They were all sitting inside a Pizza Hut. Though they were all starving and dog tired, food was the last thing on their mind. Abhi was sitting in front of them, his expression showing just how confused he was at how the adults were suddenly behaving. Unconsciously all of them, even Swati, sat a couple of feet away from Abhi, who was scratching his left leg near the knee, where they could all a red welt where one of the creatures had sunk it's teeth in. It had not been a deep bite, but the skin had broken and there was some bleeding.
'It hurts here', he said with a pout, puzzled as to why he was not getting any more sympathy from the adults. Swati was in tears but Mayukh was also totally gutted, as he began to blame himself for not having taken better care of Abhi. There was a knot in his stomach as he began to feel that once again he had let someone down who had depended on him. Hina was trying to console Swati while David sat impassively, cradling his rifle in his hands. He was the first to break the ominous silence.
'It's been at least two hours since he was bitten. How long do we wait?'
Mayukh saw David move the rifle in his hand and he walked over and sat with Abhi, taking him in his lap. Abhi hugged him, grateful that finally someone was acting like normal.
'David, we keep waiting. If anyone is worried, they can leave.'
Seeing Mayukh stand up for her brother, Swati also joined him and Hina walked over to them a second later. David put his rifle down on the ground, realizing that Mayukh had assumed the worst.
'Jesus, folks, don't be so frigging melodramatic. What did you think….'
He couldn't bring himself to say it, but he gestured towards his rifle, making his meaning obvious, and then continued.
'But look, he should have turned into one of them by now, and he hasn't. I don't understand it, and it freaks me out. And if he does turn into one of those things, what do you propose we do?'
They were all silent, since they had no answer to that very question which had been plaguing their minds for the past few hours. Hina got up and walked to the kitchen.
'Look, we can sit around and wait or we could at least get something to eat. Now, who wants cold pizza?'
The pizza was cold and stale so they all gave it a pass, but they gorged on soup and pasta. David discovered that the place had a working generator and they had their first hot meal in three days. It made them all feel a bit more human again, and it took their minds off Abhi.
Abhi was listening to Hina sing nursery rhymes when Mayukh decided to stretch and walked to the front of the restaurant. He felt someone behind him-it was Swati.
'The little boy's mother would have real proud, for her little boy is a man.'
He looked at her and smiled, and they sat down together.
'Swati, tell me about your folks.'
'We were hardly the perfect family. Mom and dad fought all the time, so it was pretty much me and Abhi. With our age difference, I was part mother, part sister for him. When they came to our house, I saw my dad run away. He didn't even try and protect us.'
Mayukh realized she was beginning to sob and he put his hand tentatively on her shoulder. She leaned against his chest and the tears now flowed freely.
Hina looked at the two of them and she smiled in the middle of singing London Bridge is Falling Down. David had laid his weapons out in front of him and was cleaning his guns and taking stock of how much ammunition he had left. He followed Hina's gaze.
'Hina, are you thinking what I'm thinking.'
Hina looked at him and mockingly chided him.
'Young man, I have been writing trashy romance novels since when you were in diapers. I know a budding romance when I see one.'
Then she added more wistfully.
'At least there are still some beautiful things left in this world.'
Another hour passed. The roads outside were still deserted, and as before, there was no sign of the infected in daylight. Abhi continued to be his normal self, and after much effort, Swati was finally able to make him take a nap. With him finally not able to hear what was on their minds, the adults converged near the front door. Swati was visibly relieved to see that her little brother had not changed into one of the fiends that had brought so much devastation into all their lives. David was just relieved that he did not have to face the possibility to having to shoot the boy.
'I just don't get it. We've all seen people of all ages, genders, religions transform after being bitten or scratched by them. If anything the process of infection has gotten faster. It seems that the transformation used to take a day or so but now seems nearly instantaneous. Yet, there he is, sleeping away as if nothing had happened.'
'I'm just glad the kid is okay. I don't care why or how this happened, but I'm just glad that he's fine.'
Mayukh's relief was born not just out of the genuine affection he had begun to feel for the boy who followed him around like a lost puppy, but also because he didn't know if he could ever live with himself if anything had happened to Abhi when he was supposed to be taking care of him. There was a silence before Hina spoke up, her soft words shocking everyone.
