NOTE : The pov and the time frame changes twice in between. Read carefully the bold headings.

Batakrishna's pov

It was not a house. It was a huge haweli as we entered the huge iron gate and crossed a lawn which was covered with long green grass. The house looked very lavish with three storeys but it now looked dilapidated
and was covered with dirty soot and looked as if burnt. I remember Subha told me that the house was burnt with her parents inside it.

As we reached the door, I saw that it was sealed by the government as I could see a thick large lock covered by a white cloth with the thick red seal of British government. I had explained Debashish about the court case on the way. His face didn't gave any sign apart from his jaw ticking and his fists clenching around tightly at the knuckles. He might have been a good friend of hers. He also knew about the incident.

"What does it mean?" Debashish asked as he saw the lock too.

" Does that mean that they didn't come here? Was it a trick to divert our attention and waste our time? "

" What the fuck! Those bloody !!!!!" He fisted his hands and was about to kick the door when I pulled him from doing that.

"What are you doing? Don't make noise. What if they are inside?" I whisper-shouted.

He exhaled a deep breath. "What do we do now? Let's go back. It's all ruse, I suppose."

I nodded but my heart was beating fast. I was in dilemma. What should we do? Leave and go back to Calcutta and start from the beginning. Was that note used to divert us? Or was it a trap? I couldn't make up my mind. But I was not willing to leave without a sincere attempt.

"Let's check around. We might get some clue." He nodded . As we moved around the house, we couldn't find anything. The sun was rising gradually tearing away the veil of darkness. If she was really here and if someone saw us, we all would be in trouble. There was no sign of the police and Dada yet. Where were they? They should have come up till now. It could be possible they got some other clue and they went to enquire about the culprits. But then who took her here? Could it be the fourth culprit?

As we reached the left side of the house, looking here and there I stumbled on a pile of stones around a dried artificial pond and fell on the ground.

"Batuk! Are you okay?"
He came and helped me get up. As I stood up, his eyes widened and so did mine as I saw him removing her nose ring from my kurta , which might have stuck when I fell. He caressed it as if it were a delicate flower and knelt down on the grass and tears slipped from his eyes.

Debashish's pov

Four years back.

Today was a difficult day for Kala, I feel like laughing, she was sitting on the pile of hay in her father's field, blowing her newly pierced nose piercing with the corner of her mouth , as her eyes converged comically at her nose , giving her a squint-eyed appearance.

"Ouch!" She shrieked as she touched the silver wire inserted in her nose. "This is so irritating. I hate this marriage thing."
She whined and shook her head in irritation and I rolled onto the ground cackling with laughter.

"You dolt! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Oh Dugga! My hair got stuck in it. Deb, come help me." She called. I controlled myself from falling into another cackle and headed towards her and tried to remove her silky hair strands from the curved hook of the silver wire nose ring , but she held my wrist. "Aah! What are you doing? You are hurting it more."

" What do I do? It's badly entangled. Wait, I'll try to open it."
As I tried to twist the silver hook to open the nose ring, my fingers brushed against her soft lips and an inexplicable jolt ran down my spine. I gulped nervously.

" Why are your hands shaking? Be still or you will hurt me." She said when my hands trembled as her proximity was making me nervous. Sweat trickled at my back , and my throbbing heart was about to leap out of my mouth but the infernal wire was not ready to open.

"Y-yes, yes sorry. Wait a minute... yes.....d-done. Thank---" My eyes widened as the silver wire fell from my hand in the heap of hay , and I looked at her horrified. She stared at me wide-mouthed.

"Debbbbbb!" She yelled. "What did you do? Where did you lose it?" She jumped down hurriedly and started searching for it in a frenzy. If it was even slightly possible to find it before, now it was impossible when she rummaged in the pile of hay, disorganised.

"You lost it, stupid. " She shrieked as she dug an index finger in my chest.

My eyes widened in disbelief. "I.... I lost it? You lost it. You liar. You scattered all the hay again." I threw my hands in the air incredulously.

" Who dropped it in the first place? Whose hands were shaking? " She accused.

I felt tongue tied under her intimidating gaze. "I....I...."

"What? Cat caught your tongue?"

"W-we could have easily found it had you not started behaving like a mad monkey and flipped all the hay."

" I.... I mad monkey? . And you stupid donkey. You lost it. I'll tell maa that you lost my silver nose ring." She harrumphed in aggravation.

" You liar! You cheater! One day you will pay for your cheating. " I warned her.

"I don't know." She crossed her arms around her chest and angled her face away.
"I want a gold nose ring now. And, you... " ,she pointed her index finger at me. "...owe me one."

