After Annihilation - Would you want to survive?

Chapter 8

Later in the evening, we joined the queue after being led towards 3rd Street for dinner.

On reaching 3rd Street, we were directed to the cafeteria. There were three halls with hundreds of wooden tables in each and four simple chairs around each table. The hall we were in was dim. At one end was a metal table near a small green window that led to the kitchen beyond. On one end of the table was a stack of small steel plates. The other end had hollow compartments with two big steel containers filled with food. The same notices as the ones in the announcement hall were posted on a nearby wall.

A duo sat at one of the tables, one in a white shirt, grey trousers, and the other in a white kurta and black salwar. Both held a paper in their hands. A crowd was collecting around them, and the noise was increasing.

"Please sit down," one of them shouted. Once all were settled, the man began. "We are workers for the administrative headquarters. We are going to put up a list of available job positions in Shunya. For every hour of work that you are willing to do, you will receive one coupon. This coupon will be like money and can be used for various services like food, water, clothes, shoes, or hospital services. For today's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast, you can get coupons from me and Anita here. I will announce the job openings right now, and we will also post them here on the notice board if you want to have a look later. Once decided, you can head over to the administrative office, the second building from the hospital, with your registration documents.

"Currently the available positions are: farmer, goods transporter, surface explorer, tailor, shoe maker, chef, cooking support staff, nursing staff, nursing attendant, other health staff, plumber, electrician, cleaner."

I looked at Aarav, my lips twisted in disappointment. I was underqualified for all of those things, having never been taught the basics of survival in school or college.

After receiving our coupons, we served ourselves some bland cooked lentils and rice. We took two seats close to the where the food was being served.

"Aarav," I said, "I am so confused and afraid. I feel like we died and woke up on a hellish planet."

He was mixing the lentils and rice in his plate. "Maybe we have," he said.

"Should we just leave this place and go back up to the surface? Maybe if we went back to our homes now, we would be able to find our families," I said.

He was looking at me, pain evident in his eyes.

"I have nothing left up there," he said. "I saw them. My parents. My brother. They are no more." His hands were balled in tight fists.

"Oh, Aarav. I am so sorry," I whispered. I could imagine the gruesome sight he must have encountered. I wanted to say something to lessen his pain, but nothing seemed appropriate.

Head bent down, he swallowed, composing himself. "At least they were together in their last moments. This thought gives me some solace."

I nodded, lightly keeping my hand on his forearm.

He looked up. "I know what is troubling you, Madhavi, and I have thought about it, but believe me, I went to Rajgar to look for you. Human life cannot survive in those conditions anymore. I know what you feel right now. The only way for your family to have survived would be in a safe house. If they survived, they will come here. Staying here is your best bet at finding them and being alive to meet them."

"What about Dhruv, Divya, and Sonakshi? Have you thought about what must have happened to them?" I asked.

He sighed. "What can I say other than I hope they somehow found a place to survive? Once satellite communication is established, we might try to contact them somehow."