A Thousand Encounters

Chapter - 65

Manik opened the kitchen cupboard to find something to eat and found 100th packet of puppy food. He groaned in frustration and slammed it shut. Apparently Nandini had returned to her room with kids to have the breakfast at 8 in the morning and he wasn't invited. Now he could hear 'smol borks' and her giggles as background score to his agony. He was replaced. Someone else was there to make her smile and he stood no chance in front of that level of cuteness. 

He randomly opened the casserole and found three burnt parantha in it. His lips adorned a smile. He had misjudged his hellion. She indeed had made him some burnt food. He could eat those square pieces any day in glee. He started to munch them while walking towards the room. He turned the knob to find the door locked. He sighed and placed his forehead against the ply. He needed to be with her. After so many days, Sunday existed and he couldn't just let it go wasted. 

"Wait, Rogue," He heard her yelling and then door getting opened. She dashed out with one pup in hand and he found another one napping in her bed. He followed Nandini and saw she was in garden with pup. He seemed to take a piss. He walked to where she was and stood right beside her. She seemed to sense his presence so she folded her arms across her stomach as if that was a way to tell how nothing was okay between them.

"What happened to your truck?" He asked and she looked at him. He shrugged his shoulders at those accusing looks. He was on mission to piss her off on purpose. He needed to get her talking even if it meant she yelling at him.  

"Nothing that concerns you," She spoke gritting her teeth and he sighed audibly.

Little Rogue was done with peeing business so Nandini headed to take him inside when he decided to pull a play date. He started running across the garden and she scolded him for extending her stay. Nandini heard another one whose name Manik still didn't know yelping and she looked helpless.

Being a mother is not easy.

She looked at Rogue and then at window of her room.

"Go ahead, I will be watching over him," He said taking the chair.

She growled audibly and then uttered some profanities before she stormed inside. Manik couldn't disagree that he felt terrible about the fact how he was replaced by those furballs but then they were cute. He couldn't deny the fact they were the ones who had kept her company when he wasn't around.

He called Rogue and that little master gave him a stink eye. 

What kind of name was that! 

Rogue!

Manik had been wondering but now it was making sense. That little one was another hellion in process. The way he chewed the water pipe and mini-growled at him, it made sense. Manik called him again and this time he barked at him. 

"Wow, even he doesn't like me," He muttered and decided to pick up the mini-hellion.

Nandini picked up little Pongo from the bed and patted him.

"Oh my sweet fragile child," She cooed him and he started to lick her face.

"Let's go outside and play in sunshine," She added and then looked out of window where she could see Manik holding Rogue in his hands while Rogue seemed to chew at his fingers.

"Messing with the wrong pup, cadet," She mumbled before taking a closer look. He looked so troubled not because of those puppy teeth piercing through his flesh but the way he couldn't get through her. His eyes searched the threshold while lips formed a frown. A pang traveled across Nandini's chest. She wanted to end the season of frowns as it was way too long since they had been their usual selves. Past few days were all about pull and push.