Ishq-e-Watan

Chapter 120- Anxiety

CHAPTER 120

ANXIETY

Barkha stared at the wall. There was a spot right in front of her that looked like a little bunny, if she imagined it hard enough. It would only need a little floofy tail and perhaps some whiskers. She felt her eyes close. The man's unseeing eyes flashed before her, and her eyes snapped open. Bunny. A little tail. Perhaps some whiskers.

"Neend nahi aa rahi, Barkha?" Param asked softly. Barkha turned to her side, facing her husband. His arm was stretched out in invitation, and she kept her head on it, curling up closer. They didn't sleep cuddled up very often now. They had been married for well over a decade, and the sweet infatuation had worn away, only leaving fondness and comfort in place. It was still a comfort to be so close to him, to have his arms around her. She inhaled deeply. He no longer smelled of blood. How long did it take to wash off the scent of it? Was it as easy as standing under the shower?

Baby was sleeping in the same room- Barkha had refused to let her sleep in another room. She was on the small bed across the room, and she moved occasionally but mostly, she slept soundly, a small noise escaping her every so often that reassured her that everything was fine. She had mostly slept through the entire ordeal. She would be up and around at 6, happy and bouncing off the walls. She would be so happy seeing her Chachu and her Papa. Perhaps, she wouldn't even question why they were in the academy.

"Baby ko kal school jaana hai", she said. She didn't have her uniform here. How would they go back and get her clothes and her school bag? Someone would have to drop her. The bus didn't come here. What would she pack for her for lunch?

Param pulled her closer, a hand spanning her back, rubbing circles on it. "I think if she misses one day, toh kuchh zyaada nahi hoga", he muttered softly. And oh, of course, she could just miss a day. She didn't need to go to school tomorrow. This warranted a day off. She suddenly felt so silly saying it but he had no judgement of it, only answering in a gentleness she had fallen in love with. There was none of that when he had killed the man. "Are you okay?"

"Were they going to kill me?" She blurted out. She didn't know she had been thinking about it. "Aur... Aur Baby?" And in an instant, she was reminded of Juhi Mahajan and her 16-year-old daughter, tortured for days in captivity. Would they have done something similar to her?

There was a short silence. "I don't know what they were trying", he said, and she tried to listen for any dishonesty but his words dripped of truth, his voice controlled in a way that spoke of buried emotions. "But I do know they would never succeed."

She closed her eyes, feeling the tears escape her eyelids. She buried her face in his chest, his words echoing in her head. His big hand gently rubbed her back, muttering softly to her. The words, at first, were assurances, and then, stories. She would not be able to recall a single one. But it was to her husband's soothing voice, and his warm embrace, she drifted off, tears leaking from her eyes.

---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---x---

Monami's eyes snapped open. What had startled her awake? She was sure she wasn't having a nightmare. Any dream, really. She looked across the room, and Sanju had cracked her eyes open too, her confused but alert eyes staring at the door. Had somebody knocked?

"Tu ruk", Sanju muttered, getting out of bed, with a gun in her hand. She glanced at the clock. A few minutes before 2. Monami swallowed, clutching the dagger she had stolen off Parikshit long back. She was used to keeping it with her now.

Another knock almost made her jump, and she slowly got out of bed, the dagger tightly squeezed in her hands. She was a pretty good aim. She could definitely kill one.