Deceiving Veils

Chapter-15{Veils}

"Still he didn't move"

It was minutes since campfire had died in army camp but he didn't move. Nandini had dreaded each second assuming it being last of their heavenly closeness. His arms did brush her arms as he breathed. His breaths had set their own accord with her skin. She slowly moved her hands on his wet chest a bit as a cold flurry of wind finally invaded the comfort they had developed. He moved. He looked at her in dead dark tilting his head up. She could feel his gaze. His cheek slightly touched her cheek as he tried to tilt his head more. It felt far aching than those cold flurries. An ache which didn't ache precisely but panged so bad. A pang which she would want to feel again. A sweet ache.

"From whom you were running away?" He whispered.

She shivered a bit listening him speak so close to her. She opened her mouth to say something but words had seemed to go for a walk.

"Did you really think you would walk away like this and I would let you?" He murmured again in her ear.

"If you did, let me tell you one final time, Nandini, I won't," he added.

Nandini pressed her lips to suppress overwhelm to come out of her mouth. She could feel tide building inside her heart which could drench him in a way that she might not be able to send it back to sea ever.

"Now if you are planning to irk me with your whys, let me tell you I won't tell because I don't know," he murmured finally looking into her eyes.

His honest bewildered confession formed a curve on her lips and she looked down to avoid his gaze.

"I won't ask," she said slowly, "but..."

He shushed her by putting his finger on her lips.

"Do not ever run away like this," he said outright.

She stopped smiling and peeped into his eyes which were only visible thing in dead dark.

"I won't," she said sincerely.

He again brought his head in crook of her neck without touching a single pore of her skin.

She heard him sighing and then he withdrew.

Holding her hand, he slowly walked them away from that dead end. He was cautious. Without making a faintest noise, he walked them out of that forest part.

She looked around and saw the ruins. It was the same place from where she passed before.

"Can we stop here?" She asked.

He looked around and then thought about something for a minute or two.

He nodded in yes and let go of her hand. He walked towards a giant wall to look around. Nandini assumed it to be left over of some old big building which got dumped in folds of time. Manik came back and called her.

They walked to a door and entered that roofless room.

"Here," he said and started to collect the leafs and woods.

Nandini looked at the beautiful walls intently and found the setting highly intriguing. He lit the fire and that roofless room lit up like a deserted home.

Nandini got settled near the bonfire and rubbed her hands to warm them up. He sat a bit far opposite her leaning on wall.

She looked at him and found him looking at her. She expected him to take off his gaze but he didn't. Facing his gaze was nothing less than facing the fire. One warmed her flesh and other was too much to handle.

"Thanks," she uttered to break the awkward silence.

He didn't respond but closed his eyes. Nandini felt a bit relaxed as he took his eyes off her.