Change Ahead

Chapter-13

I was so sure, something was wrong. My intuition has never failed me.

We saw them burning down the building in which we were there. They thought we were still inside, while we managed to escape out. I had mixed thoughts..

'Why should they burn us down? Why do they have to act like they helped us and then turn us in? Who are they to Varun? Why do they want us killed? As far as Varun was considered, they have a history. But, me? I am innocent. Why me?'

I remembered my father's words, 'Life is not a game and it is not easy. It is damn serious. I had learnt my lesson.' I now have no time for sentiments. I had to investigate the situation around me. Will I face any danger?'

I saw Varun, he gave the impression of being innocent about this. He was confused. He should have mixed thoughts too.

We kept low for a while and watched what was going to happen next.

We saw them leaving after they made sure that everything was burned down. It was almost morning after a terrific night.

Varun tried to contact someone.

"No Varun. Don't contact anyone. It may put us in further danger. I will try to contact someone."

I dialed to Trisha and asked her to come and pick us up. She came in with her boyfriend and picked us up.

"Hey what happened? How did you both end up there, in the middle of nowhere?" asked Trisha.

"Hey... Did you get your eyebrows done? You look cute." I tried to change the topic obnoxiously. Varun looked at me with the same look.

She started talking about her eyebrows and her beauty. I knew she would continue with her beauty thing and drop the question. Varun tried to giggle at me. Varun held my hands and said, "Don't worry. Everything is for good." He tried to pacify me. Nothing seemed to work for me. I felt like everyone I saw was about to hurt us. I was trying to be over defensive.

We got down at the train station and started walking towards home.

I was being distrustful, suspicious.

"Calm down Gaze. We are fine now."

"How can you think like this idiot..? The people who you considered friends just tried to burn us down. You still think you are safe?" I was anxious. I often checked if someone was following us.

We reached home. I checked out if someone was noticing us and locked the door after us.

"Gaze... You do not have to worry. Everything is still fine." He was so cool about what had happened.

"Seriously how can you are like this after what happened? Tell me exactly how you made friends with them? How can somebody come for a rescue suddenly?"

"I don't know. They were the ones who helped me earlier from a fire. All I know was that I fell down unconscious and next thing, I saw them treating me. One of them told, they were passing by and they came in for rescue after they suspected something was wrong."

'Something was not right.' I still could not believe them.

"Tell me about the fire accident."

"It happened long back, before you joined. I had booked a table in a restaurant for us and I was waiting for Swathi to come."

"Does she know that you were an intern here?"

"Yes. She is my childhood friend. We both joined here together. I waited for a long time and when I was about to leave, I had a sense that I was about to fall or felt dizzy. Suddenly, I saw flames of fire and I fainted. You then know what happened. "

I thought we should go talk to his brother if he was doing all this for money, we should give him that so that Varun can at least have his life for himself.

"Take me to your brother. We shall talk to him. Let us give him the money he wants. You can be free."

He denied it immediately.

"Bad Option! Suggest something else. I do not want to give him the money or see him at al."

"But you can't just keep running like this. You got to do something."

After a long argument, we designed a plan for his brother.

'Swathi calling...' I could see it displaying in my mobile screen. She is calling me for the first time since I met her. I wondered why! 'Should I take it or no...' I looked at Varun. We both were in deep silence. Varun picked up the call but did not say anything. He waited for Swathi to speak. We were not sure, if it was Swathi or not. What if it was Swathi? Why does she have to call me now? What role does she play in this plot? What if it was someone else and she was in grave danger?' A million thoughts ran across our minds in a few seconds.

The other side was also silent. I could hear machines working. It sounded like a factory. Suddenly, we heard a tortuous, contrived breathing. "Gaz... Just keep Varun alive. No matter what. They knew that you both escaped. They will surely come for you. Keep him alive. Tell him it was not mistake and I tried to help him as much as I could. Keeepppp him alive." The voice died slowly. 'It should be Swathi. Is she dead? How did they know that we escaped from the fire?'

'Oh My God! They may come in any minute now.' We did not have time for Swathi now. We packed a few clothes and left the place as soon as we could.

I thought I was the one who was in grave danger but it was really Varun. Varun's problems appeared to be bigger now. He should be my age too or may be a little elder to me. Without parents, he has survived until now, from all the real enemies trying vigorously to kill him. His own brother? I was totally naïve and ingenuous to leave home for the littlest issue with my dad.

Something snapped in my head, 'Should I call my dad and ask him for help? Should we go there and live for some time?'

He would help us for sure. But I did not want him to know about this. He had taught me everything for survival. That was the foremost reason that I ran away with so much confidence.

We did not know where to go or what to do. We then agreed to go as per our plan for his brother.