And it's 100K for Deceiving Veils! 🎉🎉✨

I want to thank each and every reader of DV. Thanks for being part of this journey... 💕💕

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Exuberant green mountains smiled at Nandini as she looked at the endless view. Wind was brisky, nothing like those bone-piercing winds of North. Sun was on horizon about to set. She could see a town leisurely expanded across the green vale. How she couldn't smile back at view like that!

She smiled and her horse neighed as if acknowledging the change. Her hair were braided in a long french braid and some loose strands tickled her face. 

"The eighth day"

Nandini came out of her thoughts as she heard Manik speaking. She looked beside her and found him gazing the same scenic beauty with a content. 

"The eighth day brought a smile on your lips," He uttered looking at her. She smiled for him again.

Harshad's demise had left each one of them in grief. Nandini couldn't bring herself to smile when she knew Aashi was mourning and she herself couldn't come at terms with departures, not yet. They had resumed their journey back then after giving a proper cremation to Harshad. Time had been tough ever since. 

"How could I not!" She exclaimed inhaling the fresh air. 

Manik rode his horse quite close to hers and patted the white beauty. He had chosen the horse for Nandini when she told she couldn't travel in cart any longer. It was suffocating her. It was a white horse, possibly the eldest one in the lot. Her request to resume her journey on a horse had met several responses. Veer wanted his horse to escort Nandini to the east while Aabid Bhai was adamant on how she should travel in cart itself. 

She amid everything had looked at him when he was patiently trying not to hover her. He had tried to rein her and almost lost her. He wouldn't want her to be away from her destiny anymore. He knew he couldn't help protecting her but he definitely was trying to give her space. 

When she looked at him adjuring to help her out, She didn't know a thing about those creatures but she was fascinated. She wanted to lead her pack like a leader despite sitting in a cart. He chose the eldest horse in the convoy for her, knowing she knew very less of horse riding and was not prepared to take a juvenile and enthusiastic horse. That white horse was calm and equipped to take her on rough paths without making her anxious and it did. Manik caressed horse's creek and smiled a bit. 

"He is serving you well," He asked looking at Nandini who was busy admiring the mountains. They were standing on edge of mountain which was displaying a snippet of their destination. They were almost home, new home, for the time being. 

"He is," She replied smilingly. 

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"Almost home," Veer informed excitedly as he joined Nandini on the concrete path. 

"You've no idea how excited my people are to see you and your father," He added with admiring smile. Nandini smiled back. 

"I hope I live up to their expectations," She murmured and Veer replied, "You surely will."

They had left the rough paths behind and now were walking on metaled roads. Nandini could see fields adorned with grain as dusk allowed a bit of golden of it. Her nostrils could catch the fine smell of civilization. It had been long she had lived in an actual home. 

"I will be waiting," He said with a smile and accelerated his horse on those roads. She could see him disappearing in the grey of evening. She looked around and found people smiling knowing they had reached their abode. Those soldiers had been away from their families for rescuing her. She still didn't know if she held that much worth or not but then she inhaled deep. She couldn't keep doubting herself over and over when she knew there were so many people who had vested their hope in her. 

Aabid and Manik rode ahead of her they saw town gate. She was anxious now. They were about enter the town and she was informed how people there awaited her arrival. Gate opened and so did a world so new and different.

Nandini could feel her pores standing as she blinked her eyes on it. There were people, so many of them. Their faces were making her retrospect her entire journey till date. Those people welcomed her with smiles and hopes, their zeal was on display as they all stood on sides of path awaiting her. She got off her horse with help of Annie and stood at the gate hearing those cheerful greetings. 

Nandini found herself remembering when she had walked on the other side of fence holding her mother's hand few months back. They were welcomed by bitter words, hatred and mortification. Life had taken a circle, she just didn't realize till now. 

She looked beside instinctively and found no one. She didn't know if she could ever forgive herself for to walk away from her mother that day. She kept looking at ground beside her and soon found someone standing next to her. As she looked up, she found her father looking at her with an affinity. He smiled at her, he had come to know her all over again. He might not be the same man but he had found a way back to her. For him, Nandini still meant the world. 

