Her feet started to move without even her knowledge, pull was such firm that fears couldn't hold her back. Nandini could feel her heart thumping so loud that no gunshot could could scare her. That contour was much clearer now as dawn washed the night.

It was him.

He halted as soon as he saw Nandini walking towards him. His lips parted a bit as if finally had let those lungs have some air. His eyes struggled hard to make out if she was a dream or reality. He had walked day and night to see that one face, and now when she was there standing in front of his eyes, it was just too risky to lose that sight with slightest of movement.

"Manik," She murmured before started to run towards him. And that worked as trigger to his jammed legs. He covered the distance between them in few strides. A faint sob was the last thing before he grabbed her in arms in a clutch which could spin her entire world. She finally had his arms around her. He swept her off floor and she held his shoulders as tight as she could. Her cries mingled with his heavy breaths as they both tried to believe how they were in each other's embrace. It was make- believe moment. She kissed his temple numerous times whereas his rugged breathing tried to tell his part.

"You came," She murmured and he quivered. Those tremors traveled down her body as they both grasped every inch of each other. Her tears soaked side of neck and he smiled. He was finally able to believe how she was there. His smile broke loose the moist of his eyes as he kissed her throat while hugging her tight. Her feet had started to go numb as his clasp tightened around her waist.

"You came," She mumbled again as if making herself believe and he parted only to hold her teary face in palms. He gazed her face before kissing those tears in cruelest possible way. Her skin ached as his rough lips bruised her tender tissues. She couldn't believe how that worked as an evidence of their union.

"How couldn't I?" He answered and she held his palm to bring it to her lips. Her quivering lips touched his palm and he couldn't fathom how he had found her. He couldn't believe how she was standing in front of him.

"We need to hurry," Aryan yelled as he took a shot on some soldiers hiding behind a pillar.
Those two couldn't hear the words when they were communicating so much with that silence. Their overwhelmed breaths and trembling hands were enough to tell how it was almost impossible to endure the moment without being this vulnerable.

"I thought I lost you," She murmured as her feet moved to attain a place where her each inch touched his.
He grabbed her in jiffy to engulf in an urgent knot of arms.

"I am sorry that I couldn't protect you," He said in a low quivering voice and she struggled to part. He didn't move an inch making her more vulnerable.

"Hurry up," Aryan yelled as he wheeled Mr Murthy past them. Nandini looked at her father and realized in what place they were. She ran to Aryan to take back her father's chair. Her heart immediately ached to see Manik and she turned around. His face had this storm of emotions as he gazed her ardently. He again strode towards her to hold her in arms and she didn't even protest. Need of being in each other's warmth was so strong that their instincts were weakening. Moment was cruel.
__________________
Entire castle was on alarm and it throbbed like one painful vein. Aryan's one gunshot had woken up a invincible storm.

"CLOSE THE DOORS," Some uniformed man yelled and those giant gates started to shut one by one.
There was no way anyone could get away from that place.
Nandini ran to meet pace of Manik and Aryan. Her father lost balance in haste and slipped out of chair. She shirked and rushed to gather him. Doctor had put him on sleeping pill to make Nandini's escape easier. He still wasn't in position to take that much thrill.

Manik and Aryan looked at her. Manik stiffened for a moment as he saw her struggling to gather her father. Next he strode towards them and lifted Mr Murthy to put in on his shoulder. He held her wrist with his spare hand and started to run. Nandini looked around and saw lights of castle switching on one by one.

"We cannot make it," She spoke and Aryan looked back at her.

"They would catch us," She uttered further and Manik's grip around her wrist tightened brutally. She hissed but that couldn't nudge Manik. He was just running holding her hand without paying heed to intensifying activity in area.

"Listen," She yelled with a pull. Manik had to stop and look at her. Her face was filled with terror.

"I cannot lose you again," She declared and opened the chair of her father.

"What are you doing?" Aryan asked and she looked at him decisively.

"We need to go back," She said and Manik's stance stiffened. Nandini could sense it without even looking at him.

"Nobody knows what that gunshot was about," She blabbered looking around, "Not yet."

"I need to return so that this drill doesn't turn into a war," She said while reaching Manik. She put her hand over her father as if asking him to agree. He was looking at her with this disapproval written all over his face.

"We cannot escape like this, Manik," She said as she touched his face.

"They will catch us in no time and I cannot even think what would happen after that," She stated her fear looking into his eyes. His each muscle was taut with the agony.
He put Mr Murthy on wheel chair and grabbed her from shoulder to a level where her lips were just an inch away from his. His breaths fanned her nose telling about his turmoil.
"I am not letting you slip out of my sight for a second," He declared looking into her big eyes. She immediately felt like melting in his arms. She didn't want to be away at all.
"She is right, Manik. Those guards must have seen those dead bodies till now and we cannot escape like this," Aryan tried to reason Manik.

