"You sway like tempting haze,

And I am frozen to pieces;

You drizzle like consent,

And I am trapped in mirror."

Nandini kept the diary aside. Golden grass beneath her and fine smell of pine, she did walk into woods next morning. Sitting quiet, listening to silence; she had touched her forgotten diary after a long time. Warm sunshine touching her pores through trees, her wisps were flowing gently. She was remembering how at this time of year, she would go to places with her friends, that excitement about winter knocking, misty nights and heart filled with unknown anxiety. Everything was changed this year. She wasn't seeing sites or visiting roses but she was sitting in woods all alone. Same woods about which her friends had told her frightening stories.

"Clean this area. I don't want these trees here by end of this week," she heard someone shouting his lungs out. 

Neighs of horses indicated presence of those she didn't wish to see. 

The infamous army. 

"Hello Nandini," She heard a familiar face approaching her. 

It was one of men of Lieutenants she met other day over feast. She greeted him in return. 

"What are you doing here, young lady?" He asked, "You know it's not safe here."

"I was just seeking some solitude, " she instantly replied, "I was just about to return home."

She wanted to cut the grill as short as possible. And before she could escape, she saw Aryan coming out of bushes. She sighed and closed her eyes. 

"Ms. Murthy, you here?" he wondered. 

Before she could answer, officer told Aryan how she was seeking some alone time. 

"You could have told me," Aryan expressed, "I would have taken you to some beautiful location."

Nandini couldn't believe thickness of his mind. What in entire mean 'solitude' could have meant to him. 

"Come, have a cup of tea with us," officer offered her.

Nandini knew she was stuck and there was no early escape out of this situation. She followed them to a setting where posh arrangement was awaiting them. In few minutes, steaming cups of tea with fine cookies were presented on table. She had been brought up in such fancy. She thought of this time as of adversity and seeing such fancy set up was indeed strange. 

"You mother, she is such a helping lady," he said, "we are very new to this place and people here. I am glad she accepted our offer. She has this fine sense of business." 

Nandini looked at him, all clueless. she didn't know what he was talking about. 'The deal', she remembered her mother talking about the balance. But she still didn't know what it was.  She looked up at Aryan who was standing his hands tied as proper lickspittle. He smiled at her and it made her even more furious. 
She couldn't apprehend how and why she or her mother were of any use to them. She looked at officer and found him smirking. 

"We hardly can do anything as you must be knowing that my father isn't around," she tried to play along. 
Officer laughed impudently.

"You, young lady, are good at joking," he uttered. 

Nandini licked her dry lips and she realized how uncomfortable she was at pursuing this tricky conversation.
"I was serious, officer," she replied raising her eyebrow. 

"What else we can want when we are having most powerful names besides us," he said, "Your father is cooperating very well, Nandini."

"My father???"

"Yes, we converse over telephone yesterday only and he was glad about your mother's decision."

"I am a little lost, officer. May I know about which decision you are talking about," Nandini asked trying to compose herself. 

"Your mother didn't tell you? "

"She did.  I guess it slipped my mind as we talked about a lot of matters last night."

Officer looked at her, unconvinced.

Nandini rubbed her palms to tackle anxiety.  She smiled sweetly, trying to look all convincing. 

"It seems you ladies talk a lot about matters of state," He said caressing arm of chair with his thumb. Nandini's gaze followed his each gesture.

"She agreed to represent us and lead us to people, and people to us," he told in one breath.

"Lead as in?" Nandini asked all innocently.

"People are not cooperating us, as you can see, Nandini, " He said pointing towards workers who were clearing the bushes, "They are hostile and highly angry. "

"We may not be able to hold this rage for long if we don't find a force to contain it, " He added.

Nandini looked pale listening to it all.

"Can I have a glass of water?" She asked. 
Aryan handed her glass and asked if she was alright. 

"I need to talk to my father. You know,  about people and their behaviour," She said while wiping the sweat from her face. 

She tried to look normal, non emotional and highly confident. At least she tried. 

-----------------

"Aashi"
She ran to door listening Manik's call.

"You came," she hugged him tight in delight. 

"Woods for fireplace and stove," he put a bundle on ground. 

He looked around to ensure something. 
"He isn't home," Aashi told. 

"Doesn't matter. I come here for my little sister, not that eyesore," he said while sitting on door steps. 

"I told that as matter of relief only," she sat beside him and both burst into laughter.

"He isn't that bad, Manik," Aashi said while drawing some pattern on clay, "we three are left now. If not by choice, we are bound by blood at least."

Manik looked at her blankly and she couldn't gather courage to meet his gaze.

"Yes," He said.

"That's it" she asked all afraid.

Manik looked at her. She was trying to read,  trying to find to be more precise,  annoyance on his face. 

"Yes," He again said, "though I agree he isn't that bad... "

"He is downright disgusting and irritating,  and a shame, a snob and a furry pet as well."

Aashi looked at him with eyes wide open and he burst into laughter.

Aashi nodded her head in disbelief and joined him in his rare smiling moments.

Putting a halt on their short lived moment,  a sound of quarrel drew their attention.  They heard someone crying in pain.

