Chapter- 9

Cool breeze of night drifted in through the window, soft music played in the background as Eshita drove along the empty stretch of road.

Ekta, now comfortable from earlier, sat pulling her knees closer to her chest, leaning on the door, staring at nothing, letting the chilling air settle into her skin. The voices in her mind long quieted down for the first time in days.

“Check my phone please...” Eshita said with a frown, “Bhaiya ne abhi tak call nahi kiya. Quite strange!”

Ekta picked up the phone from the dashboard, “It’s switched off!”

“Fuck!” Eshita slammed her foot on the brakes, the car came to an abrupt halt with a sharp screech.

Ekta jerked forward, her hands flying to the dashboard to steady herself. “What are you doing?” She hissed, steadying herself.

“Sorry. Tum thhik ho?” Eshita asked quickly, glancing at her worried.

Ekta sighed, “I am fine. Why are you panicking like that? Mera phone hai na...” She trailed off as she reached for her pocket only to find it empty.

She looked at Eshita wide-eyed, “Ghr par rhe gaya.”

Eshita chuckled sarcastically, “Wow! That means today the grumpy wild bears will roast us and have a barbecue party with us served as the main course, perfectly marinated in their anger.”

“If you are done with your imagination of our recipe, will you please take a U-turn,” Ekta muttered, “Bhaiya pareshan ho rahe honge.”

Eshita clicked her tongue, starting the engine, “Parshan ho rahe honge? Arre ho chuke honge! Abhi tk sabhi guards par chilla chilla kar apna gala kharab kar liya hoga. Becharo ko dara kar hum Seghal’s ke paas vo kaam hi kyu karte hai yeh sochne par majboor kar diya hoga.”

She continued dryly, “And dad... he might be overthinking way too much. Both of them going bonkers right now.”

“You know everything about them,” Ekta muttered quietly, “Itna pyaar karti hai aap unse?”

Eshita glanced at her confused before focusing back on the road, “Yeh kaisa question hai? They are family. Mere bhaiya aur dad hai. Obviously I love them. I might get angry at them or fight with them, still my love won’t lessen. Anyways, who even hates their own family?”

Ekta went quiet. She didn’t have an answer to that one question. She knew no matter what, she couldn’t stop hating her family, her father, her brother but now staying under the same roof as Eshita, seeing what the girl had compared to what Ekta herself never had was heartbreakingly overwhelming. And that made her curse herself that she resented her family when she is one at fault.

Within a few weeks, she had witnessed how Virendra took care of Eshita. She could read the unknown tension between them; she had even heard Eshita yell at her own father, but not once did he raise his hand on his child, not once did he snap back at her. He was always caring, what Eshita failed to notice, Ekta did witnessed that silent way of showing his love.

Just a few weeks ago, she saw Virendra stepping into Eshita’s room. She was suffocated staying in that new room of hers and stepped out when she noticed his shadow slipping inside quietly. Her curiosity got the better of her and she walked to see what he was doing inside at that hour, the scene before her instantly teared her up.

The way Virendra adjusted Eshita’s blanket, sat beside her, caressing her hair lovingly, as if making up for every lost moment... everything screamed of unspoken love.

Even Ekansh was the same. He cooked for Eshita each day and night, her favourite meals. He made sure to be around Eshita always when she was at home, although involving her and never leaving her behind, yet his special care was something Ekta had never experienced before. So was the genuine smile she had witnessed, after spending five years with Ekansh. There was no pain in his eyes, no forced smiles, no excuse of dust that went in his eyes and teared him up, just pure joy, and that warmed her heart.

Eshita was lucky to have a family that loved her so fiercely, even in their brokenness.

“I think we are in trouble.” Eshita mumbled, breaking her chain of thoughts.

Ekta looked at Eshita, the way she slowed down the car, “What happened...” Her words died down as she noticed the group of men walking in their direction with torches in their hands.

Eshita instantly pulled up the car windows, locking the doors completely from inside. Her survival instincts kicked in.

“Don’t stop!” Ekta hissed, scared, as Eshita slowed the car.

“I can’t reverse from here,” Eshita said softly, trying to keep her voice calm, “We have to go straight, there is no other way to get back home.”

In her thrill of driving, she had come one hour away from her house, straight onto an empty jungle road, that too at night. A reckless mistake now felt like a trap closing in. Eshita’s grip tightened on the wheel, her heart pounding in her chest. She was scared.