"If we stay now, I can work out something," He assured and Manik looked away. His eyes told how he still didn't consider Aryan.

"We won't be away," Nandini pleaded as her arms slid into his neck. His grip on her waist tightened harshly as if he was fighting an inner battle.
_____________________
Doctor walked in lobby trying to look calmer than ever. Soldiers were collecting the corpses of their companions. He couldn't find if Nandini had escaped successfully. He knew chances were highly odd. That gunshot had sealed the doors for her. He just wished he finds them before dictator gets to know that they were the one who tried to breach the security.
Nandini, her father and Manik hid in a room in farthest corner of that building. It looked like some storeroom. Aryan was peeping out of room. Nandini looked at Manik who was standing beside her looking out of window. He looked at her as if had heard her call.

"What's wrong?" He asked as soon as he saw her scared face. Nandini didn't answer but noticed how his face had this abundance of blue and red. He was bruised badly. She could see him in broad daylight and sight wasn't much pleasing.

"I will go out and see if coast is clear," Aryan said as he walked out of room.

Manik was alert than ever as he tried to hear each minute noise. Nandini was still looking at him. His face had turned a bit colder. His expressions were ached more than ever. It was like she had missed the part where he had turned into something she hadn't left him like. He looked at her and his face softened a bit. Her big eyes blinked several times as she drowned in her thoughts.

"What's it?" He asked turning towards her. Holding her face in his palms, he tried to become mildest version of him.
"I don't want to lose anyone now," She said looking at her father and then back at him. Manik looked at sleeping Mr Murthy and the at her. Nandini knew how he never liked her father. She knew how nobody liked her father. They all believed on this deceiving veil and she would lift it soon.

"You won't," He said kissing her eyes.

He kept looking into her eyes as they stood there trying to absorb each other. It might need a lifetime for them to believe that they had found each other again.
He grabbed her face in his palms to bring it closer to his lips. She closed her eyes to feel however he would make it alright. His hot breaths kept fanning her lips and she could have that moment for a lifetime.

"Won't ever let you go again," He murmured and she smiled.

"I couldn't breathe in peace all this while," He said and she opened her eyes to look at his ached face. Her finger caressed the cut above his brow and he didn't even flinch.

"Let it go, Manik," She said and he sighed deep. She could feel how he had turned into something he had no rein over.
She tiptoed to reach closer to him but door flung over and Aryan walked in without a warning.

"Nandini, Doctor Thomas is here," He informed and waited.

"He can take you back to dispensary without anyone doubting you," He said and Nandini saw Doctor walking in. She looked at her father and then at Manik.

"Go. I will be there," He said and she nodded.
Doctor walked Mr Murthy's chair out and Nandini followed him.

"Promise?" Her voice echoed in room as she asked and Manik looked at her.
"Promise," He said and she smiled even when she was afraid more than ever.
Aryan and Manik saw them disappearing from last window pane.

"She is safe with him," Aryan tried to assure Manik but Manik didn't even bother to revert. He just walked to the window to look outside.
Aryan kept standing where he was trying to deal with his storm. It wasn't easy to see them drowning in each other from the moment they had met. It wasn't pleasing to feel so unwanted all the time. It wasn't soothing to know how those two were all about each other. He didn't know what was keeping him stick to this rescue. He could see no reason but his heart was content thinking about a day where they all would free.
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"Ms Murthy?" One of ranked officer asked as he saw her walking with Doctor Thomas.
"What are you doing in his part of building?" He asked looking at Nandini and doctor.
"We...I mean I needed to use an old equipment for testing Mr Murthy and your inefficient guards were sleeping, Sir," Doctor said trying to sound convincing.
"I had to walk them all by myself to old storeroom," He added and then waited for officer's reply.
"I see," He replied and Nandini looked at him. He was examining her from tip to toe.
"You look devastated, Ms Murthy. You alright?" He asked and Nandini's throat started to dry.
"I am..I am absolutely fine," She replied fumbling.
"She is tired," Doctor intervened.
"About my guards, Doctor, Someone killed them last night," Officer informed pointing towards the passing stretchers.
"Oh lord!," Doctor exclaimed while nandini looked down.
"Someone has tried to trespass from east wall," He added and Nandini could feel her heart drumming in her throat.
"We have lost 10 soldiers," He concluded lowly.
"I am..sorry," Doctor said empathetically.
"Don't be. Just stay within medical block. It's not safe out here until we catch the invader," Officer said and Doctor nodded.
Doctor started to move while Nandini couldn't move. Her feet seemed to freeze in their place owing to anxiety. She wanted to run back to Manik. She couldn't lose him again.
"You alright?" Officer asked touching her hand and she flinched back.
"Ms Murthy, come with me. I need you to have some medicine," Doctor said taking Nandini along.
As they walked away from that hustle-bustle, Doctor sighed in relief.
"That was close!" He exclaimed and looked at Nandini. She was looking at block where Aryan and Manik were.
"Why are you helping us? What's there for you in it?" Nandini asked looking back at him.
Doctor seemed to be taken aback for a moment but then he smiled.
"I just want to do some good so that I don't rot in hell much," He stated casually and chuckled.
Nandini didn't seem to buy his reply and kept looking at him for some solid answer.
"I don't intend to harm you or your people," He uttered seriously and Nandini decided to let go of matter. Her heart couldn't bear anymore anxiety. She needed to have faith. Manik being there had added to her worry, she had two stakes now.
__________________________________
Aryan walked to Lieutenant's office once activity seemed to lessen in castle. Army couldn't find the culprit. It was another piece of information that how dictator had to leave for some urgent matter. Aryan took it as a relief.