'Perhaps it is a sign.'
When everyone looked at her to see what she meant, she continued.
'I've never been very religious, but don't tell me the scientists can fully explain what has happened. In the middle of all this evil, all this chaos, Abhi's not being infected is a sign that there is hope. Maybe there is a way this infection can be beaten, and Swati, maybe your brother could be the key.'
They all stood there, watching Abhi sleep, wondering how true Hina's words were. Just then, he woke up, and sat up calling out to Mayukh.
'Can we play hide and seek now?'
The day had passed well enough, but by three in the afternoon, David had begun to wonder what their next step would be. The infected were now more than the mindless mobs they had initially seemed to be. At the very least, they were beginning to show some signs of thinking and tactics, and with just a few hours to go till Sunset, he was consumed with trying to think of where they could go next. Mayukh, finally tired of playing with the seemingly indefatigable Abhi had come over and sat next to him.
David looked at him, and somehow his face was different from what he had seen just a day earlier. Gone was the scared, shaken boy-in it's place was a young man whom he had seen could kill and be ready to be killed to protect those around him. David touched him on the shoulder.
'I never got around to telling you, but you did good this morning.'
Mayukh smiled at the compliment.
'Yeah, but I was shit scared all the time.'
David chuckled, but his eyes were serious.
'I'm still terrified every time I get into a firefight. I'd be worried if you weren't scared. What makes us do what we do as soldiers is not being fearless, but being able to put something above that fear-honour, watching out for our buddies, whatever works for each person. For you, I suspect it's our new friends there inside.'
'I'd never been around kids much, but Abhi is amazing, and I already feel like I'd do anything for him.'
David got up to stretch and told Mayukh he was going inside for a bio break, but then turned around and told Mayukh with a wink.
'I wasn't just talking about the boy, and you know that.'
Mayukh reddened a bit, and was watching the road when Swati came and joined him.
'Now I know what they say about grandmothers is true. Hina's spoiling him silly-he's drinking Pepsi. I never let him drink soda.'
Mayukh was watching her, wondering just how true David's observation was. It sounded absurd-in the middle of all this chaos, where just staying alive was a constant struggle, who had time to be interested in a girl?
A sudden scraping noise outside the door caught Mayukh's attention. He whispered to Swati to get David and then braced himself against the door, his gun in hand. As the sound got closer, Mayukh realized that it sounded like someone was dragging something along, but now it was joined by another noise, which sounded incongruously like glasses being clinked together to make a toast. Mayukh tried to control his breathing and calm himself. He thought of all the lessons his father had given him on the range about how calm breathing was the key to a steady hand while taking a shot, and tried reminding himself that he had already seen more than enough action over the last two days. Yet, he couldn't help it-his hands seemed to shake of their own accord. He gripped his gun with both hands and then when the sound outside seemed very close, he braced himself for action. He wondered what was taking David so long, and hoped that the soldier would get there fast.
***
The sound stopped abruptly, and Mayukh heard a raspy voice just outside the door, perhaps inches from where his face was.
'You can relax and put your gun down. I mean no harm.'
Mayukh was puzzled as to how the stranger knew where he was and the fact that he had his gun at the ready. David was now beside him, his assault rifle at his shoulder and swung out the door, pointing it straight at the man outside. Mayukh joined him a second later and found himself facing an old, bespectacled man. The man was thin and wore tweed trousers and a pullover. He may have looked like a grandfather out for a walk had it not been for two things. He wore a thick belt around his waist on which were arranged several beer bottles, with a rag stuffed at the end of each. His right leg was bent at a strange angle, and he dragged it behind him as he walked.
'How did you know I was there?', asked Mayukh.
The man smiled and held out an old, gnarled hand to Mayukh and then to David, sizing up the American soldier, and seeing the insignia on his arm.
'I didn't expect to see a SEAL here. Gentlemen, I am Lieutenant General Purohit, Indian Army. I retired ten years ago, but I spent most of my career as a commando in the Paras, and I had the good fortune to train with some of your SEAL comrades. Young man, as for how I knew you were there-I could see a bit of your shadow outside the door. You're lucky I waited to see who you were before jumping to conclusions.'
