“But you know that I can’t eat Non-veg. at all” she screamed from behind.
“Go suck on the trees, or have some grass from the ground, I hope that might fill your stomach.”
“What happened to your arm?” Joshi asked as he pointed at a wound at her shoulder.
“Nothing I stuck it on a thorn while I was away” she replied.
Chapter 16 – Some Time Together pt 1
“What for?” I asked.
“I don’t feel like answering you specially when I am sucking on a tree or eating grass” she replied.
“Forget it I don’t even care.” I said.
“Seriously where have you been?” Joshi asked.
“Stop it for now, I went to pee is that enough” she said frustrated.
But I left them behind and went towards the river. As I reached at the side of the river I saw Kanika standing there.
“Hey, senorita what are you doing here at such dark night?”
“Nothing just looking at the stars and the sky, and everything, this is all so natural so untouched so…”
“Beautiful?”
“Yeah, I mean even if there is no one on this island still it feels like you can live here easily and happily, don’t you think so?”
“Yes, you are right, this is so attractive; I wish I would stay here for my entire life, but not alone. (Although the only thought that I have right now is let’s somehow reach my home and play the latest version of HALO on my Xbox, but a bit of lie will work here)”
“So what exactly is with the stars, can anyone of them have a planet revolving around having life, just like earth.”
“Yeah many of them do have life but none is like earth I mean it’s so much peaceful over here (if we ignore the world wars, scams, nuclear bombs, etc.)”
“How do you know?”
“I have seen it.”
“Yeah in your dreams…”
“No really I have…”
“How?”
“That’s a secret.”
“Again a secret, now go on say the words trust me, and I will be forced to accept it…”
“No I just want to…”
“Stop it, you are such a big mystery I even don’t know your full name, and still I am here with you on an island from where no one has managed to escape, and still I feel great, I have gone nuts.”
“Well you don’t even know the full name of Joshi.”
“I don’t care about him. I mean though he is also my friend but not the way you are the way I have started trusting you even without you saying those words. Trust me”
“Let’s get back the others might be waiting.” I said.
And we turned around and started walking towards the camp.
“What’s with you and Sakshi?” She asked.
“Nothing I used to like her and then we went into a relationship and then things started to get complicated, and I don’t wanted to be in relationship with her anymore, but I have to ‘cause she didn’t wanted to breakup, and Joshi advised me to stay calm until I have solid reasons to breakup.”
“So, you came to me because you wanted to breakup with Sakshi?”
“Nope you were not even the part of this; I came to you because I like being with you, talking to you, just that.”
“And that’s the reason you saved me three times since we got on that plane?”
“I was going to ask you that, is it your hobby to get in trouble?” I said and there was a bit of laugh.
As we reached the camp everyone had made a setup to roast the fish. The look on everybody’s face was of joy to eat such a big fish, but the look on Sakshi’s face was, ‘Sharma I am really going to kill you’.
“So what all have you got for dinner?” Kanika asked.
“All that’s in front of you.” I replied.
“Just the fish?”
“Yeah had a hard time catching one of that size, if I was in some other place right now I would have applied for the book of world records but here it’s going to fill out stomach.”
“I was going to say that I don’t eat Non-veg.” she said.
“What? You don’t eat Non-veg. that’s a big problem, we can’t let you stay hungry on an island like this, and…” by that time everyone had started looking towards me and I said “…I mean we must find something vegetarian around here. There are two people here who don’t eat Non-veg.”
“Yeah usually people like those are just advised to suck on trees and eat grass from the ground, why don’t you try that?” Sakshi said.
“Are you kidding how can she do that?” I said.
“Why not, I was also asked to do the same.”
“Yeah but I noticed right now that the tree… the tree… is… dry, exactly the tree is dry, and the grass is not green enough.”
“Oh yeah sure…” Sakshi replied.
“Sharma I think that you are in a heap of trouble” Joshi said “You want some free advice?”
“I got to go…” I said and turned towards the Jungle and walked fast enough to get out of there.
“I better help him…” Kanika replied, and came with me. After walking a bit she started laughing, at what happened at the camp.
“Alright it’s not that funny.” I said.
“Yeah you are right.” She said and paused for a sec, then again burst into laughter.
“Stop laughing…” I said but could not control myself any longer and started laughing.
“Ok it’s over…” Kanika said, “…Mr. Sharma I personally think that you are not doing right with Sakshi.”
“Then what am I suppose to do Ms. Kanika?”
“You can just go to her and talk to her about what you want, and that she must understand, and… just that.”
“I know her she won’t understand, not at all”
“How can you say that without even trying?”
“You think I haven’t tried, but she won’t understand. Not even a word. She thinks that all that she wants must happen. She doesn’t understand that the world won’t work on her will.”
“Then at whose will does it work?”
“I don’t know maybe I.G.P.”
“What is that?”
“Nothing it was just a joke.”
