I look at him incredulously, "I can't!! I know nothing about that! I'll end up hurting you!"
"Bring a knife, a candle, cloth, and a bowl of hot water Aisha. You can do it. I'll tell you what to do."
I quickly brought all he asked for just as he instructed me what to do. Rapidly I remove the bullet from the arm, wanting to cause him the least amount of pain as I possibly can. I swiftly wrap the bullet in a piece of cloth and go outside. I look around, and with no one in plain sight I threw it into the lawn.
I go back inside, and Dhruv tells me that I need to sew the wound close. I quickly proceed, and just as I was about done, I hear a commotion outside.
"It's a bullet sir!" a man says. I freeze, and look at Dhruv fearfully. Dhruv was already up, and alert.
"What's going on in there?" another man asks. My mother responds with a tremble to her voice, "No, no nothing, nothing at all, no one- no one at all" there is a pause and her voice becomes stronger, "Hey! Stop! What are you doing, this is my house!" Dhruv is already pulling me away.
"We have to run Aisha, come on!"
We both run out the back door, with the militant men not far behind us. We reach a stony area, and that's when we hear the first gunshot. They are shooting us!! We start running in zigzags to avoid the bullets which are narrowly missing us.
"Look! There is a military jeep ahead!" Dhruv yells out.
We both quickly run towards the jeep. Two soldiers from the jeep quickly get off and start chasing away the two militants who were running after us.
Dhruv and I quickly get into the safety of the jeep. "How did this happen sir? Where have you gone?" A soldier asks Dhruv.
"A small town girl was the reason to this all. She is the reason why I got wounded, because she cared about her goats more than anything. She is also the reason why I'm alive today, for she didn't give up on me when others would have. She left her home for me."
He looks to me, "Aisha, in my hometown I have a house, and it has a huge front yard. You can roam freely. There is no gunfire, or no war. We have a backyard in which you can farm freely. There is also a little school. You can study Aisha! And one day you can perhaps teach at the same school. Will you marry me Aisha?"
I look up at him in shock. He cannot be serious. "Why? This is so sudden! You don't even know me."
"I know that this is crazy, but I know you Aisha. You have an amazing personality- because where others would have given up, you haven't. You have shown courage. I see potential in you Aisha. You can become great! Leave this town. Come back to Jaipur with me. You can become a teacher Aisha. Not all soldiers are cowards. I will never run from you. And you wouldn't have to change a thing about yourself. I love you, just the way you are... is it a yes?" The air around us seemed to stop. All the soldiers around us were looking at Dhruv with shock.
I sadly look at him.
"I'm sorry Dhruv, no. I can't."
