A Thousand Encounters

Chapter-54

Thanks for all the love on previous chapter. 💕💞💝💖

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Stuffed dark sky, night was hotter than expected. Manik looked around as he took a short break to catch some breath. He had been walking since minutes now and way to her house was hauntingly aloof. It felt like it didn't hold anything for him. He resumed his journey to reach the only person who had might to make him do every wrong because it felt so right to do anything for her. Sky roared indicating the obvious. 

It was going to rain...hard.

Manik quickened his steps to cut the distance, he couldn't wait to see her. His heart was already emitting some illegible frequency, it foreboded something. Strange reaction. 

A heavy drop touched Manik's cheek and he looked up. Sky had started to melt. His restlessness increased. He needed to see her at earliest. 

A pair of headlights blinded his eyes and he waited for the vehicle to pass. It was Murthys' car. He was sure. Before he could make out anything further, another luxurious vehicle passed by him. He didn't know why his heart dreaded something he couldn't put his finger on.  His steps turned into rush. He could see Murthy Mansion bathed in lights. He was just few meters away. 

It was a downpour now. Sky had started low but the way it roared, Manik knew it was going to rain all night. 

Reaching gate of Murthy Mansion, he didn't find any guard there. He walked inside and saw Nandini's jeep parked in a corner quietly. 

She was home, he sighed in relief.

He wanted to feel the blood-rush, he was about to see her, everything was going to turn perfect, he had to feel it, but still he didn't feel anything of that sort. 

Before he could ring the bell, door opened and a panicked Rishi walked out. He was too distracted to notice Manik. After him walked an equally freaked Daadu. 

"Daadu," Manik called out. 

Daadu looked at him and his eyes got moist for some reason Manik didn't know. 

"Manik," Daadu replied reaching him. Manik tried to smile but Daadu's face spoke million words of unease. 

"She is gone," He managed to speak and Manik tried to understand what that meant. 

"She left house one hour back and We don't know where she disappeared," Daadu divulged helplessly. Daadu failed to put in words what exactly was wrong.

Manik's lips parted trying to understand what had happened there that Nandini had left the house. 

"We are leaving, Daadu," Rishi yelled driving the car to the gate. 

"I need to go and find her," Daadu's devastated state didn't help him much. 

Manik followed an upheaval Daadu and found Rishi tapping the steering wheel impatiently. Sky cried for nth time amid the struggle. 

"Manik, what are you doing here?" Rishi asked him.

"Drive to academy," Daadu instructed Rishi impatiently.

"Would anyone tell me what is wrong?" Manik asked loudly as downpour started to deafen the surroundings. 

 Rishi looked utterly confused as he tried to handle so many question-marks at a time. 

"A lot happened, Manik. She left the house in a terrible mood one hour back and we aren't able to track her," Rishi told vulnerably. 

"Hurry up, Rishi. I am not feeling good about it," Daadu was being impatient. Rishi nodded and drove away. Manik saw the car disappearing in dark and downpour. It was like hundreds of thunderbolt had numbed his senses. He couldn't even tell them how Nandini hadn't gone to academy. He had come from same path all drenched in her thoughts, she wasn't there.