A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-52

Nandini stood at bus stand impatiently waiting for Manik. It's been 3 days since she had seen him. That night when she had trespassed the academy, it was in vain. Manik wasn't in his bed. She couldn't understand where her kitten had eloped when only one he had got to come to was her. Yesterday was even weirder. The same watchman who used to allow her in was nowhere to be found. There was some new man who took his duty way too seriously. She couldn't get in. Manik never showed up after that night at Mayor's. She waited at her home keeping the balcony open, she stood at door of academy thinking how he would try to meet her but he didn't show up. 

She was scared, again. 

Sighing deep, she pushed all the negative thoughts away. She couldn't afford to be like him when he was one authentic copy of himself. There couldn't be any shamming.  She couldn't give in to fears. 

Honk of bus brought her out of her thoughts and she smiled instinctively. People got off the bus one by one and Nandini's lips couldn't cease to stretch into a smile.  Her eyes caught glimpse of Harshad and she was sure Manik was just behind him. 

"Hey," Harshad said with a nervous smile while bus left the stop. 

"Where is Manik?" She asked being impatient. Harshad exhaled loudly trying to put it in safe way. He was hell afraid of Nandini. Manik had told tales of huntress Murthy. 

"He couldn't come," He answered and then saw Nandini's face turning into stone expression. She looked scary. 

"He wanted to. But Colonel Singh won't let him out. He is bearing penalty for breaking the rules and that means no coming out on weekends. There's nothing else," Harshad spoke in one go dreading what if Nandini dug his grave there only and he didn't get to complete what he had to, then Manik would not let his ghost rest in peace. Manik had certainly painted Nandini as one mad lady amid his friends. Well, that seemed to work as well. They won't think of wooing her ever. 

"You're lying," Nandini said after a long pause. 

"Uncle Singh won't restrict Manik," She couldn't buy how her Uncle Singh had turned up at wrong time in their little story. 

"I don't know what happened but...look...It's weird and please don't kill me for saying that but Colonel Singh has changed a lot these days," Harshad tried to vent out. He was waiting for someone to prick so that he could bitch about Colonel at length. 

Nandini saw Harshad making faces as if he was having hard time containing something. He looked funny to be honest. Nandini shook her head trying not to come up with something witty. 

"Manik gave this," He brought out a letter from his pocket and handed to Nandini. 

"And he said...I don't know what it means...But he said his aunt didn't call since a long time and he is worried, he said you could help," Harshad said breaking the words as if it was some tough verse. 

"I don't know how you can help but yes...that's what he wanted me to say," Harshad said nodding his head. Nandini couldn't understand how come Manik had such a stupid friend. He did sound sane when he was drunk that night. 

"Tell him...his aunt would call tonight," Nandini replied hiding a smile. 

"That was quick," Harshad chuckled only to earn a glare from Nandini. 

"I think I should get going. I need to buy stuff for Manik," He said sensing the situation. Nandini rolled her eyes as Harshad disappeared amid regular crowd. 

Looking around to find herself a place to sit so that she could read first love-letter of her life in peace, she tried to feel enthusiastic about it. Letter was neatly written, no wonder cadet was a topper.