A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-3

"Khadoos"

Manik looked at her as she mumbled it under her breath.

"I heard that."

"Good for you," she retorted with plastered smile.

Taking a long breath, he put his focus back on road. Jeep gliding on curvy roads; she sitting beside as stingy distraction; town not getting any closer, he had declared the day worst already.

"Do you have allergy with words? Or maybe have this stone face disorder?" She talked yet again.

Manik took a deep breath and parked Jeep in side.

"Is it too difficult to keep quiet? Or you just can't help it. Yes, I have allergy," he said.
She kept following his frowns, brows and every expression with eyes with mischief in her eyes.
"I have allergy with liars, excessive talkers and impish people," he said while glaring at her.

She burst into laughter. Manik looked at her and then at wheel.

Did he say something ridiculously funny?

"What's so funny?" He asked.

She caught her breath and looked at his annoyed face. And again, she was under attack of laughter.

A highly conscious Manik pulled the gear and steered the car again on road. His face could give wooden plank a complex and eyes had utmost stress.

"You are so easy to prick, believe me," she said catching her breath.

He cut a sharp turn listening to it and she landed on his thigh.

Her doe eyes had a little amusement at least as he looked at her.

She gathered herself back. Two or three of her bangles had broken as he saw pieces of it on his lap.

She was quiet. Panic struck him as he saw her rubbing her wrist.

"Are you alright?" He asked looking at her wrist.

She looked smilingly at him as always but there was something different. He didn't notice this calm before in turbulent aura of hers.

"I am alright, Cadet," she chirped in her usual tone.

Her hand rushed to smoothen her messy hair and he looked a slight red mark on her wrist.

"Listen, apply something on that," he said, "I didn't mean to hurt you."

She looked at him as if he had uttered something very amusing.
"Relax, Maaaanik," she said with that stress on his name.

"Its just a stupid cut in upper skin. Why you become so serious in everything?," she added while rolling eyes.

Well, she didn't talk much afterwards. Manik sighed in relief and drove off to town at maximum safe speed he could. He was glad he would get rid of her in few minutes and sanity could exist after that without any disturbance.

"Tell me, where to drop you?" He asked as soon as they entered town.

It was sunny day and people looked quite busy in their routine. Small shops having abundant of fancy items, it looked like a daily colorful fare.

"Take me wherever you are going," she said while completely turning towards him. Her hands on her lap and eyes on him, she looked like a lost cause to him.

"Are you crazy? Tell me where you want to go," he asked again.

While batting her eyes, she kept looking at him without an ounce of hesitation.