Old Memories
Old Memories
Leaning back in his chair, his mind took him back to the often travelled memory lane.
Seventeen years ago
By the time, Prithvi got his hands on the missive which Charulata had sent, it had been many hours. He had been stuck at the brothel because the infiltrator from the other country, came unexpectedly there and demanded to see the same girl. Prithvi wasn't sure if he should let the man spend his afternoon there with the courtesan to glean more information out of him the easy way or capture him straight away.
His indecisiveness cost him the life of that girl, who was found dead, soon after. Apparently, that spy had realised that he had slipped up and spoken too much on his previous visit to the girl and had come back to tie up the loose end. Prithvi went mad looking for the guy upon discovering the dead girl's brutally slashed body. After a few futile hours of search, he returned drained, discouraged and ashamed, back at the lodge where he and Charulata were staying.
That was when he was handed over the folded scroll by a sleepy looking boy who had been waiting for hours to receive the promised reward from him. It seemed that his terrible day hadn't ended yet. Forgetting his tiredness, he ran non-stop until reaching the designated place.
The lane looked deserted at this hour of the night. A part of him tried to console his heart that maybe she the house that she had found wasn't the right one and she was still searching for the spies or that she got tired of waiting for him and had gone to look for him at the brothel. But he knew… he knew that he had messed up.
He walked upto the house stealthily but realised few moments later that there was no need for the same. The minute he pushed the house's door open, he could see dark wet floor gleaming in the pale moonlight in the courtyard. There was no sound and he threw caution to the wind and ran inside. The scene which greeted him was nothing short of a nightmare.
He found a lantern and lit it up for better visibility. Immediately his gaze hit upon the four men who lay dead on different steps of the staircase from ground to the first floor. With a sigh of relief, he looked around but couldn't find his senior. He tried calling out to her but his voice had probably been muted by fear. Going from room to room, he finally stumbled upon the kitchen where the scene blew his senses away.
Charulata was sitting facing sideways on the ground with a knife wedged in her back. A thick pool of blood surrounded her. There were bruised and wounds on her face and she was bleeding from various places. Crouching down, he quickly felt for her pulse and found it beating faintly.
"Didi*, Charulata didi… can you hear me?" he asked with terror in his voice.
"He got away," a hoarse whisper emitted from her throat.
She was probably referring to the one guy who had done this to her and escaped.
"We will catch him. Don't worry. I am going to lift you, now. I know it's going to hurt but I will try and be as gentle as I can," his voice shook involuntarily.
"NO. I am going to say this once, so listen carefully. If you try and move me, the wound will widen and the bleeding will fasten. What I need you to do is - find a spool of thread, a thick needle and some liquor. You are going to learn how to sew up a body today. I would have done it myself but I am afraid I can't reach the wound. Also, my hands and vision may not be at their steadiest best in this moment," her thread like voice instructed.
Nausea threatened to overwhelm him and he felt as if he was on the verge of tears but he held his emotions in. This wasn't the time to lose one's nerves.
After a few painstaking minutes, unrestrained tears had run down Prithvi's cheeks and inhuman whimpers had unwillingly escaped Charulata's mouth, but it was finally done. Getting up, Prithvi ran to the courtyard and threw up whatever little his stomach contained. Feeling better, he went back, washed his bloodied hands and face. Then he turned around and picked up that extraordinary woman in his arms.
Present Day
Prithvi came back to his senses with a shocking revelation. Even after so many years, the memory had the capability of turning him into an emotional novice. He had stayed next to her bedside, nursing her back to health to the best of his abilities up until she was capable of travelling. Her father had come one day, after a few weeks and had taken her away. That was the last that he saw or heard from her. It was rumoured that since the infiltrator had seen her face and was somewhere still in Chandragarh, it wasn't safe for her to stay there. With a new identity, she had moved away to heal and lead a new life.
"Life does have a way of coming back in circles. It seems right that I should be the one to teach that person's daughter, who taught me everything important that I know as a spy and as a human," he smiled to himself.
*Didi - Elder Sister