Mayukh saw the pistol tucked into the old man's belt and knew he had a narrow escape. When David saluted the man to introduce himself, Mayukh could see the old soldier's back suddenly straighten as he saluted back. They welcomed him in and introductions were traded as he sat down, taking off the small backpack he had been carrying.
'I'm really glad to see some more survivors.'
Hina gave him a cup of tea that he gratefully accepted and for the next few minutes, they told him how they had got there. It was the first time they had really heard each other's stories, and Mayukh realized just how different each of them was. David, the soldier trying to get home; Hina, the lonely old woman who didn't know how her family was; Swati and Abhi, from an unhappy family but now on their own; and of course himself. All thrown together by the chaos, and now despite their very different backgrounds and stories, bound together. David addressed Purohit.
'Sir, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get away and what happened to you?'
The old man took a long sip of his tea before answering.
'They came for us on the first night. Our kids all lived abroad, so it was Asha and me-reading and watching TV as usual, our routine after forty years of marriage. The monsters got her as they came in. She was a soldier's wife and fought like a tigress, so they….'
He paused as if trying to come to grips with what had happened, and Hina held his left hand for support. He took it gratefully as he continued.
'I was drinking my daily glass of Scotch near the fireplace when the first bastard came for me. I am old but I was a Para and I wanted to make them pay for what they did to Asha so I kicked the bugger down right into the fireplace and then I learnt something that helped me live.'
Just then a voice crackled in his backpack, and he took out a walkie-talkie and spoke into it.
'Bartender here, over.'
'Bartender, Margarita here. Sector two is clear. Am on the way back to HQ.'
'Roger, Margarita. Other cocktails acknowledge and report in before Sunset.'
'Tequila, over and out.'
'Screwdriver, over and out.'
Everyone was looking at him with a mixture of awe and curiosity. David was the first to break the silence.
'Sir, you seem to have some sort of organized operation going on here. Do you mind sharing what you've learnt and what you're doing?'
Purohit laughed.
'Operation! We're just a bunch of old fogeys playing soldier all over again. Me and my cocktails-three old Army buddies who were having a drink in the next building when the shit hit the fan.'
But then his face turned deadly serious.
'We all lost families and loved ones to those monsters. We're old and retired but we were all soldiers once, and when someone messes with our families, we fight back. That's all we're trying to do now.'
'But Sir, these creatures can't be killed. I've shot dozens of them at point blank range and even a head shot just puts them down for a minute. How can we fight back?'
Purohit smiled grimly.
'Son, everything can be killed. We just need to know how. Now, it's almost dark, and I wouldn't recommend your staying here on the main road. Join us for the night and we can talk more.'
The followed Purohit through narrow alleys till they reached a section of old shophouses that could be approached only by a single walkway. They walked up a flight of stairs till they reached a second floor apartment. Inside it were three older men, all wearing belts with a couple of bottles slinging from them and armed with handguns. They nodded at the newcomers as Purohit told them briefly how he had chanced upon them. It was clear that Purohit was the one in charge since the others didn't question his choice of bringing back strangers even once.
Purohit took one look outside the window and said in a whisper.
'The Sun's going down. Get ready.'
The men, all at least seventy years old, moved with the precision of a military unit. Lamps were snuffed out till a single kerosene lamp was left burning on the floor. Two of them went downstairs to stand vigil while the third moved to another room. Purohit asked everyone to sit down and make themselves comfortable.
'I'm afraid I can't offer much hospitality. We found this two room affair a day ago-small but very defensible. Also, I'm afraid we may not have much to make the little one comfortable, but you'll be safe here.'
Abhi was nestled between Mayukh and Swati, and Mayukh realized just how much the boy had adapted, much like the others. After their escape from the bookstore, there had been no diapers or milk, but as if sensing the situation they were in, he had not complained once, and when he had needed to go to the bathroom, had told Swati, who had muttered.
'So, all we needed to do to toilet train this brat was to bring about the end of the world as we know it!'
