"This is where I live," He opened a gate.

"It's not much furnished but once this colony gets constructed, I am promised to be given a quarter," He bragged yet again.

Nandini was least interested in his anything now. She certainly didn't want to be at such place and with someone who was licking to those army officers for some perks.

"I think I would get some fresh air around," She tried to excuse herself.

"Hey," She heard a voice, a female voice.

She looked around to find same girl whom she had seen with Manik. The girl smiled so warmly at Nandini.
Aryan glared her as she walked to Nandini. He looked unhappy about the meeting.

The girl looked perplexed as she noticed Aryan's displeasure.
Nandini wished a hello to her before Aryan could put poor girl in grind.

"I am Nandini," She offered her hand.

Girl's smile was back. She said, "Who doesn't know you? You are the prettiest girl in town. I never missed annual day just to see beautiful daughter of minister."

Nandini was elated to meet someone that spirited.

"Would you slow down, Aashi?" Aryan interrupted.

Aryan yet again shot some glares to her and said,"I am so sorry, Miss Murthy. She is a little Blabber mouth."

Girl lowered her gaze as she listened Aryan saying that.

"She is adorable," Nandini immediately uttered.

"By the way, I haven't been introduced to lovely lady yet," She added.

"She is my little sister," Aryan told with utmost disinterest.

Nandini was surprised. Aryan had a sister who was with the bandanna boy the other day.

"I saw you the other day with..." she stopped realizing what she was going to blurt.
------------
"Hot Mocha, delicious fries and pine fragrance around; it's been an hour I guess I have been talking to Aashi. She is such a sweet girl, almost of my age. We gelled up so well that I didn't mind Aryan leaving us all alone while he goes take a round at site."
--------

"So you two are on your own here at this site in this ghost house," Nandini asked.

Aashi chucked and said," for now yes, Manik....."

She left it uncompleted as if she wasn't supposed to talk about it.

"Manik? Manik...who?" Nandini immediately inquired.

'It's nothing. Nothing at all. Let me refill fries," she literally ran away.
Nandini curled her lips thinking about their conversation which came to a halt on that one name.

"Pretty lady, I think we shall leave. It's getting late," Aryan said as he entered the room.

Nandini took Aashi's leave not before promising her a visit.

_________

On their way back home, Aryan tried to boss around a few workers and then looked at Nandini thinking she would like it. Nandini murmured under her breath, "Pet."

"So the pet and the princess are on patrol," a familiar voice drew Nandini's attention.

She looked past Aryan and saw the bandanna boy standing there in his dirty shoes.
"Shut your filthy mouth, Manik," Aryan warned him.

Manik laughed a bit shaking his head. He looked at Nandini as next instance.
Nandini tried to match the cold as she looked into his eyes.

"So what shall I say? Let me think," He pretended to think by putting finger on his chin.

"The Highness has stepped down the tower to look around and you are as always licking around," Manik said looking at Aryan.

Aryan clutched his fist and raised his hand to punch Manik.

Manik looked at him furiously and Aryan flinched away. Manik looked at Nandini just to find her fuming in anger.

"You, the mannequin, put down your fist," Manik told Aryan, "As Princess shall not know you don't have any bone in body to actually do something. "

"You," Aryan again raised his finger but Nandini walked past him and stood between him and Manik. She looked direct in his eyes.

"One more time call me Highness or princess and I will break your jaw," she warned Manik.

Manik looked deep into her eyes, which were spewing fire, and kept that stone face intact.

"And what If I again call you Highness," He asked intensely.

Nandini grabbed his vest in her fist and said, "You heard me. I Will break your jaw." None of them broke the eye contact.

"Then why you didn't till now? What are you waiting for, ....Your Highness?" He said instigating her.

Nandini felt a tornado building in her chest. She was beyond angry at the mocking he had been throwing at her. That angry, that she didn't know how to act upon it. She dug her thumb nails in his chest as she clutched his vest tighter.

"Tch, Tch...Highness is angry, " He mocked, "I am so scared."

Nandini kept looking at his smile which she wanted to wipe away so badly. Slowly loosening the grip, she took a step back trying to compose herself. She looked back at him only to catch his careless smirk and before she could even let her brain register the rage, her fist brushed across his jaw and she felt like heat flowing down her feet.

She had punched him.

Her hands went through her hair in anxiety as she realized what she had done. He didn't turn his face up. She being all fidgety said,"Don't ever call me with that word again."

He looked up. His lip was bleeding. He still looked as offensive with his eyes; No regret, no reaction except for that cold gaze. Nandini's heart contracted painfully at the sight of his bleeding lip. She quickly left the place and started walking rapidly.
She heard Aryan warning Manik that how he would see him later.

She walked, walked and walked till her feet felt eased from that heat. She bent down and held her knees. It was almost dark. She looked around to find herself nowhere.

What was this place? She tried to collect where she was. It was dence forest with no sign of familiarity.

Where was Aryan? She looked around. She realized she had been walking so quickly that she herself hadn't any clue where the hell she was.

Scary sounds; leafs under her feet, night insects murmuring, and what not; She was scared.

She walked in one direction and then other just to struggle with situation more.

She yelled Aryan's name so many times. No one responded.

It was total dark till then. She slowly walked on one muddy way and slipped. She cried in pain as her elbow hit the ground. Tears finally made a way down those rosy cheeks which were pale by then.

'Such a fool I am. Why I was so fumed that I didn't even realize where I have walked. Mother is right. I shouldn't come out like this."

She mumbled numerous regrets under her breath as night reached its full glory.
Losing voices, lost ways and slowed down pace; murmurs were silent as darkness consumed all.

"Go away. I want to sleep," She murmured as sunshine disturbed her sleep.

She opened her eyes and saw usual site, window of her tent. She again closed her eyes with an intention to sleep. And last night rolled down like a film. She jumped out of bed and realized she was at her tent.

"How I came back?" She whispered.
Last she remembered was she falling asleep under a tree. She assumed that Aryan must have brought her home or maybe Mother, before she saw a bandanna around her injured elbow.

"He brought me home," she fumbled with words as she gulped the fact.
She ran out to ask mother about it. And she heard some arguments.
Her mother sitting with deputy, she slightly pulled aside the curtain to see.
What she heard next was enough to make her forget what she was supposed to ask.

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