sure that Mayukh and Swati got a chance to live a normal life together, a life where they would not have to fight to survive from one day to another.
Their journey thus continued, each of them consumed with their own hopes and worries, except perhaps Abhi, who simply delighted in looking at the trucks he saw littered by the roadside and in gobbling down the cookies that Hina passed on to him on demand.
They had driven for just over three hours and it was past four in the evening. David suggested that they start planning on where to spend the night. The map he had open on his lap gave him an obvious answer.
Karnal.
It was a small town on the way to Manali, the popular tourist hill station that was the gateway to the mountainous passes that led to Ladakh. None of them had been there before, but it was a safe bet that they would find an abandoned home where they could seek refuge for the night.
They drove past a few old houses when Mayukh saw something totally unexpected. A few hundred meters away on the roadside, a bright neon sign lit up the otherwise barren and darkening landscape. As he drove closer to the sign, he saw what it proclaimed.
'Zilmil Restaurant. Five star food, one star prices.'
He looked at David, who was also staring at the sign, and he shrugged as if to indicate 'why not'. Mayukh brought the SUV to a halt in the narrow driveway outside the small, non-descript shack that made the grand claim through the neon sign. David asked for the others to stay in the vehicle and stepped out, his rifle at the ready. He approached the building cautiously, sweeping the area in front of him. He flattened himself against the wall and peered in through the open window. Satisfied, he signaled to Mayukh and the others to join him. As they came closer, he whispered to Hina and Swati to stay a few steps behind with Abhi and asked Mayukh to cover him. He then kicked open the door, and dove in, rolling on the floor and coming up in a crouch, his weapon at his shoulder. Mayukh was at the door, his pistol in front of him, hoping that he wouldn't have to use it. The little roadside eatery with five-star pretensions had five cheap plastic tables and chairs and a kitchen area in a corner blocked by a large counter. There was a slight humming noise, probably coming from the generator that was powering the neon sign outside.
Mayukh thought he heard something, and he looked at David to confirm that he wasn't just imagining it. David nodded to indicate that he too had heard it. Mayukh heard it again, and he would have found it almost funny had they all not been so much on edge.
It was the sound of someone hiccupping.
David pointed behind the counter, and Mayukh nodded, moving slowly behind David as he approached the counter. David leaned over, his gun at the ready, and then lowered, it, yanking out with one hand the person who had been hiding there.
The man was scrawny to the point of looking like a famine victim, wore torn shorts and a vest that must once have been white, but was now coated a dirty brown. His hair was matted, and his face looked like he had been smeared with soot. Despite all that, his eyes shone brightly and he was smiling broadly, revealing white teeth.
'Welcome to Zilmil Restaurant. We offer five star food at one star prices.'
He hiccupped again, and Abhi giggled.
The man's eyes lit up as he saw Abhi, and he laughed out aloud in delight, and moved towards Abhi.
'Hello, little one. Do you want some ice cream?'
Abhi was about to go over to him when Swati held his hands tightly and David tensed, half bringing up his rifle. As if oblivious to the fact that he was facing two armed men, the man suddenly pirouetted and faced Mayukh, holding out his hand. Mayukh just stood in silence as the man continued.
'I have totally forgotten my manners. My name is Freddy, and welcome to my humble little restaurant.'
Then he skipped over to where Hina stood.
'Madam, would you like some coffee?'
Hina nodded, just wanting the strange man to shut up or get away. He almost ran over to the counter and pulled out a cup and went over to Hina, handing her the empty cup.
'Be careful, it's very hot.'
Abhi was enjoying the man's antics, and he piped up.
'Blow into it to cool it!'
Freddy clapped his hands in delight.
'Smart boy!'
David had now lowered his weapon and walked up to Mayukh.
'The poor man has lost his mind.'
Freddy turned to David, speaking in immaculate English.
'No, no! I have not lost my mind, sir. I assure you that I am fully in control of my faculties. Here have some tea.'
He had now taken another empty cup and handed it to David, and then disappeared into the back of the shop, mumbling something about finding some food for his guests. Swati and Abhi were now next to Mayukh and he reached out for her hand. Hina said softly.
'Poor, poor man. I wonder what he must have gone through for him to go over the edge like this.'
They heard Freddy call out to them to join him in the back. They moved there cautiously, and saw that he was moving a carpet on the floor. They watched in astonishment as he reached down to the floor, revealing a trapdoor that he opened with considerable effort. He then looked at them.
'The Sun is about to go down. Now they will come out to play hide and seek. Will you play with me?'
David motioned for the others to stay up and climbed down the ladder he found under the trapdoor. A few seconds later, he called for the others to join him. They found a small room that had been created to store supplies, and it was currently stocked with bags of rice, sugar, biscuits and other staples, but there was enough room for all of them to sit down. Freddy was the last to come down, and they saw him adjust the carpet before he closed the door. He scrambled down the ladder and then flipped a switch on the wall, and a single bulb lit up the darkness.
Freddy sat down and opened a pack of biscuits and passed them around. Abhi grabbed two of them and wolfed them down with gusto. David asked Freddy what he had been through but all he got in response was a rambling reply about his secret Tandoori Chicken recipe that was the talk of Karnal. As they sat down, Freddy suddenly put his fingers on his lips.
'Now we all need to be good boys and girls and we need to sleep tight. If we make any noise, they will come. Good night.'
He turned off the bulb, curled up in a corner and closed his eyes.
They all looked at each other and Mayukh saw a hint of amusement creep into Swati's eyes, replaced immediately by a look of guilt.
'What happened?'
She put her head against his shoulder.
'I was about to say something about him being crazy, but he probably saved our lives tonight.'
They were all on edge, but soon fatigue got the better of them, and one by one, they fell into an uneasy sleep. Mayukh had Swati with her head resting on his left shoulder and Abhi curled up on his lap. He would never have imagined such a situation just days ago, but before he drifted off to sleep, he thought that he had never been so happy.
Shuffling noises directly overhead their hiding place awakened him, and then he heard the screeching howls of the Biters. He had heard it many times now, but even now it send a shiver down his spine. He looked around and in the darkness could make out the others stirring. They all sat huddled together, praying that the Biters would not find them and would move on. The Biters seemed to be trashing Freddy's modest restaurant, judging by the crashing and ripping noises they heard.
David whispered to Mayukh.
'I screwed up. We left our car outside. If these Biters are indeed getting smarter, they know we must be around and are looking for us.'
The suggestion that what everyone had taken to be mindless zombies were gradually becoming sentient, thinking, yet equally bloodthirsty enemies was something that struck fear in all of them. David sat there, his rifle pointed at the hatch, hoping that he would not have to use it.