'Why does uncle carry bottles? Are you very thirsty?'
Purohit laughed at Abhi's innocent question.
'Yes, son, I do like to drink. And I like to mix drinks, which is why my old friends call me the Bartender.'
His curiosity satisfied, Abhi proceeded to walk through the small apartment, and emitted a squeal of delight when he found a small book in a corner. He ran back to Mayukh, his eyes gleaming.
'I got Bob!'
Mayukh looked towards Swati for help. She smiled indulgently at Abhi.
'Since he's adopted you as a guardian, you should really brush up on kid's movies and books. That's from Bob the Builder, a cartoon on the Disney Channel.'
Mayukh had never seen the show but played along with Abhi, reading the book with Abhi till the boy tired and went to sleep on Hina's lap. Hina whispered to everyone.
'It's amazing what one kid can do. With him around, it doesn't feel like we're living from one day to another.'
Finally Mayukh asked Purohit as to how he thought the creatures could be killed. Purohit unslung a bottle from his belt.
'The word is Biters.'
'What?'
'That's what they are being called by everyone.'
David interrupted Purohit.
'Everyone? You mean there are others like us out there?'
Purohit looked at David and smiled, as if sharing a big secret.
'There are hundreds in this neighbourhood alone. People just hunkering down and hiding, too scared to come out at night or day. And then there are those taking advantage of it all-gangs raping and looting at will. What those damn Biters won't do, we'll do ourselves to finish it all off.'
Hina lay Abhi down on a pillow and came over.
'So there is hope that sometime this will go away.'
'I wouldn't go that far. As you've seen yourself, the Biters are learning and evolving as well. They don't yet act with any cohesion, but the moment they do, there will be a whole new nightmare.'
Mayukh felt a hand slide into his in the darkness and looked to see Swati next to him. He pressed her hand back, and held it as Purohit continued.
'I'm called the Bartender because I found out that one way to kill the Biters is through fire. That's why me and my friends have these Molotov Cocktails with us at all times.'
A voice called out through his walkie-talkie.
'Margarita here. The Biters are coming!'
***
Hina moved Abhi to the second room, which was away from the street, and David took up position at the window, saying that with his night vision optics, he'd be in a better position to spot any intruders. Mayukh was about to go the stairwell when Purohit called out to him.
'Just stay in the second room.'
David said without turning to face Purohit.
'Mayukh's part of my squad. He can take care of himself. Let him stand guard at the stairwell.'
Purohit came up to Mayukh, handing him a bottle and a lighter.
'It's simple enough. Light the cloth at the end and throw it. Just remember to let go within three seconds or so, otherwise you'll be the one fried.'
Mayukh saw that two of Purohit's friends were also crouched in the stairwell while one, the bald man called Margarita was at the doorway. He suddenly called out.
'The Biters found the family hiding next door!'
Mayukh could hear the anguish in Purohit's voice.
'I told them to join us or to move away, but that stubborn old man wouldn't listen.'
The screams were blood curdling but mercifully brief as Margarita ran up the stairs, much faster than Mayukh would have expected an old, overweight man like him to move.
'They're here!'
Mayukh saw several shadows crowding the doorway but before any of them could even get in the door, one of the men next to him lit his Molotov and threw it straight through the open door. The bottle smashed against the ground, spewing the kerosene around in a growing inferno. Mayukh could hear high-pitched screams from the Biters as they scattered.
They heard the sounds of carnage from nearby houses but clearly the Biters had learnt that this particular house was out of bounds. Mayukh saw the flames flicker outside the door, and saw a body wrapped in fire. As the flames consumed the body, within minutes it seemed to collapse upon itself and dissolve into ashes. He heard David call out.
'They seem to be leaving for now.'
There was however no question of being complacent. They kept up an uneasy watch through the night, not wanting to be taken by surprise. After a couple of hours, Mayukh decided to go to the second room to see how the others were doing. Abhi was fast asleep, with Hina next to him. Swati was lying in a corner, but sat up when Mayukh walked in.
'Hey, it's just me.'
