Bhabra

22. fragile

Sitting beside each other, yet remaining miles apart.

"What was the deal?"

"What do you think?"

"Don't take the case back," Madhu implored, having joined the dots. "I'll pay him, I--"

"For me to only be in your debt instead of his?" She shook her head. "No, I just need to pay my dues and save enough to move away from here. Kamal knows how to fix punctures; he could learn more and we'll be better off in the city."

Madhu's instinctive response would've been to assure her that she would not demand the money back. But now wasn't the time, given that she was recovering from immediate trauma and her cut needed tending to.

Having composed themselves, they eventually made their journey back to Madhu's house, navigating through muddy roads and avoiding potholes.

With each step Madhu could feel the weight of her wet clothes. In a strange way she was grateful that she had an excuse to hold Champa's hand, taking as much strength from her companion as she was trying to lend. How exactly could Champa still walk straight, she didn't know.

Dawn was less than four hours away. Was it just that afternoon that she'd been sculpting with Nakul? It couldn't be. Months had passed by since then. Years even.

Dread twisted in her gut at the thought of Nakul. Was he still in the forest? Or did he return home only to find her gone? What if he went looking for her and ran into Vishal and his goons? What if--

"The fuck have you been?"

He was there, in front of her, torch in one hand and umbrella in another. Still in the same clothes, though they were wet and muddy like hers. He would've said something more but seeing that Champa looked like she could collapse any second, merely turned around and started walking back with them, his flashlight showing the house to be only a few yards away.

They reached home five minutes later, and Kamal rushed to his mother as soon as she stepped over the threshold, half-hugging, half-sobbing against her bony shoulders. Leaving Madhu's hand, she hugged him back while the former stood awkwardly beside the reuniting family. Nakul excused himself, mumbling something about first aid.

Her injuries were tended to and after a mini argument with Madhu about her taking a proper room instead of sleeping in the veranda, Champa and Kamal finally retired to the guest room.

Returning to her own, Madhu peeled out of her wet clothes and pulled on a fresh pair of cotton salwar-kurta. Going out to the courtyard to chuck her laundry in the wash basket beneath the handpump, she caught a glimpse of a tall outline disappearing behind a door on the opposite side of the corridor.

After a minute's hesitation, she followed Nakul, going up the stairs which were on the other side of the door and led to the terrace.

Like the house, the roof was structured as two concentric rectangles. A brick railing outlined the smaller one which opened into the courtyard below while the outer one was fenced by wrought iron and was currently adorned with blue fairy lights to mark the festive season.

Nakul was leaning over the fence, facing the flooded fallow field which, if not for the occasional sal tree, could almost be mistaken for a lake. She drew up beside him with her back pressing against the rail and looked at him. "Cigarettes after sex huh?"

She knew he heard her, since he hadn't removed his device, hadn't even changed out of his muddy clothes. He replied a second after exhaling. "Cigarette after coming home from an hour-long search for a woman, only to find out that my woman went ahead on a suicide mission."