—----—-------—

"So my parents have agreed to fool their own people. This is unbelievable. This is plain unbelievable. Just because this inhuman army isn't able to get hold on people here and failing miserably, that doesn't mean they would sabotage them using my parents.  How in world, how they could agree?  No, they can't. I need to talk to father."

Nandini was brought back from chain of thoughts by Aryan. They almost had reached base camp and he was showing her around. 

Officer walked ahead, telling Nandini how he would call her as soon as they connect to her father. 

Instead of getting afraid because of her trick, she was hyperactive. She couldn't wait to talk to her father. 
She was being called inside office after 20 minutes and a boy handed her receiver. 

"Hello" she merely whispered.

"Nandu!"

She heard him. She heard him after long. Her father was on line and she couldn't believe it was happening.  Tears blurred her vision and she couldn't speak as her throat had seemed to build a lump. 

"Nandiniiiii, my baby,  speak up," He said. 

"Father," and she realized she was crying, "how are you?  Where are you? I.... I miss...you. I want to... "

"I missed you too, sweetie. And I am fine. Stop crying."

For next few seconds, there was silence containing her sobs and his sighs.

"Come back. Come back please. We need you, papa. We all need you. Everything has changed.  Everything is ruined. They are torturing people. Please come back."

"Did they hurt you or your mother? Tell me Nandini. I swear I would not spare them."

"Not me, papa. But they are exploiting our people. You need to come back.  I don't know anything. You just come back. They are trying to use your name and mother in order to sabotage these people. "

There was a silence on phone and a man peeped in. He looked at Nandini suspiciously. 

"Is someone around you?  Who told you all this? " Her father's stern voice startled her. 

"No. No one is here.  He is gone.  Tell me papa,  what it is? "

"It's nothing, Nandini.  It isn't something you should be knowing. You aren't supposed to know and talk about elderly business. "

"I am not a kid. How I am suppose to be indifferent when I know they are destroying everything."

"Shut up! You don't know anything. You don't know how dangerous that army is. This isn't as simple as this sounds.  Stay away from it, Nandini."

"I will not.  You are telling me that you knew all this.  You are talking like you knew what's going on here. Did you? "

"Sweetie, calm down! Listen to me... "

"Tell me. Did you know? "

"Nandini... "

"DID YOU KNOW?"

"Yes,  I did. I knew what is condition there and how hostile is environment."

"How could you? "

"Nanduuu,  listen to me..."

"How could you allow this? How?"

She was furious. She was disappointed.  Her faith had shattered into pieces. She could see her hero disappearing in those tears which were rolling down her cheeks.

"Nandini,  I could not risk you and your mother," He said in low tone.
"So you risked all of them. You risked all those who stood by you all these years."

There was dead silence.

"I am sorry, papa. But I need to go,"

She put the receiver on table and ran out of office all covered in tears. 
It had started raining and it did actually help.  Her tears were not visible. That same officer called her name several times but she didn't stop.

Running through mud, she came to halt on gate. She saw Manik on his knees and a men in uniform standing on his head hovering him. 

He had fine cut on corner of lips and blood was flowing down with rain drops. 

She looked at him all perplexed. 
Man in uniform hit his head with butt of rifle and he hit the ground. 

She felt her heartbeat dying somewhere when he laid there still. She walked towards the place.
He moved a bit and she stopped. He looked up and saw her standing behind army men. His eyes had no sign of pain but this cold ache which wasn't result of his bleeding head.  He kept looking at her,  trying hard to keep his eyes open.

Her frightened face and red eyes, he didn't move his gaze elsewhere. 
He tried to stand up using his shoulder as his hands were tied.

Another man kicked hard on his nape and He was again on ground.  Mud mixing with his blood and Nandini heard him wincing in pain. His eyes were closed.

Nandini murmured prayers as if they would get heard instantly. Maybe they did and he again opened his eye slightly. Nandini sighed in relief. Her tears, pale face and shivering body; his pain, oozing blood and that gaze, both did cease to look away. 
With the sound of thunderbolt, man in uniform again raised his rifle to hit him and next they heard her shouting.

"MANIK"

And he closed his eyes as if he knew now that he could. 
---—-----------------------------
With great difficulty, he opened his eyes. Similar trees above and a warm overcoat, he tried to get up.  His head spun and he held it tight. His wound was covered in something silky.  He saw a bonfire beside and right in front of it a girl. A girl he knew, a girl who was staring at fire. 

"You"

He uttered seeing Nandini sitting right in front of her. 

"What are you doing here?" He asked coldly. 

He got up and leaned over tree. She looked at him, a bit relieved. At least,  he could tell she is somewhat same 'highness' he love to tease but something was changed.

"I don't have habit to leave people when they are unconscious, " she said and stood up.

Manik looked at her and she looked back. Their eyes had one common at least now,  they had this furore.

"Rest"

She said and walked to pile of woods. 
Mist was taking over as night sky was clear after rain. Manik looked at that petite figure carrying woods to bonfire. 

He knew the thickness of haze and she breathed it thinking it's carrier of freedom.

Long night awaited them. 
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