The men walked closer, their steps unsteady yet deliberate, with predatory looks in their eyes. As they closed in, Eshita noticed the weapons in their hands. Turning off the car lights was an option, but that would create more suspicion, anyways, they had already noticed the car standing alone on the deserted road. Riots like that never needed logic, only chaos. She didn’t know why they were happening, but it didn’t matter. People needed an excuse to unleash their anger, otherwise there is a difference between peaceful protest and mindless violence.

“What will happen now?” Ekta’s voice shook with fear, her hand instinctively gripping Eshita’s that rested on the gear. Men were worse than monsters, she hated them with every breath she took, her past clawing its way back to the surface.

Eshita looked at her, startled. The tears in her eyes, panic-stricken face, worried her. Shaking off her fear, she placed her other hand over Ekta’s, “Nothing will happen. Main hoon na... they are covering the whole road and coming in our way... to speed through them blindly will be dangerous. Let’s them pass and we will return back safely. Don’t worry.”

Ekta tried not to worry, tried to believe Eshita, but the closer those men came, the more her fears reached its peak, choking her breath and clouding her thoughts.

Eshita held onto Ekta’s hand as the men walked past the car. She sighed in relief, which was short-lived as the same men returned suddenly, surrounding the car completely. A few gawking at the car, a few trying to peek inside through the windows, and a few knocking on the front windshield aggressively.

“Darwaza kholo!” A man shouted, “Niklo bhar!”

Eshita felt Ekta’s grip tighten on her hand. She felt the same fear Ekta was feeling. She knew how to box, but that didn’t mean she could take down so many men at the same time and Ekta... she would become collateral damage.

“Ahh!” Ekta screamed, flinching back, startled as one of them slammed the rod on the glass.

Eshita took a shaky breath, “Relax! The glass is unbreakable.” She sat up straight and started the car, but moving forward would mean rolling the tires over the jerks who refused to back off, continuously slamming the windows, trying to open the doors.

“How about we talk to them calmly?” Eshita suggested, as none of them budged even an inch, even after she revved the engine warningly.

“No!” Ekta snapped instantly, “They aren’t some saints to listen. Look in their eyes... that’s not anger, that’s a gleam of lust. The moment you open the door they will find the treasure they were hunting for.”

Eshita looked around. What Ekta said was right. If it would have been a man inside the car, she was sure they would have walked away, but noticing the girls, the dark hunger in them awakened and brought them back like honey to bees. Bastards!

Eshita revved the engine, her foot slamming on the brake as the car growled under her control, tension coiling in every nerve. She increased the speed, letting the warning roar echo out, she wasn’t bluffing, she would drive over them.

Eshita noticed how a few stepped back. “Close your eyes,” she said gently. It was do or die now, either she saved herself and Ekta from the predators or became their prey, and in this condition, the latter was out of the option completely. She was a Seghal, and Seghal’s never bow down in fear.

“I am fine,” Ekta murmured steadily. She could sense what Eshita was about to do, and it didn’t affect her, she had seen worse.

“I said close your eyes!” Eshita’s tone sharpened.

A sixteen-year-old who could differentiate between fear and lust so quickly must have seen something far too dark for her age, and that unnerved Eshita. But she pushed it all aside, focusing... there was no charging wire in the car or she would have at least turned her phone on and called her bhaiya. Everything was going against her tonight.

Ekta gave in. She covered her eyes with her palm, her heartbeat now racing wildly, but also holding onto a fragile trust that she would be safe, Eshita would keep her safe, and that faith grounded her.

Eshita revved the engine once again to full speed before she lowered the accelerator to max and turned the wheel. A few men stumbled away from the front, a few still stuck, she moved the car forward and slowly forced her way through them, brushing past without stopping, but one of them suddenly came in front of the car, getting hit and rolling down, landing hard on the road.

Eshita’s hands shook. She could stop and check, show a little bit of humanity, or she could keep going, choosing survival over guilt, knowing they would have attacked them mercilessly without any remorse.

Thinking for a moment, she pressed harder on the accelerator and sped away, not looking back.

“They are following us,” Ekta said, scared, as she looked back through the rear window.

Eshita groaned glancing at the rear-view mirror, shaking her head, “Obviously, why would they leave us on the empty road so easily.”

Eshita increased the speed. The lane ahead was darker, the road narrowing with trees swallowing the little visibility left. She was a fool to drive there, usually street lights worked, but today they were off, creating the darkness even more intense. What will she do now?

