Yearnings Of Amber: 2

'Sherry', shrieked Martha and then again and again, the voice going down with each shriek until she finally shrunk to the floor.

'Mom' Ruth cried out and rushed towards his Mom. Charu who had been stunned to stone by the screaming now moved ahead.

'Is she all right?'

'Stay back' Ruth replied accentuating his word with sharp gestures from his hand.

'Just leave. I will inform you when Uncle Vincent returns' Ruth half pleaded, half threatened Charu.

Charu's mind was a whirlwind of emotions; fear, confusion, pain, anger all mixing together in a grim soup of melancholy. She heard what Ruth had said but it was all white noise. She left as if her legs were on auto-pilot.

She reached the next intersection in a daze and walked ahead eyeing the red-light. Looking at it as if seeing a red-light for the first time.

'Red the color of passion; red for rose, for love, red for blood, for pain but blood must be stopped. So….Red means stop'. Her thoughts coming in quick succession. She was already in the middle of the road by the time she realized that she was meant to stop. A car screeched to a stop near her, horns blaring. She just looked at the car quizzically and changed her direction. Not caring where she went as long as she could get away from the car. A hard set of eyes noticed her change of directions and followed.

Last night had been crazy for Charu. She had dreamed of walking beside a lady. She could not see her face but somehow knew it was Sheryl. They climbed atop a mountain and reached an altar where an iridescent orange sword glowed half stuck in the stony floor.

'You can cut mountains with this sword' laughed Sheryl. Her face still lost in mists.

As Charu tried to reach the sword it sloughed off her skin till the bones showed through the congealed flesh. She had woken-up drenched in sweat. There was to be no sleep after that. She went back and again opened up the books but she could not read. She sat staring at the photo of the woman with no eyes. On a hunch, she pared out the eyes with scissors. She did not even realize when she was standing in front of the mirror. She lifted the photo and peered through the eyes and the face which looked back was herself but older.

She had forced herself to laugh. 'Maybe it's just the lights'. She thought but had no courage to repeat the process with the photo. The next day Uncle Vincent had come to visit her. He had been her pal and confidante since she was a toddler. When she showed him the photo and told him about the dreams. He had told her the story of Sheryl Varghese and advised not to worry about the dreams. But, she had caught the slight hesitation in his voice. She had gone to the library to ask for more information about the books but the librarian had no information. She then decided to meet Uncle Vincent again but he had already left for Egypt and then Martha had screamed on seeing her.

It was just too much for her to process. She swayed on her feet and before she could fall someone clutched her elbow and guided her to a nearby bench. She had somehow reached a public park which was empty in the middle of the day. The stranger sat down next to her. His hard eyes boring into her as if trying to see something hidden.

'Are you all right' he asked. His voice hard but the words soft.

Charu shied away from him.

'Don't be afraid, child. What is your name?' The stranger asked again. 'I am Senthil' he spoke again pointing to himself as if talking to a child.

Charu just sat there panting. Senthil loosed a deep breath and shook his head. Things were getting complicated and he had a hunch it was going to be a bad day.

He had just finished cleaning up after breakfast when the knock had come. Muesli, yogurt and Coffee for Sheryl and Onion-scrambled eggs and tea for himself. The proprietor was at the door with an eager smile.

'Can I see Madam' he asked. More polite than the last time.

'What is it' rumbled Senthil.

'The books…A...girl came asking about them' the proprietor beamed.

'And'.

'And, I did not tell her anything, I took her address, here it is.' He handed over a hastily scribbled note to Senthil.

Senthil took it.

The proprietor stood there trying to look over Senthil's shoulder.

'Thank you. Please inform me if anything else comes up.' Senthil moved inside the door.

The proprietor realized the dismissal and started back for his shop.

'Madam, I am going out for a bit. Do you need anything' he asked Sheryl.

'Nothing, Kaka, I am feeling better. Take your time, please'. Sheryl answered from inside.

Senthil put on his heavy boots and eyed the locked drawer beside the main door. The drawer contained his Desert Eagle Mark I, knives, and ammunition. He thought for a second and decided against it and headed out.

He reached the address just as a girl left in a Rickshaw. He only saw her silhouette but she looked familiar. He had followed her to the house where the shrieking had started and watched with trepidation as she nearly avoided coming under a car.

And now, he sat beside her and she looked like…..like a younger version of Sheryl.

After some time the girl murmured something.

'Huh,' Senthil asked.

Charu smiled a little and repeated, 'Charu, I am called Charu'.

Senthil smiled in return and saw her eyes grow wide in fear.

Instincts honed over the ships took over and Senthil ducked down pulling Charu with him.

A loud bang was heard as if a steel bowl had been dropped on a marble floor. Stone chips flew from the bench. They had just been shot and Senthil missed his Desert Eagle dearly.

'What?' Charu asked in surprise trying to get up. 

Again a shot rang and it was louder this time.

Senthil slid down the bench and pulled Charu down with her. From beneath the bench, he could see a pair of legs in faded jeans moving ahead slowly but steadily. He slinked ahead a little and saw a man in caps and dark glasses. His face covered in a bandit mask. The man saw him at the same time but did not fire off in reflex. He took a moment to orient himself and then shoot. The bullet ricocheted from where Senthil's head was showered him with cement from the bench.

There was a palm tree beside the bench. He pulled Charu who did not want to budge from under the bench, like a cat under the roof in heavy rains.

Another shot was fired. 'Move if you want to live.' This time his voice and words both were harsh.

He half pulled, half pushed Charu behind the tree.

'Stay' he told her and rushed out to the other side, ready to duck if another shot was fired.

The attacker saw him go but did not follow. This confused Senthil who tried to turn around mid-stride, until someone tackled him from the other side. Another masked assailant rode him down behind some bushes. The masked man got off two punches to Senthil's kidney before Senthil could orient himself. Ignoring the pain, Senthil strained his neck to get a target. The assailant's temple made a good enough target. Senthil lowered his head while his left elbow crashed into the man's temple. The man immediately went down like a sack of grains being emptied.

Charu huddled behind the tree trunk. Her breaths rasping and voice choked.

'Charu' someone asked. She looked up to see the barrel of a gun pointed straight at her.

Suddenly there was a bang and the barrel bucked. Charu flinched but nothing touched her. She looked up and saw a red flower blooming from the man's neck. 'Red she thought, red for rose but the man had no flowers with him; he had a gun and hence he was dangerous and so red for blood.' Blood which sprayed out in jets painting her crimson. The man crumpled down as Senthil rose in view from behind him. The gun taken from the other assailant still smoking in his hand.

Charu found out that she could scream and exercised this finding with the utmost fervor. Her shout changed to a wail which subsided to a bout of retching.

Senthil ignored her retching and gave her a look over. His roving eye did a quick circuit of her. Apparently, satisfied he pulled her to her feet.

'We need to go. Now! There might be more'. he ordered.

Charu followed hin meekly, only looking back once to find the glassed eye of the dead men looking at her.