Play In Darkness (Eng/END)

47. The Moon Embracing The Sun

The next day, Delisha was much calmer about the situation around her. The mornings were so cold that Delisha covered her shoulders in a thick dupatta, while Imdad was wearing a black short-sleeved shirt covered in a military vest. His hands were covered in gloves with open fingers, c****d a rifle. He is currently preparing several types of weapons and travel equipment in a backpack. He and some of the men would patrol the area and Delisha would join in.

"Sometimes we find some refugees who get lost or are on the run to avoid being chased by border soldiers," Imdad explained. "Not infrequently they are also injured and feeble. Hopefully, we are not too late and find them alive," he said as he put the backpack on his shoulder. He looked at Delisha and smiled mischievously. "There's something I want to show you anyway."

Delisha couldn't guess what Imdad was trying to point out and that boosted her enthusiasm for the trip a little. They patrolled by foot, through trees and thicket. The screeching of insects and the noise of other forest animals sound in harmony with the husky leaves that they pass. The moisture on the surface of the leaves is still thick and moist. They don't talk much because they need to hear nearby voices to detect the presence of other people or dangerous animals.

About 3 hours away, they rested in a fairly spacious area. Several transverse tree trunks were used as seats. While the other 5 men rested, Imdad grabbed Delisha's hand. "Where are we going?" Delisha asked.

"You will see it soon," said Imdad.

Just the two of them, they headed to the other side of the forest outside the patrol route. Delisha walked alongside Imdad. Trees were rather sparse in the areas they visited. There were large chunks of broken stone blocks and dozens of broken pillars covered with vines. Several kinds of forest flowers were blooming. The sunlight penetrating the leaves rendered a soft glow, making the place look like a secret garden in a dreamland. Several small winged insects and colorful butterflies flew as they explored the place further. Imdad's steps accelerated because he was so excited.

"Imdad, wait for me!" called Delisha. She was a little overwhelmed by keeping up with Imdad.

The man stopped abruptly and breathless Delisha clung to his shoulders. There was a large banyan tree several meters in front of them. Not far from the tree, there are circular stone steps and water in it. It looked like a former pond, wild plants flourished in the pond. The remains of ruins surround the place. Vines covered the walls and pillars to which they clung.

Without realizing it, Delisha's feet took a step. The sight of the big banyan pillars and trees brought her back to her old memories. The scene she saw in a flash of her reincarnation. The palace where she lived in the past.

"It's good, is not it?" said Imdad happily seeing Delisha mute and staring in amazement around him. "This place used to be a palace. Maybe hundreds of years ago. This place I found the first time here two years ago," said Imdad. "This is where I found the coin you saw at that time. The coin has an eagle on it, which reads Rajputana Udai Singh."

Those words caused Delisha's heartbeat to pause for a moment. Her head was dizzy as if she had been hit by a big wave.

Seeing that Delisha seemed to waver, Imdad rushed to her side and grabbed her arm. "Delisha, why? Are you tired?"

Standing weak, Delisha squeezed her forehead because her vision was changing too fast. "Imdad ..." she muttered softly. She squeezes Imdad's hand.

"What is wrong?" asked Imdad anxiously.

"Do you know ... you are Rajputana Udai Singh?"

Imdad laughed in surprise to hear that. "What do you mean, mere Chandni?"

Delisha turned to him with a still gaze. The man varied between his appearance in a jeweled turban and his appearance in the uniform of a military commander, but only one thing remained, his face and the golden glow of his body. "You ... Rajputana Udai Singh!"

Imdad's brows creased in surprise. He wanted to ask a question, but a gurgling sound made him let go of Delisha's hand. He pulled Delisha behind him and c****d his rifle at the sound. Delisha fell to her knees and both hands rested on the ground. She shook her head to get rid of the dizziness. Imdad was leaning on one knee behind the rubble for shelter.

The rustling sound from behind the trees grew and drew closer. Imdad contacted his colleague via radio communication while focusing on the voice. "Who's there? Show yourself or I'll shoot!" exclaimed Imdad. The rustling stopped. Delisha, who prevailed quite well, crouched down beside him and looked where Imdad was pointing. She saw a faint dark aura and the shadow of a crow the size of an adult there. Imdad unlocked the gun. "Don't shoot!" exclaimed Delisha while holding Imdad's hand. "Those are refugees," she said softly.

Imdad spoke a Rhine language that Delisha didn't understand.

[Come out! We are officers from the refugee camp sector 55!] He said with his gun still aimed at them.