"Gold nose ring? It was a slim damn silver wire."

"Do you want me to tell baba, that you have again given a goading article to the editor of Jugantor?"

This cheeky brat!!! How dare she!!

"Look at the audacity! How dare you use that thing against me? Is that why I tell you all my secrets? " I gaped at her wide eyed as she smiled smugly at me. I knew she won't snitch but she had wrapped me around her little finger since I don't know when.

" So, when am I getting it?" She asked as her lip corners lifted smugly.

I rolled my eyes. " Okay, fine. I'll bring you one gold nose ring. But. But. Only if my article gets published in Jugantor." I said, thinking that she would back away knowing that, that would take a lot of time if it ever happened.

But to my surprise she agreed and grinned gleefully. "Deal. But that won't be a gift. It would be a debt on you." Looks like she trusted my calibre more than I myself did.

"Yes, yes indebted to you forever, Maharani." I joined my hands and bowed in front of her in mockery.

She rolled her eyes at my humour but nonetheless her eyes shone in excitement at the anticipation of getting a new ornament. "Oh, and yes bring the larger one like the queens wear, attached to the hair."

" Anything else, Rani Sahiba! Kohinoor diamond studded! Tell me the caratage of the gold also. It should be three layered, with precious pearls hanging on the chain. Isn't it?"

She giggled and shook her head. " No, no. Just a flower on it."

" Noted, my flower-obsessed queen". I mocked her and she laughed out loud and blessed me with the most musical sound and the most beautiful sight.

Two years back. (On the night of incident.)

I rushed and crouched down as I saw Romil kaka lying dead on the ground. I shook him calling his name in vain. Dread crept inside my gut and started gnawing my intestines painfully. I prayed internally, fervently for the safety of Kaka ,Kakimaa and my Kala.

My feet ran towards the house . The door was open ajar. Before I could enter, I heard a soft whimper. I tried to hear it again but in vain. As I touched the door to open it, I heard a painful groan. I recognised the voice in a heartbeat. It was hers. I ran around the house towards the lawn and what I saw ripped my soul mercilessly off my body. My limbs froze and my heart writhed in pain at the horrendous sight in front of my eyes. She was lying on the ground, her petticoat and blouse tattered revealing her bluish -black bruised skin. The upper half of her ripped white petticoat was drenched in blood as a dark bloody blotch formed on it. Her head was resting near a pile of stones , surrounding the artificial pond .

I sprinted towards her, taking out my coat. I crouched beside her and tried to cover her with it. Her half hooded eyes saw me as I called out her name and she
shrank back as much as she could in that woeful condition of hers. As soon as I touched her shoulders , to lift her , she started thrashing weakly with her jelly like limbs, as if she wanted to run away from me. My heart broke at the sight.

"Kala! Kala! What happened? It's me. Me! Deb! Kala , listen."

"Mmm..... Noooo..... Mhmmmmhhhh.....Leavvvvvve..." She whimpered, unable to speak and tried to move out of my hold. I cupped some water from the pool beside and sprinkled it on her face. And wiped her sweat and tears with my hand. I forcefully lifted her as she tried to squirm out of my hold and covered her with my coat. I was shocked when my hand got drenched with the blood oozing out of her head. How did I not notice it before? I looked above. She had fallen just below the window of her room. I lifted her in my arms with difficulty as my own body was losing strength. But this was not the time to show my weakness. I gathered courage and ran towards the car. Key? Where is the key? I placed her on the ground softly . As I turned , a sudden blast broke out and within minutes high flames started erupting from the house. If someone was even alive there inside, now they were not. I sent a silent apology to my family if they were inside.

I didn't have time to waste. If something happened to me while I was in the fire, I might lose her. I searched Romil kaka's pockets, and luckily found the keys. I settled her in the front seat and got into the driver seat fast. My heart was pounding so violently in the chest, I felt it would come out of my mouth. She was going in and out of consciousness as she was whimpering again and again in between. I had heard somewhere once should not let slip a patient of head injury into unconsciousness.
I tried to call out her name but she was not listening. Her eyes were closed and breathing laboured. The headrest was soaking with her blood. If this continued, her body would drain all the blood out of her head before we reached the hospital. I opened my shirt fast and pulled her towards me, and laid her head in my lap wrapping it with my shirt.

"Kala! Kala! Listen to me. Don't close your eyes. Okay. Talk to me." I patted her cheeks. Her half hooded eyes opened more and she looked at me. It was difficult to drive when she needed my attention to keep herself awake. Luckily the road was empty. But the destination was still at least two to three hours away. I had to keep talking to her to keep her awake.

"D-deb..." A faint voice came out of her mouth.

