Samsaara : Malakh-ul-maut

6. Time Heals All Wounds

In my rage, I pulled the knife out of her back (which is the worst thing that I could have done), and flung it at the thugs leg. It cut through the tendon above his heels cleanly and he began limping away hastily.

With the knife removed from her back, she began to bleed more profusely. She was seconds away from her death. As much as I wanted to deal with the five people who attacked us, it was more important for her life to be saved. Her laboured breathing and the blood she was coughing were signs of a punctured lung or internal bleeding. She lost conscience.

There was only one place where they could bring a person back from the brink of death, the same place I came back to life at. Luckily she had a working core, unlike mine. I took it out of her hand and stabbed it into the air and called out loud, "Dwara Udghataya."

Nothing happened.

I tried it for a second time but not a third. As Einstein said, 'insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results', and time was of the essence here. Luckily for me, someone with a working core was waiting for me upstairs. Before anyone could see me holding a bleeding person, I lifted her up with all my might and started running up the stairs. These are the times when you wish you had an elevator.

I unlocked the door with my key as mom had already left for work and carried her into my room. There I found her knight-in-a-not-so-shining-robe sitting on my bed talking to himself. He saw me covered in blood and became serious immediately.

I said, "We have to save her, let's go to -"

"On it," he said as he opened an Ethereal gate, understanding exactly what I wanted before I said it.

We stepped through a gate into a place I had never been before. This was someones house. I found a bed and put Lucy on there belly first. An old man hobbled in as leisurely as he could.

Omar said, "Uncle, she needs help."

"Everyone does," he replied.

The old man looked at me and said, "You? How are you feeling now?"

I said, "She is the one injured. My lip will heal."

"That's not what I meant, but sure. Let me take a look. Omar, son, can you please take the kettle off the burner? Actually, I should make some more tea. I can't have it alone when you all are here for company," he said and started turning towards the kitchen.

"Wait! I will make the tea. You please look at her," Omar said.

"Oh, yes, sorry. At my age, it is a bit difficult to - I have some tea on. Would you folks like to have some?" he said as his mind drifted off.

I went behind the old man and held him by his shoulders. Gently made him walk towards the bed and Omar simultaneously pulled up a bamboo chair for him to sit on. The old man instinctively sat down on it and squinted his eyes.