A figure covered in a shabby and dirty cloth slowly came out from behind the tree, raising his hand. A man with dark skin and an emaciated body. After a while another person came out, then one by one, the refugees showed themselves. Not just one or two people, but hundreds of people, and most of them were children and women. Women wear dupatta as robes and shawls cover their heads. Some of the children even had to be carried and some women were pregnant. They were exhausted, starving, injured, sick, and dying. Delisha gasped. Their condition is more tragic than the refugees who have been in the shelter. Together they also accompany the ghosts of the curious spirits of their relatives.

Delisha can't help the curious spirits, but she can still help the living ones. Waiting for reinforcements to arrive, Delisha performed minimal maintenance with her acupuncture skills. She can reduce pain and soreness in some people, apart from opening their bloodstream, she also expels curious spirits clinging to the person's body. Some sit on the shoulders, making their backs and necks hurt. Some hold their feet so that a person has difficulty walking and their feet always hurt. Some ride someone's back causing back pain and feeling heavy. The spirits did not bother her because she had Imdad by her side. It seemed that the man, apart from being handsome, was also effective at repelling evil spirits.

Delisha sat on a stone like a block near the pool and lay a baby on her lap. The baby experienced shortness of breath, with a light massage of Delisha's hands the baby could breathe freely. The mother was very grateful and held the baby happily. Delisha replied with a smile, not understanding their language.

"Your hands have a magic touch. You can save the lives of many people," said Imdad as he sat slowly hugging Delisha so as not to be too obvious to the crowd.

"Is it true?" Delisha doubted herself. "I only reduce and postpone their illness, neither cure nor save. I wish I could do more," she said sadly. She circulated her views to the refugees who were sitting resting. Like a collection of crows perched with their group. There was a sense of relief radiating from their faces and their conversing voices were happy, not creepy.

Imdad rubbed Delisha's shoulder then stole a kiss on her cheek. "Don't be sad, mere jaan!" he persuaded. "I am very selfish to say you were made to make myself happy, even though I do, but I have to remind you, Delisha, how can you make other people happy if you are not?"

Delisha stared into the soft brown bead attentively. Don't know what those eyes look like when killing someone. "You must be proud of yourself," added Imdad again. "Even though you think what you do is not much, but for others, it may mean a lot." Imdad touched Delisha's chin. "Don't think a big action will bring big change, sometimes that simple action is all it takes to change the world."

"What is the example like?" muttered Delisha.

Imdad's face drew closer to the woman, eyes glaring dimly. "Like loving someone sincerely ...." Imdad almost kissed Delisha, but her face was turned away.

"s**t, Imdad ...!" Delisha said softly, patting Imdad on the cheek. "In front of these people, you still want to be perverted ?? You are heartless!" She said, jumping down from the rock and away from Imdad. "Hey, hey, mere jaan, love is a beautiful thing, let's spread a positive aura to them ...," argued Imdad

"Stupid!" said Delisha ignoring him.

The man was about to chase her, but Major Dieder and military troops from the refugee camp arrived. Imdad is busy arranging the refugees with them. Delisha took the opportunity to approach the large banyan tree that was similar to her memory from the past.

The image of her meeting with Rajputana Udai Singh seemed to be recreated in that place, as was the shadow of her death. She stroked the tree trunk which was bigger than 250 years ago, showing her that time has indeed passed and things have changed, Rajputana or Imdad, Chandni, or herself, while Devdas is still Devdas. Eternity cursed him, changed it in such away.

"Ah, you finally came, the beautiful full moon!"

Delisha gasped at the sound. She looked up and saw an old man with dark skin with a shaved head and wearing only an orange cloth for underpants, sitting on a tree trunk. "You ...?"

"Muehehehe, yes, I am. Either you still recognize me or not, but here I am, Mr. Takur. Namaste, Chandni, hehehehehe ...." The old man chuckled with his teeth gleaming like black pearls.

Delisha took a step back in surprise at her encounter with another being who had also existed a long time ago. The old man climbed down from the tree nimbly, then stood in front of her and examined her face. "You haven't changed a bit and I noticed that you are still with Rajputana even though you were separated 250 years ago," he muttered.

"Why are you repeating the same cycle in your life this time, Chandni?" Mr. Takur continued again, shaking his head and raising his hands in disappointment.

"W-what do you mean?"

"You are the moon, while Rajputana is the sun. Like the moon, expecting to be in the same sky with the sun, it is impossible."

Delisha's body froze at that moment.

Mr. Takur approached her ear and spoke in a condescending voice, "You and Rajputana will never be united."