'David, they're going to rush the door!'
That was when help arrived from a totally unexpected quarter. From a rooftop across the alley, someone dumped a bucketful of oil down on the Biters, and then someone threw a lamp. The sudden explosion of light and fire caused Mayukh to flinch and take cover, and when he looked out the window again, several of the Biters were on fire, and the others were scattering. From another rooftop, someone else threw two kerosene lanterns in their path, incinerating a couple more of them, as the remaining Biters escaped.
They didn't sleep a wink till the Sun finally came out, wary of another assault, but the Biters seemed to have had enough for the night. When the Sun finally rose, Purohit slumped to the ground, looking like the frail old man he was, and no longer the tough commando on the vigil. He had lost two good friends in the night, and the surviving guard from the stairwell was in a state of shock. David looked worried, and his expression mirrored what was on everyone's minds. The Biters had learnt how to use crude weapons, and moreover, they were not just attacking targets at random. The assault on their apartment had been a planned and coordinated one.
Mayukh and Swati were holding onto each other, trying hard to ignore the stench of burnt flesh that came wafting up from the stairwell. Abhi clung onto Mayukh's leg, but he was able to offer no real comfort to the boy.
Of all of them, only one seemed to have retained some control, and that was an unlikely candidate-Hina. She gently took Abhi from Mayukh and gave him some food, telling him that everyone was tired and needed rest.
'Will they play with me then?'
Hina assured him that they would, and then she approached Purohit, laying a hand on his shoulder. The old man looked up at her, trying hard to control his tears.
'You do realize that their attacking us was no coincidence?'
That had been the unspoken question on all of their minds, but nobody had dared to ask it yet. Purohit did not need to answer, for several voices echoed in the alley below.
'Is the boy okay?'
They all peered out the window to see more than a dozen men, women and children outside. They were just standing there, complete strangers, all bound together by their collective efforts the previous night in defending the apartment where Mayukh and the others had been besieged.
An old woman stepped forward and shouted in a hoarse voice.
'Get the boy to safety. The Biters know about him and will come again for him.'
Purohit and David leaned out and thanked everyone for their help and assured them that Abhi was fine. Mayukh felt Swati grip his hand, her face reflecting the same panic he felt creeping up his spine. She spoke slowly, as if afraid that saying the words would somehow make them more real.
'They can't be thinking through this, can they? They're just crazed with the infection, right?'
Mayukh would have liked to reassure her, but he had seen enough to tell him that the Biters were not just the bloodthirsty, random zombies they had initially seemed to be. There was slowly but surely a method to their madness, as if more elements of whatever collective memories or intentions that had formed the original infection were coming back, beyond just a reflexive desire to wear a turban and attack others. David was now looking Mayukh straight in the eye, and Mayukh saw the soldier motion for him to come to a corner. Swati held onto Mayukh's arm and spoke to David.
'David, I know you're going to talk about Abhi. Whatever it is, let's say it in the open.'
David sighed.
'Fair enough. We're all in this together now. Look, even if there is a slim chance that indeed they are trying to target Abhi, we all need to get out of here fast. We almost had it last night, and if they come in greater numbers, we won't stand a chance.'
Hina had been trying to keep Abhi busy in a corner, but the boy now knew that they were all talking about him. He looked at David, growing fear in his eyes.
'Are those not-nice people coming to get me?'
Mayukh wanted to hold him tight and tell him that everything would be fine, but he realized that kind of innocence and simplicity in his life was long gone, gone the night the infection began spreading, gone the moment his family had been shattered. He picked Abhi up and held him close. For several moments, there was an awkward silence as they all considered David's words.
Purohit broke the silence.
'I don't know whether they came for him or not, but the boy is the biggest threat to them, and the biggest hope for all of us. So he must be protected.'
Hina asked him what he meant.
'For whatever reason, he is immune to the infection. If scientists or doctors got a look at him, they may find out why, and be able to get a vaccine or cure for the infection.'
Mayukh said despairingly.
'Doctors? Scientists? All that's left are these goddam Biters and people trying to stay alive like us.'
Purohit shook his head.
'No, Mayukh. There is more than that-and it all starts with people regaining hope. You saw what happened last night. Total strangers, people who till now had just been hiding like rats, came out and fought to protect us. They did it because Abhi gives them hope that things can be better. We of all people cannot give up hope now.'
David interrupted him, speaking in little more than a whisper.
'Mayukh, he's right. Don't you remember the radio transmission we heard yesterday?'
A flash of realization came over Mayukh. They now had a destination.
Ladakh.
***
Their first stop was back to the bookstore, where they picked up maps and guides. When they learnt that the temperature could be near freezing at this time of the year, they went into a shop selling winter clothes. For a minute, they all stood there, looking at the jackets and sweaters strewn on the floor.
David spoke for all of them.
'Never thought we'd have to steal.'
Purohit scoffed.
'You're getting soft, soldier. You're trained to live off the land, and now this is what we have to live off.'
They started picking up clothes and trying them on. Swati emerged from a changing room with a new sweater on.
'How do I look?'
Mayukh was about to say that they had more pressing worries than to shop around, but one look at Swati's face stopped him. She was smiling. This one simple pleasure of being in a shop looking for clothes had perhaps brought back memories of a normality that they had scarce little of in their lives anymore. Mayukh walked up to her and kissed her on the forehead.
'You look amazing, sweetheart.'
He could hear Abhi groan and he turned to see the boy sticking out his tongue.
'Yeeeeks…he kissed her!'
What had been a moment of shared intimacy soon became the cause of laughter for the whole group, and they left the store in good spirits. Next up was getting enough fuel for the ride. Delhi to Leh was a thousand kilometer drive, and even in perfect weather could take an experienced driver a full day of driving non-stop to get there, given the mountain passes and roads in Ladakh. David, who had fought and lived in the cold, mountainous terrain of Afghanistan knew what they needed.
'We need some metal cans for the fuel. At high altitude, plastic jerry cans will leak the odour of petrol and together with the thin air is a recipe for throwing up. Any idea where we could get some of those?'
Mayukh thumbed through the guide in his hand.
'Sadar Bazar.'
They drove in silence, watching what remained of a once bustling city. Here and there people were wandering around in small groups, mostly scavenging for food or warm clothes. A frail woman with a toddler in her arms walked in the front of the car, pleading for help.