“Well forget about it, look at that.” She pointed at a tree.
“An apple?”
“Yeah isn’t it nice we found an apple tree around here?”
“You still think of avoiding the doctor? Even on this island?”
“No you idiot, it is vegetarian, we can eat it.”
“Yeah I know I was just trying to… crack a joke.”
Then I heard a sound of a bush moving.
Chapter 17 – Another Trouble
“Kanika you continue to search something more that you can eat besides the apples, and I will search for something in those thorny bushes.”
“What can you possibly find there?”
“Sometimes you find most expected things in the most unexpected areas.” I said and then turned towards the bush.
As I stepped in a thorn stuck to my arm and as I still had my B.T. on my arm I didn’t healed automatically. So I removed it and as I was going to throw it away, a Liger (Lion + Tiger= Liger, I am a genius at Math…) jumped over me and grabbed me it tried to kill me by grabbing my neck in its jaws, but I pinned the thorn in its eye. It got up and I moved back, removed my B.T. and stood there the wound would still not heal, as I got it when I had the B.T. on. But the Liger healed as it also had the ability of super fast healing and the thorn came out his eye.
“What’s happening in there?” Kanika asked.
“There is a lion in here.”
“What a lion? What am I supposed to do?”
“Run away, quick call Joshi here.”
“I won’t leave you here alone.” She said (I wish she had seen the Liger and then her thoughts would be totally different).
“Alright don’t come in here, it’s very dangerous”
“Oh! Yeah it’s ve
ry dangerous isn’t it Agent Sharma.” said the Liger standing on his two legs.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Looks like I am dreaming, the tiger stood on his two legs and talked too”
“You are not alone in this dream, I am also having the same dream, and you said that it was a lion” she said.
“Did I? Look doesn’t matter it’s the same thing, both of them want to kill us, and then have dinner.”
“But both of them usually don’t talk.”
“Will you both stop this nonsense for now.” said the Liger.
“Oh yeah sure, once again what is your name?” I said.
“You must not care for that.” he said.
“Alright, so Mr. You must not care for that why it is that all of you think that I am some kind of an Agent? First the terrorist and now you, a strange, new breed found on the Bermuda Triangle only, which can talk like the humans.”
“Because I know that you aren’t just Mr. Sharma you are Agent Sharma, it seems like you haven’t told the girl till now, shall I have the favor?”
Well that was going out of hand, I can’t afford my cover to be blown in a place like this. So the only option I had was to run towards him screaming like a maniac my hands in the air and jaws down.
“Wait, what are you doing? Stop… Wait…” the Liger said. But suddenly I hit myself with a tree branch which was in my way and fell in front of the Liger, with my head up and legs towards him.
“What kind of a jerk you are?” he said.
“What’s happening in there?” Kanika asked from outside.
“Nothing we are just getting prepared for the dinner”
“Please don’t eat him, he won’t taste good at all.” she said.
“Thanks… for your help…” I said making a strange face.
“Well I am quite well at acting, now back to my character, please don’t eat him.”
“Are you working with some sort of comedians?” the Liger asked.
“I think the same now.” I replied.
He bent over me to grab my neck with his jaws to kill me.
“Anyhow, Agent Sharma prepare for your demise”
“I won’t let you do it.” I said.
“How are you going to stop me?” he said.
“With this.” I said and took my B.T. in my hand, and quickly placed it on his arm.
Suddenly he turned into a small boy of my fake height and a bit fat.
“Mummy…” was the only word that he was able to say before I hit an entire bush of thorns in his face and killed him with the thorns.
“Rest in peace…” I said, placed the B.T. on my arm and came out.
“Was that scary?” Kanika asked.
“Kind of, he was too powerful.”I replied.
“Can I have a look at the Tiger, oh! I mean lion?”
“Are you sure?”
“Oh! Come on I knew that nothing was in there, a tiger, or a lion, which can talk, and the strangest Agent Sharma? You must be crazy to make a story like this.”
She doesn’t know what she is talking about, and I can take the benefit of it.
“Yeah! That was just a story.”
“I don’t know how all this came in your mind but I like the current Mr. Sharma much more than Agent Sharma.”
“Was that a way to say that my story was not good at all?”
“Yeah because the current story is better than the one you just made” she said coming closer to me, and then she turned and said “and we better continue this story after we have reached the camp or someone there will surely murder us for staying here all alone.”
“Especially if that someone is very hungry.” I said looking the apples in her hands.
Well we went back to the camp and a shocking moment was waiting for me there.
“Where is the fish?” I said looking at the bones of the gigantic fish that we hunted earlier.
“In someone’s tummy” Joshi said pointing towards Srijita.
Chapter 18 – Compromises
“This can’t be, you ate the monster fish all alone?” I asked her.
“What more do you expect that is my favorite dish, and besides I was not the only one who ate it, everyone did except Sakshi.” She replied.
