Trapped in their memories, burned into their skins and turned into a folklore by people. This is the story of three people who first did everything for each other.
and then did everything to KILL each other.
𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 : 20𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 2024
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Whatever the fuck is happening is beyond her, day after day Bilal keeps telling her one day more, one day more.
It's been more than a week now and it's pissing her off now, she wants to go home. Laxmi is the only one not tormenting her. Those devil incarnations make teaching feel like a war, she has STILL not met Amma's son and let's just not talk about the lady herself.
All this makes her want to cry to be honest.
"You look like you'll cry any minute"
Adhya looks up from where she was sitting at a tea stall, Laxmi was walking towards her, her hand bringing the half smoked cigarette to her mouth as she sat down on the bench in front of her.
"That obvious huh"
She chuckled humorlessly as the woman in front of her smoked.
"What's wrong?"
"I wanna go home but it's being delayed again and again and again"
"Hm I see"
Laxmi exhaled the smoke and was about to say something when she noticed the elderly woman heading their way.
"I got to go but you should probably see the person responsible for either sending you home or the delay"
She said dropping her cig before crushing it as she walked away. Adhya was a little confused. Laxmi didn't come across the type to run away but this felt like she did.
"Hey"
Amma's familiar hoarse voice mixed with harshness made her jump out of her skin before she scrambled to stand up.
"Have you seen Chandram? He had to take the lunch for my son to the quarry but now he's nowhere to be seen"
"I haven't seen him since after school got over" She replied as the older woman just hmphed and turned to leave when Laxmi's words ran in Adhya's mind.
"I will"
Amma looked over her shoulder, features twisted in a deep serious frown. Scary.
"I mean can I, yeah, Can I take the lunch to him? At Least I'll be helpful for once"
As much as it hurt to say the last part, it was at the end of the day an undeniable fact. The children refused to listen to her for more than 10 minutes in the class, helping in kitchen or house work is not an option because she tried and Amma almost had her head which also means after school she had nothing else to do.
The woman turned to face her again, staring at her from head to toe, toe to head and then head to toe again.
"Don't be late, you know the way to the mines?"
She nodded.
"As for my son, he's tall, quiet and far away from the crowd and people, his name is..."
"Deva?"
The kid looked at her suspiciously as she asked for the said male after reaching the mining area. She kept a poker face and just lifted the lunch box making the kid shape his lips in an O.
He told her to stay put and rushed off. She was looking around when she noticed people staring at her like she was an alien, just perfect no? She's seriously starting to think something is wrong with her stars at this point.
She was about to follow the kids trail, feeling awkward as hell, when she saw him.
Tall
That's the first thought in her mind, the male walking towards her while wiping his hands is tall, like an inch or two above six feet easily. He has a well kept beard, broad shoulders and overall a strong build.
The army green clung to his figure at places and his left arm was covered fully which, in very Adhya fashion, piqued her curiosity.
She snapped out of it when he came to a stop in front of her and stood there for a minute, his eyebrow twitching as if he wanted to raise it in inquiry.
She cleared her throat before extending the lunch box to him which he took immediately.
"About you going ho.."
Her mood shifted immediately and she raised her hand before he could even complete the word.
"I know..."
Her gaze lifted to look upwards, right in his eyes and his gaze fell down his feet.
"..One more day"
She sighed heavily, turning to leave only to be caught off guard when a man threw his arm around her and clicked a selfie with her and it made her heart race.
"Looking nice baby"
"What rubbi-"
She wasn't even able to complete the sentence when he grabbed her wrist roughly and pulled making her yelp.
"Now let's get going"
The man said pulling her along and she immediately relaised these were probably here to take her like the ones that tried to kidnap her after she landed in India.
Adhya turned her head just in time to look at Deva who took a step forward as if he was going to grab her other wrist and stop this nonsense but it surprised her beyond words when he stepped right back the next moment.
Why...
Was all she could think of, why wasn't he helping? Why was he just standing when she was being taken away like this? She heard from Chandram, how he never got in fights or said anything to anyone.
But this? this isn't just a fight and if Bilal brought her to him to keep her safe doesn't it mean he is stronger then these men.
Then why was he just standing there!? She couldn't comprehend it as the man tugged at her wrist again making her stumble, her dupatta falling off her shoulder.
On the other hand Amma arrived from another route to stand in front of Deva. She held a small aluminium container in her hand and looked at her son who seemed a little figidty.
"Where is she? That girl she's always forgetting stuff. I told her to take the chilli powder with her when she came here but she forgot it right on the table? I'm going to give her an earful. Where is she, Deva??"
She asked, turning when her son looked behind her, her face morphed in an underlying fear and recognition. Just by looking at the men she can tell from where they belonged.
What concerned her more was the familiar figure walking between them, more like being dragged.
What does that girl have to do with them?
She shook away the question as soon as it popped up, this isn't the time for the why. Adhya needs to be saved.
Amma asks the other mine workers to help the poor girl, save her from the absolute beasts of the men she knew the ones taking her can be but no one moved, instead a comment on her son being a man was made after her fourth try.
It made her look at him from the corner of her eyes, he was restless, pacing back and forth repeatedly, his hands itching to tighten in a fist but being forced to stay open.
She looked as the man pushed Adhya in the truck, the girl looked at her with something in her eyes that made gulp down her concerns, closing her eyes for a minute before she spoke up.
