Babbling brook marked the start of a journey as hundreds of them started their aimless trek. 

Them. 

For now it was nothing more than a herd of scared people who clung to each other because it was better to survive knowing there were others as helpless as you. It was better to stick along.

Nandini walked on stony paths all lost in her thoughts. Wayfaring was her childhood fancy and she had not thought in her wildest dreams that she would be having it in this way. Her foot slipped on damp pebble and a shriek escaped her lips. Her eyes reflexively shut tightly and before her back could meet the slippery ground, an arm grabbed her stealthily. 

She knew that warmth, she could read it even in dead dark. 

She opened her eyes only to find him peering into her eyes all worried. Creases on his forehead disappeared as soon as Nandini blinked. That's what Manik was doing since their last intense meet last night. He was trying very hard to mask what was going inside him. 

"Need any help, Princess?" He asked straightening her up. 

Nandini pursed her lips in irritation listening to that hailing. He was asking for her worse. It was like same Manik who used to irk her with that 'Highness' hail. 

"No, I am fine," She replied and got out of his firm hold. Continuing her stroll, she turned around to find him simpering. He did hide it as soon as he saw her watching. 

She could see her father walking a few steps ahead with Aashi and Aryan. She smiled thinking how Aashi had succeeded in gelling up with her father. That girl could befriend anyone in minutes. 

Manik followed her but maintained a few meters' distance. She knew he was right behind her but she won't try to initiate a conversation again. He was being unreasonable and was surely deriving pleasure from annoying her. 

They all were walking by river. They were going to take shelter in deep valleys till they find some help. Nandini hadn't still figured out how to work on her father's plan. Aabid Bhai was trying his best to locate any person from ministry but all was in vain. All of sudden her innocent ignorance about state affairs started to seem a sin. She believed she should have taken some interest in her father's work. 

________________

Manik again worked on tent peg to stake down the tent, Nandini was sitting at a distance with her father in grey of evening. A bonfire warmed them while Manik arranged a tent for them. Nandini could feel wind tickling her pores and she knew that tickling was about Manik doing a thing for her father. She didn't know why but his acceptance meant a lot. They both were not objective yet when it came to their feelings. They had a long way to go. 

Manik looked at her as he ended up fixing the tent for her father. He could see relief on her face in orange of fire. He threw the hammer in side and walked to them. 

"It's ready," He informed formally and then turned away. 

Nandini shook her head knowing how he was trying to be rude when he was being considerate in real. She didn't dig him at that moment and took her father to little tent. They were staying night at that junction before they resume their journey. 

Nandini came out after making her father feel comfortable in tent and looked for Manik. He was nowhere to be seen. She sighed as her eyes found him nowhere. She saw a contour at river bank and she narrowed her eyes to make out who was it. As she walked closer, she found it was Aryan. She found it right opportunity to talk to him about a lot of things. She was trying to thank him since long but time wasn't allowing her. 

"Hey," She drew his attention and Aryan turned around. 

He looked rather amused seeing Nandini there. 

"Hey," He replied still unsure why she was there. His eyes roamed around and she sighed. 

"Would you mind if I join for few minutes?" She tried to start a conversation. Air between them wasn't much comfortable. 

"Sure," He replied with a smile. 

Both stood at bank of river looking at stream for few moments before she spoke. 

"I wanted to thank you for other day," She spoke softly as her wisps flowed in mild wind. 

"I should have done it before but I didn't get time," She said looking down. 

Aryan looked at her amused. 

"There's no need of thanking me, Nandini," He replied and she smiled. 

She felt a burden getting off her chest. Aryan had helped them to escape that hell and she wanted to thank him since when they had come back. 

"Anything else?" Aryan asked as his eyes again roamed around. It looked like he was apprehensive about something. 

"No," She replied as she turned around to leave. 

"Hey Nandini," He called out and she turned around. 

"I am happy that you found your father," He said and she smiled. 

Resuming her walk back to tent, she chewed her lips thinking about a lot of things. All lost in her mind, she gasped as soon as Manik held her from upper arm. It was dead dark till then. She couldn't see his face clearly but she knew it was him. He dragged her away from camp site and she struggled in his grip. 

"Manik," She called out in irritation but he didn't bother. 

"Where are we going?" She asked baffled but he didn't budge. 

With a sharp pull, he pinned her to a big rock. His eyes were shining with some kind of rage in that dark and his grip was merciless. 

"Why were you talking to him?" He asked and she tried to fight his grip. 

"There's no chance I am going to answer this," She replied furiously. 

"Why?" He asked inching closer. 

"Because I don't think I owe you an answer for that," She replied through her teeth. 

He stared her for few seconds before he turned her around with a jerk. Her arm twisted painfully as he held her closer. Her back pasted to his hard torso, while her other hand held rock for keeping the balance. 