Her eyes welled a little as she realized how her parents had always managed to be there for her no matter in what state were they. She engulfed her father in her arms and he hugged her back. Her eyes wandered across people and she wished how she could find her mother standing there somewhere smiling at them. But then, she had left believing in fairy tales long back. She let her eyes sip the tears back. 

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The walk of shame at the refugee camp then and this heartwarming homecoming, Nandini couldn't wish for time to be more humble. She smiled ear to ear as a kid came running to her to give her a rose. He ran away as soon as Nandini kissed his cheek. 

They had just walked across the colony with almost everyone greeting them. She hadn't felt this loved in a long time. She could see that those people loved her and her father so much. Her father was no less than a hero of them. Nandini now stood at a roundabout. Her eyes again darted to the statue in middle of street. It was her father's. Her father had done a great deal of work for Easterners. Her eyes yet again shone in pride while she gazed that statue. 

She looked around to see her father hopping into a beautiful carriage which had come to take them to the place where they were supposed to stay. Aashi had held his hand tightly while he got seated in carriage. After her, Aashi was the one whom he trusted the most. She smiled at them and Aashi tried to return the smile. 

Another carriage came gliding towards her and stopped right in front of her. 

"Ms Murthy, We cannot wait to welcome you in your new home," Veer insisted and she smiled weakly. Her eyes roamed to find that one face who was nowhere to be seen from past half an hour. He and Aabid Bhai had disappeared as she greeted the locals there. 

She decided to take the wagon but then heard a horse neighing. Her eyes urgently roamed in dark and found a contour riding towards her. She could recognize him even when it was the darkest shade of night. She smiled in relief. 

Manik's eyes found hers as he approached her. For a second or two, his eyes darted towards Veer who was waiting for Nandini to take the wagon. She couldn't see diffidence in his eyes but a tinge of disapproval. She had known the fact how Manik and Veer shared cold vibe. She didn't get time to ponder over the reason. 

"I have something to show you," Manik said and advanced his hand. 

There was no chance she was going to deny. Her hands were full with flowers and she didn't want to leave them behind. She looked so adorable with that helpless desperation. 

He took those flowers from her hand and kept them in his coat's pocket. Taking his hand, Nandini hopped on his horse. His arms secured her as he held the rein of horse tight. His hard torso touched her cold back and she felt like nesting there for rest of her life. She gathered herself and looked at Veer who looked displeased but he tried to hide it behind mask of indifference. 

"Veer," Nandini called, "I would see you soon." She smiled courteously yet unapologetic.  

Manik didn't even let her say a thing further as he rode the horse away from the lights. Veer kept looking at them as horse disappeared in misty dark. 

"He would bring her home soon," He heard Aabid Bhai speak. Veer sighed and told the charioteer to take the wagon away. 

"I don't like that man. He is a distraction," Veer stated bluntly. 

"You wouldn't dare to say that in front of Nandini," Aabid Bhai quipped.

"Manik is the finest fighter I have seen," He added genuinely. He had never seen someone fighting that ferociously till date. Some were battling for their land, some for peace but Manik was fighting this war for Nandini.

And that made him invincible. 

Veer kept looking into oblivion with a tinge of discomfort. 

"No one can protect Nandini like he does," Aabid Bhai stated with a smile. He wanted to say more about them but then there was very less one could speak about them. One could feel what they shared but words could hardly suffice. 

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Nandini smiled at the passerby as their horse cut through the crowd in the market. Locals were looking at her admiringly while she was going all flushed. The way Manik's arms had secured her was impassioned. She couldn't belong to anyone but him, he shouted for it as he rode the horse to somewhere unknown. 

Soon they were away from human activities and entered a dimly lighted road. Mist was spreading over and the path looked hauntingly beautiful. She could feel his hot breaths striking back of her ear and she bit her lower lip. 

"Where are we going?" She asked in a whisper. 

He sighed deep making her tickle a little. His chest convulsed as tried to hold the rein of horse with one hand while his other hand traveled somewhere back. She felt a tug at her hair and gasped. Before she could say something, she found him undoing her braid urgently. His long hair came loose in waves and her cheek turned tinted. 

"Manik"

She called him as he hadn't replied to her yet. 

