The idle morning was slapped back to life by a demonic howl. Mayank's eyes and heart went mobile at once; as his senses began to restore, he could spot a lump of anger sitting on his thighs and vehemently slapping his stomach.
"Argh!" growled Mayank as he caught hold of the boy's hands. "What the hell is wrong with you, worm?"
Fayzan, who was entirely pink from fury, decided to utilize his threatening glare instead. Despite being a few degrees away from evaporation, he knew his tiny hands were no match for Mayank's fleshy ones. "Spit him out!" he yelled.
"What?"
"My Tobias. You ate him up!"
"I what?"
"You ate him up, in front of my eyes."
Mayank stared at him with confusion flooding his eyes. "How can I eat a freaking stuffed toy? Have you lost the last brain cell you were left with?"
"But I saw you swallowing Toby!"
"You have been lying on the bed like a carcass since last night. What sort of idiot gets a nightmare like that, and what sort of greater idiot can't tell it apart from reality?"
It was Fayzan's turn to be bewildered. "So, you didn't eat him?"
Mayank sighed in exasperation, suppressing a bold urge to weep. At the precise moment, he knew he could beat a toddler at that. "I am sure you can tell!"
"Let go of my hands," said the boy. "I won't hurt you anymore. Not unless I really find Toby inside your tummy."
The all-rounder spared himself the thought of how the kid was going to find that out. Being set free from his grip, Fayzan gently abandoned his thighs and got down from the bed to find his toy.
Fighting the malaise that seemed to be distributed uniformly across his limbs, Mayank jumped down to the floor and walked out of the room. Although the start-off had not been particularly pleasant, he kept up his attempt to appease himself through the constant reminder of the beam of hope awaiting at the end of the long day ahead of him.
Pacifying his grumbling stomach in a brief breakfast session, the all-rounder hurriedly made his way to Vaibhav. He was not really looking forward to interacting with the leader anymore before the mission. However, at this juncture, he could not afford to feed his little impulses.
**********
In the darkness, Nayif could only make out a door in front of him. It was ajar, and the bizarre stillness in the air around succinctly announced the possibility of someone's arrival. He continued to stare at the gap, anticipation enclosing his mind. Slowly, with a creaking sound, the door swung to the left, revealing a silhouette. The shadow walked closer to Nayif, whose jaw dropped at the sight before him.
Fayzan.
The boy stood still for a moment with a grin on his face before he threw himself into Nayif's arms.
"Where have you been, kid?" asked the opener as he held the boy with his quivering hands. "Where on this earth have you been?"
No response came up.
"Your big brother is going crazy without you."
"Did you miss me?"
"Is that even a question? I—"
Nayif was cut off by the abrupt release from the embrace. Without a word, the boy turned around and disappeared through the door.
"No! Wait!" Nayif cried as he stepped forward to stop him.
The door closed on its own, locking a perplexed Nayif inside the room.
"Nayif!" A gentle voice rang in his ears. "Nayif!"
The view around him slowly faded.
"Nayif!"
The opener felt a couple of mild taps on the top of his head, following which he let his eyelids jump open. His right arm seemed to be groaning for blood as he relieved it from the weight of his forehead. He discovered half of his body on the floor and realized that he had fallen asleep, leaning against the side of his captain's bed.
"What are you doing over there?"
Nayif slipped his fingers under the glasses and rubbed his eyes before looking at Waseef once again. He did not have a precise answer for the question. "Did you sleep well?" he asked.
Waseef nodded. "I guess so. Get up now. The weather is dull; you'll catch a cold."
The opener obeyed and climbed up to the bed. He let out a sigh as he noticed the stuffed lion hugging the surface. Hesitation muffled Nayif's voice as he put forward the question. "How are you feeling?"
Waseef closed his eyes, making him wonder if he should have refrained from bringing it up.
"I don't know," he said, following a moment of silence. "Does it even matter anymore?"
"It does. To me. To us. I wouldn't have bothered to be here otherwise."
The captain smiled weakly. "You can go home if you want to. I'll be fine; don't worry."
"You won't be. I received sufficient proof last night. I won't set a foot out of this house until someone else arrives to watch over you."
Waseef sighed and grabbed a handful of his hair. "I'm sorry, boy. Have I been acting too crazy lately?"
"You need rest. And food, of course. And perhaps even solitude, but not until it's safe enough to trust you with that. For now, I'd rather you heal in company."
The captain made no comment. "Shall we get our breakfast? Or lunch? What time is it?"
**********
Hisssssssss.
The unwelcome disturbance paralyzed the whole of Mayank. With sparks of vigilance in his eyes, he scanned the area around him. His vision arrested a rather curious snake, who did not seem to take notice of the mammal close by. Mayank let out a brief sigh of relief as it disappeared into a petite hole.
A sudden flash of memory from an hour ago blinded his mind for a split second. It was just the boy sadly hugging the door frame. Although it was none of Mayank's concern, he wondered if he could somehow lay his hands on the silly stuffed toy.
