The Weeping Stars

Hush

Isha was bundled down into another dark passage. Bundled is perhaps the only word for it. The two men, Mr. Burly and Mr. Semi-Burly, rushed in the room and started packing.  They had food, ropes and torches with them. They also had some other things in the bags they were carrying. So, the packing involved ordering Isha in a shalwar and hastily dragging all her clothes in a bundle. 

Then Mr.Burly or Raghu, started to systematically wipe out all personal touches from the room, especially Isha's belongings. All the while, his son, Biju, started to feel around the floor. Isha watched the proceedings with growing dread. Are they planning to kill her? Suddenly she missed Indra, his warmth. She wished he was here. Does he know all this is happening?

'Mai, we need to move quickly and quietly now.'

Isha jumped. She was so lost in her thoughts that she did not notice Biju has opened yet another opening on the floor, much smaller and very dark. She gave Raghu a piercing look. 

'Why do we need to move?'

'You are not safe here. Rudra and his men have entered the island and might find this place any moment'

Rudra's name sent a quiet shiver down her spine. She would follow any one anywhere to get out of Rudra's reach. She nodded and followed Biju as her disappeared in another dark hole. The torch light showed another set of stairs leading down,but this time the walls were dripping and tree roots cut across the surface like gigantic veins. It was like going in a well. Isha clung to the ropes and carefully stepped down each stair. The trapped air smelled so foul that she wanted to gag. She almost tripped when she heard the trap door close above them. 

'We need to close it so that they cannot open it easily', Raghu explained.

What seemed an eternity, but was only a few minutes, they reached the bottom. The room was much smaller here. Biju seemed to know what to look for. He took out a long sharp digging bar and struck the wall. After digging a couple of feet, they found the handle of a door. After a lot of pulling a pushing, they could open the door. It revealed a much smaller passage, big enough for a child to walk in. They would have to crouch. Biju led the way, with Isha in the middle and Raghu bringing up the rear. Raghu closed the door behind them.

Meanwhile

Indra scratched his back clumsily and lazily gazed around. The cool breeze told him that the ocean is not far away. It also predicted a very cold night ahead. He grabbed his shawl closely around his torso and hunkered down. The shawl hid his face, and the fact that underneath he was wearing climbing gears and was heavily armed.  His two companions sported similar outfit, but looked more the part. All three were on board a tattered fishing boat which they were rowing deep into the jungles. The waterways were deserted as no one would dream of coming into such  deep jungle. But the three men were not ordinary. 

Indra knew he had to make good use of the dusk. It would give them just enough light to accomplish their task without giving them away. The evening sky suddenly reminded him of Isha. Where is she now. Is she safe? Is she cold? Is she up to the challenge that lies ahead of her. For the first tie Indra realised why people pray. What fears and anxiety lie behind the most ardent prayers. He wished he could just kiss her once more, and tell her how much he loved her.

The boat docked in high grasses dotting the banks. They swiftly scrambled up the bank and unloaded their belongings. They then dragged the boat up and hid it among the thickest of bushes.  Then they stealthily proceeded on foot towards their destination. The progress was slow as they had to keep a lookout for tigers and snakes. Anything else, they can take in their stride. It will take them another two hours to reach the well.

The well looked like any other well found in the region. The only difference is the walls. If you looked closely, you could see the stone walls chipped all the way to the bottom. If one tried, they could easily climb down. But Indra and his team Thad climbing and diving equipments. Ram went first, followed by Javid. Indra tied the rope end securely to the tree growing out of the walls and hoped that no one would cone to investigate.

He then expertly climbed down into the well, where his companions were waiting. The dark water was not inviting. Dead leaves and decades of unuse has turned the water back and smelly. But this did not bother the three. Ram went in first. After fifteen minutes they felt a tug in the rope, three times. Javid followed with Indra close behind. In a few more minutes, night closed in.