Little Book Of Red Lies | Shubman Gill ✓

35. An Oasis in the Desert

The heat of distance was scorching Shubman. He spent every minute away from cricket hunting for Kavya, hoping to smell the scent that had become so deeply familiar to him. He ran around cities, all through night. He took thirteen days but he had searched every nook and corner of Mumbai. It made him desperate. The knowledge that if one city could take thirteen days, then even with four other vampires, he'd only cover five cities at a time.

With every passing day, Sara watched him lose a part of himself a little. She could see how Shubman burned for her. Every day he came to religiously check on Rahul. No matter how much she tried to convince herself, that Kavya was just a friend, she couldn't help but wonder if Shubman would go to the same lengths for her. And even if he did, would her disappearance affect him to the point of life being sucked out of him?

In the coming days, Sara would ask herself the same question time and time again. And when her answer took a deeper shade of negative, she knew that they deserved better. She deserved to find the Shubman to her Kavya too.

Meanwhile, the hourglass of Kavya's hope was losing its grains. She tried exercising to blow some steam off but when you have an Ill mannered vampire who ogles at you as you exercise, you tend to feel uncomfortable sooner or later. She had tried playing antakshari with herself but off late, every song she sung made her yearn for freedom more and more. Her dreams did not help. They were never abstract or incomplete. But always filled with colour. And Shubman.

IPL seemed to be her solitary anchor. She devoured the matches of Gujarat Titans and ever since Arjun had made a debut, even Mumbai Indians. Everytime GT played, she felt so happy within her bones that she was terrified that Anand would see how precious it was for her to watch Shubman and take this sole solace away. But Anand seemed to be plotting something else. Whenever IPL was on, his eyes were unfocused, faraway.

Kavya feared.

She feared that he was thinking of reaching Sachin Kaka. Or Shubman. Or both. The thought of having someone as powerful as him in the same room as them was unbearably anxiety-inducing for her. Anand had shown her that he knew no concept of mercy. He killed for fun. The other day, a person had come asking for directions to his house and Anand had taken him inside. He inserted his fangs in the unsuspecting guy's shoulders and drank all his blood.

Kavya was certain that it had been a warning of sorts. He wanted her to be scared. And, God knows, she was scared. She had been scared, all along. But at first, it was not for herself. She was scared for the people she loved. Kavya had never feared death and until recently, she wouldn't have minded dying if it meant that Anand would leave her family alone. A strange unusual feeling, had taken birth within her. She wanted to live. Just long enough to see Shubman, one last time. Perhaps even touch him.

She dreamt of her last meeting with him, fabricating  joyous scenarios. Her mind poked her, telling her unhelpfully that she might have already had seen Shubman for the last time. But her heart, her heart refused to believe this. She wanted to live. She had to live.

God wouldn't rob her the chance to meet the boy she had come to love, would he? One meeting wouldn't be asking too much, would it?

And so, when she watched the wretched guy slaying the innocent person, tears streamed down her cheeks. She was terrified of how desperately she wanted to live. And of all the people who should have come to her mind as the reason for her existence, his was the face more prominent than the others.

******

Then, one day, all of a sudden, their desert of separation saw an oasis. Anand was willing to meet Shubman and negotiate the terms of her release. It had taken him a good nineteen days to do this but Kavya didn't care. He was standing in front of her asking her something she had never thought would happen.

"What's Shubman's name saved as honey? I can't find any one by either Shub or Shubi or Gill."

And for the first time, happiness ran to our girl and gave her lips a tug as she smiled. Truly.

"Try- Captain Lambu."

Anand rolled his eyes at what from his point of view was a very stupid nickname but for Kavya the mere utterance of the nickname meant fond memories of watching Marvel movies together and long banters. Pun intended.

"No. It's not Kavya. It's me, Anand." She heard him say ruefully.

"My name hasn't ever sounded so delicious from the mouth of another man." Kavya knew that the provocative remark must be because of Shubman's contempt. It took all her willpower to not snatch the phone out of Anand's hand and talk to him.

"You're really testing my patience by threatening me over the phone, Shubman." She could hear the line go silent.

"Now that's more like a good boy. Listen to me. I know where you are. Yes, not just West Bengal but I bloody well know the exact location. Oh trust me I know that you've gone to the Sunderbans to satisfy your thirst, Shubman."

Kavya heard Anand's side of conversation with her heart thumping inside her with the wilderness of an animal Shubman was on a hunt to catch.

"I shall see you there to negotiate the terms and put forth my conditions."

She held on to the almirah for support as Anand cut the call.

She was about to beg him to take her with him but he ordered, "You're coming with me. You'll stay hidden. In no condition shall he see that I've brought you, is that clear?"

"Yes." Kavya quickly replied, thanking God.

She was going to see Shubman her breaths chanted.

Her oasis.