The all-rounder offered his head a violent jerk. "That would spare me the trouble of bearing his wails until I dispose of the worm. Irritating little parasite. Won't let me do my job in peace," he muttered in a voice fueled by desperation. The hue of awkwardness on his face was seen by none.
With remnants of the thought wrestling in his mind, he began to move again. If not for the starving beast in his mind that kept him going, he would have abandoned the mission at the mere sight of the ominous jungle. He could not help cursing Vaibhav under his breath since a part of him refused to believe that taking another route would make the job harder to accomplish.
"Son of crap. I ain't dying so easily."
He offered himself a chance to rest as he felt his limbs being stiffened by the burgeoning rage. A crow sitting on a branch nearby locked him under his innocuous eyes. Mayank, however, was not convinced by its amicable demeanor.
"Get lost, swine!" growled the all-rounder as he seized a pebble lying on the ground and aimed at the branch. "I am no circus!"
Flinging a series of screeches toward the assailant, the creature took to its wings. Mayank shot a triumphant glare before realizing it was too early for celebration. In no time, he was greeted by a number of buzzing troubles.
Honeybees were not his favorite.
Knowing that swatting would be a terrible idea, he hurriedly covered his face and put on a desperate sprint. Another bad decision was the last thing he needed. Following what seemed to be a never-ending race, the bees lost interest in the craven threat. A sweat-drenched Mayank stopped to catch his breath. Dropping himself harshly on the ground, he continued to pant. He was thankful for deciding not to wear a dark-colored shirt, which would have made the bees go crazier.
"Bloody morons," spat Mayank as he got back on his feet. "Who is winning now, huh?"
The dainty creature that brushed past him did not bother to respond.
The all-rounder tapped his side pocket to make sure his barrow knife was still in his company. To his relief, the object declared its glorious presence. As he went on with scanning the place, a sight hit his eyes.
A couple of dead trees formed a cross. That was it.
With his eyes glued to the sign, he drew himself along the path. No drama held him back as he emerged out of the jungle into an open space unassailed by imperious greenery. Following the deadly journey, the wretched hut that stood several yards away seemed rather welcoming. It looked as if it could deceive a lost, unsuspecting wanderer into taking it as a secure shade, but Mayank knew better.
He pulled out the barrow knife as he approached the place with careful steps. The air continued to be under the domination of silence until it was ripped apart by a hoarse voice.
"You can't be a bad guy unless you have two additional eyes on your back."
Startled, the all-rounder turned around at once. He was least looking forward to meeting the man who stood before him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" asked Mayank, enraged. "Wanna have a sip of your own blood?"
A smirk was flung by Vaibhav's tall minion. "Are you outstandingly stubborn or simply stupid?"
"The former."
"Leave."
"What?"
"Leave at once. You don't get to join our gang."
Mayank narrowed his eyes. "The decision lies with Vaibhav."
"No, it doesn't."
"What do you mean?"
"Listen to what I say, both for your own and your brother's sake."
"What have I ever done to you?" asked the all-rounder in a rather faint tone. "Why do you hate me so much?"
"I know a traitor when I see one."
"I haven't betrayed anyone."
The reprobate looked away in utter disgust. "You will. Just like everyone else did."
"What?"
"They stabbed us in the back. For some craphole with more money."
Mayank lifted his chin. "What?"
"Forget it. I won't let anyone join us as long as I am alive. I tried to scare you away more than once. It's your last chance."
The all-rounder smirked. "How frightening you sound!"
"Get lost."
"Thanks, but I'd pass."
The bandit clenched his fist. "Be grateful."
"For what?"
"You have no idea what Vaibhav had in mind for this final task. I cleared your way."
Mayank raised an eyebrow. "And why would you do that?"
"Now you owe me. Do as I say. I don't intend to harm you or the tiny thing you brought along. Just leave us alone, and you two shall be escorted off to a decent place from where you can return home."
"I don't want to return home."
"Do it for your brother's sake."
"That doesn't sound very evil."
"Fine! What do you want in exchange? There must be something that's worth more to you than this doomed life!"
A brief period of silence followed.
"Damnation is what I yearn for." Mayank spoke in a grim tone.
"Go ahead, then! Get into the hut and make a fool of yourself. If that doesn't stop you from joining our pathetic gang, you might as well roam around naked from now on. A guy like you can't have shame."
Mayank raised an eyebrow. He did not quite like the idea of making a fool of himself. Nor did he want to abandon his clothes. "What can be so shameful about rescuing someone, especially when it's my gateway to hell?"
"You'll find that out very soon." The robber said as he walked off with a smirk on his face.
For a couple of minutes, Mayank observed the path that the man took. Following that, he turned around to face the hut once again. Surprisingly, no sense of foreboding tickled his limbs as he approached what lay ahead. He, however, kept the weapon under the rule of his hand.
The door did not turn out to be too impertinent; it opened without a trace of skepticism about Mayank's strength. Although the sun was retreating, it was still bright enough to survey the bland interior of the hut.
There was not much to see except the corner where lied the one waiting for him.