"Come in, Aryan," Lieutenant said seeing Aryan on door.

"Where the hell was you since morning?" He seemed to be a little worked up because of recent happenings.

"I got afraid with the gunshots," Aryan tried to reply as timidly as he could. He heard Lieutenant Chuckle. Aryan needed to enact the coward bootlicker as he was.

"I was wondering, sire. How come you were not given the task to tackle this case?' Aryan said in a sugary tone.

"I haven't seen a braver officer in my life," He added and he could see Lieutenant leaning on his chair. He watched Aryan smiling convincingly for few seconds before he simpered.

"This place works different, Aryan," He replied.

"Here power is with better bootlickers," He added and Aryan gulped. He couldn't get if lieutenant had caught his little act or what.
"People like me couldn't be one so here...here I sit idle," He ended with tinge of regret.
"I am always here at your service, sir," Aryan said taking a step further while keeping his head low.
He heard lieutenant getting up from his chair and then approaching him. He felt his hand on his back.

"I missed employees like you," Lieutenant said and Aryan smiled in relief.
"I have a work for you," He added while walking back to his chair.
_______________________________
Nandini sat by huge window of medical room. She heard a chair churning and looked around. A smile played on her lips as he saw her father enjoying the rocking chair. Doctor was reading some book at his table.
Nandini resumed looking out of window. It was afternoon and there was no news of Manik or Aryan. Her worry had been on a rise since few hours. Few soldiers had come to check on her and her father. They had told how no one could be arrested for the invasion.
"Where are you?" She murmured and tapped her feet against wall.
Manik was going through some knifes when Aryan entered the room. Manik put another long knife in pocket of his torn jacket.
"We are leaving tonight," Aryan informed enthusiastically.
Manik looked at him skeptically.
"A truck is going out of fort tonight and I would be going along," Aryan said and Manik finally turned around completely. Now Aryan had him.
"We are leaving in that truck," Manik said and Aryan rolled his eyes.
"That was my plan," He tried to claim the rights.
Manik walked to window and looked at sky. It had started to darken again. Clouds were painting it with grey and sun was going down.
"Where is she?" He asked turning his head sideway.
"This is not the right time, Manik," Aryan said only to earn a glare from Manik.
"I don't want anything to go wrong at this point," Aryan tried to reason him and Manik turned around completely.
He glared Aryan and then walked to unbolt the door.
Aryan ran to stop him only to get pinned to the wall. As soon as he had laid his hands on Manik, he knew it was a mistake.
"Do not try to boss me around," Manik said gritting his teeth.
"Tame your anger, Manik. It would land all of us in trouble," Aryan managed to retort.
"You won't tell me what I would do," Manik cleared leaving him with a jerk.
A silence prevailed before Aryan let out the bitter.
"I don't know what she saw in you," He mumbled and Manik's fist clenched.
"It's not enough for you ever," He spat and Manik scowled at him.
"Nobody had asked you to be a worthless hero," Manik retorted fisting Aryan's shirt.
"This worthless hero is going to take you and your girl out of here, do you understand it?" Aryan said fisting Manik's coat.
Both glared each other for few seconds and then Aryan withdrew.
It was a waste of time. He believed things between him and Manik could never ease out.
________________________________________
It was night and Nandini's eyes started to give up as she kept looking out of window. She hadn't slept for a long time. And suddenly lost sleep was knocking her door. She struggled to keep her eyes open as she shifted in chair.
Dream which she had lost had come back. She believed it wasn't a lie after all. She could have it while having this battle. Soon, words seemed to lose track as her eyes refused to stay open. She closed them unable to cop up with sleep.
Door of medical room got open and she woke up. She saw Doctor Thomas entering.
"There is no news of both of them," He informed and Nandini shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Was he fine? Thought haunted her head and she got up. Walking fro and back, she tried to come up with some idea. She needed to see Manik. She didn't know how things would work in their favor. She didn't know would they ever be able to get away without getting caught.
Landline in doctor's room rang and two of them jumped in their place. Stress was working on them. Doctor picked it up and Nandini looked out of window. She didn't hear what was that call about.
"No, Lieutenant. I hadn't asked your attendant to take medicines," He argued and Nandini had to pay attention what was the matter.
"I don't even know what you are talking about," Doctor Thomas was frustrated.
"I don't want to send medicines for southern camps," He seemed to make his point clear. Nandini hadn't any idea what that conversation was about.