"Yes, yes , yes I'm here." I pressed her more to my abdomen to assure her that it's me and she was safe now.

" Kala! Don't sleep okay. Talk to me. Come on."

"D-deb...y-you were right. I-I had to pay one day for all my cheatings." She chuckled weakly. My eyes which were dried uptil now, started flooding again.

" No, no . Kala! You didn't deserve any of this. None of this." My throat choked and my blood boiled in anger. The blotch on her petticoat was increasing in size. I was completely oblivious of what to do to control it.
Her eyelids started drooping and her breathing became laboured.

"I-I want to sleep...." Her voice trailed away as she dug her face in my abdomen. I could feel the hot blood from her head dousing my trousers and reaching my thighs. It burned on my skin like hot liquid. I pressed the shirt more to her head with one hand while the other was controlling the steering wheel.

I started speaking whatever big, small things came to my mouth to keep her awake.

She turned again and again restlessly . As her leg hit the passenger door, she let out a weak shriek.

"What? What happened?" I looked at her. Her hand weakly moved towards her left leg and then I saw that her foot was the size of an elephant's, completely bruised at the ankle.

"Does it hurt too much?" What am I asking? It must be hurting like hell. I looked at her. Now her face was facing upwards.

She held my hand in her weak grip which reminded me of the first time she had wrapped her tiny fingers around my index finger. At that moment, I had promised myself that I would always take care of my little doll. And today I broke that promise. I couldn't save my little doll from breaking beyond repair.

" N-no. It doesn't hurt now." She gave the ghost of a smile. This was the first time in my life her smile scared me and a chilled shiver ran down my spine and I shuddered. I couldn't speak any further, but I had to know who they were.

"Kala! Who-who hurt you?" I looked at her but she was smiling. Fucking smiling!!! I just wanted to rip my hair off.

"Kala! What am I asking? Are you listening?" I shook her lightly.

" L-love hurts." She again gave that scary smile.

"Huh! What? What are you saying? I want the name Kala. Please , speak up."

" I-I want to sleep." She closed her eyes again as if even thinking about it pained her immensely.

" No, no, no. Okay okay. Don't sleep. Don't sleep. I won't ask. Just stay awake okay." I patted her cheeks again.

I tried to focus on the road. Talking to her was meddling my mind beyond control and I didn't want both of us to end up dying in a ditch somewhere due to my carelessness. I changed the gear again speeding the vehicle , taking care not to hurt her in the process.

"D-deb!" She called out again in the faintest of voice, but the silence of the ambience made me hear it.

"Hmm!" I mumbled.

" Why are you crying?"
I looked at her. Her face was expressionless and looked at her sky dreamily, as if she wasn't here. I didn't reply.
"What did you bring for me?"

"Huh?" I looked at her again confused and then it dawned. "Oh! I... I... got..." I patted the pockets of the coat she was wearing and let out a gold nose ring with a flower design attached to a gold chain. "Rem-remember this?"

She touched it lightly and smeared the flower with her blood as her hand was holding mine. This time it was a proud smile on her lips. But I didn't deserve her pride today.

"Put it on." She said.

"N-now?" She blinked in affirmation. My hands were fumbling with the nose ring as I tried to put it on her nose with one hand. My mind was too fogged to do these meticulous tasks.

"Y-your hands still shake." She chuckled feebly as I put it on with great difficulty. Who would tell her this trembling was far more mortally scaring me than the previous one.
"D-deb ! How do I look?"

She gave me the spine -chilling smile again. My tears dripped down on her face. I wiped it with my bloody hand. "B-beautiful."

"I don't want to be beautiful now anymore, Deb." She said and her eyes closed. I tapped her cheeks again and again. I shook her to wake her up but she didn't.

I checked her breathing. It was still there. It was not easy to break her deep slumber now. I sighed in relief. After what it felt like an eternity , we reached the hospital.

When finally they took her in, her fingers slipped from my hand and I looked at her with longing. I haven't prayed this much in my entire life than I did in these two days. The only sign of me being alive was my breathing. Food , water and sleep were long forgotten. I didn't blink my eyes even for once hoping I would wake up and not see her. I still pinched myself again and again to wake myself up from this nightmare. But alas! It was no nightmare.

The doctors said some kind of surgery was going on, my mind was too foggy to understand their tough medical terms , and they were sceptical about her survival.

I came out of the hospital when the pain of waiting was clenching my heart and I could not take it anymore.
As if fate was not satisfied with my ongoing agony, I was arrested the moment I stepped out of the hospital for writing a provocative article against the British Government in the Jugantor. I never loathed pen and paper
in my life this much. I begged and begged them to leave me as my lifeline was swinging between life and death in the hospital. But when had these fair coloured, black hearted people cared for others' feelings.

