Deceiving Veils

Chapter 7{Two loose ends}

Cold nights carry something for all those frozen hearts. They carry a chance for all those, who have been straying in cold, to feel that warmth.
Valley wrapped in misty sheet and still having no warmth, that night was beautifully intense.
Nandini looked around and then her eyes returned back to him. Quiet, peaceful and carefree him; he was sleeping. She expected a lot of queries and compulsive set of taunts as well, but nothing of that sort happened. She could see how drained he was. She couldn't even make out how much blood he must have lost, but it was a lot. He asked her what she was doing there and then he peeped into her eyes with so much of intensity that she thought for a moment that he would take away a part of her soul.
Not a word afterwards, he closed his eyes and she assumed he was feeling weak. She wanted to ask how he was feeling and why they beat him, but seemed like this new fashion of 'no questions asked' was pretty comfortable. She wanted to be quiet.
Sleep was nowhere in her eyes. She didn't want to close her eyes either because there were scenes playing.

Her father and his victories.

People cheering for him and his name echoing.

Bullet fires and piercing screams.

Town burning and ashes drizzling.

Slavery and exploitation.

Her father's words and her disbelief.

She opened her eyes and wiped away the tiny tear from the corner of her eye.
"They play without a break. Don't they? Repeatedly and without a fail. " Manik asked.

She looked at him all perplexed. His eyes were still closed and head slightly leaned on tree. His voice actually sounded sweet to her in middle of loud noise inside her head.
"I don't know what are you talking about?" She replied in low tone.
"Hmmm, " he sighed and folded his knee.
Nandini looked at him, all flustered. She certainly didn't like such halt to their almost conversation.
And then the urge evolved yet again to prick him and get some words out of his mouth. That strange ire which was highly painful to hold and too undirected to let out.
"I thought you were asleep, " she murmured trying to sound all composed.
She waited and waited. There was no reply. Anger was gone and now there was this unreasonable sadness.
She got up and walked to the grassy edge of land.
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"Yes, Mrs Murthy, she took the car and escaped with one local boy whom we arrested for hitting one of our officers, " Deputy told Mrs Murthy for third time.
"There must be some mistake. That man must have taken my daughter and drove off," She denied, "Nandini doesn't even know properly how to drive a car."
Deputy looked at her with pity and then assured her how he would again ask his men and see if they could explain it any different.
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"This isn't garden of Murthy mansion where you can choose to have a night walk," he said and stood up.
Nandini turned around to see his chaotic face. Such disfigure; cut on lips, swollen cheek and bandaged forehead; he looked like a complete mess.

Before she could take her gaze off him, he walked right beside her. She lowered her eyes in embarrassment.

"Breathtaking view. Isn't it?" He asked.
She quickly looked at him and found him seeing vast valley in front of them.
"This, oh yes, it's beautiful," she said.

He spared a glance at her and then said, "I bet, better than view from your window."

Silence prevailed for a few minutes. She heard him sighing and she knew another gibe is on its way or else he had decided to get rid of her.

"Your father won't be much pleased to know that you escaped with a commoner," he put, "you know, I don't have clean name either."

"Clean name?" She asked quickly.
"Yes, clean name," he sighed yet again, "I am convicted of many things which people like you don't like."