Like you were never gone

Chapter 14

Just as Meera was about to get closer to him to revive Samar, shots were fired from the other side of the room. She quickly hid behind a table, holding the gun to her chest tightly. She couldn't see the assailant yet, so she listened carefully for the foot steps. Once the guy was close enough, she quickly got up from her hiding spot and emptied the whole magazine at the guy. She missed a few but got him in the end.

Her troubles were not over yet, she heard another noise coming from a different part of the room, the person was getting closer. Meera was panicking but she remembered the instructions and quickly reloaded the gun. Before she could see or make sense of who it was, she aimed and shot the second guy too. This time without missing.

The guy fell to the ground with a thud. It was Rohan. He was carrying a small briefcase that opened on impact. A cannister with a radioactive sticker on it, rolled out of the briefcase. Meera had just avoided a catastrophe by not missing her shot.

She did not have the time to dwell on it as she crawled her way to where Samar was lying lifeless. She started reviving him, using the defibrillator but that did not work even after three attempts.

So she started with CRP, entwined with a litany of "Samar come back please, baby I need you to come back."

After several trying minutes that felt like a life time, Samar came back with a gasp. Instantly shooting upright and grabbing the gun at his side, aiming at no one in particular. He was surprised and relieved to see two guys lying dead, as Meera hugged him crying. His only response was,

"You did that?" , feeling a little proud of her. She just nodded, as she sobbed into his tshirt, till he hugged her back.

Samar and Meera stayed there rocking each other until help arrived. The place was soon swarmed by military backup and JOCR agents. Someone confiscated the Rabbit's foot, another agent was trying to get statements from Samar and Meera. Samar never left Meera's side throughout the process. Meera was abducted from her home in the U.S. so she did not have anywhere to go, the agency offered to arrange a safe house for her. But before she could reply, Samar interrupted them,

"She will be coming home with me."

Meera looked at him surprised, she did not say anything until the agent walked away.

"You really think so?" She asked with a low voice.

Samar was walking out of the building holding her left hand, he still hadn't answered her question. She didn't need one particularly, his actions spoke so. She knew no matter which end of the world she was at, no matter what the situation was, if she needed Samar, she could just ask and he'd be there for her. But she didn't know that home was an option for her anymore.

Samar was holding her hand, that still had the sunflower ring on it. He ran his fingers over it. And he thought, they were very very stupid. He believed he was a little more. It was still pouring down hard when they walked out of the building holding hands. For him, it was reminiscent of the last time they were caught in the pour. God! He had missed the feel of her hand in his own, he had missed the sound of her voice, her endless babble, her laugh, everything.

Samar stops walking as the realisation hits him painflly, effectively stopping Meera in her tracks as well. She turns back to look at him, he was looking intently at their joined hands.

"Hey, what happened?" She asks lightly, touching his left cheek.

He looks up at her, tears brimming in his eyes. She opens her mouth to say something but he beats her to it,

"I'm sorry. I was so so stupid all this time. I thought pushing you away would keep you safe, but look at this.." he lightly caressed the lone scratch on her forehead. ".. I'm so sorry Meera. I never should've done that. I've missed you so much."

She gives him a sad, understanding smile, leaning into his touch.

"Oh Samar, we were both so young. We both had tempers, we said some stupid stuff, so I packed-"

"-I should've come after you." They were searching each other's eyes, for something they knew they would find. And they did.

Samar pulled her closer, both his hands were engulfing her waist, as she moved aside the strands of wet hair drooping over his eyes. Her other hand plays with the hair at the nape of neck.

"It doesn't matter. We're here now. So... What's the plan now?" She asked with a hint of genuine smile.

"Spend the rest of my life with you."

"I can do that." Her smile widened, as she closed the gap between them, Samar meeting her halfway.

~ fin.