✨✨✨

Ekansh paced the commissioner’s cabin, worried, anxious, and restless. He searched for Eshita in all the places she usually went, the sunset point, the beach, even her favourite café and a few more places Vanya had told him, but they weren’t anywhere. The tracker displayed the last location on the highway and then the signal went off, which increased his panic tenfold. Each passing moment he felt his control slipping, with riots going out of hand, everything terrified him.

Virendra walked up to his son, resting his hand on his shoulder, “Relax ansh. They will be fine.” He tried to reassure him, even when his own heart was trembling with different fears.

Ekansh simply nodded. He was praying for just that. Right on cue, the commissioner entered the cabin, “Kuch pata chala?” Ekansh asked urgently.

The commissioner shook his head grimly. He looked at Virendra, “After the highway, where the car took a diversion, we are unable to trace it yet,” He said, his tone serious, “My team is searching every possible route. The location might turn on when they drive into a network covered area.”

Ekansh turned to his father, “I will go and check on the highway area. Aap tab tak yahi rukiye, let me know if you get any update.”

“Nahi Ansh.” Virendra stopped him immediately.

He understood a brother’s worry, his own mind was going through wild thoughts too, but he couldn’t send his son into danger. Half of the city had turned into ashes, shops were shut down, hospitals were closed off, the streets had turned lawless, not a single vehicle was roaming on the road without facing consequences. What he was feeling was far worse, but he couldn’t let his son walk into that danger.

“You know how the condition is outside.” His tone softened a bit, “Let the officers handle the situation. I can’t risk you too.”

Ekansh stepped back, “I can’t just sit here and do nothing, dad. I have to...”

“Sir, last location forest area ka bata raha hai,” A constable informed, rushing inside.

“That’s one and a half hour away from the city,” The commissioner glanced at Virendra, “I will go and...”

“We are coming with you.” Both father and son said together.

The commissioner nodded, knowing there was no way to argue with them. Virendra was his old friend, however it was the power that was working... one that Virendra held in his hand the power, that made the system work so fast despite the chaos in the city. That was the influence he held. Otherwise, it was rare for the Home Minister to call and ask him to break protocols if needed, but find Virendra’s daughters.

✨✨✨

Miles away, on a deserted stretch of road, Eshita’s car wobbled suddenly, jerking violently as if losing balance. She was far away from the group of men from earlier but still not in a safe area. She didn’t know, in the darkness, if she had driven onto a wrong road or the right way.

“What’s happening?” Ekta asked as the car shook.

Eshita tried to steady the steering, “Pta nahi... Ah...” She yelped, startled, as the car lurched forward uncontrollably and came to an abrupt halt.

Silence fell in the air. Eshita groaned, holding her head,.it had hit the steering wheel. She rubbed the sore spot and glanced at Ekta, who sat there frozen in shock. Eshita shook her lightly, pulling her out of her daze.

“Are you fine?” She asked quickly.

Ekta snapped out of her haze, shaking her head. That was a close call. Her heart was still racing. She nodded weakly, glancing at Eshita, “Aap thik ho?”

Eshita nodded, looking around. There were a few street lights on down the road; she could see faint shadows. She turned on the car, the headlights spread across the road, but the car didn’t move forward.

“Open the glove box,” she said firmly.

Ekta looked at her, confused, but opened the small compartment before her. Her eyes widened as she noticed the gun inside, “Yeh...?” she stammered.

Eshita leaned forward, taking out the weapon. It was her father’s. One thing she did sane that whole evening was taking her father’s car. Her father had enemies everywhere, so him having a weapon was not a big deal.

The cold metal pressed against her skin. Eshita unlocked the safety with practiced ease. There was a time when she resented her father for teaching her how to use a gun, but today she was grateful that he did prepare her for situations like this.

Maybe half of the things parents do for their children are right, it’s just if they show some love rather than authority, the difference would be everything.

“You know how to use it?” Ekta asked, uncertain. The gun in Eshita’s hand didn’t look cool or impressive... it looked scary and dangerous.

Eshita ignored the question and picked up her phone, “Get down.”

“Ji-ji?” Ekta stuttered, panicked.

Eshita turned to her, softening her tone slightly, the fear in Ekta’s voice not lost on her, “Relax, girl. I am not going to kill you. Yaar, darr toh aise rahi ho jaise main tumhe pehle shoot karungi. I know how to use the weapon, but that doesn’t mean I am a cop and it’s easy to take aim. I am myself scared. This is just for safety. Gaadi kyun rooth krr baithi hai dekhna toh padega na, ghr jaana hai toh.”

Ekta nodded, opening the door and getting down just as Eshita did. It wasn’t like she was scared that Eshita would do anything to her, it’s just the gun terrified her, bringing back a piece of memory flashing before her eyes.

