Deceiving Veils

Chapter-6{Haze}

"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???"