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The airbase shook with the force of two miraz flying over it one after another, heading towards the LOC. It was the day of mission, and after long meetings which stretched since the dawn they had the final go ahead from Veer sir. The team was split in two- Ali would provide tech support from the ground, the voice in their ears. Samrat and Natasha was paired together and as always, Abhi and Sameera took another jet. His presence calmed her nerves, and finally her hands stopped shaking, as pointed out by Samrat who kept teasing her since morning regarding her nerves.

The two main aircrafts were also followed by 4 small crafts, to provide support in case of emergency. Rawte was in one of them, and the team could occasionally hear him barking in their ears, making them wince.

“Can we mute him or something?” Samrat spoke to his teammates and Natasha behind him snorted.

“Don’t do that.” Abhi’s voice was grave. He was worried since the morning- the LOC was exactly the place he was sent the last time, was captured for months and endured tortures which he himself did not process till date. If there was a lesser man, he would have refused point blank to join the mission. But he was Abhimanyu Rathore. He was also the Leader, hence he need to swallow his nightmares and fear which made his stomach sink, chin up and handle this flight like the boss he is.

The jets split halfway through the journey to capture other points as mentioned in the map. There were 7 suspected villages over whom they needed to hover and take pictures as quickly as possible. Samrat and Natasha had volunteered to take 4 villages situated besides each other, leaving the rest to the other two. The three villages were a bit far from each other, also too close to LOC. One mistake from them and they will be on the other side of the border, on the mercy of neighbor airbase and they might even get shot down. This was something which Veer sir had repeatedly drilled into their heads.

After hours which seemed to pass quickly, Natasha announced their work was done. With the promise to see them back in base, Abhi and Sameera headed towards their last target- Gira. It was a village which was highly suspected to have military refugees, and Abhi cautioned Sameera- this was the last and very important step, also the most dangerous. Rawte barked in their ears again with the instructions, his air craft tailing a few hundred kilometers away.

The responsibility of picture taking was on Sameera, and she did just that, but there was this nagging feeling in her that they needed some more. The aircraft went down as much as it could like Abhi did with last two villages, and then it took a turn to leave.

“Abhi wait!” She shouted, “I am not done yet.”

“We don’t have much time.” He was frustrated, wanting to get away from here as quickly as possible.

“I know, but these pictures are incomplete. Please lower the altitude to 7000 km.”

“Have you gone mad, Shekhawat?” Trainer Rawte shouted in anger, “That low altitude and you might even invite the neighbors of your arrival.”

Sameera turned to Abhi, “Abhi . . . “

“He is right. That much lower is dangerous.” He agreed, “I will take a last turn, take as many pictures as you can.”

“It won’t have all the clues.” She argued back. The words got heated with Rawte shouting at the two of them, and Abhi was angry enough that he would have just taken a turn towards the base, mission be damned. She clearly don’t understand the risk in this.

“Please trust me, Sir.” She did not remember the last time she called him that. Abhi looked at her, his eyes hidden behind masks and helmet glaring at her. Then he switched off the com in his ears, cutting off Rawte.

“Do whatever you want.” He was not just angry, he was disappointed. This was her wish, so be it. Ignoring all the voices that this might be the last time he can even be inside an aircraft and might even be court marshaled thanks to the woman sitting beside him, he turned towards the village. He followed her instructions and Sameera took all the photos she could manage. When she was done, Abhi reached the original altitude, and there were no words spoken till they landed.

Of course Sameera knew she had messed up- she was arguing with a senior in the middle of a mission, as hundred of people heard them. The request was dangerous and way out of line. What she did not expect how angry and disappointed all of them will be. Rawte had started to yell at them the moment they landed, all the over lookers in runway staring at them, wincing as the older officer tore into them. Veer sir summoned the two, his words more towards Abhi coated with disappointment and anger which made her feel worse. Once he was done with him, he turned to her, pointing out how her performance was never upto mark but this was the last straw. There will be an investigation to find out who’s fault was this, and throughout his words Abhi did not say a word. He stormed off once Sir dismissed them, Sameera opening her mouth to call him but he left.

When she joined the other HAWKS, they informed how was the tension down there. Ali could hear all the worst case scenarios the seniors were talking about around him, Natasha and Samrat too were present with him. It was unprecedented during a mission what Sameera had done, and it was highly recommended by others that she should be thrown out to set an examples to others so that there is not such case of insubordination in the future.

“You screwed up, Sameera.” Natasha was angry, also incredulous as to why her teammate will do something like this. She also did not understand why Abhi agreed, but it might be due to the pressure up there. He had to have a reason for agreeing with her. “Do you even realize what you have done?”

“Natasha . . . “ Samrat warned but she shook his off, taking a step towards Sameera.

“It’s not only you who is going to be under investigation. Abhi too might get suspended, as he is our Leader. What’s next, huh? There might not be even a HAWKS anymore since this one was not as per standard. What about us then? Did you even think?”

Sameera was stunned. Of course, she did not think the repercussions this far. In that moment, all she wanted were the pictures, she felt if there were something there, it would be worth it. After all, the mission was important, right? Now that Natasha mentioned the things - what if the worse happens? The team is abandoned? Can her conscious handle it?

“I did not . . . “ She whispered.

“Think.” The other woman completed with contempt, “That’s the problem, you don’t think. You always think in the moment, with whatever it is in your head. Back in the jungle, you supported Disha knowing very well she can quit due to medical issue. You ate the chillies and got sick. What if Samrat did not make it in the campsite in time? What if Abhi did not find you? Before that, when we were training, I repeatedly told you to quit. You did not, and I hurt you. Why can’t you follow orders for once?”

“That’s enough.” Samrat pulled Sameera aside, almost hiding her behind his frame, “You want to talk about past? What about why you could not give up in the gym when you could see her struggling? Or the fact that you did not tell Abhi we were not following you guys in jungle?” Natasha’s face fell as Ali looked shocked, “I know stuffs, I just don’t say. You fix your mistakes first, then you point fingers at others.”

“Samrat, this is not about what happened between me and her.” She spoke cautiously.

“Oh please, there is no ‘you and her’.” He mocked, “None is here is up to your standards. People try to include you and you treat them like shit.” He sighed, deciding to let go of this topic, “Anyways, you made your points. What happened today was a mistake, but this will be the last time you speak to her like this. Understood, Ice queen?” He never called her that on her face. Natasha stared at him, as if looking at him for the first time. Swallowing, she looked down, and even though Ali wanted to reach out to her, he could not. He agreed with Samrat about her behavior and the fact that she intentionally left the two behind made him upset.

Samrat took Sameera’s hand and dragged her away, Ali following.

The base was buzzing with the rumors of HAWKS team getting abandoned and two upcoming court marshals. Further training for HAWKS was suspended, leaving the team mates jittery and anxious about their fate. Sameera and Abhi were temporarily suspended from all activities, and there were separate inquiry conducted on the two. Sam was questioned a lot on her motivations and thought process up there, making her think she was a traitor who intentionally wanted to get into LOC and be captured. She occasionally saw Abhi, but of course he was pissed and she did not get enough courage to see either anger or disappointment in his eyes.

