“I am leaving in 15 minutes.”
“Let me pick you up. I have my Thar.”
He had just gotten it delivered and hadn’t taken it out. He hadn’t even told Amaal yet.
“He mentioned neighbouring towns are also affected, including Paonta Sahib and Nahan. I have asked him to mobilise ham radios.”
“Good call.” Samar stared at the sleet of hail outside. "Let’s talk more on the road.”
The call ended and Samar quickly read the texts, striding into his bedroom to pack. He changed into a dry pair of clothes, stuffed another pair into his backpack and opened his medicine cabinet. His medical kit was as ready as ever. He checked for first aid. He would need to buy more cotton and bandages. More disposable syringes if he could find. In case he couldn’t… Samar pushed his hand into his old bag and came out with the pouch of his reusable syringe set. If it came to saving somebody and infection, it would always be the former.
He packed it all up and slung his bag over his shoulder, picking up his medical bag. As he strode out of his house, his caretaker came running.
“Nashta ready hai, sir.[160]”
He slowed — “Main nikal raha hoon, tum kar lo.[161]”
“Kab aayenge?[162]”
Samar stopped. Thought for a second. He was driving into a cloudburst.
“Pata nahi.[163]” He opened the door of the house. Then stopped again. The momentary pause made him run out faster, unlocking the car and pushing in with his stuff. He shut the door and the loud noise of hail on the roof of his new car sounded intense in the silence.
Samar stuffed his bags in the backseat and grabbed his mobile. He pressed Amaal’s contact. It rang and rang. His breath hitched. It rang, kept ringing, then went to voicemail. Panic mounted. He looked at the time. She would be at work. But she would never let his call go to voicemail without sending him a ‘Call you later’ message.
He pressed again, worry ballooning in his chest.
He had stopped panicking about Amaal leaving, about Amaal going, about something happening to her long back. He didn’t want to fall into that ditch now but if he didn’t worry and something happened to her…
Samar ended the call and pressed again, his heart rate accelerating. All the cold left his body. His arms felt heated. If she didn’t pick up now, he was calling Adil, Qureshi, all the contacts he had sitting in the Secretariat right now.
“Samar!” She hissed, her voice throwing a blanket over all his panic.
“Amaal.” He shot back, now angry. “Why are you not picking up?!”
“I could be in a meeting!”
“And you always send me a ‘Call you later’ message.”
“Samar, I was with… What happened?”
He paused. The sound of the raining, snowing, hailing outside lit a fire to his dying anger.
“Why did you stop?”
She paused.
“Were you with Khalil?”
“And a room full of editors!” She yelled back. “Seriously?”
He cursed himself but couldn’t stop — “If there was nothing to be guilty about then why pause?”
“Samar.” She breathed. “I am hanging up.”
“Fine. I called to inform that I am going to a cloudburst-prone area. Atharva is with me. We may be out of coverage for… I don’t know how long but at least the next 24 to 48 hours. I have my satellite phone.”
“Fine. Go blow your dragon fire there!”
