THE HARBINGER OF NOR'WESTER

The Brewing Storm

1971, Present-day, Baka Lohar Bridge,
Naxalbari

The girl dropped her hands and tightened her black coat and pulled up her veil. She had heralded war with her thunder. Dr. Vaibhav Roy must be attending to other matters. He is here, waiting, just like her. She wasn't least surprised by the arrival of CRPF. She waited behind the tree in the upslope, watching the events unfold below.

The CRPF scattered out to positions. She could see Sudipto getting tense as the soldiers aimed their rifles. Everything was about to speed up. The girl leaned on the tree, if Sudipto succeeds in his mission today, it'll be the end of Dr. Vaibhav Roy.

The first shot was heard, the sound didn't surprise the girl anymore. Then she suddenly realised that the firing has already started. Then she heard the rustling.

The girl turned back and looked up and deeper into the valley. She was right, heaps of grass and bush seemed to move. The treetops were restless. The girl turned to the riverbank again, Sudipto leaned over his jeep firing at the CRPF upfront, facing away from the riverbank. The other side was comrade Anup and other sharpshooters, ready to fire at the opposite riverbank. Then her eyes found a moving heap of grass, before she could process it, a man sprung up from the green cover. He threw away the net, took aim, and fired at Anup.

No, no....the CRPF were keeping them busy with upfront cover fire, while other soldiers back out from the forests and take out their sharpshooters, the girl curled her fingers and ran up the valley. Each step giving off blue sparks on the ground. The soldier turned to the approaching girl and hit her with the butt of his rifle. The girl staggered back clutching her jaw,  black clouds gathered up dulling the fair sky. The girl held the soldier's face, arching back his shoulders, while he held onto her throat. The chokehold irritated the girl and suddenly sparks surged through her arm. Then the soldier rolled onto the ground.

The girl stood up and breathed heavily to settle down. She looked at the soldier, he was breathing slowly, the cloth over the chest was charred. The electricity had momentarily stressed out his heart. The girl looked down her hand, her palm still engulfed in blue sparks.

Then she heard the commotion. More soldiers jumped out of their camouflage. She turned east and looked up. About twenty more men, naxals, poured down the valley, the girl grunted and looked away.

Sudipto expected the CRPF strategy and was ready for it. The girl didn't have to reveal herself at all. The soldiers were confused, about who to shoot. The men however knew of the harbinger and her aims, they shot directly at her. For a moment the CRPF and naxals fought on the same side. The girl raised her hands laterally, immediately thick fog surrounded her and a bolt of lightning fell, burning all the incoming bullets.

Vaibhav stood up from the jeep bonnet. The thunder had struck within the jungle. Every officer ran towards the right, into the jungle. Biraj came running straight through the laterally moving crowd.

"What's your plan!?", Biraj panted.

Vaibhav thought of sticking it to him, then looked back at the thunder. Raindrops started falling.

"Seeding projector?", asked Vaibhav, "the rain machines, do you have one in the jeep!?"

The CRPF and police were fighting with the naxal army, and all of them fighting the girl. She was the storm that they chose, with her hand she put herself right in the middle of it all. The rain got heavier, but nothing mattered anymore. People were fighting people, and a goddess fought them all.

The girl kicked the last insurgent, then she noticed the swaying raindrops. She gazed at the drops and followed them to a familiar cylindrical machine. The neon circuits were glowing and the machine stood straight on the wet ground, trying to whirl the weather into itself.

"It does harbour the rain!", the girl turned to see Vaibhav Roy speaking, "quite a storm you've brewed!"

The girl tried to conjure thunder again, but the bolt was attracted by the machine, holding the streak of light steady on the top. Vaibhav raised his hands, when the girl ducked low, and punched him on the lower left ribcage. Then she held him by the chin, turned around, and threw him in a full arc towards the machine.

The world spun around Vaibhav as he fell into someone. Biraj managed to hold him up. Vaibhav composed himself and nodded thanks at Biraj. The girl charged again, Vaibhav jumped back and dodged her, and she kicked Biraj into the seeding projector. Vaibhav rolled onto the ground while watching Biraj thrown into the lightning and come out the other side, rolling on the ground.

The woods got quiet all of a sudden. Vaibhav ran towards Biraj, now lying upturned on the ground, he wasn't breathing.

He wasn't breathing!, realised Vaibhav.

The girl went immobile with the sight. The fog started to disappear around the trees and engulfed her until the skies were clear again, the harbinger was gone.

"It's no use!", shouted the naxal as Bimal dragged him, "you killed Naxals today. The storm is brewing, the war will continue.....!"