The team mates, sans Natasha, was great though. Supporting her even if she did not deserve it. Natasha kept her distance from the team since the day Samrat tore into her, and Disha made a half joke about how she wanted to witness the scene, but she was no joker. Everyone was down, even Ali- his team’s fate hangs in between, he is supporting Sameera but he also knew like others she was in wrong and could only pray she or the team stays like before, and he also had a hard time to comprehend Natasha’s behavior. Sure, she was cold and rude and likes her alone time, was not a people’s person much, but from Samrat’s words it seemed as if she was cruel.

Samrat refused to entertain Ali’s questions after that day, “While I don’t regret what I said, I do regret how rude that was. That was no time to berate Sam when she was down like that.” He had told the IT expert, “Scratch that, nobody gets to talk to Sam like that, not under my watch. I have always told Sam not to give Ice queen more attention than she needs, but she wanted us to be a team, mingle. Now she just showed how much she cared about this ‘team’.” He air quoted the word, face twisting in disgust.

Sameera once joked to Disha that she had ruin everything just when the latter was discharged properly and about to join the team. Disha shushed her, helpless to do anything in this situation. Sam was always sad, shedding tears when she was alone. Once or twice she had seen her awake, staring at ceiling, still as picture. She had asked her, ‘Why you did it?’, and she was silent for a long time.

“I guess, in that moment, the mission mattered. Nothing else.” She shook head, her messy shoulder length hair falling away, “I swear if I had known this will be the repercussion . . . “ She paused, unable to comprehend. The fact that due to her, Abhi might get thrown out, HAWKS might get abandoned, the guilt ate at her every single time.

“Natasha was right. Trainer Rawte was right. I am unfit for this job.” She would often say, and even though Disha will put up her points, she knew until this investigation comes in their favor (which was highly unlikely), she will never get over this self esteem issue.

On the other side, Abhi was holed up in his apartment since the moment he left the meeting after getting severe scolding from Veer sir. His words echoed in his ears all the time, and the only way he could vent his frustration was to punch his boxing bag as much as he could, until he was exhausted and beaten. The disappointment in his mentor’s eyes and voice, the fact that he might lose everything and will bring down not only his life and career, but also ruin the reputation of his father’s ate away him.

He avoided calls from home, from colleagues, from everyone, stopped going outside. Days and nights blurred until he got the mails for formal inquiry of the incident. Thinking about Sameera just made him even more angrier, at herself or him, he could not tell. Of course, it was his fault- he should have fought her harder, should not have turned off comm and give in like she said. But the mistake started way back- taking her hand for friendship, joining her team for food, spending time with her, showing her the comet, getting close to her. Of course, she got the idea that he would agree to her whatever she said, and that’s exactly what happened. If he had kept his distance, she would not have dared to defy him up in the air.

He should have realized he was deserving of neither friendship, nor companionship.

His already foul mood was practically bubbling with rage when he joined a meeting with Veer sir, Rawte and some other seniors who held various positions in airforce, also there were some people who were from ministry. Calling it a meeting would be a travesty, as it was more about putting the blame on someone. Abhi berated himself silently as to why he did not think about this before- of course, he would be spared. He was a Hero after all, who the Base got back after so long. Small mistakes such as this will be overlooked, also he was not at fault, was he? Who else is better to take the blame, except his team mate who’s records were subpar and was on the warning from both Trainer and Commanding Officer.

These people are going to court marshal Sameera and there was nothing he can do.

He was cleared to join after the ‘meeting’ and he and Veer sir shared a look, the former wanting to say a lot and the latter looking as if daring him to do so, but nobody utter a single word. Once Abhi was back, HAWKS training restarted sans Sameera, and if he did not feel an ache when he saw the incomplete team, he would be lying. There was this strange silence all around and he could not wait to escape to his apartment the moment his time with HAWKS was over. The base felt like it was out to get him.

He both wanted and dreaded to see her again.

Disha cornered her the day before Sameer’s hearing, and Abhi inwardly steeled himself. He could always see the anger in her eyes as if he has victimized her somehow, and his own mental state was so fragile these days that he could not handle someone else’s rage. Not everyone was Sameera, who somehow understood his state and took a step back.

Or reached out.

“I was hoping we could have a word, Sir.” She started, and he exhaled a breath and turned to her, “If you permit.”

“Cut down the tone, Disha. It don’t suits you.”

“Oh, I was not pretending. Just wanted to double check, since you are always running from truth these days.” She snark. Abhi closed his laptop with a thud and stood up, towering over her to challenge her.

“What do you mean?”

“Are you going to speak against Sam tomorrow?” At her name, he clenched his eyes shut, hands in fist.

“I am not supposed to talk about it.”

“Please, it’s an open secret.” She looked away, “You came back. She did not. It’s not hard to put two and two together.”

He drew a breath, “Are you accusing me of something?”

“I am. They are going to make her a scapegoat and you will let it, won’t you?” Disha looked disappointed in him, and in that moment he was too, “I still can’t believe it, but I guess Samrat did have a point.”

“Sameera was not innocent.”

“Of course she was not.” She spoke immediately, “They all heard you two arguing before you cut off communication. You were in control of the flight, Abhi. If she had argued with you, you also agreed with her in the end and did it. For whatever reason, you agreed to her. But now you get to be free while she don’t. How is that fair?”

“These whole mess would not have started if she did what we were told!” He raises his voice, almost losing his temper. Disha narrowed her eyes.

“It’s good you mentioned the mission.” She threw an envelope on the table, “Have you gone through the pictures she took, Abhi? Of course you did not, nobody did.” She gave a mock laugh, pointing a finger at him, “If you feel like taking even 1% of the accountability for this ‘mess’, do have a look at the pictures. But fast, because Sam don’t have much time.”

She left his cabin, banging the door behind her.

Sameera saw Abhi on the day of hearing, standing on the opposite side of the corridor. The scene was exactly like the situation was- there was a time if she saw him, her feet will carry her towards him. But now, it might be shame or fearing his outburst, she wanted to just keep her head down and walk the opposite direction.

Deep in her heart, she knew she was going home. She had even called her Mother, trying to hide her sadness and told her she might visit soon. Mom understood, of course, thinking it might be her missing her home or tough regime. She told her to make her Mom proud, and she almost cried on the phone, cutting off the conversation short. She would return home, as a disgrace. Her pride and dreams of serving the country will end after today. She also bid goodbye to her friends, thanking them to be by her side always. She could not find Natasha, thinking to apologize to the woman once the hearing was over. She did not deserve those words from Samrat.

Abhi walked passed her and she unknowingly called out his name, effectively halting him in his steps. She had many things to say, and nothing at all. She wanted to apologize, also wanted to beg him to give her another chance, however futile it might be. Her fate was sealed. And yet, she wanted to know beforehand what he was going to say inside.

He whirled onto his heels, and she knew it was a mistake to even look at him. He was vicious and every words he said was true, but she has never seen this side of him.

