Deceiving Veils

Chapter- 61{Ghosts of Boneyard}

Milky brume seemed to travel south as it floated in moonlight. Nandini's thoughts were getting reflected by the Machiavellian night. South was calling her. Her purpose had summoned her the day she had found her father. She didn't intend to start an argument but she believed she was stuck in nowhere. Manik's lips kissed her sparged hair and she yet again came out of worry-land. 

It's been an hour or so since they were sitting under a cluster of pine trees. 

Manik's eyes gazed the far away mountain as he kept stroking her shoulder with his thumb. He had encircled her petite figure as they both sat in silence gazing nothing. Her warmth was the slumber he needed before the dawn. He sighed and kissed her hair yet again as if penning another promise. He knew a bloodshed awaited them. His eyes traveled to his own hand which was holding her shoulder. He firmed her grip and she looked up at him tilting her head. His lips instinctively met her temple and she dived more into his hard chest. 

"I had gone to meet wife of Minister Raichand," Nandini revealed and waited. 

"Minister Raichand is alive, Manik," She divulged feeling how he hadn't changed his demeanor. His hold was still warm and muscles still relaxed. 

Her hand raised to meet his knuckles as she caressed his hand over her shoulder. His lips touched her ear and lingered there. 

"I want you beside me when I go and avenge our land," She murmured kneading her fingers into his. He locked their fingers and brought it to his lips. 

"When we avenge our land," He uttered before kissing her sleek fingers. Her lips rushed to form a smile as his words sank in. 

"We can stop this civil war. If our people fought alone with that Autarch, he would crush us like dry leaves," She spoke fervently gazing the mountain in front of her eyes. 

"But if we fought him with an army beside us, We can take back what's ours," She said looking beyond the view. 

Her eyes had the vision her father had envisaged. 

"One lead and we will have neighbors' army at our service," She spoke and Manik tried to look through her bullish eyes. He could see how her eyes were set somewhere so far that she had forgotten to see how there were death valleys between her aim and she. 

His fingers traveled to her neck and then to her jawline as he gazed the same mountain range she did. 

Turning her head urgently, he looked into her eyes to see what she was dreaming of. Her eyes had traces of surprise as she gazed into his stoned ones. Her eyes held so much. So many dreams floated in those eyes as she looked at him.

She was dreaming of them, he could see. He could see her dreaming of them at the end of all this, the twinkle of her eye was enough to tell. He closed the gap and kissed her lips ever so gently. She shifted a bit so that she can relax her neck muscles. Her hand palmed his face while he kneaded her hair trying to reach her soul through that kiss. Her hands slipped and held hem of his collar as his unspoken words carved each her pore. 

Parting, he saw her flushed face, her eyes still showed the chimera he had seen floating in her eyes. Moist of her eyes couldn't veil it. He could die for that grail to come true. 

She believed what her naive eyes saw. She could see it. 

"Lead me, your highness," He uttered so devotedly that each her pore quivered. That title didn't enraged her this time but filled with a rush named adrenaline. She licked her lips and reached for his lips to seal the little deal he had proposed. She could never let go of the faith he just had instilled. 

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Something moved in the dark of the wilderness and Mr Murthy opened his eyes. He looked around and found Jas sleeping peacefully near him. His eyes scanned the ruins and he gulped. There was something out there. He could sense it.His hand reached for Jas as he tried to wake him up.