Dangerous Territory [Completed]

The Truck

Minutes passed, and went on flowing like water streaming down the fall, as if it wasn't a big deal. With every moment my hope wavered, with every moment my heart sank a little more. With every moment I drowned in despair a little more, tears kept striking my eyes, my mind screamed in panic wanting to shut down in a state of absolute numbness. Everybody says no situation in our lives is nothing beyond what we can bear. But then why do our hearts tell us otherwise? Why doesn’t it want to cope with the reality? Why is it always looking for ways to avoid the pain?

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It might as well have been past midnight when I jerked awake. I hadn’t realised I had dozed off. There was a kind of commotion somewhere outside, and the vehicle was at rest. Maybe it was found to have some fault in it. It felt like my heart was pressed in a clasp, such was the overwhelming pressure of terrifying dread that enveloped my senses. I found the little flicker of hope completely washed out as if it had never existed. Just as I closed my eyes, with a loud chaotic bang the doors of the truck flew open. I straightened up, somewhat flabbergasted and witnessed with wide unblinking eyes, two uniformed men jumping in. 

“Can you get up?” One of them asked me as the other went to the unconscious bodies. 

I found myself nodding, and pressing my palms against the walls stood up to my feet. He stayed behind me as I carefully got down onto the road and looked around.

The highway was bedecked with various vehicles parked haphazardly with their engines running and doors open. Police mobiles and ambulances shone in the headlights, armed men ran around, shouting orders, as the night above us continued to gradually wear off. I turned to the police man behind me and said, “My sister, she’s-”

“Yes,” he nodded, “don’t worry. They just called the doctor to examine what kind of dose they were given. Let’s see if they can easily be brought back to consciousness and how long it takes.”

I turned and saw a doctor walking away from the ambulance towards the truck. 

“You should go and sit in a car. It’ll immediately take you home.”

“I won’t leave without my sister.” I said and faced the back of the truck, scanning my eyes around to recognize Bisma’s face, among other girls. Her face slack, eyes closed, she was in the farthest corner, her head falling on the shoulder of the girl beside her. I thought I saw a dark mark on her forehead and worried if she was hurt. It reminded me of the pain in my own head where I’d been struck, but struggling to ignore it I arched my body to see the doctor approach. I’d forgotten amidst all the horror and remembered only when my eyes ran down his coat and the stethoscope, that I was a medical student myself. Maybe not anymore. I shook the thought off my mind and asked the doctor to check Bisma first. 

“I’ll see what is given to them, and then sure your sister would be the first one to be brought back.” He assured me with a glance in my direction. Wondering about Adil and Mr. Iqbal, I turned and found that the policeman beside me had walked away. 

A little far in the distance, another car was running towards us.  It came to a stop with a screech as it approached. The doors immediately flew open and from the passenger seat that faced me, Adil climbed out. My heart welled up at his sight and tears struck my eyes when his eyes found me. I clenched my fist to calm myself but the more he neared me the more I felt the urge to cry. Averting my gaze I saw Mr. Iqbal behind him, following him in my direction. 

“Where’s Bisma?” He asked when he approached, stopping beside me by the entrance of the truck, his eyes scanning the inside of it. I bit into my lower lip, a huge lump forming in my throat.