He ended the call and huffed in frustration.
"What's the matter?" Nandini asked and Doctor Thomas took off his glasses.
"Some idiot has told Lieutenant Pal that I have asked him to take supply of medicines for southern camps," Doctor informed and Nandini seemed to find no interest in it. She walked away just to fret over name.
"Lieutenant Pal?" She asked after fine one minute.
"Yes," Doctor asked still reading some book.
"I know him," Nandini informed and Doctor Thomas looked up.
________________________________
Aryan walked in corridor of medical wing with four guards following him with trolleys. After all the prayers, Doctor Thomas had called back Lieutenant Pal for informing how he needed to deliver some equipments and medicines to southern camps.
"What's in it?" asked a guard as he pushed the huge container.
"It has medical equipment which I need to show to doctor," Aryan replied as confidently as he could.
"It's pretty heavy," Guard nagged and Aryan chose to ignore it.
Nandini paced across the room as she waited for Aryan. She knew Lieutenant Pal from base camp and when doctor talked about his conversation with him in detail. She could guess it was something unusual. Aryan was pretty close to Lieutenant in base camp. It was gamble to play along but she had to take this chance. Her palms were getting sweaty as she waited. She heard a knock on door and ran to open it. Doctor Thomas asked her to wait and took the door. Aryan stood there without an ounce familiarity.
"Doctor Thomas?" He asked.
"Mr Aryan?" Doctor tried to sound genuine.
Aryan walked into room with four guards following him with large containers.
"It will take time to load these boxes. You wait outside," Doctor said to those guards. They looked at doctor skeptically and then looked at each other.
"No, we will wait here," Nandini's face fell as she couldn't see it ending anytime soon. She was on verge on crying. Manik was nowhere to be seen and those guards won't let them escape.
"As your wish," Doctor said and shrugged his shoulders. He moved to medicine chamber and started to shuffle the boxes. He asked Aryan to bring a paper and do the notes for him.
Nandini sat by her father as she saw the play getting lengthy. She had been looking at Aryan begging him silently to look at her. Aryan looked at her after an hour or so and she closed her eyes in relief. She tried to ask the only question she had and Aryan looked at guards who were getting pretty impatient standing there.
He blinked his eyes in assurance and Nandini tapped her feet unable to understand anything.
"I can't hand you over these boxes without a written authority letter from your lieutenant. He is head of Southern units and he needs to sign these papers," Doctor said getting up.
"I would have got those papers singed but I need to check these boxes," Aryan showed his inability. One of guards walked to Doctor Thomas to take those papers and walked out of room.
One down, three to go.
Nandini looked at clock and found how another hour had passed.
"It's time for duty shift," One of guards nagged and Aryan knew it was right opportunity.
"It would take another hour in listing," He informed with a serious face.
"You people can go and send other guards," He suggested while walking back to doctor.
They heard those guards leaving and Aryan ran to close the doors.
He unbolted the door of wooden box and Manik came out coughing.
Nandini ran to see Manik. He came out and Nandini clung onto him. She held him tight and Manik couldn't wait for his breaths to go normal for reverting her embrace. He grabbed her petite figure tighter.
"You got me scared," She confessed and he kissed her hair. They had so much express but they didn't have time. She couldn't even look at his face in content while Manik couldn't even express one percentage of how much he had craved to have her in arms.
They unwillingly parted and their little escape plan started to unveil.
__________________________
Aryan walked with four huge boxes to a truck. Security checked authority papers and looked at Aryan skeptically.
"We have never seen you here before," He asked.
"I work in southern camps," Aryan replied and soldiers looked at each other.
"Check the boxes," He asked to other one.
A heavy drop tapped Aryan's shoulder and he looked up at night sky. It had started to rain again.
They opened boxes simultaneously and saw boxes of medicines lying there. As they tried to move boxes to look downer, rain intensified.
"Soaked medicines would not be of any use to our follow soldiers in south," Aryan spoke loudly as downpour made noise.
Their officers asked them close the boxes and load them in truck. Aryan sighed in relief.
Gate of fort got opened and Aryan drove the truck out. Air outside was cold as ice. But it had scent of freedom. They still had a town to pass.
Aryan stopped the truck on a dark aloof bridge and ran to open the semi-trailer. Opening each wooden box, he let out the lives.
They all still had a long way before they breathe in relief.
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Unedited*