“What do you expect, Sameera? Huh? What do you expect me to say inside? Beg on your behalf? Tell them to give you another chance? On what context I can do that, when the entire base heard how you don’t even listen to your Leader. Do you have any idea what you have done, what you told me to do back there? How large of an impact it could have? HAWKS could have ended, dammit!” She jumped as he exclaimed, “Do you know what happens when a flight enters LOC? Especially an Indian air force jet? Ask me, Sameera, Ask me.” His eyes blazed.

“I will tell you what happens. The control rooms send their flights to shoot you down. They send missiles. The jet gets destroyed, thus hundred crores of loss. You need to get out of your flight using a parachute and land, which may or may not work. From thousands of kilometres up. Do you know the LOC areas are filled with jungles? Thornes? They tears into your clothes and makes you bleed. Once you land, you are hunted by their forest officers, they let dogs onto you. Then they take you, oh no, not to kill. They does things so that you tell everything to them and in the end, you don’t even remember who you were.” He swallowed, and Sameera heard, stunned. It was of course what he had to endure when he was captured, and now only she realized how traumatic this whole ordeal for him was- going back to the place, her insubordination. Mere apology won’t be enough for the wounds she had caused.

Chest heaving, Abhi kept looking at her stunned face, tears stubbornly caged in her eyes at she looked dazed at his outburst. He had nothing else to say now, all the things bubbling inside him since the day was out now. Clenching his fist, he gave her one last look, turned and walked away, trying to calm himself down.

In that exact moment Sameera gave up.

The ‘hearing’ was a farce, everyone knew it. Sameera knew it, because it was her fault. Abhi knew it, because he was into it, even Veer sir knew it, his ever curious eyes taking into the scene. There were another rounds of questions towards the former HAWKS which she answered robot like, not even trying to defend herself. The fire was gone from her voice, she was resigned to fate and wanted this to be over as quickly as possible.

As always, Abhi proved to be a trump card. He started with answers towards Officer Shekhawat’s report cards and subpar performance, then brought out the pictures Sameera took the other day. The suspended Officer stared in awe as the Man who had almost told her she was not worth it an hour back passionately defended her in front of a jury, and if she could see properly, everyone else was as puzzled as her. The meeting was adjourned to have a last discussion of her fate, and Sameera left the room quietly, wonder in her eyes as she looked at Abhi who ignored her.

Veer sir was internally pleased with the turn of events. Dirty politics was one thing he hated most and never participated, and he had thought the other day what Abhi’s silence meant. So this is what he had in mind, he thought to himself and smirked.

“You think this will be enough to save her?” He asked the young officer. Abhi did not answer, probably thinking the same.

“You think she is worth it?” At this, Abhi’s head snapped up and he nodded immediately, sure of this one thing.

“She is good. She has potential. You saw the pictures, she knew there was something hence she told me to lower the altitude. The presence of mind she showed up there was commendable. Was it wrong, of course. That’s exactly she needs to learn, think with head and about the repercussion.”

Veer was satisfied with his little speech. Clapping hand on his shoulder, he replied, “So teach her. Make her the best.”

Sameera did not know who was more shocked when she was cleared of all charges, with a warning, and was told to join HAWKS immediately- herself, the jury who declared the verdict, her friends or Trainer Rawte. Hours later and post celebrations inside Cafe with cold drinks and maggie, the shock still did not wore off.

It was Abhi, of course. He showed the pictures she took and it helped a great deal, no doubt. The fate is such that she could not even walk up to him and say Thank you, she had burnt that bridge. That saddened her, the loss of friendship. It would be hard to see him everyday now, more for him when he clearly disliked her, and rightly so. She just hoped to work safe, keep her head down and do her work, not irritate him further.

One day, she hoped to repay him.

She apologized to Natasha when she came to congratulate her on the hearing.

“You don’t need to apologize on Samrat’s behalf.” The other woman spoke, “Clearly, he had those things in his head from a long time. The moment was tensed, I said something, he said something. There was truth as well, but please know this, Sameera.” Her voice turned soft, “I would never intentionally hurt you or anyone in this team. I genuinely thought you and Samrat would be safe. I told Abhi the same thing.”

Sam was surprised, “Abhi knew?”

“Of course he did. He asked me where you and Samrat was and I told him you guys were behind. When you did not reach and Samrat did, he was pissed.”

As her respect for the man grew, so did her determination to be away from him for his own good.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++=

3 months after the hearing and Sameera’s proper entry into the HAWKS once again, the team had another mission on their hands. It was a follow up on the photographic evidence task which ended in a near disaster, as informed previously by Veer sir. The team had to go Gira, the village where Sameera’s pictures helped the Intelligence agency to identify potential terrorist activities. There would be false identities, back stories, hidden cameras and communication with base. And also . . .

“Moustache! Fake moustache, how can it be secretive spy stuff without moustache?” Ali exclaimed, making everyone laugh. Putting an arm on Abhi’s shoulder, the duo walked ahead, him telling all the spy stories he had read since childhood. Behind them, the girls looked at each other and rolled eyes, and when Abhi turned to look over his shoulder and met Sameera’s eyes, she immediately looked down.

Sameera was not a stubborn person, or someone who could keep grudges. But Samrat always said she can keep promise, and the day she got cleared she made a promise to herself. 90 days later, the promise was still going strong- keep head down, work your portion and minimal contact with Abhi, or the Leader. Sir. That was better. She never looked directly in his eyes, answered in Yes or No, never stayed alone with him or seek him out. When he spoke to others, she excused herself, she spent her time in reading old reports or know more about airforce intelligence. The only person she spoke outside her team mates was her family. As much she cowered into herself and limited her interactions with her team mates, surprisingly more enthusiastic Natasha became. She would join team, tease Ali, even form a tentative friendship with Disha. She and Samrat tolerated each other, behaved civilly, and she and Sameera shared a relation of respect. Disha often commented on the character switch the girls had and Ali will share his conspiracy theories.

Veer sir paired up Abhi and Sameera, once again, for the Gira mission and Samrat made a joke about ‘Disaster duo’, his face falling when Sameera became sad.

“Sam, I am . . . “

“It’s true.” She lightened up the mood, and he smiled back, but he never cracked any joke post it. Sameera was anxious about this- she had almost hoped Abhi will say he won’t want to work with her, but he was a thorough professional. She needed to swallow her discomfort and work, like she did these months. Work was simple- go into the village under false identity, gather evidence of illegal activities, send them back to base, and come back. Army will handle the rest once they submit sufficient proof, the whole thing should be over in a week.

The morning of their journey, Ali handed her over her identity card- Manisha Sharma, census officer. Apart from the middle parting of hair and small bindi, she looked the same. Ali had worked extensively with other agencies to carefully make the fake identities, even going far to make fake adhar card and other identity proof in case someone tries to snoop. She was also given uniform saree which census workers wore, and she grimaced in discomfort- she knew how to wear one, she just did not like it. But there was no choice now.

She met Abhi outside the base gate, who was waiting inside his jeep already dressed in khakee uniform as he was supposed to, minus the fake moustache. Imagining him in a moustache made her smile internally, and she quietly sat beside him on the front seat, keeping her duffle bag behind. They were supposed to ride for a while, then take train, and finally a bus to reach Gira. They should be there by evening.