Finally, after the three months of torture, when I was sentenced for lifetime imprisonment in 'kaala paani', I had no option but to trick them and run away before the deported me to Andaman, because once I reached there , all possibilities of meeting her would be cipher. I would only leave that place when I would die.

After about two more months of running and hiding , when I reached the hospital, the staff informed me that she died. Debaditya also died that day. I had changed my name to Debashish to hide my identity.

What I came to know about her froze my blood icy cold with dread until it then melted and flew viscously like hot molten lava in my veins in vengeance.

Present

I would have died long time back had I not diverted my mind towards the freedom fight and taken firearms in my hand which once held pen an paper. And now when I stand in front of her house again after two years with this gold souvenir of our sour-sweet memories, the last memory of her has picked my wounds beyond healing. I don't know if I would be able to survive if I lost her again today.

Batakrishna' s pov

All the memories related to that nose ring flashed in front of my eyes. My heart started drumming against the chest wall like a raging woodpecker. This morning I only saw her wearing this...and now.... I let out a deep sigh to control my nerves.

As much as I was relieved that now we know she was here , I was dreading the consequences ,what if we were late. Horrible images started clouding my mind , no matter how much I tried to not think about them, they swarmed infront of my eyes and choked me out of breath. I would die if something happened to her. Never would be able to look myself in the mirror in my own eyes. I just hope she is safe.

"Batuk!" Thankfully, he pulled me out of my dreadful thoughts.
"This is hers." He showed the nosering to me. As soon as I tried to take to take the nosering from his hand, he closed his fist and kept it in his pocket near to this heart. An unsettling feeling rested in my stomach but I shoved it away. Finding her was our topmost priority now.

"They must have entered from somewhere else." I said looking around.

" There is another door which leads inside. This way." He ran ahead straight and stood in front of a door. I followed him.

" Debu! Don't make noise. They might get alert and harm her." He nodded. I put my ear on the door and tried to listen but everything was silent and eerie.
I crouched down and tried to see from the gap below the gates and saw a few feet moving to and fro at a distance of a few metres in a very dim light. That's it. They were here. I slightly pushed the door without making noise but it was closed from inside.
"I think there are many men inside. We have to make a plan." He nodded. " Now listen. What we'll do is ... "

***

As per our plan, Debashish stood behind a large tamarind tree hiding from the view and threw a stone straight at the door. A few seconds after , the door opened a little and someone peeked outside. Debashish hid behind the tree again. He repeated for the third time. Now two men came out and closed the door. They held guns in their hands and looked here and there. As they walked in opposite directions to check , I pulled a man from behind grabbing his mouth and took him aback. I held his hand with gun in mine and twisted it. The gun fell on the floor. I tapped it with my foot making it fly over and caught it with my left hand and hit him with the butt of the gun on his head knocking him down. I grabbed his black face mask and reversed it before wearing it. By that time Debu had also come wearing a similar black mask.

We opened the door slightly to see inside and saw a few men at regular distance with guns. It felt like entering a chakravyuh. I just hope we were Arjun who knew how to come out of it and not Abhimanyu.

We entered without any noise and took out positions behind the door. Debashish had already explained to me the interior of the house. The masked men were moving to and fro looking here and there alert. When someone looked me in the eye, I gave them a nod and so did Debashish. I hope my dirt smeared Kurta is enough to hide my festive attire. As soon as guards moved from our view ,I signalled Debashish to go in the opposite direction of mine. The stretch of the house was long. I kept my back to the wall, and kept checking every room discreetly for any sign of hers.

Suddenly, I heard a few incoherent noises of a few men in a room. I hid behind a pillar and when a man came out of the room, I pulled him and took my gun out of my holster and put it on his head.

" What's your name?" I asked angrily.

He stood there shocked. "What are you--"

"Name?" I pressed it harder.

"M-mangal." I frowned. Subha must have mentioned his name.

"Where is Shetukala?" I asked watching his face for the signs that would give him away.

"Who the hell are you?" He tried to pull off my mask but I held his hand in tight grip. His voice was right. He definitely knew.

"Where. Is. Shetukala?" I pushed the gun to his forehead glaring into his eyes.

He didn't answer but his eyes flickered over my shoulder. I turned around to see a man, with a gun advancing on me from behind.

Debashish and Batakrishna have reached close to Shetukala.

Will they be able to save her before something bad happens?

Who will reach her first?

Do tell me how the chapter was.

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I know the updates are slow , I'm going through some academic work and it is occupying most of my brain cells. Hope you will understand and still support the story.

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