Shackles of Desire - Chapter 10

Gera sat next to him and hugged him as they watched their bags being taken downstairs. For now, she was holding onto her tears but Veera knew soon they will spill and then all hell will break loose. 

His sister didn’t have the power to control her emotions. Well, which child of 6 had, his mind reasoned with him as he placed his arm around her shoulder trying to comfort the hiccups that had already started.

“You both should go off to sleep now,” he heard his mother say as she ruffled their hair and offered her hand to Gera.

Just as Gera took it, she pulled her off the bed and started to walk out of the room with her.

“Is Bhaisa not coming with us?” Gera asked looking at her mother with apprehension.

“No Chutki. Your father wants to talk to him. Now, let’s go.”

“And, can I trust you not to take the window route tonight?” pointing her finger at him, she asked.

Veera nodded and waited for her to step out of the room. He could hear his father talking to his uncle from downstairs and it sounded quite important.

So, nobody would miss his presence if he slipped out for some time. He wiped off his wet cheeks and stood up from the bed. Then he walked to the door and locked it, and turned and looked at the window.

Well, it’s now or never. 

Thank god he had worn something black otherwise it would have been too darn impossible to slip away from his father’s guards and the Raijdas henchmen, he thought to himself as he reached the tree beneath her window.

The light was still on meaning she was still awake.

Effortlessly he climbed the tree and in no time reached the branch just outside the window.

There she was, sitting on the bed, looking in space. He could see the evidence of tears on her cheeks. Not thinking twice he climbed inside the room and silently came and stood next to her.

“And here I was thinking that you wouldn’t miss me when I’m gone,” he whispered trying to sound as jovial as possible.

Startled she jumped but the moment she saw him, she squealed with joy and threw herself on him.

“Shhhh! Ishi, the door,” he exclaimed just as she hugged him hard.

Instantly she let him go and rushed to the door to close it.

The moment it was done, she was back with him on the bed.

“I thought you said you’ll never meet me again,” she said looking at him with teary eyes.

“Well, I promised myself I wouldn’t. But then I suddenly remembered how pathetically funny you look when you cry so I thought I should have one last look,” he joked.

He saw Ishi looking at him with eyes that could read his soul. And then she smiled and Veera’s world just lit up with hope and his inner turmoil vanished in minutes.

He could do anything for this smile.

He would do anything for this smile.

They kept staring at each other for endless moments clasping hands trying to pass every single last minute in each other’s presence.

But moments like these don’t last long.

Suddenly he heard some commotion from downstairs and instantly stood up.

“I should leave now,” he said pulling her up from the bed.

She nodded and smiled bravely.

As they walked to the window together, their fingers twined like a vine.

He turned towards her as he let her hand go. He was going away but only to return to her again one day. But he needed assurance that she would wait for him no matter. He needed to bind his soul with the thread of trust that she will always remain by his side.

“Ishi, in all the years that I am gone you will meet people and make new friends. Could I trust you not to forget me?” he asked clutching her hands in his.

“Veera, nobody can ever take your place. No matter what happens, you can trust me that I’ll wait for you. I’ll never do anything to break your trust,” he heard her reply with conviction.

Every vein in his body erupted with something he couldn’t explain with the promise he heard in her words. He slipped his hand in his pocket and brought out a ball of red paper.

He watched her as he handed it over to her. As she opened it, his heart swelled seeing the smile on her face. She touched the Shivling to her forehead and then looking at him clutched it to her heart, and something in him just reached its culmination.

The overwhelming emotion in her eyes was so consuming that he couldn’t help but hug her hard.

Reluctantly, he let her go and climbed out of the window. Just as he reached the branch, he turned towards the window and looked at her.

“Ishi, no matter what happens I’ll come back.”

“For you.”

Saying this he climbed down the tree and then for the last time looked up.

He could see the tears but she was whispering something and frankly, he didn’t need ears to hear it. He knew what she was saying.

“I’ll wait. Trust me.”

Rudra constricted with pain as the images kept haunting his mind. The demons of his inner soul were howling in agony with every word that he remembered. Even though the medicine had drugged his body but couldn’t put his mind to sleep.

Suddenly his breathing became erratic as he saw in his inner eye a shadow falling on him.

“Bhaisa!”

The soft call anguished his soul completely. He did not have the power to block the memories that had tortured him every minute for the last 17 years. He tried to jerk his hand away as he felt soft fingers caressing them but couldn’t. As their touch slowly entered his system he saw them burning in front of eyes.

“GERA!”

Rudra’s shriek rang through the room alerting everyone. Amar was the first one to reach him.

“Viman, get the restraint straps fast,” he commanded as he tried his best to contain Rudra’s thrashing.

Ram and Manna rushed to him and held down Rudra’s body as Viman and Kabir connected the loops to the bolts screwed to the bed. The moment they were done, Ram strapped Rudra’s body to the bed to stop the thrashing. But it continued and as a matter of fact, increased with every passing second. Amar punched another shot into his arm and Rudra slumped on the bed as the liquid drugged him.

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