The drive was silent and awkward. The train journey was worse, as she fell on him while adjusting the bag over them in the steel racks and Abhi banged his head on the wooden side of the compartment. Sameera immediately rubbed his head to soothe the pain, and only when his staring started then she realized their position, jolted into reality as if she was electrocuted, and took his opposite seat. For hours, she looked outside as to not to look at him, and her neck started to hurt.

They were inside the bus and about to reach Gira in another 10 minutes when Abhi spoke up, “Are you going to do something about the hair?”

She frowned, and he pointed at her id card hanging. Groaning, she tried to look at her reflection on the window glass, messily put together her hair and made a short braid. It was not as clear or perfect as it should be, but she hoped it worked.

She ignored Abhi’s eyes reflecting in the window, trying to adjust her hair until the time come to get down in Gira.

It was evening and dark, and they crossed a river with several other villagemen who were also going to Gira, chatting with them to understand the place better. Abhi gave his hand when they crossed the river, and Sameera let it go the moment they were done. Not dueling on the distance between them or her aloofness towards him, he smiled to the villagemen, laying on his charm thick in an accented Hindi and conversed, Sameera chiming in occasionally. There was a nice village lady who took them towards the Village head, sarpanch’s house, and after thoroughly checking their IDs and staring at them hard, the man let them into their house, the lady immediately taking Sameera in.

“Newly wed?” She inquired, and Sam frowned, puzzled. Abhi also heard the question, and Sam could see his brain short circuit when he stared at their Id cards.

Manisha Sharma. Abhishek Sharma. It was either siblings, or a couple.

He will kill Ali. It had to be that guy’s idea of a joke.

Before Sam could say something in confusion, Abhi cleared throat, giving a smile which he hoped looked proud, “1 month, Mataji.” He pleaded with eyes as Sam looked stunned, then looked at her ID card, understanding dawning on her.

The woman of the house took them upstairs to a spare guest room, all the while asking questions. Working so soon after marriage? Where are they from? How long they are working for Census? Sam left the answers for Abhi as he charmed the woman and spun tales, all the while unable to believe that not only now they are going to share a room, but a whole village will think they are married.

Before leaving the two, the lady, Nimrat, handed her over some sindoor in a small box, pointing at her parting “It should be never empty, especially for a newly wed.” She gave a warm smile to the both of them, and left. Abhi closed the door just as Sam slumped on bed. Not knowing what to say, Abhi said silent.

“Married?” She whispered to herself, then looked at him, “Ali?”

He rolled eyes, “Who else.”

“When you are going to call the base?” Her voice hardened, “I want to have a word with him. Idiot.” Clenching her jaw, she looked at the box full of sindoor in her hand. Sighing, she got up and kept it safely inside the cupboard, behind her Abhi internally laughed at her tone, staring at her through the mirror. He was used to see her smile, or peaceful, and it’s been months she looked neither.

He regretted his outbursts soon after the hearing, but by then the damage was already done- she was distant, probably even frightened to be alone with him. Abhi always had a temper, but it got worse over the years and sometimes it was hard to control, especially in front of her. He was always laid bared to her- the good, the bad, and the ugly. When he was informed about the village task and had a feeling that Veer sir intentionally put them together, his first thought was how Sameera will be in discomfort, and she was. But he also hoped maybe this mission, being away from everyone and staying alone with him will help them to bridge the gap. They might not even go back to the way they were, and he might never forgive her for what she had done, but he also wanted a bit of old Sameera back, full of spark and happiness.

Abhi did not have much experience with women, but his Mother was not a woman of patience. She would say what she wanted to and often without any sugercoat, and his Father always said she was exactly what he needed as he was not society-approved himself. The limited experience he had with her Mother told him women hated to be pushed, or made to do something they despised. Of course, every human being feels it, but they are always looked down as the second sex hence every small injustice or discomfort is taken personally by them. And he had this idea in his head- if he pushed Sameera, made her do things she despised, maybe she will fight back. There was this strange, suffocating silence between them that he would rather have her look at him with anger in her eyes than not looking at his direction at all.

They adjusted their luggage and other things they carried in the room before Sameera left to have a shower. After the backstory Abhi offered on their behalf, spending night in a same room as a ‘couple’ was even more awkward, more so that there was one bed, of course there was. He did not want to ask about sharing and neither Sameera wanted, probably. It means one of them was left with taking the floor. He mentally prepared himself to take the floor, took the mat which stood in the corner of the room and cleaned the dust with his hands. He coughed, and at the exact same time Sameera entered. Patting her wet hair down, she frowned at his action, while the other stood stunned. He had never seen her like this, so . . . intimate.

“Abhi?” She called out his name and he jerked into reality. Clearing his throat, he gave the mat a few pats.

“There is one bed. I don’t think either of us will be comfortable.”

She nodded in understanding, then walked off to brush her wet hair slowly. Abhi stood like a statue for a while, then shook head and walked off the have a shower to clear his thoughts. When he came back, Sameera had taken the mat, put bed sheet over it, took a pillow and a shawl which was probably her own, and was prepared to sleep on the floor. He did not know if he should slap his own head, or be angry at her. But then, what was there to be angry about, of course she would take the floor. She preferred staying away these days, he thought with sarcasm.

“Ready for sleep?” He tried to keep his voice smooth. She looked up, and then down almost immediately, nodding. He wanted to yell at her- the floor was uncomfortable, it was cold, she probably never slept like this, but he said neither. She was stubborn, so was he, hence he switched off the light. Turning to his side so that she could not see his face, he closed his eyes angrily, sleep almost immediately overcoming him.

“Goodnight Abhi.” He heard a soft voice, but did not know if it was dream or reality.

When he wake up in the morning, Sameera was nowhere to be seen. He called out her name, but there was no answer. The mat was neatly kept in a side of the room, there was no sign someone slept down there. The empty room made his heart sink, and just when he was about to dress up and walk out, there was a knock on the door.

Sameera stood outside, with tea tray in hand, and if this scene was not bizzare enough the house lady, Nimrat was there, standing with a smile. She greeted good morning as the ladies entered, and almost immediately started to tell how his wife, knew nothing about kitchen, and how he must be adjusting to her cooking skills. Sameera was irritated, of course, but chose to keep quiet, and Abhi did not let go of this moment.

“Salt in place of sugar, sabji without turmeric or chilly.” He spoke with sadness. His fellow officer opened her mouth, insulted, but before either of them could say something the lady turned to her, making her hide her previous expression as she pasted a smile.

“You again forgot?” The duo frowned, “The sindoor? I gave you a box full of them? Nowadays kids, they forget all the rituals.” Sameera looked alarmed as the lady marched into the cupboard, “Where is the box? Ah, there it is.” She took the box and thrust it into Abhi hand.

“Go on. Put it on her maang.”

Seeing the obvious look of fear in her eyes, Abhi spoke up, “We did not even freshen up properly, Mataji.”

