Siyad pushed Syrene away from him.
“Enough is enough Syrene. Why can’t you understand that I don’t love you?”
Siyad released all his frustrations.
“I don’t care whether you die or survive. I want my Hannah. The decisions is final.”
Siyad turned back and walked towards Adam and Ansuman. Both of them looked confused.
“Adam, please drag Syrene back to a shelter, I need to find my Hannah.” He then hugged Adam and whispered something in his ears.
“I can’t survive without my Hannah. So kindly help. Ansuman is a travel guide and he is equipped with mobile and other wireless, for in case of emergencies. ” Siyad besought to Adam.
He then turned to Ansuman and said.
“Ansuman call help, use airlift or something. Make my friends safe. Money is not an object. Help them first. Then come back for us. Certainly we expect help.”
Saying these last words, Siyad moved frantically into the woods in search of his Hannah.
Darkness crept in. It made him hard to look around. In his mind he started yelling her name.
“Hannah please. Where are you? Don’t leave me.”
Then he stumbled on a wood and fell on to the ground. But instead of solid ground, he fell on his Hannah.
“Oh my god. Is that you Hanah?” He used his mobile lights to see her face.
“My dear it’s you.” He was elated
His body was sweating and was also hurt badly, due to his last fell.
Siyad just hugged her towards his chest and kissed wildly all over her body and face. Then only he had noticed that his Hannah is not moving.
Her responses were feeble. Even her breath is not stable. She is weak.
‘But why? What happened? He called Ansuman from his mobile.
“Ansuman, need help. Medical emergency. Hannah is unconscious.”
It took few minutes for Ansuman to answer back.
“Sirji please check madam’s body for any bites. Her hands, legs, or anywhere. The area we were travelling is completely trailed with poisonous bugs and ….. Snakes.”
The call went dead, since the mobile slipped out of Siyad’s fingers to the ground.
He sat frozen, then looked up.
“God please don’t take her away from me.”
Gaining his senses back, he stood back to his feet.
He managed to grab few dry sticks and started a fire.
When the area got brighten up. He looked around.
They are in the midst of a grass land with few trees hither and thither.
“Oh my God! It’s the Valley of flowers.”
He then laid Hannah closer to the fire. He searched for marks on her body.
Siyad saw bruises in her hands. He unbuttoned her shirt. No marks on her neck, back, chest or abdomen. Then he removed her jeans. There! On her left thigh a bite into mark was seen.
Siyad felt as if his hands and legs going numb.
He managed to find his mobile. And called Ansuman again. But Adam answered.
“Siyad what happened? Is she okay?”
“No. She was bitten by something.”
“Don’t worry I will get help and come to you. Now chat with Ansuman.”
“Sirji is there a bite mark?”
“How many fang marks?”
“Two…” he shivered.
“Don’t panic…. Calm down. Where is it?”
“On her left leg, above the knee”.
“How long, you think…?”
“Less than an hour, I guess.”
“Don’t worry. Just tie a bandage above the bite. Then try to suck poison out of it.”
Adam grabbled the phone out of Ansuman’s hand.
“Oh don’t be foolish Siyad. If you suck it, then the poison will get into your blood. It will only worsen the situation. These are all traditional practices. If she is poisoned then nothing could be done other than injecting antidotes into her. I have located your position. Within minutes we will reach there. So don’t act foolish….” Before Adam could complete the call went dead.
Siyad unpacked his backpack took a piece of cloth and bandaged above her wound. He then took a pocket knife. Made an incision on her wound. Then began sucking the fluid out of her.
Siyad felt drowsy. But after few trials, he managed to squeeze few drops of blood out of her. A frail response was then made by Hannah.
Siyad took his water bottle and made her drink from it slowly. She then shivered out of cold. He opened her back pack.
Took a black gown out of it and made her were it. He then held her closer to his chest.
Siyad then managed to get a blanket like cloth out of his back pack. He covered them both and kept her warm.
Hannah heard his heartbeat. Then she heard Siyad’s voice talking inside her thoughts
“Hannah…. Hannah my dear, if you can hear me, then listen. Darling please don’t leave me alone.”
She then stared hearing Annie’s voice too.
“Come to me dear. Into the world of no worries, no lies, Just a paradise of happiness.”
“Annie.” she called back to her thoughts.
Siyad who was hugging her passionately now started feeling something odd. He looked at her. Hannah is slowly melting away, her body is disappearing. Just like in the past. Hannah is slowly disappearing from his hands.
“God …. No…. No ….” He started to move in frenzy.
Hannah climbed the hills bare foot. Drenched in mud, her feet felt heavy still she dragged herself towards the hill top. The house stood there, as if it was expecting Hannah. The moment she touched the doorsteps, the doors got opened.
And there she stood… like a ghost, Annie met Hannah at last
“Annie is that really you? Or am I imaging.”
“It’s me the real me, Hannah.”
The doors behind them got closed and they sat in the space in the middle of two universes.
Annie then put her hands on Hannah’s forehead. Made her see and feel the realities of Annie’s world. The world which was opened to her, few hours before by Easwar.
“So am I dead now”
“Not actually. We are in a ‘Trans’ now, as if in an Astral Projection. Your body will remain invisible for the people who lives on earth.
You can permanently live in my world if you live your body permanently on earth.
I can then breathe you with good memories, the ones that makes you happy when you lived on earth. Then we can fill your shadow with new experiences from our planet Orbeon. Now come to me darling. Leave everyone and everything behind and come to me.”
Annie explained about Orbeon and their lives. After listening to her Hannah said nothing and sat looking down.
“What happened? Is it Siyad?”
Hannah said nothing.
“Don’t worry Hannah. I will not breathe in with his memories. So that you won’t miss him here.”
“Annie…. I… don’t want salvations. I… don’t want a life, in which I can’t even think about him. I don’t want a life, in which I can’t even imagine his face.”
“But your father, his memories later your mother will also follow you here. I will bring her to this world. Let Siyad be happy with Syrene. He is your desire. Only your desire. When you leave your body forever, he doesn’t matter to you. It’s a matter of choice. You grow old and your desires change or die. Leave it before it leaves you. Make a wish. Choose wisely. I am waiting Hannah. He won’t last forever. But you will last until I die and till then you will be happy, no worries. Just happiness. Make a choice.”