She felt his breaths sinking deep in her neck where he planted a soft kiss. Nandini couldn't lie about what havoc he created every time he touched her, no matter how many times they have been that close.

"We are going home," He answered finally. 

"I wanted to show you around the way you should see it," He added and she smiled. 

Manik halted at edge of cliff from where so many houses looked like lamps illuminating the mountains. Nandini's eyes reflected the glee as she tried to grasp the view. 

"So many of them," She murmured. 

"And they all love you," He put forward and Nandini looked at him as next thing. Her eyes held amusement. He had never cared about this aspect. He had loved her so achingly that it never bothered him if world hated her or loathed her. 

She didn't know why and how but she felt this strong gush to tell him how relieving it felt to have him beside this way. She kept gazing his face as back of her head pushed his chest and she turned her neck enough. She held his hand which was on rein and brought both her legs on one side of horse. He held her right. 

"I wish there was no war, I wish we could just elope from here and never come back. I wish we had met in some other time and could just spend our lives like normal people. I wish..." She said peeping into his keen eyes and then stopped when found herself losing track of words which could tell what it felt to have him. She held his face in her palms and wished to seal the unspoken words. His lips curved a bit before he fisted her hair rough enough to bring her that close to him where he could kiss her. She groaned in some invalid objections and he kissed her harder. 

Leaving her after all her words died in her head, he left her lips to stir her soul with those eyes. 

"You could always tell me all you want this way. I am not a very patient person, Nandini," He confessed shamelessly and she looked at chasm of their bodies. Her arm had traveled around his neck, she didn't realize when. His arms had secured in her place as they held her waist. 

 His lips kissed her cheek leisurely and she came out of trance. 

"Would I ever get to hear what you feel, Manik?" She complained not wanting to look so dazed. 

"I would love to make you feel what I feel instead. Would you allow me?" He whispered over her ear and she turned her face away not knowing how to escape. 

She knew he had smiled behind her as she felt his lips stretching against her hair. 

"I have vowed to take you home before anyone else. Stop distracting me," He spoke and Nandini looked at him. He was looking at road with tint of mischief in his eyes. He looked at her and kissed her forehead. 

She didn't bother to return back to her previous position, instead she leaned on his chest. 

He rode the horse and she closed her eyes. She wanted to give him all, she wanted to be all he wanted. Her plate was full, she was always occupied. So many changes, so much to deal with, a battle to chose and a war to win; she didn't know if she could make some time for both of them. She was a heart so eager to soak in his drenching love but then it had to wait. 

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Nandini could see a threshold of a grand villa. She could see it all adorned as if to welcome someone. 

Manik rode them to the main gate. Guards bowed a little and Nandini returned their gesture. Doors got opened in no time. Entering the domain, a well lighted path took them towards an opulent house. Nandini could see that it was a classic Casale. There were so many gardens and annexes. 

"They have planned to humor you in Murthy style," Manik quipped and she glared him. His dislike towards riches wasn't unknown to Nandini. 

Soon enough they were at doorstep of that classic house. So many people stood there to welcome Nandini. They were a bit amused at the way she had arrived though. They had expected her to ride royal carriage and there she was on a horse with a man who was holding her as most precious thing in the world.

She hopped down and walked to the door where a man in his 50s came forward and greeted her. 

"Welcome home, Ms Murthy," He said with a smile. 

Before they could interact, they heard horses neighing and wheels rolling against the brick road. Nandini knew her family had arrived too. She smiled as carriage stopped right in front of door. Her father climbed down along with Aashi. She saw Veer riding the horse towards the threshold. He was amused to see her there already. Manik was gone with the wind as if had never arrived. Nandini frowned thinking why he always left her alone in certain situations.

"You are already here," Veer said amused and asked the staff to make a way for the family. They walked inside to see a lavish set up which screamed for legacy. That house didn't seem ordinary. 

"It's our lineal house," Veer cleared the doubt. 

"Mr Murthy always stayed here when he visited the east," He divulged further. Nandini's creased forehead relieved a bit knowing the fact. 

"This entire villa shall serve you in every way, Ms Murthy. This is your home now till the time you conquer the state," He stated with confidence. 

"I would love to show you around, especially the offices. But I guess you deserve some rest before that," He added genuinely. 

