Three days..! It's been three days since Manik had left..! Those three days were like hell for Nandini..! It's been three days since she had saw him..! She used to watch him 'chupky chupky' from the window when he used to exercise in the garden..! She used to steal glances when he ate the food..! She used to stare at him when he was unknown of her gaze..! In 13 days that Man became an important aspect of her life..! Though she didn't knew anything about him but still..! She was scared what if he never comes back? What will she do?
"Aiyaappaaa..! Please usy wapas la do..! Main kabhi nahi laroon ge us say..!"She prayed to her aiyapaa crying badly but Aiyappa was very angry too as she was so wrong this time..! She had disrespected an honest man..!
Fifth day..! Still there were no signs of him..! Nandini felt like if he will not come another day she will die for sure..! The night of the fifth day was so stormy..! It was a horrible snow storm..! Nandini lit up all the candles and lights..! Her heart was not at all giving her good vibes..!
"Kuch honay wala hai..!"Nandini whispered worriedly and came inside the room..! Her heartbeat was so much furious..! "Wo theek ho ga na??"She thought worriedly..! "Agr kuch ho gya usy tou?"Nandini again thought..!
"Tou? Tjy kya farak parta hai Nandu? Wo itna acha hai tu nay kya kiya us kay sath..! You pushed him away..! Tjy us k ankhoon ki sachai nahi dekhi?"Her heart was also so much angry..!
"He is your obliging..! Agr tu us kay ghr na hoti tou wo aurtain tjy kab ka kise ko baich chuki hoti..!"Her brain shouted..!
"Aiyappa..! Main dil say sorry hoon..!"She spoke to herself...! Suddenly the door knocked so loudly that she gasped..! She run to open the door..! As soon as she opened the door Manik stumbled in and Nandini gave him support..! His shirt was all read with BLOOD..!
"What happened?"She freaked out and he was breathing heavily..!
"I I ha-have be-been sh-shot..!"He was feeling difficult to even speak..! Tears welled up in Nandini's eyes and she led him to the room..! He fell on the bed and Nandini run to get a first aid box..! She came back within no seconds..! His eyes were closed..! It was paining..! She noticed he was wearing police uniform..! It says all..! How she came here..! She got the answer..! Why he didn't told her about himself she got the answer of that question too..! Her guilt was ruining her thoughts..! She sat beside him and placed her palm on his forehead..! He opened his eyes weakly..!
"I..! Yo-you hav-have to get up..! I wi-will dr-dress your wound..!"She stammered in tears and he tried to got up..! Nandini supported him and he sat resting his back with the board..! Her hands were trembling..! The sleeve of his shirt was torn it clearly showed that he was been shot on arm..! Manik's eyes were again closed..! She had to take his shirt off..! Her shivering hands extended towards the buttons of his shirt..! He stirred a little but didn't opened his eyes..! She opened all the buttons and pulled off his shirt..! Silent tears were dripping off her chin..! His arm was bleeding badly..! Although the bullet just passed touching his arm but still the cut was too much deep..! She touched the wound lightly..!
"Ahhh..!"Manik hissed without intention and opened his eyes..! He look at Nandini and she was staring at him..! Her face was wet with tears..! She turned her face and dipped some cotton in spirit..!
"Tum aisy kesy ja skty ho?"She said in a low tone without looking at him and started dressing his wound..! Now he was staring at her..!
"Main kuch bhi boloon ge aur tum chaly jaoa gay..!"She again complaint wrapping the bandage around his arm..! A faint smile spread across his lips..!
"Us wakat mjy gusa aaya hua tha..! I know mjy wo sab ni bolna chye tha..! Par tum panch din tak ghar he nahi aye..! Itne nraz ho gye thy..! Aur dant laity..! Chaly q gye..!"She was saying all this without looking at him, lowered eyelashes, moist chubby cheeks and dripping chin..!
"Meri taraf dekho..!"Finally Manik spoke that too so softly..! Her tears were not hurting him as he knew she was crying only for him..! She look at him with teary eyes and he was smiling..! "Come here..!"He said softly and with the spare arm he gestured her for a hug..! She was hiccupping like a baby..! As soon as he gestured her to come close she collapsed in his bare chest..! And started sobbing loudly...!
"Shhh..! Don't cry now I am back na..! Shhh..!"Manik shushed her rubbing her back and she hugged him as tightly as she could..!
Manik had never intended to leave her alone but he was assigned to a mission which engaged him for five days..! Unluckily he got shot..! He was so guilty for leaving Nandini alone so without caring for himself he came home..! It was their first hug and Manik was so happy..! But her crying was now unstoppable..!
"Nandu..! Bus na..!"He again whispered in her ear..
"Tum ab nahi jaoa gay na..!"Nandini said hiding her face in his neck..
"Never..!"He said patting her head...! She slowly broke the hug realizing what she had done..! She blushed and got up..! She was about to walk away when Manik held her hand..!
"It's Manik..!"He spoke staring at her back and she instantly turned..! "My name is Manik..!"He said shrugging his shoulders and she smiled to the fullest..!
"Manik..!"She repeated it like a prayer..!
"Mery pass betho na please..!"He was so sweet...! Finally he was letting her in..! She quietly sat near him...!
"Is it hurting a lot?"She asked tracing the bandage too much naive to look at him..! While he was just looking at her..!
"No I am ok..!"He said in an assuring tone his gaze didn't left her face..! Not even for a second..!
"Tumhy bhook lahi ho ge na? Khana lay kar aoan?"She again said without looking at him..
"Abhi nahi..! Bus mery pass raho..! Kuch dair aur..!"He again pleaded..! She can't refuse him..! Now she can't disobey him..!
"Tum kahan thy?"She asked..
