Part 14
FLASHBACK!
Manik and Abhimanyu reached at that place, where gun had been shot fired. After reaching there, they saw Nandini standing alone with tensed look on her face and one man is standing backfacing them, pointing gun at her. Manik and Abhimanyu took out their gun from their jacket but Nandini with her eyes denies them. They kept their guns back and kept silent.
"Who are you?" Man asked Nandini. He was not aware that Manik & Abhi were standing behind him.
"Naina" Nandini replied.
"What are you doing here at this hour?" Man asked again.
"I lost my way back to home. By the way who are you?" Nandini said, with confidence. That man kept down his gun and put back in his jacket.
"I'm new forest officer of Manali. My name is Aryamaan Khurana. I saw you running so I thou-" He was cut off by Nandini in between.
"And you thought I'm some criminal who is running away after doing some crime?" Nandini said smirking. Abhi lightly chuckled and Manik rolled his eyes.
"It's not like this Madam. Yeh meri duty hai ki main yeh dekhu kahi koi problem mein to nahi hai. Iss jungle mein kahi junglee ani-" Aryamaan again got cut off by Nandini, this time she said furiously "Mr Khurana.. iss jungle ka to nahi pata par ha yeh zaroor hai ki ab shayad iss jungle mein ek bohot hi khoonkaar animal aa gaya hai. Usse bach ke rehna hoga.." She said last line slowly. Everyone got confused.
"What??" Aryamaan said.
"Nothing! Thank you for your help. I'll find my way from here." Nandini said with small smile. Aryamaan frowned a little but then nodded his head. He turned only to find Manik and Abhi standing there, crossing their arms. He raised his gun back and pointed at both of them. Nandini came in front of them, protecting them. Manik saw at her with surprise. He never thought Nandini will do something like this, he saw her with proud. He smiled inwardly and Abhi, he was feeling proud on her sister but her smile soon faded away when he saw Dhruv and Harshad, hiding behind bushes. They waved at him smirking and he looked at them wide eyed. Harshad chuckled and showed him the present. Abhi smiled seeing it and blinked his eyes. Harshad kept the gift there itself and left from there, giving flying kiss to Nandini.
"They are my friends. They too lost their ways. Right Mr Malhotra? Mr Thakkar?" Nandini said, looking behind at both of them.
"Yeah.. we lost our ways!"
"She is right!"
Both of them said simultaneously, Aryamaan frowned, he found something suspicious.
"If you are friends then why are you not taking their nanes? Why are you calling them with their surnames?" He inquired. Three of them looked at him and then at each other.
"Because we are frie-" Nandini tried to say but Manik spoke in between "We are friends in making. We are neighbors, we just came today and lost our ways. We ju-" Abhimanyu spoke in between "We just thought to check this place, but we lost our ways." He said with small smile.
"Ohkay! I understood. I think we shall make a move. Anytime it can rain. It's not safe to stay here for long." Aryamaan said, looking at sky, which was all dark and cloudy. Everyone nodded and began to walk, Aryamaan lead them to the road. Abhimanyu took the gift and hid it in his jacket inner pocket. Manik gave his jacket to Nandini, which she took and wore it immediately. They both smiled at each other.
Aryamaan showed them their way and left from there without giving chance to anyone to say anything.
"Weirdo!" Abhi exclaimed.
"It's okay Abhi. Let's move. It's late." Nandini said, looking at dark pathway where Aryamaan went few minutes back.
"Ahh. Wait Pari!" Abhi said. He took out Harshad gift from his jacket inner pocket and forwarded it to Nandini "For you."
Nandini got confused. Manik stood there clueless.
"What is this?" She asked taking the gift.
"Khud dekh lo.." Abhi said smiling naughtily.
Nandini unwrapped the gift and rolled her eyes. She gritted her teeth being annoyed "Harshhh!!!" Abhi stiffened a small laugh seeing empty box inside. Manik felt something after hearing word "Harsh" from Nandini's mouth.
"Stop laughing Abhi! Where is he? Tell me.. I wanna meet him. Right now!!" Nandini said irritated. Abhi kept laughing and Manik stood there clueless. Nandini showed him eyes but it seems it doesn't affect him anymore.