“So what? Do it, there is no harm.” The lady stood there until Abhi took a small amount of sindoor, coating it on his one finger. Just as he was about to put it on her head as Sameera stood petrified, someone called out for the lady. She turned, and sensing the opportunity, Sameera took the sindoor from his fingers, and filled her own head. When the lady smile, the duo pretended to be happy. She gave a wide smile, cupping Sameera’s face with both hands.

“See, how pretty you look?” She turned her towards the mirror as Abhi looked on, “You kids might not care about rituals, but please follow this. Sindoor is important. Even if you don’t have mangalsutra.” A look of panic flashed on Sameera’s face before Abhi jumped in.

“It needed reworking, Mataji. Hence she just have a chain now.” Sameera never departed with her silver chain which was a gift from her Uncle, “My mother says neck of a married woman should not be empty.” If looks could kill, his ‘wife’s glare would have left him dead.

“She is absolutely right!” The lady chatted some more, then left. Abhi closed the door, holding onto the handles and taking deep breath as if suffering from breathlessness. Behind him Sameera almost touched at her sindoor, but she could not just wipe it off. Seeing her face which was a mixture of irritated and helplessness, Abhi spoke up.

“It’s done, Sameera. Let it be.”

“It’s not done.” She snapped immediately, swallowing, “Sindoor is not a joke. It has value, and this is highly disrespectful.” She closed the cupboard door with a bang, “I will not spare Ali, just let this mission finish. Also,” She turned to look at him, “what’s up with you? Having too much fun with the backstory? Was this your idea of a joke?”

He was indignant, “You think so?”

“I don’t know. We are married, for a month apparently. I don’t know cooking, put salt in place of sugar. I don’t know rituals. What else fault I have, tell me.” The argument about this situation became personal, and Abhi did hope for this, but he did not want to hurt her. “Let’s have a proper story also, just in case you decide to put more faults into my ‘role’.”

“Sameera, nothing I said was to put you down. It just came up.”

She was silent for a long time, before whispering sadly, “Of course, it did.” Shaking her head, she walked out of the room, leaving Abhi wondering about her words.

For the next two days, the duo focused only on the work in hand. They took two side of the village and spread out, questioning people as census workers about the numbers of people they had in family, animals, if anyone worked aboard, even how people died in family. They get to roam freely and mingle with village people, and marked down several properties they felt suspicious and abandoned. In the night, Abhi sometimes went to check on the houses, and mostly found them empty.

Sameera had suspicion in one of the houses. It was empty and unlocked, but the moment she stepped in out of nowhere a homeless looking man came. Calming her racing heart, she introduced herself to him. The man was brash and almost threw her out, and she hid behind a house and looked, he had a lock in his hand. He went away, and she mentally thought to check it later and inform Abhi.

In the evening when she returned, there was another round of kitchen duties with the lady, Nimrat, who took it upon herself to turn her into a cook. Abhi enjoyed her discomfort thoroughly and she internally cursed him- stupid society and it’s stupid rules. She wondered if Abhi can even boil water, but then remembered he lived alone. Of course he knew how to cook, there was nothing he was not good at.

The mission sucked, more than the Jungle one. The village was blistering hot during day and shivering cold at night, and she could not sleep much due to the cold floor and the shawl which was not enough to cover her. Not once Abhi offered his blanket or helped in any way, and she would just berate herself. Why would he, it was clear as day he disliked her presence. What happens to her is none of his business. When she returned from the ‘work’, the lady would stand there to teach her housework, ask about their marriage and ‘love story’, as Abhi told her they had a love marriage. He spun tales about meeting at work and falling in love, and some outlandish things about families opposing and finally giving in for their happiness. If he was not an air force officer, he should have been a script writer.

She was tired and irritated and sleep deprived, and yet her mind was thinking about that house she saw in the morning. Abhi was in deep sleep, she sat up and noticed, then decided for a quick visit, before he gets up and berates her again. Quietly moving, she closed the door behind her, walked softly, and went out.

She saw success almost immediately. There was none around the house, but she got a few bullet shells around the property. Keeping them in a fist, she heard a few men voice, and walked away in hurry. In a corner, she was grabbed by a pair of arms and when she wanted to scream, a hand pressed on her mouth.

Heart hammering in chest, she closed her eyes in fear- her stupidity will kill her someday. The pressure over her mouth decreased and she opened her eyes slowly, sighing as she saw Abhi was the one. He looked angry and worried.

“What the hell, Sameera?” He hissed, looking around as he grabbed her arm. He would yell at her, but this was not the place. Taking her hand as he dragged her, the duo walked towards the sarpanch house, when few unknown men, looking ominous, stood around them. Almost immediately, he hid her behind them as she peered over his shoulder, her fingers clutching at his shirt on his back.

“Who are you?” One them inquired, taking threatening step toward them. Abhi plastered a nervous smile, pressing the woman behind him more into him.

“Abhishek Sharma. Census worker.” He introduced, and pointed at Sameera, “My wife. Manisha. She went out for walk, silly girl. Walking alone at this time is not good.”

“Of course.” Another man answered, eyes over her. Murdering him in his head, Abhi carried on, throwing in casually about the Sarpanch. It worked like a charm, and they were let go, Abhi not leaving her hand and berating Sameera all the while just in case anyone was following them.

Once they were inside their room, Abhi quickly shut the door and whirled onto the woman, who took a step back, expecting another outburst similar to the one she had received on the hearing day.

That Abhi was angry would be an understatement- the worry to find the room empty and the messed up bed, and when he could not find her inside the house left him seething. This was no time to go out, and if she wanted to see something she could have woken him up, they together could have gone out. Irresponsible behavior like which makes him angrier at her.

“The next time you decide for a late night rendezvous, maybe inform me? As you are my responsibility.” Which he failed the last time, the words was left unspoken. She said nothing, took a steps towards him and thrashed something metallic in his fist. When he opened, there were a few bullet shells.

“I am not stupid, Abhi.” She spoke quietly, “I am sorry for not waking you up, I wanted something concrete before telling you about this.”

His fingers curled on the metals, now having a proper proof all thanks to her. Sameera removed her shawl and sat on the bed, and he saw her clearly for the first time in forever. She was tired, and the way she moved her neck and winced meant she was probably aching all over, all thanks to sleeping on floor. She was trying hard to adjust, he could see it.

“Next time, please inform me even if you have a single doubt.” He spoke softly, sitting near her on the bed as she turned, “I was worried.”

That was an understatement, and he hoped she could see the worry in his eyes. She nodded slowly, and was about to get up to sleep on the floor again when he held her wrist, effectively stopping her. Frowning, she halted her movements.

“You are cold.” Her hands were freezing as he subconsciously rubbed her palm, “And you probably never slept on the floor. You need rest.”

“I will manage.”

“Let’s have a compromise, shall we?” He offered, “The bed is big enough, and I know it’s awkward, but I am not letting you sleep on the floor. I can take it, if you want it.” At her head shake, he carried on, “Or we can share it. I will even put pillows to make a Line of control.”

That made her smile, “Control of what?”

“In case limbs decided to cross it during sleep.” She laughed, and he felt better almost immediately, “So, agreed?”

It was a testament of her tiredness that she said nothing. He adjusted the bed and she lied down, eyes drooping to sleep almost immediately.

