War For Love

~Twenty Four~

The explosion was massive. Siya's body kept trembling as Sahib gripped her wrist and pushed her in another direction, making her fall down. Siya had bombed the mill for real, this time. Too many thoughts raced in her mind. Was she a murderer? Though there wasn't anyone inside the mill, she still felt a slight pinch of guilt. But a saner part of her reminded her that a warrior needs to kill. When the enemy stands in front of you with his gun, you need to choose the violence too. The sudden light blinded her. Sahib and the men were used to such bombings and attacks but it was new for Siya.

The mill exploded into pieces and they felt the first wave of victory rushing into their veins. Though it was nothing infront of the biggest war of the century that awaited for them, it was something. Something that would make people see what patriotism is. When the after effect of explosion receded, Sahib stood up, he looked at the now empty road and he signalled his men to follow him out. The foreign officers would be here any time. They had so much more to do. Siya stood up, her body still shaking but she felt proud of herself.

"We need to return back and attack their main office." Sahib instructed and the men along with Siya looked at him in confusion.

"We were going to attack the office? I thought it was just about the mills." Dayanand said, looking at Sahib and Siya hummed in response.

"They'll be here anytime soon, Dayanand. Until they reach us, why not get some more work done? They killed and traded so many people of our country. This is not even a quater of what they deserve." Siya agreed to Sahib. They had been treating commoners so inhumanely, humiliating them, disrespecting their land and occupation.

"We have to die one day. Why not die fighting for our motherland? Har Har Mahadev!" (Everywhere is Lord Shiva)

Dayanand said, grabbing their cresset as they started walking towards the main office, taking the forest area. None of them had ignited their flambeaus. It was so dark outside that it worked in their favour. Before the officers arrived at the deliberately occurred accident place, Sahib, Siya and their men had left the place, advancing towards the main office which hardly had five or six guards, guarding the office. Sahib turned towards Siya, his eyes alert and his body tensed.

"Do we still have the iron arrows left?" He asked and Siya searched in her bag, frowning as she shook her head.

"Damn it!" Sahib cursed, as he held his gun out in his hand and Siya stopped him before he could've fired the bullets.

"They'll get alert if we shoot, Rud— Sahib!" Siya corrected herself, looking at the men around them. She didn't want to call Sahib by his name especially when they hadn't discussed about it before. What if he doesn't like Siya addressing him by his name in public?

"Do you see any other alternative then, Siya?" Sahib asked, a little irritated, knowing that they barely had any time left in their hand and just then Siya's eyes widened as she removed a earthen cup, covered with rag out, smiling widely at him.

"Actually, I do have an alternative. I made this, just in case if something would've gone wrong. This is a strong and dangerous solution, Rud— Sahib. You just need to pour some on a piece of clothe and make them smell it. Though it would take a minute and few to make them unconscious." Siya said excitedly and Sahib never thought he would've said this but if Siya wouldn't have been with them, they wouldn't have succeeded in their mission.

The men looked at Siya in astonishment. A woman who somehow had convinced Sahib to let her in the protest, now offered a dangerous solution that could make anyone lose their consciousness. Was this woman a witch? They thought. But they were grateful for her, nonetheless.

Maybe, just maybe, women are not as fragile as people assume them to be. They all thought. Some are like Siya too, stubborn, a witch, a brave woman, who had the courage enough to throw a grenade in the mill.

"Like the chloroform?"

"The what?" Siya asked, her eyebrows pinched together, hearing the foreign word from Sahib's mouth and he shook his head.

"Nevermind. This will work, right?" Sahib asked and Siya rolled her eyes, unable to keep herself from mocking him.

"If you doubt my medicinal knowledge, Sahib, we can try it on you." Siya said with a sly smile and Zafar Iqbal, the man beside them chocked on his breath. He was unable to believe that someone can talk to Sahib the way Siya had just did. Sahib glared at her in response, snatching the earthen cup from her before looking at their men.

"Do any of you have a piece of clothe, we can use?" Sahib asked and Siya tapped his bicep, making him to look at her.

"We can use my dupatta (scarf)." Siya said, ready to removed the hem of her dupatta tucked in her skirt and Sahib grabbed her hand, glaring dangerously in her eyes as he leaned a little closer.

"I asked my men, Siya. You are not among them. Stand there, quietly." Siya pursed her lips, looking away as one of the men removed a small white clothe he had on his chest and handed it over to Sahib.

"What quantity shall I use?" Sahib asked Siya and she looked him, her eyes narrowing in slightly annoyance but she didn't speak a word making Sahib to clench his jaw.

"Siya."

"What? Didn't you ask me to be quiet? You always complain how I don't follow your orders and now that I am following your order, you are not liking that even!" Sahib looked at her incredulously, before closing his eyes to take a few deep breaths, to calm his anger down.