As he sat down, she moved next to him and he took her hand. She realized that his hands were shaking and she held them tight. Her head was on his shoulder and as Mayukh turned to say something to her, his face brushed hers. He could now feel her breath on his face, and he paused. What was he doing? Was there any chance of a future with her in the middle of all the chaos where they couldn't predict whether they'd live from one day to the other?
Ultimately, as they sat next to each other, those thoughts seemed less important than simply knowing that they were not alone, that they had someone they could turn to for support. Mayukh leaned over and kissed her. A tentative first kiss, but when he reached over and kissed her again, she did not move away, but kissed back. Mayukh whispered.
'You do realize I haven't brushed my teeth in three days?'
Swati murmured back.
'Neither have I. Since one kiss hasn't killed either of us, I guess we should be okay for more.'
They held each other, and sat that way till daylight came.
Mayukh had just finished washing his face in the bathroom, a welcome feeling of cleanliness after three days of living on the run, and had come out to check on Abhi when he bumped into Hina.
'You two make a good couple.'
Mayukh started to protest, especially when he saw that Swati was within earshot.
'Hina, don't let your romance novelist's imagination get the better of you.'
'You know, I wasn't as fast asleep as you may have thought last night.'
Mayukh saw Swati redden a bit and he walked to the other room, mumbling something about talking to David, and leaving Hina cackling in delight. He found David and Purohit in a huddle. Purohit had a small box in his hand, and he seemed to be cranking a handle. He then held up the box to the window, but all that came out of it was the hiss of static.
'We'll try again later, David. You never know when the damn thing will speak again.'
'I wonder if anyone is left out there. My tactical radio hasn't picked up anything other than some recorded message saying we should stand by for orders.'
Mayukh sat down next to them and asked them what they were doing. Purohit answered as he put the box inside a duffel bag.
'I have an old radio and David has a new fancy one in his backpack-but the result is the same. We were trying to see if anyone's transmitting, but so far it's all quiet out there.'
'What's your plan for today?'
Purohit answered David with a shrug as he got up to put on his belt with the Molotov Cocktails hanging from it.
'The usual routine. We'll fan out and look for other survivors and pass on the word about how to kill the Biters and see if we can get a bit more organized in our defence. The problem is most people are too scared to worry about fighting back. Then we scrounge for food and drink.'
David, conscious that they had doubled the number of mouths Purohit had to feed, told him about all the supplies they had left behind at the bookstore. They quickly agreed that David and one more man would go out in the SUV to pick up whatever they could find at the bookstore. Purohit would have asked for volunteers, but he didn't need to. Mayukh said that he would go along with David.
'You said you'd tell me a story about the brave boy again.'
Abhi, refreshed after his sleep and on a sugar high after having eaten a breakfast of a chocolate bar had bounded into the room and landed on Mayukh's lap with a jump that would have done an Olympic athlete proud. Then he grimaced in pain.
'What happened, Abhi?'
'I hurt myself.'
Abhi lifted up his leg to show where the bite mark was still visible.
'Abhi, how did that happen?'
As Abhi started to respond to Purohit, David cut in.
'He fell down while we were on the run.'
Hina and Swati were now in the room, and Mayukh could see the growing fear on Swati's face as Purohit signaled with one hand for David to be quiet.
'Let the boy answer, David. So Abhi, what happened to your leg?'
Abhi, playfully tugging at Mayukh's shoelaces, answered innocently.
'One of those not nice uncles bit me. They were chasing us, and then we shot them. Bang! Bang!'
A sudden silence descended over the room, and Mayukh could feel the tension in Purohit's voice as he stood up and took a step back. Mayukh had not even seen them near the doorway, but he now sensed the other three old men standing behind him, and he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked.
'Purohit, have you lost your mind?'
David was on his feet, and was reaching for his rifle, when Mayukh saw that Purohit had raised his pistol.
'David, please don't. I don't doubt you could kill me even if I got a shot in, but you won't be able to take all four of us. Why didn't you tell me this boy was bitten by one of the Biters?'
Mayukh stood up, and advanced towards Purohit. He had his own gun drawn.
'Look, let Abhi and the others move to the other room and we can talk.'
Purohit tried to raise his voice.