Eshita kicked the car, frustrated, “Fuck! The tire is punctured.”

“Aapko tire change karna nahi aata?” Ekta asked gently.

Eshita glared at her, “Am I a mechanic now?”

Ekta shook her head, looking down, “so-sorry.”

Eshita exhaled sharply. She herself was on the verge of tears, what was she supposed to do now? Walking down away from the car, where they could at least hide safely, was an option, but getting help on an empty road was next to impossible. Her stomach growled, when stressed, she eats to calm her nerves, but there was nothing to eat. A hollow, sinking feeling crawled in her chest. She looked at Ekta, the girl stood there like a scared kitten, looking around the place nervously, as if danger could appear from any corner.

“Let’s walk down the road,” Eshita said, gathering her thoughts, “Koi help mil jayegi. We can at least call bhaiya or dad.”

Ekta nodded wordlessly. Anything was fine with her as long as she wasn’t alone to face hell. Quietly, she rushed to Eshita’s side, maintaining a small distance, but still walking too close to her, scared and on edge, turning back time to time to check on the deserted road behind them.

Eshita noticed Ekta’s shadow walking right beside her, the way the girl kept turning back, glancing over her shoulder, and then hesitantly lifting her hand as if to hold hers... only to stop midway, withdrawing it, contemplating.

Eshita slowed down for a second... and then, without saying anything, she reached out and held Ekta’s hand firmly.

“Kisi se help maangne se koi chota nahi ho jaata, Ekta. It’s okay to get scared... and more than that, accepting that we are scared,” She said softly, her thumb brushing over Ekta’s cold fingers. “Even I am scared of so many things right now. Jaise Bhaiya... unka reaction kya hoga. I am sure this time I will have it from him.”

Ekta couldn’t help but scoff lightly, “He has never raised his voice at me... and you think he will raise his hand at you when you aren’t at fault?”

“Mistake..,” Eshita shook her head, lifting a finger, “Number one... I left without informing.”

She raised another, “Number two... I didn’t check if my phone was charged or not.”

A third finger joined, “Third... I didn’t care if the security was at least following me or not.”

Her fourth finger went up, “Furth... I drove carelessly without even realising of place and time.”

She let out a dry chuckle, “So yeah... four, and many more bhaiya will add.”

Her voice softened unconsciously, almost drifting into familiarity, “The first thing he will do once we meet is snap at me for being irresponsible and putting myself in danger... and then pull me in his warmth, reassuring me that I am fine.”

Ekta sighed, shaking her head, “I don’t think so. He must be hell worried... and probably overthinking the worst case scenarios right now. The first thing he will do is pull you in a hug and reassure you that you are fine... and then comes the anger or scolding you think he might deliver.”

She paused before adding quietly, “Mene unhe kabhi mujhe daante hue nahi dekha... haath uthana toh bahut door ki baat hai. And according to me... nothing like this will happen. Aisa thodi hai that you risked everything on purpose... it just happened.”

Ekta’s words should have comforted Eshita... but unknowingly, they felt like a sting. Does Ekta know more about Ekansh than her? The thought hit deeper than it should have.

Eshita looked ahead, tightening her grip on Ekta’s hand unconsciously. The road stretched endlessly in front of them, dim lights flickering at a distance, shadows dancing with the rustling leaves. For a moment, silence settled between them, heavy, layered. Eshita exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the thought, but it lingered. Of course Ekta would see a different side of him... she had him for five years. Five years Eshita didn’t.

Her jaw clenched slightly. “He scolds,” She muttered under her breath, more to herself than Ekta, “Maybe he is just different with you and me.”

Ekta glanced at her but didn’t say anything. They kept walking. The night felt colder now. The road quieter. Every distant sound, leaves rustling, branches snapping, felt amplified.

Eshita’s eyes scanned around instinctively, alert, her senses heightened. The gun in her hand felt heavier than before, she slowed down near a slight bend in the road, pulling Ekta a little closer this time, without hesitation.

Ekta noticed it. She glanced at Eshita from the corner of her eye. The same girl who snapped at her minutes ago... who drove recklessly... who scared her with her unpredictability... was now the one holding her hand, shielding her without even realising it. There was something raw about Eshita unfiltered, not perfect... but real.

Ekta swallowed, her gaze drifting ahead. Her fingers tightened around Eshita’s hand, not out of fear alone this time, but something else... a strange sense of safety she had once felt after meeting Ekansh only.

 

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