“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.
A stretcher was brought, and the girl he had handed over to the enemy with his own hands was carried to safety, beaten and brutalised.
Sufiyaan Sheikh, you betrayed me.
What was there to come back from that for? Samar made a roaring sound inside himself, wanting the white mountain to open up and swallow him whole. The chill was burning his skin. It wasn’t numb anymore. Flames were licking at it and the pain was unbearable. Did she feel this inside the fortress? Did she feel death was better than burning too?
Death.
He did not panic.
Kill the panic.
Kill the pain.
Kill the fear.
Death.
“Samar.”
Samar. Jang vich sir te khadi maut.[12]
Apne putt da naam maut te rakh ditta tussi.[13]
Jang ch sab marde ne. Jo mar ke phir khada ho jaave… oh Samar, biba.[14]
“Samar.”
He blinked his eyes open. No dark torture chamber. No beautiful sky. No white desert. Only one pair of eyes. Cerulean blue eyes, round red mouth pressed into a thin line. She compressed her mouth even more, pushing the dimple in the centre of her cheek deeper.