"I was on a mission..!"He said softly..
"Main tmhy kesy mili?"She asked the question which was popping her the most..! Manik never wanted to think about that day..! But she has the right to know..!
"Last thing I remember was I fainted..! Maybe on that rough floor of the basement..!"She spoke as if trying to remember the rescue night..!
"I will tell you..!"Manik said softly and she waited for him to continue..!
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20 days ago
"ACP Manik..! ACP Manik you there? OVER..!"Manik heard his colleague Cabir's voice on walky talky..!
"Yes officer Cabir I am here..! OVER..!"Manik replied..! He was sitting in his jeep hidden in the trees..! They were here to rade on a Kotha..! They were behind these people from so many days..! Finally today was the day..!
"Sir..! Mission successful raha..! We have rescued all the girls..! I want you to come and give a final check..! OVER..!"
"Good to hear that..! I am coming OVER..!"Manik replied and turned off the device..! Finally he was successful..! His team was successful..! He jumped off his jeep loading his revolver and taking short steps he walked towards the Kotha hiding from all sides..! He entered the main hall and saw so many scared poor girls..! Young girls..! Cabir came towards him..!
"This is it?"Manik asked glancing at the girls..
"Yes Sir..! These are the girls we found here..!"Cabir said obediently..
"I will get a round of this place myself..!"Manik said and walked out..! He checked each and every room..! He saw stairs..! The stairs were leading him to basement..! He walked down..! The tuck tuck of his commando boats was disturbing the horrifying silence of the basement..! As he was advancing towards the door of the basement room don't know his heartbeat was breaking records..! He checked the door of the room it was easy for him to broke the door..! He kicked the door open and the sight in front of him was enough for him to gasp..! NANDINI was lying unconscious on the dirty, dusty humid floor...! He immediately picked her up and rushed outside..!
...
"Manik..! Manik leave him..!"Commissioner shouted furiously and tried to untangle Manik from the gang head..!
"Sir..! Please..! Don't stop me...! I will kill him..! You bas***d..!"Manik yelled and again rewarded the gang head with lots of punches..!
"Mar jaye ga wo..!"Commissioner again shouted and pulled him away finally..! From last two hours Manik was beating the gang head senseless but still the pain was not coming to an end..! Junior officers tried so many times to stop Manik then finally they called Commissioner..!
...
"That's how I got you here..!"Manik narrated all story and Nandini was again in tears..! He looked at her and cupped the cheek where he had slapped her 5 days ago..! "I shouldn't have slapped you..! You have already suffered so much...! Mjy hath nahi uthana chye tha..! I am sorry...! I was sorry as soon as I left the house..! I was coming back but I got a call for the mission that's why I came so late..! I am really sorry...!"He was apologizing all the time caressing her cheek with his thumb..! Nandini unintentionally snuggled her cheek more in his palm..! A Man's touch can be so soothing? A man can be so loving? Wait a second..! Love? Does she love Manik? Yeah..! Yeah she love Manik..!
"Is it still hurting? Bohat dard hua ho ga na?"Manik's soft voice brought her out of the trance and love realization thoughts...! He was still caressing her cheek..!
"Nahi..! Dard nahi hua..! I deserved this..! I disrespected you..! Actually I am so-..!"She was about to apologize again when Manik suddenly leaned forward and placed his lips of her 'that' cheek..! As soon as his hand replaced by his lips Nandini felt like her voice getting lost somewhere..! She felt like world stopped for her..! Her heartbeat was so wild..! He kissed and kissed her cheek ever so softly as if trying to tell how much sorry he was..! Nandini held his bare shoulder tightly for support with one hand as other was entangled with Manik's..! Finally Manik parted away and Nandini was red tomato..!
"Ma-main..! Kha-khana laati ho-hoon tm-tmhry liye..!"She stammered blushing profusely and run outside untangling her hand from his..! He smiled biting his lower..! He rested his head with the board again and closed his eyes..! She was a diamond..! So precious for him..! After sometime she came with food tray and placed it in front of him..!
"Aik baat mano ge?"Manik said looking at her with all love while she was busy in dishing out some rice for him..!
"Hmm?"She just hummed giving him the plate..
"Kya tum mjy apny hath say khana khila skti ho please?"He didn't knew why he wished for this but he just felt like asking her..! She smiled sweetly and without saying anything she picked up the spoon to feed him..! She fed him the first morsel and he munched slowly..! "Myny tmhy kabhi thank you nahi bola na..! For everything you do for me..! So thank you..!"He said smilingly and she just smiled..! She was about to feed him the next morsel when he held her hand and fed her..! Soon the dinner was done..!
...
"Manik leave this cell phone and sleep..!"Nandini ordered him as soon as she came in the room after cleaning the dinner dishes..! Manik smiled sheepishly and placed the cell phone back on the side table..! "Manik..! Tmhy thand lag rahi ho ge na..! You are not wearing the shirt..!"Nandini said worriedly as she noticed she didn't gave Manik other shirt to wear...! She was about to walk away when he pulled her against him and made her laid beside him..!
"Manik..! What are you doing...! Let me get your shirt..!"Nandini whispered merely as Manik dug his face in the space between her neck and shoulder..!
"No..!"He whispered stubbornly and Nandini sighed..!
"Acha..! Blanket tou adjust karny do...!"She said as she ruffled his hair..! Now she was getting used to 'his' touch..! He left her and when she was done with blanket thing he was back again in the same position..!
"Your arm..! Is it paining?"She asked as her fingers traced his nape hair..
"No..! When you are close to me then nothing is hurting..!"He whispered sleepily and dozed off..! Nandini didn't believed she was on the bed with Manik..! And that too she was hugging him so tightly..! She was in peace finally..!