“Samar!” She screamed through the window. “What’s there inside?”
He sat down in the driver’s seat and found the car idling. This was not the place to let it explode.
“Is there a bomb?!” Iram screamed. “Samar! Wait, wait… no!”
“Amaal knows everything,” he yelled back. “Ask Atharva to talk to her.”
Samar put the car in gear and turned the wheel, pulling away from the porch and towards the estate road. Everyone began to fall away from his way and security barricades opened up without him needing to yell. He kept an ear out for the beeps. Today was the end, and it would count for something. The beeps went loud in his ears. His ears began to roar.
Ashutosh shashank shekhar chandramoli chidambara…the hum was louder in his ears.
Samar saw the road open up in front of him and the estate jungle come into his view. No people in sight.
Koti koti pranam shambhu koti naman digambara…Mummy’s voice.
Beeps were unending. He slammed on the accelerator, eyeing the house and the people in the rearview, left in the distance.
Samar heard the beep click faster.
Fuck you!
He threw the door open and jumped, his body propelling as the world exploded behind him.
Don’t let it end today, please.
————————————————————
“Amaalamaalamaaal….maaaa….amaaal…”
His body broke into a shiver. Water landed. It burned his chest.
“Amaal… Amaal…”
Green. Grass. Burning his back.
“Don’t dunk… water…” his teeth chattered. “Prev…en shock pre…. vent A maal…”
Water landed on him again. He wiggled.
“My ba… on my back,” he muttered. No water. Shock. Hypothermia. No water.
“I can’t turn you on your stomach, your chest is burnt.”
Liar.
Atharva.
Water was hypothermia on open burns. He knew it. But he would do it. He would liberate him.
“You can,” Samar tried to open his eyes. His eyelashes were stuck. “Let me on my side. I am not going to survive… just… back’s burning… ease it.”
I can’t take it. Let me go Atharva. I want to stay for Amaal but let me go.
He felt hands turn him. Samar tore open his eyes. Atharva’s face. And blue sky.
“You’ll live,” Atharva said, smiling. He didn’t dunk him in water.
“I’m here,” he said.Didn’t fucking bring water!
