Destiny's Gamble

Superman Or Madman?

Manik's POV

I want to stop her, I really do, but I fear that will only give her the wrong idea. Fuck, everything's a mess. Angel has entangled herself in the wrong web, and now when I'm trying to help her out by freeing her, she refuses to listen. If only Angel wasn't this headstrong. 

Harboring emotions, such as love, isn't wrong. The issue comes in when they're directed towards me. What's the use of loving me when I can never give this emotion in return? Heck, I can't even give her a whisper of it. Simply because I don't know how to. I may be a man of many crafts, but this sure as hell isn't one of them. But to explain this to a person like Angel - who is made from this very emotion - is a next to impossible task. 

I wring my hands in frustration, throwing my head back. Oh, the urge to rush after Angel is so strong that I feel as if a magnet is pulling me towards her. But I won't. Distance is what will help her. She doesn't know it yet, but I am doing this for her benefit. And yes, it will destroy a friendship I treasure more than my own being, but I don't have a choice. Heck, it may even destroy me.

Some machine rumbles in the far distance, almost as if a huge generator is being turned on. Shutting my eyes, I lower myself onto the bed and spread across the thin mattress. At first, distance from Angel seemed as easy as breathing, but now doing so is as hard as holding my breath. 

*****

I'm buried till my calves in the hot sand.

"Slow down, Angel." I yell, unable to move. I grab my right thigh with both hands and use every ounce of strength in me to lift my leg out of the sand trap. It doesn't budge at all. I look ahead to find Angel walking away from me, her back moving further away by the second. "Angel, can't you hear me? Please stop!" It's as if she's gone deaf.

I try once more in vain to lift my leg out of the sand, but luck doesn't seem to be on my side as always. This time when I look in Angel's direction she's a small dot in the distance. 

"Please stop." I whisper hoarsely, my throat muscles aching with thirst. "I need you." A sob chokes me as I finally get my left leg to move a step forwards. But my relief is short lived, for in the next second I stumble face first onto the sand. "Angel!" 

I sit up with a start, my head jerking to the left. I take in the darkened room, no sign of sand or Angel in here. It was only a nightmare. She and I are okay. I'm not losing her. A generator's rumble enters my ears, making me frown. Suddenly, the events of the past few hours come crashing down on me. 

Fuck, that wasn't a nightmare, it's my harsh reality. I've really lost Angel. The selfish Devil in me is ordering me to go and make amends. But he's always on the weaker, losing side whenever Angel's concerned. I won't go after her. Not this time. Because I want what's best for Angel, and a Devil, like myself, isn't someone who she deserves. Heck, I don't even know if a decent enough man has been made for her.

A generator rumbles again. What's happening? Yesterday they didn't have electricity and today they're turning on generator after generator. A portion of the skin on my cheek feels hard, as if some liquid has dried on it. Did something leak on my face while I was asleep? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that I was crying. But that couldn't have possibly happened? Did it...

"Superman!" Aryan's frantic voice fills the empty space. "Superman! Come down." Frowning, I wear my worn out pair of slippers and rush out of the room. Each strand of my hair lifts itself off in a different direction, the material of my shirt flying up past my stomach. I squint my eyes shut, dust and pebbles flying everywhere due to this horrific wind. 

"The rains are coming back, Superman!" Aryan yells from the compound. "We're doomed." I shield my eyes with my arm, turning my head to the side. It's almost impossible to keep my eyes open without fearing something will enter them. "Come downstairs before something happens to the school. The building's foundation isn't that strong. It can collapse," Aryan warns, flailing his arms wildly. 

I bolt towards the staircase, my eyes taking in the panicked villagers. They're running to and fro, gathering the essentials and finding a safe place to take shelter. A thought strikes my mind like a huge boulder, causing me to stop midway.

"Aryan, where's Angel?" I ask, my hands squeezing the railing tightly.

"I don't know!" He replies, a plastic bag wrapping itself around his waist. "Last I saw her she was in the kitchen." Snapping back into reality, I increase my speed as I bound down the stairs, taking them three at a time. I've experienced a cyclone and this feels just like it. To think that Angel is out there at such a time - unprotected - is enough to send shivers rushing down my spine. 

If her Aiyappa actually exists, then please keep her safe. I cross the compound at an unearthly speed, and make my way out of the school gates.

"Angel!" I yell, unable to see much through the mess of sand and rubbish. "Angel!" I stagger towards the left, the wind pushing me back with everything it possesses. If this is my state, despite all my muscles, then I can well imagine what Angel is dealing with. 

"Have you seen Angel?" I ask, my paths crossing with a lady, who's also struggling in this chaos. "N-Nandini, is what I mean. Have you seen her?" 

"Ira, and her two sons had gone to the other side of the bank." She replies, stumbling a few steps backwards. "They're stuck there and she's gone to fetch them. That's all I've heard." She heads past me and towards the direction of the school. 

Fuck no! I pick up pace once more and run in the direction of the river bank. What was she thinking? Although I never payed attention in geography class, I know what happens to the river in such a weather. Heading out onto those waters at such a time is purely suicidal. Lord, that woman has a death wish. 

My shoulder roughly slams into a few people, but I don't have time to exchange apologies or stop and check if they're alright. My feet have grown a mind of their own as they carry me towards the river. I don't have much of a choice except to get out there myself as well. All I can hope to check is that she's on the other side, out of harm's way, and if she's waging war with the river then maybe I can be of some use.

The net of the bandage that I applied yesterday because of my injury from that goddamn wooden furniture catches onto something. Without giving it even a second of thought, I yank my neck forwards, the bandage ripping off my skin. I wince, a flaring pain spreading through my wound. But it isn't enough to make me hesitate for even a breath. I continue on my way, a single goal in my head, and that is to find my Angel. 

A warm liquid leaks down the collar of my shirt and onto my back, causing me even further discomfort. I reach the river bank, my feet slipping on the moist ground. My gaze lands on Rakesh, who's dragging his boat onto land, away from the rough river. 

"Hey!" I call, stumbling towards him. "I need your boat." His eyes widen, as he shakes his head frantically.

"If you go, y-you die." He says with concern, looking at me as if I'm insane. Maybe I am because no sane man will willingly face these waters at such a time. But that's because sane men think with their minds, and not their hearts.

"I don't fucking give a damn!" I yell, my tone harsher than it needs to be. I grab the edge of the boat and tug it back in the direction of the river. "I'm not asking permission," I add. 

"M-Mad," Rakesh says from behind me. "Don't! If you want to live, don't." 

"Find a safe place in the school compound," I instruct. Today, even an army can't stop me from getting onto those vicious waters.

A/N: Ahhhh!!! What's gonna happen to Superman now? Is Angel okay? Or is she really in harm's way? Any guesses? Also, Eid Mubarak to all those who are celebrating, even though I know I'm quite late. 

Also, I wish to just address a concern many of you are experiencing at the moment. This is regarding the worry ya'll are showing towards MaNan being forgotten. Look, I just want to say that the people who are putting such negative thoughts in your minds are purely delusional. For MaNan to be forgotten, they need to remove these two beloved characters from our minds and hearts. Now, maybe we get amnesia somewhere down the line, but nobody can remove or re-write someone's name from your heart. Or clean the slate of our hearts. Therefore, I believe they're going to live on forever because they're legends. And come on, we all know that season four is on its way ;) And I also know for a fact that before our children indulge in any such cartoons like Barney, they will be watching Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan :D Take care and stay safe xx