"Abhimanyu Thakkar! Enough is enough.. now you are making me angry. Tell na where is he? You met him? Is he here? Say na!!" Nandini said irritated but in the end, started to request Abhi. Manik smiled looking at her, behaving like a kid in front oh his brother.
"Okay. Okay. Fine. I'll tell you. He is here in Manali and yeah he gave me this. Few minutes back he was there, where we were. But he left keeping this there." Abhi said, finally giving up. Nandini gets shocked hearing that Harshad is in Manali, her face went pale and she looked at worried "What is he doing here? It's not safe for him to stay here. No.. he has to go from here. Abhi.. Harsh has to go from here. No.. He has to-" She started speaking getting worried for her best friend but Abhi said in between, cutting her off "Shhh.. Pari. Relax! He is alright. He will be fine.. Okay! You just calm down baby.. You can't take any risk." He took her in his embrace, patting her head slowly. Nandini closed her eyes and slept in his arms, being tired. Abhi kissed her forehead and they both move towards their cottage with Nandini in Abhi's arm.
They reached at cottage within 15 minutes and saw Mukti roaming in garden holding her gun. Manik and Abhi got suspicious and they too took out their guns. They went towards her and called her from behind. Mukti flinched by sudden voice and aim her gun towards them. She was looking horrified but calmed down herself seeing Manik and Abhi in front of her. She kneeled down closing her eyes and took deep breath.
"Jaan.. what happened?? Everything all right? What are you doing here? Where is Dadi? Say something Mukti!!" Abhi asked her all worried, he was still holding Nandini in his arms.
"Mukti. Are you Okay sista??" Manik too asked her all worried after seeing her horrified. Mukti looked at both of them and silently gave them a nod. She looked at Nandini in Abhi's arm and gets worried. She instantly stands up and went to her. She asks both of them worriedly "Nandini? Isse kya hua? Yeh tum logo kaha mili? Is she fine?"
"She is fine Mukti. We found her in mountains. She was stuck. Now she is fine. Just sleeping. Nothing to worry!" Manik replied, looking at Nandini intensely. Mukti nodded and the three of them went inside the cottage.
Inside the cottage, Dadi was sitting worriedly and was enchanting God's name again and again. All kids slept in the hall, Kaka was looking after them, he was too worried. Dadi got up from her place seeing Abhi and Manik entering along with Mukti and Nandini in Abhi's arms. She ran up to them hurriedly and began to cry seeing Nandini's condition.
"Meri bachi" She caressed her head lovingly and kissed her forehead. Abhi looked at Dadi with tears in his eyes, Dadi instantly wioed out his tears and told him to lay Nandini down safely.
Abhi made Nandini sleep in Mukti's room. After coming out he saw Dadi, Manik and Mukti with tensed face.
"What happened?" Abhi asked everyone. Mukti looked at him with tears in her eyes. She ran up to him and hugged him tightly as much as she can, Abhi too gave in and hugged her more tightly, securing her in his arms. He heard her silent weeps and looked at Manik and Dadi for answers. But they too shrugged their shoulders being clueless. Abhi got confused by this. He asked Mukti, slowly patting her head "Jaan? Kya hua? Kyu ro rahi ho? Bolo baby.. See I'm here now. Tumhe kuch nahi hoga.. Bolo!!"
Mukti slowly broke the hug and looked in his eyes, she didn't said a word and kept looking in his eyes. Abhi saw pain and worry in her eyes, he got worried seeing her like this, but he knew if he will fall weak in front of her now then it will become little difficult for him to know the reason behind her this condition. He picked her up and made her sit on chair, he kneeled down in front of her and held her hands in his. All this time, Manik and Dadi were silent.
"Jaan. Apne Abhi ko kuch nahi bataugi? Bola na Jaan.. kya hua??" Abhi again tried to ask her and this time Mukti replied, stammering at each word "Ab-Abhi.. I-I sa-saw some-someone out-outside the cott-cottage. I don-don't know.. who was it? I wen-went out but I-I fou-found no-no one. I got sca-scared Abh-abhi. I got scar-red." After tsaying this much, she began started crying hiding her face. Abhi immediately hugged her tightly and she too hid her face in crook of his neck, hugging him tightly. Dadi and Manik got tensed and looked at each other.