“Hey don’t get us into this we just ate a piece of it, a ratio of 5% to us and rest to you.” Mishra replied.
“No matter what you ate that fish all alone without me and I really wanted to have a piece of it, It was a royal one.” I said.
“No it wasn’t royal, I know that. It was kind of new species, not royal.”
“It was… just forget about it you won’t understand (What a surprise how can someone stay so slim with such a great appetite)”
“Well someone might have to compromise with the apples now.” Kanika said.
“I guess so…”
“And that someone can also suck on some trees now.” Sakshi said.
“Hey think before you speak, you weren’t the one whose favorite dish is eaten up in his absence even after working so hard to get food for everyone.” I said roaring in anger. She picked an apple in hesitation and started eating it.
“Wow is that his true anger?” Kanika asked.
“Nope it’s just a small example of his true anger.” Varun replied.
I grabbed an apple and started eating it.
“It’s alright and also an apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Kanika replied.
After eating and a bit talking, joking and laughing everyone went to the tents that we made out of parachute. Well there were two tents, one for the girls and the other for the boys. I and Joshi came to an agreement that in order to guard others overnight we will be keeping a watch turn by turn. The problem was who will be awake first?
“Joshi you can do this much for me after all I went two times to get food, one time for the Non-vegetarians and second time for the vegetarians, so I am tired.”
“I didn’t asked you to go their again and again, you did it to impress Kanika and that’s why this excuse is not taken into account.”
“Hey that’s so mean of you, how you can leave someone to drain his energy by working continuously for more than 8 hours”
“That’s my style…”
I just gave him a smack on his head and replied “That’s my style”.
“Al right so we are going to decide it the hard way”.
Both of us got ready for the deciding battle, and our fists were high in the air.
“You sure you want to do it?” I asked.
“You got it on yourself on your own.”
“But you always lose.”
“I won’t this time.”
Both of us screamed together… “Stone! Paper! Scissor!”(Yeah Yeah an old joke)
I had stone, and he had scissor. But he quickly screamed “Kanika” and I turned my head to look at her and he changed to paper.
“Hey you cheated.”
“No I didn’t.”
“Yeah you did, you had two fingers opened.”
“No I had all five.”
“No I remember you did had two.”
“You are just excusing, the truth won’t change by this.” He said as he went inside his tent.
Slowly all went inside and I was just left alone outside still numb on the thought of being alone (You can really imagine me gone white).
It was about an hour and I was still alone guarding everyone when I heard a voice from behind. I quietly turned around to see that it was Kanika.
“Trouble sleeping?” I asked.
“Yeah I usually don’t sleep on ground, even if we have arranged some leaves to sleep on. What about you? You like to night watch?”
“Nope it’s just… hard time sleeping, so you can see the stars right now they are much clear”.
“Yeah but the most important one is right in front of me.”
“You mean to say that I am a star?”
“No not that kind but like someone…”
“…Spe
cial?”
“Yeah, just a guess?”
“Yeah. That time before you asked me my real name, I mean my first name…”
“Are you going to tell me that?”
“Yeah I think, but if I won’t?”
“I told you that I have started trusting you even without you using your gift. I don’t care if you tell me or not.”
“Fine then… I mean I will tell you some other day.”
“Oh! I thought that you will tell me now, well doesn’t matter, I got to go.”
“Wait it’s…” as I was telling her that another voice came and disturbed us, (the voice of my biggest enemy) I turned around and saw Joshi.
“Every night in my dreams
I see you, I feel you,
That is how I know you go on”
Kanika blushed and walked towards her tent.
“Yeah great love theme from titanic.” I replied.
“Far across the distance
And spaces between us
You have come to show you go on”
“Alright stop it. She is gone now, and is your problem of getting at the wrong place at the wrong time from your birth or did you gained it somehow?”.
“Near, far, wherever you are
I believe that the heart does go on…”
“Alright stop it already…” I yelled. And he was still smiling.
“So are you in a mood to continue our mission?” he asked.
“Yeah, I am working on it.”
“What part of it was watching the sky in the night?”
“We better find the source of the radiation.”
“You seem different since we got at the airport, much more energetic, optimistic, is it all because of her?”
Chapter 19 – Searching The Island
“I don’t know I don’t even feel the change in me.”
“You don’t need to feel what you are already living.”
“Let’s search a bit of this place we have a job to finish.”
I moved deeper in the forest as I said this.
“You know I just had a thought in my mind how are we going to get back if we get lost?” Joshi asked.
“Simple, the answer is this.” I said as I rubbed my hand on a tree and showed him oil on my hand which was on all the trees in a line.
“Oil? I don’t remember this island having oil reserves.”
“No it don’t, you remember the dragon we saw today.”
“Yeah, the one which flew above us.”
“It wasn’t a real dragon, it was a machine, with some problem, it was leaking oil, not pissing.”
“And this is the same oil, which it was leaking?”