“Atharva!”
“There!”
They ran to an alcove, framed by fronds of pine, Atharva climbing his way out.
“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! You are ok, Bhai!” Fahad launched himself at him. “Fuuuck!”
“I’m alive.”
Samar hung back, taking in the sight of him, reassuring himself that he was alive. His voice was crusty, his face sooty, but he was alive — standing, in his full senses, here. Samar’s body loosened.
“Where’s Iram?” Fahad asked.
“She is safe.”
Atharva cleared the leftover pines and showed them Iram, buried in ice, her face pale as ice, marks on it. Samar staggered.
“We need a stretcher. She has broken her thigh!” Atharva called out.
Samar stepped closer, closer and closer, his eyes frozen open. She looked… brutalised. Handprints on her face. Purple. Her mouth was cut. Dried blood on her chin, bruise swollen. Smoke charred her cheeks.
Shock paved way for training.“Get her blankets, someone!” He shouted back and crouched and reached her forehead. Cool to the touch but not cold. Pulse was slow but strong. Atharva had done right by keeping her buried in ice.
“Water too,” Atharva coughed behind him.
“Promise me…” she mumbled. And Samar’s eyes widened. “Go… go.”
“What? What did she say?”
“Just ramblings,” he muttered, ducking out of the alcove.
“What happened to you?” Samar pulled down the bag under his eye. “Your eyes are blood red!"
“Inhaled smoke while saving her. I think there might be smoke poisoning. Breathing has been difficult, my chest hurts too…”
“You fool, start moving!” He ordered. “Can you walk?”
“Not without her.”
“She is coming on the stretcher, you start moving right now!”
“No. I’m not leaving her alone… I can’t…” Atharva sagged, looking at him like only he would understand this helplessness.“I won’t spare any of these bastards."
“What did they do to her?”
Not what I am thinking. Please, not what I am thinking.
“They molested her, hit her, tried to rape her, a gang first and then Sufiyaan Sheikh.”
His eyes cut to her.
“They tried to burn her alive.”
Samar whirled his eyes back to Atharva.
“He has made this personal now.”
Samar stared into unyielding resolve in grey eyes.