"I bet a thank you was not much of a private moment," He whispered furiously. His breaths hit her ear like a slap as he uttered that. 

"So you spied," She asked offended. 

"No, I just heard what I should have," He replied over her ear. His grip on her wrist was painful. 

"You cannot own me, Manik," She was infuriated. He was being unreasonable. 

"I am not," He replied almost in a second, "If you have started to feel suffocated around me then it's another case."

Nandini gasped hearing him cut her through. It bled inside but she couldn't go weak. 

"You really think that way?' She asked, her voice giving away. 

"You said I own you," He spat bitterly. Her skin was aching now with heat of his flesh. 

"I can't believe it," She murmured not able to apprehend what was wrong with him. 

"I just went there to thank him for helping us out," She revealed even when she didn't feel a need to tell him. 

"I heard you," He replied taking her other hand off the rock. He placed it on her tummy and groped it tightly there. 

"A princess thanking a lickspittle, it sounded just perfect," He taunted and she cried in frustration. 

"You are sounding as brutal as you were when we first met," She threw it in his face as she fought his grip over her body. 

"And you are sounding like same heartless highness as I thought you were," He replied bitterly. Ire had taken over his senses and he was taking it all beyond limit. 

"You didn't mean it, did you?" She asked what her heart was shouting. 

He didn't reply but heat of his flesh intensified. 

"You are hurting me, Manik," She cried in pain as her wrist wriggled to get out his deadly grip. 

"And you are hurting me," He replied freeing her wrist. She turned around and pushed him so hard that he fumbled in his steps. She strode to grip his coat in her angry grip and he held her hands in air. 

"You know what, thank you for ruining it all," She said and applied all her strength to walk away. Her cries filling the atmosphere as she walked unsteadily towards light of camp. 

Manik hit the wooden log hard to let out the anger. He knew he had taken it way too far. But he couldn't help it. His groans touched her ears and she turned around to see him taking out his ire on anything he could get his hands on. She resumed her walk. She had no state to be bearer of his wrath when she knew he was not going to feel any better. 

_________________________

Aashi raised her head from pillow for third time as she sensed Nandini crying. She was sleeping next to her. Nandini was trying not to let out a single sob but it was almost impossible to keep sound of her heart shattering in silence of night. Aashi again dived into her pillow thinking not to ask Nandini what was wrong. Aashi was no fool. She knew Nandini was upset. She hadn't eaten anything in dinner and she turned to her bed so soon. Aashi stroked Nandini's hair trying to sooth her. Nandini couldn't take it any longer and turned around to hug Aashi as tight as she could. Her sobs finally found a voice and she cried her heart out. 

Aashi was not shocked with sudden outburst but she surely was terrified. She knew for a fact that Nandini was a strong girl who had seen so much in such young age. She couldn't understand what left her so weak. 

"Shhhh," Aashi rubbed her back trying to calm her. 

"I am right beside, don't cry," She cooed her. 

Nandini's sobs subsided eventually and Aashi found it right to ask what was it. 

"What's wrong?" Aashi asked stroking Nandini's hair. Nandini didn't answer. 

"Did Manik say anything?" Aashi asked. Nandini stiffened in her embrace. 

"No," Nandini replied, "I was missing mamma."

She lied, she couldn't tell Aashi about her clash with Manik. 

"You sure?" Aashi asked even when she knew Nandini was lying. 

"Yes," Nandini replied. 

"Try to sleep, you would feel better," Aashi said as softly as she could. She kept stroking Nandini's hair. 

Aching eyes, throbbing head and warmth of Aashi helped Nandini to drift into sleep. Aashi put Nandini's hand on mattress and got up quietly. She was noticing a contour on sheet of tent since few minutes now. She walked out of tent and saw her restless brother sitting on a rock. 

"So you made her cry," Aashi asked reaching him. 

Manik didn't reply but kept staring into nothing. 

"I am asking something, Manik," Aashi asked through her teeth. 

"Yes," He replied lowly and Aashi sighed in despair. 

"Can I see her?" He asked and Aashi could sense the extent of damage. Manik never sought anyone's permission to see Nandini before. 

"I am going to sleep in your tent. But dare you make her cry again," She warned before walking away. 

Manik saw Aashi entering his tent and he got up. Walking to Nandini's tent, he gazed edgy stones on ground. His boots were crushing those gravels and he found the detail engaging. 

Peeping in, he saw her sleeping in dim light of lamp. Manik walked inside and saw her puffy eyes. Her hand rested on mattress and there laid the mark of his brutality on her wrist. He sat beside her and took her wrist in his hands. It had nail marks. He caressed her skin while he hated him more. He gritted his teeth stamping the fact that he was a monster who was only capable to ruin everything.

Her feeble face stabbed his heart. He slid his arm under her to extract her. She stirred in sleep as he laid down keeping her weight on him. Her head rested in crook of his neck while her discolored wrist remained in his hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it. Nandini opened her eyes feeling his breaths over her wrist and stiffened. 