Abhi tried to console her "Shh.. Mukti. Calm down. Relax baby. Koi baat nahi.. koi kuch nahi karega. No need to get scared. Please jaan.. calm down!!"
"Par Abhi.. agar wo insaan wapas aaya to? Usne kisi ko hurt kia to? No Abhi.. I'm scared.. No!!" Mukti said horrified, breaking the hug. This time Manik said, holding her right hand "Then I promise to you.. we will catch him. Okay? Now relax! That person will not harm anyone untill I'm here. Hmm?" He said with determination. Mukti nodded and Abhi looked at him first and then at Dadi, who was looking here and there, all tensed. He got confused but kept mum keeping Mukti's condition in mind. He asked her to sleep, which she obliged and left for her room. She slept beside Nandini, holding her hand and praying to God to take care of everyone.
Outside the room, Abhi came to Dadi and asked her "Dadi? What happened? Aap inni tensed kyu lag rahi hai?? Sab theek hai na??"
Dadi looked at him and gave a small smile. She said "Haan bacha ji.. Main theek hu. Menu ki hona hai? Tussi tension naa lo.. main theek hu. Bas zara sa thak gayi hu.. aaram karna chahti hu aur kuch nahi!"
Abhi and Manik were not satisfied by her words but then they let her go, seeing her tired face. Also they too got tired so they didn't asked her further, they nodded and Dadi gave them tired smile. Manik asked Abhi to show Dadi her room and he too went to his room, calling it off for a day. Abhi showed Dadi her room and went to his room.
Manik moved towards his room but thought to check on Nandini for last time. He goes to Mukti's room and saw her and Mukti sleeping peacefully. He kneeled down beside Nandini and looked at her face keenly. He caressed her cheeks slowly from back of his palms. He smiled fully, seeing her reacting on his touch. After sometime, he gets up and leaves the room not before planting kisses on both Nandini and Mukti's forehead.
He came back to his room and lay down on bed. He saw his hand where Nandini did bandage, he smiled remembering how she took care of him. He rolled out on the bed and lays down on his stomach, still looking at his hand. He thinks "Kya ho gaya hai mujhe? Kyu baar baar tumhara chehra meri aankhon ke saamna aa raha hai? Kya ho tum Nandini? Kahi main pagal to nahi ho gaya na? Nahi. Nahi. Yeh nahi ho sakta! Manik Malhotra get control on yourself. Don't forget you are on mission. Be focused!!" He gets up after making himself focused and changes his clothes. After changing, he again lays down on the bed and closes his eyes to get some sleep but again Nandini's face came in front of his eyes. He immediately got up and sighed "Yaar.. Ab to yeh ladki bandh aankhon se bhi dikhne lagi hai. Goddd!! I want to sleep. Please na.. jao yaha se!! Get out of my mind Nandini. Please!!! I wanna sleep. Ahhh...!!"
He makes a cute pout and again tries to sleep but everytime he closes his eyes, he saw her face. He kept pillow on his face in frustration and tries to sleep. After some more struggle, finally sleep overcomes him and he sleeps peacefully, smiling having a beautiful dream.
To be continued..
Hello Amigos! Mere pyaare pyaare readers. Here is the update.. after really a long long time. Almost after 6 months. I know I'm damn late but main kya karu.. main iske baare mein bhool hi gayi thi.
Acha lo.. ab to maine apne kaan bhi pakad liye. I'm sorry.. ab to maaf kar do!! Please!!!
Acha leave all this and tell me by your comments kaisa laga yeh chappy? What do you think aage kya hoga? Kya sabko pata chal jaayega ki wo insaan Alya hi thi ya nahi? Socho socho aur meko batao.. and please please sab comment jarna. I just love to hear from you.
Bye bye till next update and yeah don't worry.. this time update will come soon!!
See ya!!
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