Ch-55 ****

“Are you ready?” Mannat asked Pandit.

The Night hadn’t ended. It was still dark, still quiet. The streets were mostly empty. Only the Night watcher was up at this time, singing to the coming of dawn, its voice a ghostly whistle in the distance.

Pandit had barely slept a wink in the night and it showed. His eyes weren’t red and puffy. No. His physique was so strong a few days of wakefulness would not even make him sway. It was his long stares, his silence, and his inattentiveness that showed his worry, his fear.

Pandit was strong, truly so, but he wasn’t bestowed with the greatest of mental physiques. He was lacking in that department, his attributes weak as a child. They were two sides of the same coin, Mannat, and Pandit.

The tailor shop though appeared desolate and asleep as the town was teeming with life inside. Mannat and his friends were up and about, eagerly waiting for Kaju to turn up with a cart. The two boys were going to hitch a ride inside it to the guild. They had decided not to test the soldier’s vigilance by sneaking there on foot.

Soman watched Pandit sitting beside Mannat with a lump in her throat. They were talking, while she sat alone. He was leaving, and there was no saying when she would meet him again. She felt so helpless. She wanted him to stay, but couldn’t tell him because she feared he wouldn’t. And it made her hate Mannat some. Worse yet, she had done the same to him in the past and she hated herself more for putting him through that separation. The pain had traveled a full circle and now it was her time to live it. She thought nothing felt worse than heartbreak. Now she knew hopelessness did.

Perhaps, she would have hated Mannat a little less if she knew the boy was trying his best to dissuade Pandit from accompanying him.

“Are you sure you don’t want to stay?” Mannat asked.

“NO,” Pandit kept his eyes on the road.

“Look at her, Pandit. I think she’s going to cry.”

Pandit looked at him instead and resolutely told him the same thing again. “No.”

“Don’t act so stubborn. We both know you want to stay.” Mannat said. “Besides, I’ll be fine. There is no need for the both of us to go through this.”

“Are you going to shut up or what?”

“Soman’s sad. How can you leave her?”A vein popped up on Pandit’s forehead. He was annoyed. “Do you want me to tell you how sad Sharmilla will feel once she knows you ran away because she asked you to marry her?”

“I’m not running away, and obviously not because she asked me to marry her.”

“But that’s exactly what it looks like,” Pandit smirked. He knew he had struck a nerve when Mannat let out a snort.

“I miss her already,” Mannat whispered, breathing shallowly.

“I know,” Pandit answered. He looked over his shoulder at the girl waiting for him. She forced a smile out and he was transfixed. “I’m wanna hug her.” He whispered.

“You do that,” Mannat said. “Since you might not get the chance again.”

Pandit kicked Mannat’s shin in a show of fake anger. “Did you have to jinx us?”

“I’m being logical.”

“You're being a jerk.” Pandit kicked Mannat’s shin again.

It was a playful tap and Mannat took it in kindness. He’s just being silly, the boy told himself. They were both too nervous. Some playfulness was good for both of them.

“What are you waiting for? Weren’t you going to hug her?” Mannat asked. “Don’t regret it later.”

“I’m already regretting one of my decisions.” Pandit groaned then decided he had enough of it.

“…Fuck it.” Pandit stood up and went straight to Soman.

He stopped in front of her and forcefully pulled her into his arms. He hugged her so tightly she couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t complain. She dug her face into her chest and wept silently. She stuck to him as if two wooden pieces glued together. Her hands grabbed the back of Pandit’s shirt with no intentions of letting go.

Pandit saw his father staring at him while he was still hugging Soman and it got a little awkward between them. He didn’t know what to do or say.

The old man burst out snorting, causing Soman to remember they weren’t alone. Hurriedly, she pulled away from Pandit. She hid her head behind her hands to cover the blush coloring her face red. Her ears had grown hot like two smoldering pieces of coal.

She knew Khargosh was sitting right behind her. How could she act so shameful in front of him! She wanted to find a hole to hide. She was bold, but this was too much, even for her.

“How long are you going to stare at me, Da?” Pandit asked his father. “Do you want a hug?”

“Hug your sister,” Khargosh said.

“I would have,” Pandit said and then added sarcastically. “—if you hadn’t gotten too tired after two children.” Pandit started backing away and broke out into a run around the table when his dad jumped at him.

“Ha-ha, give up old man! You will never catch me with your rickety legs.”

“Come here Pig! I’m not your dad if I don’ butcher you today.”

The chase ended with Khargosh catching Pandit. They hugged. It was short, it was awkward, and it flooded Pandit’s eyes. They didn’t say much to eachother, only to take care and then they separated.

The old man grabbed Pandit’s shoulder on his way out. He glanced at the boy before his eyes pressed behind him the boy who looked lost. It was understandable. He was having the biggest crisis of his life, after all.

Mannat had his head cast down, spirit trying to reach the girl he had left behind in the village. Perhaps, the Witch could have made the connection irrespective of the distance, but he couldn’t. He was but a naïve young fool.

“Tell him to come back.” The old man told Pandit whose eyes popped open at the old man’s words.

“Have I ever told you how much I like you, old man?” Pandit said, earning a snort from Sardar.

Pandit was smiling when he returned to Mannat’s side. His mood so bright, his mana so vibrantly alive, Mannat awoke from his thoughts wondering what had made the fool so happy.

“Cheer up. I have good news.” Pandit said. “The old man wants you to come back safe. Do you understand what that means?”

How could Mannat not understand? He understood. He definitely understood! It made him clench his fist in a silent celebration. He would come back. He made a promise to himself to return.

Wait for me. He told the moon, hoping it would take his message and deliver it to his other half.

Then it was time to leave.

