The Vile.

Chapter 8: A Piece of Peace.

"A stay order?!Who the hell was the Justice again?" Danuj growls while tying the suit around his bloodied waist. Few unconscious bodies remain scattered around the floor of what seems to be a very gloomy warehouse. He, however, opens the car door with his right hand, while holding the phone to his ear with his left hand.

"Mr. Jetli, Boss." Ojas adds.

"Well, give his family a short tour of my Red light road's warehouse basement Ojas. Immediately." He says through gritted teeth. Taking his usual seat in the driver's seat he takes deep breath. He has managed to gain the said Ten percent share from Mr. Sinha but at the cost of getting stabbed twice in his torso.

"That foolish ass thought he could overpower me with some weak and unprofessional goons. Seriously?! If only he knew these are like Vitamin pills for me. They increase my tolerance everyday." He thinks to himself. But the small detail he fails to recollect is that he was hurt at the same place just two days back, which is yet to heal.

He starts the engine and rain starts pouring. Usually he would take the road that goes straight but today he decided to take the right turn. He knows where this road leads but something inside him keeps pushing him towards "Ashroy".

He remembers how this morning the inhabitants and their belongings were thrown out of his property. He felt victorious as usual. Ojas said they requested them to give some time till Vasudha and the other protesters come back. Most of them were at the protest field and Vasudha was back at the court, attending the hearing. But his men didn't give them any chance.

He was proud, this is what his men should be like. Merciless! But then he had to visit the warehouse to deal with Mr. Sinha and that took his time. When he finally managed to handle the situation it was already evening. He turned on his phone only to find some thirty missed calls and messages from Ojas and Maya. He immediately knew something was not right.

Now he doesn't know why is he even driving towards "Ashroy". Particularly now when he needs a doctor urgently.

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The rain never stops and only increases with every passing second, just like the pain and the bleeding. His eyes start to get blurred. Although he keeps striving to keep them on the road it becomes impossible for him and finally he loses control on the car. But before hitting something he jams his foot on the brakes.

He feels suffocating sitting inside the car. He needs to come outside but the rain keeps on becoming intolerably heavy. He waits for a few minutes but the pain, drowsiness and suffocating feelings finally force him to open the door of the car. He understands he can't keep his consciousness for too long so he puts his hand inside his pocket to bring out the phone. He needs to call Ojas.

But the phone slips out of his hand and makes it's journey towards the road, out in the rain.

"Fuck!" He curses and moves out of his seat to recover his phone only to land face first on the now muddy road.

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"It's raining really hard Sudha, you should stay back tonight." Says Pravati ji, one of the eldest inhabitants of "Ashroy". She is standing beside Baburam bhai.

"Don't worry Pravati aunty, I am already wet. So it won't be an issue and Baburam bhai, stop making that face anymore. We have got the stay order, we'll sort out something else too. Now, baba might be waiting it's already 10PM. I will be calling you first thing in the morning. I'll come by the evening tomorrow." She says smiling towards them.

"Sudha didi, we have no words to thank you enough. You're doing so much for us we couldn't even save any of you from getting hurt." Says Baburam bhai, hanging his as low as possible.

Vasudha sighs and says, "You are as old as my father Baburam bhai. Do you want me to scold you now? This is my home, you all are my family. My brother always cared for all of you so much, now it's my turn to shoulder the incomplete duties he left for me to do. You can't stop me from loving you. So, stop overthinking and have a good sleep after a long time I guess." Wearing her helmet she smiles and turns around. Looking at the rain she releases a peaceful breath. She loves rain.

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Yes, she is right. Someone is actually there, fallen face first on the muddy road. She can see the car door open. Has to be the person's. From the outline of his muscular physique he seems to be a man, and a very tall one at that.

She can see movements. The man is trying to move, probably trying to stand up, but failing. Without wasting another second she moves her scooty towards the man, gets down and runs towards him. Her mustered yellow t-shirt and light blue jeans are already drenched in water. Her hair is dripping wet as well.

"Hey there, open your eyes. You're safe. Can you hear me? You're safe. I'll take you to a hospital, just please try to tell me what's happening to you, okay?" She says to him as loudly as possible.

The man very slowly moves his face a little to see who is daring to help him. The little bit sanity he still had gets overpowered by a weird sensation when he gets to see her face.

"Vasudha.." He thinks to himself.

"Yes, try to move. You're heavy for me. So you have to cooperate a little bit. Now tell me what is.." she stops when she sees the bloodied mud around his torso. She immediately brings her palm to cup her mouth. Then with all her strength she turns him around to find the stab marks.

"Oh my God, you're stabbed?!"  She flinches.

He could hear her every word and see her every reaction, as if everything is happening in slow motion. She is worried for him?

"See, I am taking you to a hospital but you have to try to stand up okay? Please." She adds again.

"Not.... hospital. N-no hos-pital." He says every word with so much effort that it draws her attention.

"No hospital? But you're bleeding. There is no other way. I have to." She adds firmly.

"Th-then leave me h-here. I'll ma-manage!" He growled.

She widens her eyes to this.

"Okay, calm down big guy. We'll sort this out, fine? Take my shoulder and try to stand up will you? Trust me, I am not taking you to a hospital." She says sincerely.

His grey eyes stays fixed to her brown ones for a few seconds as if he's trying to search for the truth. And he sees,he sees the sincerity in them.

She lowers her body for him as he slowly wounds his right arm around her shoulder. She then places her left hand around his back and helps him stand up.

"I can't really drive properly, so you have to sit behind me on my scooty. The place I'll be taking you to is not too far. So I guess that'll do. You'll be fine." She assures him while closing the door and locking the car.

He only moves with her without uttering a single word. When close to her scooty she opens the seat and brings out a blue scarf. Then she helps him sit first and manages to sit in the front afterwards.

"Wrap your arms around my waist." She utters surprising him even in this condition.

"Please do as I say sir. It's for your safety only." She assures again.

He hesitates at first but then slowly leans forward wrapping his arms around a women's waist for the first time in his life.

Within a second she starts tying both of his hands with her waist with the scarf.

"W-what are you doing?" He finally manages to ask.

"Tying you to me, so you don't fall." She says in a matter of fact way.

She then brings her phone out from her bag and dials a number.

"Ganika, you have to come down to "Ashroy" immediately. I have a very critical patient for you." She disconnects the call and start her scooty  but not before saying, "You're safe. You'll be fine."

The last thing he remembers is those words and the soothing fragrance of her hair, her smell reminded him of mountains, clouds, fresh green grass, purity and holiness. The pain was long forgotten. From what he remembers, he was at peace after a long time.