“Thank you Abhi.” She whispered.

“Welcome Sameera.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” He turned to her, watching as she drifted to sleep.

Abhi made plans as morning sunrays filled the room. He needed to check the village and surrounding areas first, and in case if he sees any men from the last night he needed to follow them. Also, he had strong suspicion on the sarpanch- it was impossible that something shady was going on right under his nose and he knew nothing about it. He might even be into it. The thought that the Man who welcomed two strangers to live in his house and his smiling wife who treated them as if she was their aunt could be terrorists made Abhi uneasy, but he also knew evidence was the ultimate truth. Even bad people have good traits in them and vice versa.

Footsteps brought him back from internal musing as he sat straight, almost immediately the frown on his face soothing. Sameera entered the room after changing to her Saree, as usual, muttering something under her breath. Trying to hide his smile which is surely to make her more indignant, he tried to hide it, looking at the woman walking towards the mirror as she combed her wet hair. She winced, and Abhi noticed a lock of hair was stuck to her chain. She struggled but there was no reprieve, and she widened her eyes when he walked up, trying to help. His fingers brushed occasionally over her soft skin, goosebumps appearing. His own heart was not any better, he was never this close to her, not even last night when they had shared a bed.

“Not a fan of sarees?” He asked casually, breaking this awkward silence. She looked at him through mirror.

“After this mission? No.” He laughed at her words, Sameera smiling at him. Once the hair was free, she whispered a sincere ‘Thank you’.

“Always.” He replied, looking at her right back through the mirror. After moments which felt like infinity, he walked away, but she held onto him, making him turn towards her in confusion.

“May I ask something, Abhi?” At his nod she gulped, suddenly looking nervous as she let go of his hand, “Can you forgive me? Ever?”

There was a time when he asked himself this question and came up with a sombre, and painful ‘No’. He knew logically he had all the rights to be angry at her and held her accountable, and just because nothing came out of it doesn’t mean he should let go of his feelings. But time passed, and he realized after countless moments when Sameera excluded herself from others just because he was present or never met his eyes when he spoke, there was no point in dwelling in what if. He might have known her for a short time, and many things happened between them, but he wanted her in his life. Deep in his heart, he knew she already has a special place, she had captured it the moment she had offered friendship, but he was stubborn.

And he can’t.

Hence he would lie and pretend that feelings were not there, but will also acknowledge the fact that Sameera held place in his life right after his family. So of course, it was a matter of time before he himself wanted to bring her back into this life.

“There is no reason to not to.” He answered. Surprised, her mouth fell open.

“Why?” She whispered.

There is none around them, and none will know. Only she and he will know this moment, witness it, and cherish it in the future. Feeling suddenly brave, he took a few steps towards her. She went backwards, and when he stood in front of her, her back was pressed against the mirror and they were so close that they could hear each others heartbeats.

Abhi reached upto her forehead and fixed her bindi which was sideways as her eyes fell shut, “It’s hard to stay mad at a lady who’s bindi is askew.”

Letting out a chuckle, she opened her eyes, “Just like that?” They both knew this was silly. He could not express in words why or how his forgiveness come, and maybe somehow she knew. Also, the time probably helped. She did not ponder on it much- she wanted his forgiveness and him back in her life. She wanted them to be just like earlier, stronger.

He shrugged in answer, took a few steps back and left the room to change. Sameera turned towards the mirror, relieved and happy after ages as she took the small box of vermillion, ready to fill her partition.

The day just got better, and then suddenly worse.

Abhi found of the men who saw him and Sameera last night roaming in the village. He followed him stealthily, which led him into the jungle which they passed when they had entered Gira. There was a hidden shade where some more men sat, waiting for him. Abhi also saw some wooden boxes and cash bundles with them, now his suspicion confirmed that this had to be the one, or one of the major points of storing illegal weapons in this village. Surreptitiously taking pictures, he kept himself hidden until the men dispersed. When he was following the same man again, he sensed him behind, and a tussle ensued. Just when the man was about to shoot him, Abhi snatched his gun and shot him multiple times until he was unconscious. Or dead.

He regretted it almost immediately- taking a life, possibility of ruining this mission, chance of people being alert of this gunshot. He could swear he heard others moving towards him, so leaving the man and his gun, Abhi ran away. He saw his black tshirt- thank his lucky stars that it was not the census uniform but a random one- drenched in blood. Throwing it on his way, he ran towards the sarpanch house. In the quietness of the room as Sameera was still away, he sat still, after taking a long shower, desperately trying to block Muzammil’s voice from from his ears as he got on his work- contacting the base, sending the pictures, and confirming that Samrat and Natasha will join them soon. This was good, two sets of extra eye will help them alot. Ali will co-ordinate with Military intelligence and in case of their arrival, they will be notified so that Abhi and Sameera can move in advance.

Sameera returned, and immediately noticed Abhi’s jittery movements. Today, he did not smirk at Nimrat’s words or spoke with the sarpanch, neither did he properly look at her or say anything more than two words. For the first time Sameera lied, telling the old lady when she got too nosy that they had a fight. It earned her more berating, and after promising to apologize to the ‘Husband’, Sameera entered the room. Abhi’s back was turned and it seemed like he was sleeping, but she had a suspicion he was not. Maybe he wanted to be left alone, or he found something. But if there as anything, he would have informed immediately. Thinking it might be a personal issue, Sameera did not disturb him much.

Late in the night, Sameera woke up after hearing some noise. Turning her back, she noticed it was Abhi, his face scrunched up in distress and he mumbled something, probably a nightmare. She sat up straight, almost reaching out to shake him awake but something in her told that her touch might not be welcomed. She decided to call out his name, once, twice, multiple times, softly and then loud. After tensed minutes which seemed like a lifetime, he jolted awake, panting. His eyes stared up for a long time, as if he was in somewhere else, and Sameera became scared of the excruciating silence inside the room.

“Abhi?” She whispered in worry, and the man looked at her. He sat up slowly, her again almost reaching out to adjust his pillow or help him but deciding against it, her arms outstretched. Then, surprising her, Abhi pulled her to his arms and held her tight, his face burying in the juncture where her neck and shoulder met.

“Is it okay if I touch you?” She asked, and he nodded slowly. Once she received the permission, her fingers ran through is back and hair as to calm him down. His tensed posture relaxed bit by bit as she whispered soothing words, and even when his hold became painful and his breathing became even, she made no move to get away from him.

“Can you tell me what you dream about?” She asked. He stayed silent, and Sameera thought he might not be too comfortable to share his feelings just now. Just when she was about to say ‘It’s fine’, he started whispering, his tone scratchy.

“These are recurring nightmares. I fell down in jungle and parachute tears. I get captured. They found me.” His hold tightened around her as she held on right back, “I hear him. Muzammil.”

“Who’s he?”

“He was the leader of the group which captured me. He would always burn me with cigarettes.” Sameera shuddered at the pain he must have gone through, “He would whisper, ‘You are my prized possession.” He stopped, gulping, “I also think about Abhi.” He confessed as if a dark secret.

“Who’s Abhi?” She had heard this name before, she just could not remember where or when.