'That boy…', but he could never finish his sentence as Mayukh roared with an anger he had never felt himself capable of.
'That boy is in my care, and if you even think about touching him, nobody will walk away alive here! So calm the hell down and listen to us!'
Swati, Hina and Abhi moved to the other room, but stayed by the door so they could hear everything as Mayukh told the story about how Abhi had been bitten but not infected. Purohit put his gun aside and sat down.
'I'm sorry. After all that's happened, I didn't want to risk one of us turning into a Biter. But this is unbelievable. The boy would be first person ever to have been bitten but not infected.'
All the old men were looking at Abhi now, and afraid of the sudden attention he was getting, he ran to Mayukh and buried himself behind him. Purohit reached out and tousled his hair.
'Abhi, do you want another chocolate?'
Abhi's face lit up, all the anxiety gone, and he wolfed down the chocolate bar that Purohit handed to him.
As Mayukh and David were about to leave for the bookstore, Mayukh quietly handed his gun to Swati.
'Keep it in case you have to use it.'
She hugged him close, whispering in his ear that he better get back soon. The trip to the bookstore was uneventful and David and Mayukh were thrilled to find that their food and supplies were largely untouched, including Abhi's diapers and formula. They loaded them into the SUV and as they drove back, they began to see more signs of people. A young couple peering out from a window; two young men armed with cricket bats roaming the streets; a family foraging for food in the remains of a restaurant. The initial terror had given way to thoughts of survival and people were now coming out in the daytime to look for food and supplies. And also to prey on others.
Mayukh saw three men on bikes ride up to the young couple. A gun blazed and the man fell inside, and the three men started to pull the woman out. Mayukh felt for the gun at his belt and remembered he had given it to Swati. He turned and saw an evil glint in David's eye, a look that would have frightened any man.
'Those bastards! After all that's happened, one would think we'd learn to help each other.'
As the woman tried in vain to hold off her would-be rapists, David stopped the SUV and put his rifle to his shoulder, selecting single shot mode. One assailant fell to the ground moaning in pain as a bullet slammed into his thigh. Another twirled around and fell against the window, as a bullet caught him in the shoulder. The third, seeing his friends fall to an unseen attacker, ran to his bike. He never made it, a single bullet catching him in the knee.
David drove on in silence till they reached Purohit's headquarters. It was now four in the evening, and they had to begin to plan for the night that lay ahead, but Mayukh was shocked to see a crowd of at least twenty people gathered on the roadside. As they parked, one of them whispered to Mayukh.
'Have you also come to see the miracle boy?'
Wondering what was going on, Mayukh and David ran up the stairs, to find Purohit and his friends sitting at the stairwell, fully armed. One of the old men had a bloody lip.
'What happened to you?', David asked.
'I hit him', Purohit answered quietly, still watching the crowd outside, and then explained further.
'The fool met a group of survivors and told them about how Abhi had survived being bitten. The word's spread like wildfire-people believe it's a miracle. Some believe that if Abhi touches them, they'll be immune as well.'
'Oh shit, old man! Why the hell did you do that?'
The man whom Mayukh had heard referred to only as Margarita averted his eyes.
'Everyone has given up hope. They're just waiting to die. Don't you get it? Abhi gives them, gives all of us some hope. But maybe I should have kept my mouth shut.'
Purohit leaned out the window and shouted.
'People, there's no miracle boy here. It's almost Sunset anyways. Get the hell back to wherever you're hiding before the Biters come. Good luck.'
At the mention of the Biters, the crowd melted away, but Mayukh knew that they would have to find another hideout soon. Purohit and his friends helped carry the supplies in, and they settled down to an early dinner just as the Sun began to set. When they were finished, Purohit tried his luck with his radio again. At first there was only the familiar static, but then suddenly they all heard a voice.
'All is not lost. Survivors are regrouping across the world. If you're anywhere in northern India come to Ladakh if you can. We are army soldiers and are based at the Thirse Monastery. You will be safe here.'
After a few seconds, the announcement was repeated once, and then there was nothing but static. They all looked at each other, stunned at the announcement they had just heard.
Then the Biters began screaming outside.