"I would take your leave and shall see you in morning," He said and instructed the staff to show them their rooms. 

Manik was still nowhere to be seen. Nandini didn't know where he had eloped and that made her restless. 

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Annie opened the door of a room and asked Nandini to walk in. 

"Your room, Ms Murthy," She said. 

Nandini looked around and found room to be extensively palatial. She had lived all her life this way but now it all seemed so shallow. It was a medieval themed room with a huge canopy bed. Walls had wooden texture. The fireplace was lit and hearth of it shone in red of it. It was everything she had known all her life.

But things weren't same anymore.  She had grown habitual to live in temporary tents where sound of babbling brook could sing her lullaby. She didn't know if she would be able to find peace in these lavish walls.  

Annie was walking out of room when Nandini called her, "Annie, Have you seen Manik?" 

Annie looked clueless as well as perplexed. Nandini had talked to her about various things but never about Manik. She only knew him as someone who knew no one and nothing beyond Nandini.

"I didn't see him around," She responded and Nandini excused her. 

Walking to the grand window, she looked out at breathtaking view of mountains. She could see snow-capped mountains in moonlight. 

She had come to her room after settling her father in his new room, She had made sure Aashi was alright, she had walked in corridor of the mansion just to see if he was around but she didn't find a single trace of him anywhere.

She heard door clicking meekly and she knew who it was. She sighed deep as if preparing to charge the man. 

 Two arms wrapped around her waist as she gazed the mountains in facet of oblivion.

"Where were you?" She demanded an answer in low yet fierce tone. 

 He sighed deep but didn't reply. 

"Manik..." She started to turn around but he scooped her in arms. She worked her legs protesting. He always had his ways to get away from everything. She disliked this one habit of him to every extent.

Putting her in warm bed, he kept leaning over her. His eyes peeped into hers and she opened her lips to say something. 

"You cannot just disappear always and then walk in as if nothing happened," She complained gravely. 

"I had some business to deal," He answered as if it was the simplest premise. 

"You could have told me," She replied. He smiled, just a little. 

"I am now," He answered and kissed her cheek. His arms was still under her and other one was resting on her knee. 

"Manik," She nagged and he tucked some loose strands behind her ear. 

He caressed her temple with his thumb while she felt her skin soaking in eternal warmth. 

"I was finding myself a place," He finally divulged and her brows furrowed. 

"What do you mean?" She got up pushing him away mildly. He sat across her while she awaited his answer. 

"I need to show you your room. I have been waiting for you but you just disappeared like that," She said trying to get up but he pulled her back. She landed on his lap and he held her close. 

"I cannot live in this palace," He confessed genuinely. 

 "I have found myself a perfect spot in the villa," He said and his eyes shone in color of pine. She knew he hated those palatial set ups and loved the nature much more than he realized. 

"So you would not stay with us here?" She asked lowly. 

"I can stay in this bed if you want," He stated leaning in to close the gap between their lips but she turned her face away. She heard him chortle and turned to glare him. He was playing with fire on her expense since evening.

"Either it is going to be this way or else my way," He said eyeing how they were sitting. 

"Where are you going to live?" She asked stopping him to make it more difficult for her. 

"Just across the estate," He answered, "There's small cottage."

"You would be around, right?" She asked uncertain. He sensed her anxiety and held her chin to make her look at him. 

"I have nowhere else to be," He said and pecked her lips. His lips leisurely met hers again when she didn't move away. Nandini's mind had her own inhibitions. Till now she had been living in his world, she had known his ways. It was the first time when he had stepped in a world she knew. She was unsure about them. She didn't know if he could breathe here and if he could, for how long.

Manik put her on bed, still kissing her softly. 

"Sleep," He said and kissed her forehead. 

She didn't word her anxiety and thought of calling it a night. She needed to wrap her head around the recent changes first. She couldn't be impatient.
Turning sideways, she let him him cover her in quilt. He walked over to fireplace and put some woods in fire. He looked ablaze as he gazed her from there.  

She closed her eyes to sleep and didn't hear the door click open till sleep took over her mind. 

Manik walked to the door once felt her forehead losing its worry lines. Closing the door, he leaped out of the mansion.

Night had brought them to a new home when home was nothing but hearts they bore.

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