"Forgive me, Siya. Now please tell me what amount shall I use?" The men tried not to gape when Sahib apologized, even though it was merely a frustrated expression.

"I don't know." Siya said, looking away from Sahib and he in turn held her biceps, making her look at him. She gulped when his dark eyes bored into her own chasm of eyes. How can someone be so beautiful? Siya thought.

"What do you mean by you don't know?"

"I've never used it on anyone else, Sahib. I just knew how to make it. I'm just as clueless as you but from what I remember, Vaidya Dinkar said to use somewhere near a spoonful of it. Here, let me." Siya said, taking the cup of solution before tearing the clothe into several pieces. She poured a little more than a spoon of the solution on the clothes before handing it over to Sahib.

"If this doesn't work......"

"It will, trust me. Now, we don't really have time to threaten me, Sahib, the officers would come here anytime soon after searching the village!" Siya said, walking ahead, not really sure if her solution would work or not. She just prayed silently for it to work. Or they would be as good as the dead meat.

They soon attacked the guards from behind, surprising them as Sahib and his men stuffed the clothe closer to their nose and mouth forcing them to breathe in the foul smelling solution. Siya was waiting nervously, waiting for the solution to kick in their system and for the guards to fall down. But nothing of that sort happened. Gaurds kept struggling against Sahib and his men, with all their might.

"What the hell? When will your solution work?" One of the men asked Siya, trying hard to keep the guard and his screams in his hold. Siya licked her lips, shrugging her shoulders as she looked at Sahib.

"It should've worked by now. But it would take some time for the brain to command the body......"

"I don't want to know about our biology, woman!" He snapped, finding it hard to keep the guard in his control. Sahib slightly narrowed his eyes at their bickering.

"Sarabjeet! Tone your voice down. And you......" Sahib warned him, his eyes darkening when Siya cut him off, moving closer to the guards now.

"Hey, look! They're losing their consciousness." Siya said with a relieved smile and Sahib rose his brows before looking down at the guards who now were on the concrete road, while some leaning against the villagers, their eyes closed.

"Okay, now. Listen to me carefully. Everyone will run to their houses immediately once we've bombed the office. Change your clothes and sleep. I'll send you the message for our next plan. Am I clear?" Sahib said and all of them nodded their heads, except Siya.

"Are we ready?" Sahib asked and the men positioned themselves. Siya too took a grenade in her hand. All of them waiting for Sahib's one command.

"Attack!"

~~~~~~~

"I think I told everyone to leave for their houses immediately and not to follow me instead." Sahib growled at Siya who in turn rose her brows at him, walking beside him.

In response to his question, Siya wrapped her hand around his tricep, making Sahib to freeze for a second. They had grown very close to each other since the day, they had first met and yet every time Siya initiates anything, it stuns Sahib from within. But her sudden display of affection made him feel loved. It made him happy. Sahib only craved for those small, small moments of happiness which Siya gave him. Slowly and reluctantly, he cupped her hand on his before pulling her against him and Siya smiled as colors flooded her cheeks. 

"I thought it was meant for men and that I am not among them. I was even standing quietly. Just the way you like." Siya smiled at him, making him roll his eyes as he lightly pinched her skin, making her giggle.

Sahib could hear her laugh for an eternity. Siya looked at her side, towards him and froze when she saw his gaze already on her. A shiver passed down her body and Sahib rubbed her palm and arms against his rough ones. Though the shiver that had passed down her body had nothing to do with the cold wind outside but with his stormy eyes; she, of course didn't tell him.

She wanted to cherish every moment with him. Be it when he cares for her or when she irritates him. The way he reacts with her, treat her, made her insides to flame with ecstasy. She felt as if she had lived a thousand lives in his eyes. Every moment with him felt so pure, so unreal that she feared one morning, she would wake up from this dream and won't have him beside her. But if she gets to meet him in the dreams, Siya would never wish to wake up.

"You're such a dramatic woman."

"And yet you're here with this dramatic woman." Siya said softly and Sahib almost smiled at her words. Almost.

"It's so hard to imagine a life without you now. I am so used to you sneaking in my house, irritating me. Treating me the way you do. With so much of affection, care and selfless devotion. And yet I can't promise you a future." His voice cracked at the end, looking up at the sky. Siya swallowed nervously as she squeezed his palms. It was so rare to see his voice wavering.

"Who has seen tomorrow, Rudra? No-one. And you're talking about the future when your eyes made me see my next thousand lives with you. I have lived a thousand of lives in every second you've been with me."

Sahib didn't knew how she managed to see everything so positively but it made him fall for her even more deeply. Her words made him feel so much worthy of every ounce of love she showers on him.

"But......"

"Shh! I don't want to have you tomorrow, Rudra. Just be with me today. And trust me, today will never end." And tomorrow will never come.

Siya whispered as they walked slowly, not caring about the officers that were chasing them. Not about the world who might see them together. For a few minutes, they didn't care anything but themselves.