“He was my best friend. He is gone.” His voice choked.

“Oh, I am so sorry.” Losing a friend must be hard. Sameera did not know how does it feel like, neither she can comprehend the loss. She had never seen her Father and never really grieved the man, all she had for him was his absence and some memories hands down from her Mother.

“It was my fault.” Abhi’s words brought her back to the present time and she frowned.

“No, don’t say that.” He shook his head at her words and she decided he was too traumatized to have this conversation now. She did not know the details, and if time permits later, Abhi will tell her if he wants. After holding onto the Man who was tensed once again, she whispered.

“You had counseling after you came back, right?” He nodded at that, “Did they prescribe anything? Did you tell them?”

“The doctor gave me medicines.” He replied, “I never took them.”

Alarmed, she called out his name, “The medicines could have helped! Why did not you?” At his silence, she sighed, unlocking his arms so that she could see his face. Abhi immediately tried to hide his face but she was having none of it, cupping his chin with both palms.

“Hey, look at me.” He obliged, making her sigh in relief. The pain in his eyes was anything she had ever seen before and it made her heart ache, “When we go back to the base, you will meet the doctors again and continue the prescribed medicines.”

“Okay.”

“Promise?” She raised her hand, and he gave it a look, holding onto it as their fingers intertwined.

“Promise.”

Satisfied with the small victory, she smiled. He mirrored it, looking at her strangely as if seeing her for the first time, but Sameera was looking here and there, realizing there was no water in the room. He must be thirsty.

“Let me fetch water.” She was about to move when his arms pulled her right back, eyes begging for her to stay.

“Don’t go.”

“Hey,” She held onto his hand as her fingers stroked his chin, “I will be right back. Just keep looking at the door, okay?” With great difficulty she unlatched from him, took her shawl and went downstairs, took a jug of water and glass and came up right back, almost panting at the short time. Pouring a glass of water, she gave it to Abhi who finished it at one go. She took back the glass, their fingers brushing, and realizing his were freezing, she removed her shawl and covered him with hers. Sitting beside him on the bed once again, Sameera held onto his hand, occasionally stroking, and did not know when she drifted off to sleep.

Since this mission started, Abhi got glimpse of daily rituals of Sameera- how her day starts, what she does next, etc etc. Sometimes he pretends to be sleep as she goes through her chores. She gets up at 6am, does yoga, then takes shower and changes into the uniform saree, the census attire. He wakes up to her patting her hair dry, bidding him a ‘Good morning’ with a small smile. Today was a rare day as she kept sleeping, exhausted after last night all because of him, but even if his head still buzzed with strings of nightmare as he could not sleep a brink after midnight, he felt better as he watched her sleep, her hair messed up and short strands falling around her faces as they moved with her breathing. He was still reeling from the fact that him, who avoided his Mother once he returned because he could not open up to her, ashamed to show his weakness, seek out the woman sleeping in front of him. His subconscious trusted her enough to tell her things he had not confessed to anyone. And she was so compassionate, so kind. With so much warmth and care she took care of him, let him lean onto her. He remembered her asking him permission before touching him or questioning on his nightmares, and his heart swelled at her concern. Just staying close to her made him better.

Sameera’s eyes fluttered opened and found his, and gave a lazy smile in return. He mimicked it automatically, the last thoughts of nightmares going away as she looked at him. She inquired about his state, blushed at his thanks and mumbled ‘It’s fine’, as if it was not such a big deal. He held onto her hand, pulling her close to him as he stared into her surprised eyes, trying to convey how much it meant to him. To let her know how much it mattered.

“You would not know how much you helped me. Thank you will be a small word.” She looked into his with amazement, silently accepting his gratitude as she nodded. After a long time she pulled back her hand as he let her, gave him a small smile and disappeared inside washroom. Looking at the closed door, Abhi exhaled, rubbing at his face then realized he was still wrapped into her shawl. Running fingers onto it fondly, he smiled to himself.

Sameera smiled the whole day thinking about what happened between the two in the morning. Her heart squeezed painfully thinking back how distraught Abhi looked last night in his sleep, the way he held onto her with all his might, how he confessed his pains. She wondered if he had told these to anyone- she hoped he had atleast shared some of them to his Mother who seemed so lovely. He looked better in the morning, though she had decided to gently nudge him towards therapy once they are back in base. He had promised and she will make sure he fulfills that. He needs to let go of the horrible memories of past and lead a happy, free life.

But happiness was short lived in the course of their work. While she was returning towards the sarpanch house after a long day, she saw people gathered near jungle. Whispers let her know there was a body discovered, and with shock she noticed some of police constables carrying a man who had a striking resemblance of the man she had seen the other day during her rendezvous. People soon cleared the premises but she stayed behind, lingering around the dry blood stained crime scene. It was by sheer luck, or the fact that her mind told her something that she found the tshirt, instantly recognizing it to be Abhi’s.

Thoughts swirled in her head as she headed back. So that’s the reason he was so disturbed last night. He could not tell her this, and after last night’s intimacy she did not understand why so. He did not even say anything today morning before they parted. Did he ever going to tell her this? She did not know, and thinking about this whole ordeal more than her confused and disappointed. Probably he did not want to tell her about his past as well, it was a moment of weakness. Why would he tell her such a personal thing, when they are barely friends even after such turmulous things that happened between them?

Abhi was speaking to the sarpanch when Sameera walked in, and one look at her dull face told him something was wrong. Her look pierced him as if it was directed towards him, and he wanted to excuse himself immediately, but work comes first. The sarpanch is barely home and this was the moment to have a chat with him, trying to understand him better. During dinner his eyes tried to catch the sad woman’s eyes every now and then, but she would not meet his eyes.

Once they retired inside the room, he had enough of her strange silence, “What is it?” She halted her movement and turned to him, almost expecting his question but also dreading to answer the same.

“Is there something you would like to inform me?” He frowned at her question, and the more his silence grew, her expression looked resigned. He understood what it was- she was disappointed at him.

”I really don’t understand you, Abhi. I try, I recognize parts of you and then you become stranger once again.” She sighed, looking at him as he stood frozen, “When you became our leader, you were good to everyone but cold towards me. I thought it was my fault, I was weak, and I asked you if it was so. You yelled at me.” He flinched at that, “It was fine, I guess I was bothering you. You would apologize, you would praise me, and next moment say something hurtful. I thought once we became friends, I would understand you better. You were so kind, so open one moment, then I screwed up during that flight mission and I was on your bad side, again. But you saved me, I don’t know why. You would not tell me why. In this very house,” She gestured around the room, “I slept on the floor for nights before you told me to sleep on the bed. It’s fine, I chose it. Last night, you told me things you would have never told otherwise, and that’s where I am confused.” She took a few steps towards him, lowering her voice, “You killed someone yesterday. I don’t know why. You did not inform me, neither as a ‘friend’, nor as a team mate. You said nothing last night, you said nothing today, not even now when I asked you. I don’t understand you, what do you think about me? Don’t I deserve to know things at least related to our work?”