His lips kissed her hair and a lump formed in her throat. 

"Forgive me," He asked and she tried to take her wrist out his mild grip. 

"Please," He pleaded as she tried to get off hard bed of his torso. 

"Leave me, Manik," She asked feebly. 

He did and she got off his torso to settle beside him. She tried to get up but he encircled her stomach barring her to move. His lips touched her cheek and she closed her eyes. 

"I know I am a sinister, Please forgive me," He was sounding feeble. 

Nandini's heart was getting warmed up with his heat but there was this pang as well. She couldn't forego his bitter words. 

"I am not a heartless highness," She threw it in his face. His grip around her stomach tightened but that conveyed his craving not ire. 

Manik came on top of her putting his entire weight on his hands on either side of her. He looked into her teary fierce eyes which held so much hurt. 

"Do my words mean anything?" he asked urgently. 

"They always did, Manik," She replied after a pause. 

"Would they matter if I say something now?" He asked. 

She didn't answer but kept looking into his intense eyes. 

"Answer me, Nandini," He asked. 

"Say it," She replied. 

He took a deep breath and leaned in to a level where his lips meet her ear. 

"When I used to call you highness, you were stealing my heart. You were taking it away and I was feeling so helpless," He confessed. Nandini's heartbeats quickened and she had to inhale a sharp breath. 

"When I hated you, I was trying to fight myself. I tried everything but nothing worked," He added. Nandini held hem of his coat in anxiety. 

"If there is anyone who is heartless here, That is me. You have my heart, Nandini," He said with so much intensity that she quivered. 

"You were a princess then, you are a princess now, my princess," He said kissing her ear. 

"I hate to share you with anyone, let it be anyone then," He spoke so furiously yet warmly. 

"I am a monster who had nothing before you came into my life. You were a faraway dream who became my reality," He was saying things she hadn't even expected. She never knew he could have a way with words. 

"Yes, I pushed you away. I did it so many times," He said as if cursing himself. 

He leaned back and looked into her twinkling eyes. 

"I freaking don't deserve you," He stated so angrily that her hand raised to touch his cheek. She didn't like him say it. Her eyes conveyed it to him.

"I know I will empty you," He stated and she caressed his cheek. 

"But I am still too selfish to let you go. I can't," He was crystal clear. Her heart warmed up with his words. 

"I won't justify what I did today," He replied after her touch calmed him down a bit. 

"I would just say..." He paused and she waited. 

"Don't ever shut me out the way I shut you out," He said and she was beyond amused. 

He did know how he behaves with her most of times. She always had thought he didn't even realize. 

"I know I am being privileged here," He said and her fingers lingered on his talking lips. 

"But forgive me one last time," He pleased ever so softly. 

None spoke as they both let the words sink. Nandini raised on her elbows and planted a kiss on his forehead. 

"I never shut you out, Manik," She stated over his lips. 

"You didn't want to be part of anything regarding my father and state, I just tried to respect that," She said as their breaths mingled. 

"I cannot shut my heart out when I need it the most," She said trying to balance herself on her elbows. 

"I needed you the most," She said peering into his eyes. 

"And I do understand if you don't want to be part of it but..."She said and he waited. 

"Don't hate him," She pleaded. 

"Don't leave me where I stand on crossroads because believe me I can never make a choice," She ended and he looked at her with new found gravity. 

I won't," He said and she kissed corner of his lips. 

"I promise," He uttered and she leaned back a bit to look into his eyes. 

She held his neck to hang loose just to sway when she captures his lips. Her lips pushed his and he immediately slid his arm around her waist. Leaning on mattress, he poured everything he couldn't word. He had never been a vocal man but today he needed her to listen. Parting away, he looked into her tired eyes. He settled himself next to her and grabbed her close. Nandini's back met his torso and he nuzzled into her neck to bestow endless kisses there. 

Both laid there silent after surviving a violent storm. Things were less complex than before but they were still tangled. 

"What is it? What is bothering you about state?" He asked finally giving in. This is what which was eating him. He himself had refused to be a part of it and when she complied, it drove him mad. He needed to know, to be there with her in each her frown, each her worry, each her victory. 

"Give me some time, Manik," She requested not able to bring herself to talk about it. Unintentionally or intentionally, he had made his dislike towards matter so apparent that she couldn't make a difference now. She needed to grasp a lot of things before she tells him everything. She didn't want to impose anything on him. 

He kissed side of her neck so tightly and she blushed. Turning around, she hid in his chest. She wanted to sleep, he kept kissing her hair till she slipped in her sweet slumber. 

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Unedited*

A/N

Apologies for being MIA. I shall strike a balance between my doubled work and love of my life 'Writing' soon. Thanks for all the love and patience. <3  

Much love to all my readers. <3