A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-30

"You know I can get rusticated," He uttered looking at stars. 

"No, you won't," She replied putting her knee on his leg. 

Manik could feel his breaths aching his throat. It was too much to take. The cold, the risk and her; he could never meet the vigor. It was getting impossible to cop up with how close she was to him. Lying on straw grass, they were gazing stars from little window on roof of stable. It was a clear sky but nothing was clear when it came to his mind. She had her head on his upper arm and she was hardly gazing stars. It was him who had dissected the twinkling orbs when she was doodling something on his blazer. 

"Nandini," He murmured as she hid her face in his chest. She was being an unreasonable kid when she was not a kid. She was creating havoc inside him with her antics. His fragile heart had already won the marathon if his heartbeats were a participant. 

"Hmm," She replied and he sighed. She was not in mood to talk. She was in mood to peel him layer by layer while all he could do was managing his breath and thumping heart. He needed to start yoga soon. 

"What are we doing?" He asked purring like a timid kitten. 

"We are doing nothing, Manik," She replied with ease and he frowned. 

"No, I mean... what are we doing here past midnight like this?" He tried to open the pages which he didn't even know how to read. 

She raised her head from his chest and looked at him with a pout. Manik sighed deep, her frown was a bad news. 

"I don't know," She replied helplessly. 

"You are topper, you tell me," She asked genuinely. Her doe eyes batted as sleep was dancing in there. 

"You are sleepy," Manik murmured and she shook her head. Turning on her stomach, she lay there on her elbows now directly looking into his eyes. 

"I have a lot of questions," She put simply. 

"Really?" Manik asked uncertain. Her tone was alarming. He could sense series of awkward questions coming his way. 

"And you need to answer them," She said nodding her head. She looked cute, Manik couldn't miss noticing that. 

"I'll try," He replied lowly. 

She inched closer walking on her elbow and Manik tried to slide away. 

"Nooo," She objected with a frown. 

"I feel cold," She stated and Manik halted in his place.

"Why heater or my cozy quilt is not enough but you?" She asked fitting between his torso and arm. 

"Why only you are warm enough for me?" She asked playing with loose thread on his blazer. 

Manik smiled looking at her confused face. It wasn't an usual site. She was looking like a lost kitty. 

"Why don't you sound stupid anymore?" She asked and his smile vanished. 

"I was never stupid," He replied defensively. 

"You were always stupid, Manik," She argued in her sleepy voice. He felt he could agree instantly if she kept talking in that voice. 

Silence tried to prevail amid timely neighs of horses. Stable was quiet as everyone was trying to rest except them. 

Manik looked at her biting his lip as she didn't ask anything further. She was looking at him ardently. He felt nervous. She was looking this dangerous-pretty. 

"Why you are only thing I want these days?" She asked inching closer and Manik could never answer anything with she being such tormentor. 

"Why I feel like doing things when you are around?" She said raising her brow. Manik's lips parted in shock.