Silence descended once she was done, and Sameera slumped on the bed, exhausted with everything. One thing was pretty clear in this- she might have extended the hand of friendship and he took it, and he had indulged her here and there- sitting together for food and sneaking out to watch meteor shower, but he was never really there. She wondered if it was a lack from her side or he was a different man. Someone who needed more time. But this was not about them, this was about work. That he did not trust her enough to even share a thing related to work, when they two were paired up together, made her sadder. Maybe someone like Natasha would have been a good partner to him. Or maybe even Samrat. Them being together is wrong.

Frankly, Abhi had nothing to say. It was foolish to assume nobody will find a dead body in this small village, or words won’t reach her. The act was shameful and hence he had nightmare after ages, and he dreaded to see the reaction from her, that he had killed someone. But she looked disappointed now, thinking she was at fault somehow. That she was not good enough, and this alone made him feel he should have informed her the moment she walked in.

“How . . . “ He choked, “how did you . . .”

“I saw the shirt.” She replied quietly, rubbing her face with both hands, “Did you find something there? Did he try to hurt you?”

He proceeded to tell her everything, and they made plan to visit the place surrounding jungle as soon as possible. This also reminded him the request he had sent to HQ to send two HAWKS officers to this village, and he was about to inform her when someone knocked at their door. It was Nimrat, telling them to come downstairs.

Once they descended, it was Samrat and Natasha waiting for them. Of course, under different name- Tarun and Tasha. And Ali was generous this time, paired them up as cousins. Nimrat introduced the four of them and informed the new members will be staying for a while as they had arrived from all the way to Delhi, to photograph the unique culture of this country. Two employees from a reputed magazine column, they had introduced themselves. The sarpanch muttered something about house being a guest house, and his wife shushed him, nearly dragging him towards kitchen and leaving the four to hang out.

Sameera almost jumped on seeing Samrat but controlled herself, giving a wide smile instead, “Hello to you too, Mrs Sharma.” Natasha snorted beside him and Abhi looked away, embarrassed.

“I will let that slide.”

“That much happiness? Wow.” He took a step towards her and squeezed her hand, “Great to see you.” Then turned to Abhi, “Hello Boss.”

Abhi looked around, “We need a safe place.”

Once the door was locked and the four of them were inside the room the Sharmas were staying in, the best friends engulfed into a bone crushing hug, grinning ear to ear. There were teasing from his side about the surname and the bed, and glare from her even though there was no heat, as Natasha and Abhi looked on. The former made a comment, “Hello to me too.” To which Sameera gave a guilty smile and greeted the other lady. Abhi was glad to her happy, but there was no time to waste. He quickly filled in about whatever happened till date, including the killing from his side. Soon they made a plan to spread out in the village and gather evidences as quickly as possible- they had two more days to go.

With the arrival of two more people, and the bonfire celebration the next night, the house was bustling with activities. More people meant there were greater chances to sneak out, and the four of them took full advantage of the same. They visited the marked areas and found solid evidences of people being there, empty bullet shells and suspicious looking men hovering around. Natasha overheard some men mentioning the sarpanch and let the others knew, and they decided it was time to properly investigate the old man. In the evening when everyone was out to celebrate the bonfire, Sameera decided to search the man’s room- she meticulously went through his things, careful as to not disrupt his things, but found nothing. She was almost done when someone entered inside, making her jump.

A lady, maybe older than her by a couple of years, walked in with a cane as she shouted, ‘Who’s there?’. The way she moved made her think she might be blind, but she could not risk. She was almost pressed to the side of room when Natasha walked in, saw the scene unfolding and to distract the lady, purposely threw a flower vase on the ground. The shattering noise startled the lady enough that Sameera can move out, and the two ladies hurriedly walked away. Once they reached downstairs for the bonfire, she whispered a Thank you to which the other lady nodded.

The foursome settled around the bonfire, chattering with the village people as they stole glances with each other. Sensing a lull in the conversation, Abhi leaned towards Sameera who was silent all these time, staring at the fire.

“Hey,” She did not look at him, “I am sorry. I should have told you, especially about them.” He motioned at the other two. Sameera shrugged.

“It’s fine.” Her resigned words made him ache. The thought that she felt he did not trust her, when he felt beyond that, was suffocating. But this was no time of place to continue this, hence he dropped it. His eyes noticed a lady with a stick walking in, some village ladies standing up to greet her. Sameera noticed his gaze and stiffened.

“Oh, it’s her.” She sounded nervous. At his frown she told the incident that happened back in sarpanch’s room. Co-incidentally, the blind lady sat near Abhi and Sameera, or the Sharmas, as others introduced them.

Her name was Shehnaaz. She was blind, but taught to the kids in a nearby primary school. Her parents died when she was young and she practically grew up in the sarpanch house. She was sick for a while, hence the reason the HAWKS members did not see her after they arrived. Today she felt better, and this was the night of annual bonfire, hence she decided to join in.

There was something strange about the lady, and no matter how much Abhi observed, he could not put his fingers on it. On the other side, Natasha also noticed the same, and nudged Sam, who was really invested in his character, explaining a few village men about his camera and places he visited. He saw the blind lady, signaled Sameera, and a silent understanding passed through the foursome. She was on their target too.

Hours passed, and Abhi noticed Sameera almost dozing off on his shoulders. The ladies cracked a joke at the scene and the laughter made her jerk awake, almost falling off the makeshift bench but Abhi steadied her, as if on a reflex. Pasting a smile as he made excuse to leave, the duo got up and bade others goodbyes, all the while Sameera staring at the man. He is caring, and yet guarded. She was still upset, and yet she can’t help but melt when small moments like this pass.

Once they reached inside the room, Sameera ready to fall on bed, Abhi cleared his throat, “Sameera, I am sorry for earlier.”

A voice snarked inside her - for what, hiding you killed a man? Or that Samrat and Natasha were coming? It must have shown on her face as he continued, “For not telling you about what happened back there. And about Samrat and Natasha.”

It was late and she was exhausted. She was almost caught today thanks to Shehnaaz and did not really want to think why the man she thought was a close friend chose to hide things from her. Also, they needed to get up early, “It’s fine, really.” She moved to get into bed, but Abhi hand shot out to catch her wrist, almost pulling her close to his form. Startled, she caught his shirt, ruining it with her hold.

“Never doubt my trust on you.” He sounded sincere, domineering, as if this was important. Amazed, she could only stare into his eyes, “I was wrong and I am sorry, but don’t doubt yourself. Don’t blame yourself for this. And never doubt my trust on you.”

“Why not?” She whispered.

“Because I do.”

“Why?”  

He inhaled a sharp breath, “I don’t know.” He confessed. He could not tell why she had such a power on him or why he cared, but he did. Since the very first look, since the beginning. He was the happiest he has been in a long time with her, he was also seething in rage in a long time thanks to her. But both time, her place in his life, in his heart, never moved.

Sameera looked at the man in front of her for a long time, understanding his regret and that her answer was important to him. Hence she nodded, whispered an ‘Okay’, and let go of him. The duo settled on the bed and kept their backs to each other, both having questions in their hearts but not asking them. It was too early, it was too late.

Sun rose behind them, and no sleep came.