Deceiving Veils

Chapter-29{Defying the Dark}

Melancholy of obvious filled the air with music of annihilation as if numbing every tiny space for hope. Nandini sat leaning on door waiting for him to open it. If not him, she didn't want that door to open at all. Fresh set of salt water slid down her cheeks and that's when she realized the brutal reality she was in. There can be no worst feeling in this world than not getting a chance to preserve what you love. She was never given a chance. People loved her for sure, without an ounce of doubt. Maybe that's why she was alive and living that life was her curse. Losing people she could give life for, and just see them all immolating themselves for her, it had to be worst thing ever. 

She closed her eyes as she heard another gunshot, they had reduced in past few minutes. Minutes, each minute had seemed like a decade. She wiped her tears making one more rash on her pink cheek. She could calculate how there were very less breaths outside. She again murmured a prayer knowing how hollow they all were. There wasn't a single day when she hadn't prayed for her parents but did he listen? She shook her head with a broken smile. And now when she was murmuring those words for Manik, was she bringing it down on him? She was beyond afraid. 

Now if that door was open and she had to walk out to end it all, she would have. She couldn't lose him, she just wished she was given a chance. Another aloof gunshot echoes the valley and she just blinked her eyes. They weren't scary anymore. Another fifteen minutes passed and she just accused the antique timepiece hanging on wall. She wasn't supposed to be victim of it and that's exactly she was now. Losing him wasn't an option, she didn't know what would she do if he doesn't return. He was the only one she had got now, Though she didn't tell, though he didn't speak, though they never talked. She clenched her teeth together as she felt this sheer anger thinking what if he lost himself in saving her. She was waiting for the moment he would walk in and she would slap him hard for doing this to her. 

Minutes passed and it was hard to keep eyes open now, they were beyond frozen. They demanded warmth and that's what she couldn't have. She closed them thinking pain would lessen but it doubled with his face flashing in dark of chasm. 

"Come back," She murmured and her chin wobbled. 

"Come back, please," She repeated breaking into zillion of pieces. 

"I cannot lose you"

"I cannot take it"

"Come back, please"

Grey of sky marked its presence and she knew it was dawn. Her eyes twinkled with tears as she looked at window. There wasn't any gunshot since few minutes and maybe it was retreat. But what if it was the end, she got up on her feet and looked at closed door. Knob of it turned and her heartbeats fastened. She was alive after all. She didn't move a bit, didn't try to hide herself in case it wasn't him. Door churned as it opened slowly and a dark contour stood there peeping into her soul. tears started to form into her eyes because she could see, she could see him. Though his face wasn't clear but she knew that gaze. Each of her pore could read that warmth. A smile touched her lips as she looked like a broken figurine. 

He walked in and now light of dawn was touching his face. Those eyes and that disfigured face, she chuckled seeing him while tears flowed down her cheeks without a stop. She took a hasty step to reach him and he too walked a heavy one. Standing face to face, they both locked themselves in moment. None doing anything, just trying to register each bit of each other. Her hand raised to touch his wounded face and he seized her in arms burying her each advance in between them. She closed her eyes smiling a broken smile and he just breathed heavily on her shoulder. Her arms enveloped him softly and before she could hold on to him, she felt him slipping. He was sliding down her body like sand she couldn't hold. His knees touched the floor and she saw a mop of red on her sweater. Her hands trembled as she touched her front and blood soaked her fingertips. Looking at him, she grabbed him in jiffy and he collapsed in her arms.