done the very best he could have. Now he had no more fight left in him.
Bruised, bloodied and battered, Mayukh looked up at the stars in the sky, hoping that the end would not be too painful, and hoping that he had bought Swati and Abhi enough time.
As he saw the Biter's silhouettes loom over him, he thought he saw shooting stars crisscrossing the sky, and then the sound of firecrackers bursting. Whatever it was, he had neither the curiosity nor the energy to find out; perhaps it was some Biter with a gun.
He felt cold, clammy hands close around his neck, and he closed his eyes. His last thought was that perhaps it was good that he was going to be unconscious when the Biters tore into him.
THIRTEEN
'You look like The Mummy!'
Mayukh would have smiled had it not hurt so much to move his face. He would have loved to hug Abhi and Swati back when they clutched him, but his right hand was in a cast. He would have loved to hold Swati much longer, but his ribs hurt when she rested against him. In short, he could do very little to show them just how deliriously happy he was to see them again, so he did the one thing his body still allowed him to do.
He cried.
Two medics walked in and changed the IV drips that were attached to him, and then a man in an Indian Army uniform walked in. He looked to be at least fifty from the grey in his hair, but his posture was still ramrod straight and Mayukh saw that he seemed supremely fit. He seemed as if he was about to extend a hand to shake Mayukh's, and then a bit sheepishly, took his hand back.
'You, sir, have had quite an adventure.'
To Mayukh that seemed like the understatement of the century.
The man introduced himself as Major General Vij and sat down next to Mayukh.
'How long have I been here?'
He could see Swati smile as the General answered.
'You've been out for almost three days.'
Mayukh turned to Swati and Abhi as if seeking answers as to what had happened. Trying to find out how he had been rescued when he was sure he was going to die at the hands of the Biters. Trying, above all, to find out if getting Abhi all the way to Ladakh had actually helped in any way whatsoever.
Swati was still holding onto his left hand as if afraid to let go, and Abhi was now sitting on his lap as he sat propped up on the bed. Swati's eyes looked dead tired and bloodshot, and she seemed to be on the verge of falling asleep.
Before she could say anything, the General interrupted.
'Young man, she has been sitting by your side almost every minute of those three days, so she could do with some rest. You yourself still need some patching up and the doctors have said they may need to put you under general anesthesia again. So just lie down, try and get some soup inside you-you haven't had any nutrition other than what was pumped in through the IV drips. Once she's rested and the doctor's finished with you, we will talk. We all have a lot of catching up to do.'
Mayukh tried to protest, but he realized just how tired he was. As much as he tried to stop Swati from leaving, his eyes felt heavy and he dropped back onto the pillows placed behind him. Swati came close and kissed him on the cheeks once, whispering to him.
'Rest, my love. Now that you're back with me, I won't let you go anywhere. Just rest, and then we will talk.'
Abhi was giggling.
'She kissed him!'
Mayukh smiled and then winced in pain as some of the many stitches he now knew crisscrossed his face stretched. He watched Swati and Abhi leave the room with the General, and realized that no matter what else was to happen, it was worth it to see them safe, to not have to live every day wondering if it would be their last. There was so much he wanted to know. What had happened in the world outside? How many other safe zones like this one were there? And most of all, was there hope that they could rid the world of the Biters after all?
The door opened again and a young soldier came in, dressed in battle fatigues. From his sharp features, Mayukh guessed he was a Gurkha. The soldier handed pushed a table next to the bed and placed a bowl of steaming soup on it.
'Drink it. It tastes like shit but will give you strength.'
Mayukh looked at him, wondering how he was expected to drink it with a drip attached to his left hand and his right hand in a cast. The Gurkha produced a straw and put it in the bowl. He held the straw in place while Mayukh bent over and drank it.
The soup was hot, watery, tasted of frozen vegetables and preservatives, had way too much salt in it, and all things considered, was the most delicious meal Mayukh had eaten in the last ten days. He slurped it shamelessly and then fell back on his bed, tired from the exertion of even drinking. The Gurkha patted him on his left shoulder.
'By the way, did really head butt a Biter and kick another in the balls?'
Mayukh wondered how he knew, but his expression must have told the Gurkha what he needed to know, and he grinned.
'Get well. There are many soldiers here who want to hear your story, and buy you a drink.'
As soon as the Gurkha left, another soldier came in, though this time he was wearing a stethoscope around his neck and to Mayukh's surprise, was American. He smiled at Mayukh, looking at a clipboard in his hands.
'So, Mayukh, I'll give you some morphine for the pain and then we'll put you under some anesthesia. We still need to finish the stitches on the back of your head and I think today's when we try and reset your nose.'
Mayukh was about to ask more, but realized that with all the damage he had suffered, he didn't really want to know just how messed up he was. He sat back as the doctor put one injection in his left arm, and then another one on his hip. He grimaced a bit, but in a few seconds, he felt lightheaded.
'Just close your eyes and lie down.'
Mayukh did that and soon he was fast asleep.
***
It was a utilitarian room, stark metal grey with long benches and metal chairs in front of them. The food in front of them was the soup Mayukh had earlier and what looked like instant noodles. He had Swati sitting next to him, Abhi on her lap, and her fingers intertwined in his. Mayukh still hurt in a dozen places, and had been amazed he was alive when the full extent of his injuries was revealed to him. Three cracked ribs, a fractured hand, a broken nose, and nineteen stitches on his head and face. When he first looked at himself in the mirror, he had nearly jumped in fright at the heavily bandaged apparition that stared back. The American doctor had been laconic about it.
'Wounds heal, and chicks dig scars.'
The room was filled with soldiers in uniform, a mix of Indian and American faces, and Mayukh saw General Vij standing up in a corner, dressed in what seemed to be his full dress uniform, with medals and ribbons across his chest and stars on his shoulders. Next to him was a middle aged American soldier, dressed in a blue uniform with similar stars on his shoulders.
'Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to our briefing. Finish your soups and we will begin.'
Mayukh had thought that Swati was the only woman around, but as he looked around he saw at least a dozen American women in uniform, and a few Indians as well. That morning, he had been allowed visitors, and he had spent the whole day reveling in Swati's company. With Abhi awake, it was tough to do anything more than keep