Kaju arrived through the darkness like a blue sprite slowly floating on the northern wind. He rode a donkey cart that carried broken barrels and rotten wooden planks, acting like a garbage man who collected useless wood. It was genius on his part since there were all sorts of carpentry and wood workshops near the Blacksmithing guild building. 

Kaju looked the part and wore a raggedy tank top and loose threadbare shorts. Mannat and Pandit were already outside by the time the cart stopped in front of the tailor shop.

Kaju wasted no time. He jumped down from his seat and went straight to the back of the cart.

“Do you have everything you need?” He asked the boys on the way.  

“Yes,” Replied the two boys, raising their newly sewed cloth bags for Kaju to see.

The bags only contained a lantern, some water, and food, nothing else. Mannat carried all of the money they had pulled together in hidden pockets inside his pant and shirt. Three gold coins and some change; it was not enough money for them to hire a carriage to the royal capital, but a caravan they could definitely join at that price with a bit of haggling. The adults were sure Mannat would have no problem getting the right price with his wits and charms.

“All right then,” Kaju removed the garbage from the cart to reveal two large wine barrels.

"Get inside," Kaju told the boys.

“Couldn’t you find something bigger?” Pandit asked apprehensively.

The barrels were four feet tall but with plenty of leg space.

Mannat sat comfortably inside one. Pandit had to hold his legs and bend his head to fit inside the other. Even then, Kaju had to push down Pandit’s head to close the lid. He was a tight fit. Thankfully, these weren’t barrels they would eventually travel inside otherwise Pandit would have never made it to the end.

They departed silently. There weren’t any screams or cries of separation behind them. Kaju loaded the garbage back onto the cart and drove out into the darkness. Initially, those left behind were to stay inside the shop to not endanger the plan, but Soman couldn’t hold herself and ended up running to the street in desperation. She wasn’t stupid enough to scream after the cart, but she cried when the cart disappeared out of her sight, leaving her lonely and vulnerable once again.

The cart trundled down the street at a snail's pace so the boys would not feel every bump and tug that the road had to offer.

“Mannat,” Pandit called from the darkness of the barrel. They were separated, but no one said they couldn’t talk.

“Yeah?”

“Are we there yet?” Pandit cried. “I’m feeling nauseated, man. I think I’m gonna puke.”

“Either hold it in for another half an hour or, you will have to spend the next two three days smelling like a garbage rat. You decide.”

“Ugh…”

Eventually, the cart stopped inside an alley. Kaju jumped off and rushed to the back of the cart. Hurriedly, he cleared the wooden garbage to get to the barrels. “Get him out first!” Mannat told him from inside the barrel.

Pandit was on the edge of eruption.

Kaju got Pandit out of the barrel and was stunned to find the boy smiling from ear to ear. Mannat didn’t like the sight of his friend snickering at him when he got out. He felt foolish for wasting his worry on this idiotic leech that had tagged along with him. Pandit’s face was radiant; instead, it was Mannat who was worried sick. The knowledge that he had been tricked didn’t sit right with Mannat either and fired him up. A grudge was set. Revenge a motion of the future.

“That was not funny, idiot.”

“Sure-sure,” Pandit didn’t think so. He cried laughing. Even tears welled in his eyes. “Y-you should see… your face… it’s amazing.” He burst out.

At least he tried to keep his voice down or all of their efforts would have gone to waste. Someone would have found them out and it would have been the end of them. Kaju slapped Pandit hard on the head, settling the scores for now. Pandit hissed and cursed under his breath, but didn’t dare act up again. Not after seeing two pairs of ferocious eyes glare at him. They reminded him of the jackals he once saw in the forest when he was tagging along with his master. He knew they would jump at him like the jackals if he acted even a little bit. He dropped the act and saddled up for the upcoming journey.

Besides, he only wanted to brighten the mood, not to be flayed by the two as the jackals had done to him. He was not stupid.

They were inside an alley at the back of the blacksmithing guild. There stood many carriages in front of the guild, and workers were rolling large sealed barrels onto them. They were being prepped for transportation. It was no wonder Kuber had called them out so early in the morning.

Mannat looked at the sky. The sun was starting to touch the distant sky, bringing a pale radiance to the dark world. Its fiery fingers of light were forcing the shadows to hide. There was still time before the light would overtake the world around the boys, but only for the moment. The windows were opening, the world coming alive. They needed to act, and fast.

There was a big black gate on the wall and some broken barrels stacked mountain high on its right side, hiding the gate from the prying eyes of anyone watching from the street.

It was closed shut. 

Kuber had told Mannat to knock on the gate and he did exactly that. There was no movement the first time around but opened just as he went to knock on it the second time. The gate slid open, revealing a crack wide enough for the boys to pass through. Mannat looked through it and saw Kuber standing on the other side of it.

“You are here,” Kuber said quietly, implying the seriousness of the matter. Dressed in sharp clothes, he looked ready to start the day. It was dawn and despite the earliness of the morning, there was already some traffic on the road.

He looked at the three and nodded to Kaju who returned the gesture in earnest.

“I’ll take it from here,” Kuber said.

Kuber's demeanor left a strong enough impression on the retired sergeant for him to believe the man. 

“Come in,” Kuber gestured to the boys. “And close the gate behind you.” He said moving deeper into the building.

Pandit did exactly that, leaving Kaju feeling sullen and solemn.

Kaju didn’t leave as quickly as he had hoped to or told the boys he would. He waited outside for some time, hoping and wanting them to cancel the plan, turn around and leave with him. Time passed and soon sunlight broke into the alley. Kaju left then and returned to the others with the news. It was over. They had done all they could. Now it was up to the boys to tide through the ocean of unknown that stretched in front of them.