by Gauri Mittal
Pranav said something to Aarav, but I did not hear, and Aarav nodded in turn. Aarav helped me stand up, and we proceeded across the barrier towards the city.
Once through, we had to walk for two hours. No vehicles were allowed beyond the barrier. Even the supplies were being carried by people on foot. It was still an underground tunnel, but it was well-lit and seemed to be going deeper and deeper. The temperature was also getting warmer as we moved on. We said nothing for the better part of an hour, both lost in our own thoughts.
After an hour’s walk, already undernourished, some of us slowed our pace.
Aarav spoke first. “I went to Mridnagar first. To rescue my parents, but the safe house they were supposed to be in was empty. Instead, under blocks of concrete… My brother, he, I… uh.” He swallowed, unable to speak for some time. Recovering, he said, “Next I went to Rajgar, for you. I remembered the location you had shared with me, although not exactly, but I had to chance it.”
I cut him off mid-sentence. “You went to find me? In such conditions?”
“What if you were alive?” he retorted almost defensively.
“Aarav.” We stopped walking. “You went all that way, risking your life to look for me. Not even knowing if I was alive or dead,” I said. “I didn’t know I meant so much to you.”
“Wouldn’t you have done the same for me?” he asked, looking at me with sincerity.
I gulped. “I would have, but I didn’t.”
“And you made the right decision,” he said. “If you had, you would not be alive, and I would have died of grief.”
If we were not in such an unusual and distressing situation, I would have considered his words to have had a more layered meaning, but at that moment, our friendship was paramount in my mind. Still, something had changed between us in that hour. We were no longer the bickering and sarcastic friends. Our friendship had deepened into what I did not understand at the time.
We got up from our resting place on the ground, collecting the documents we had been given, and resumed walking. Some of the crowd had left, along with five soldiers. The other five were stationed with our half of the crowd. We were almost two hundred people, including Yashika’s family. We continued our walk to Shunya.
Aarav restarted the conversation. “I had been to your house once during our second year, do you remember?”
“Yes,” I said.
“The apartment complexes were destroyed,” he said. “I couldn’t make out which one was yours.”
“You went to the apartments?” But then I stopped. From Aarav’s earlier reaction, it was obvious his parents were dead. How was I to bring up my own? It would hurt him, but he did not need my words to understand.
“Frankly, Madhavi, I searched just for you. But I found nothing. The stench was so overpowering I finally had to turn away.”
I tear leaked from my eye, but I remained silent, looking forward.
“I had a battery backup for my cell phone. I had taken screenshots of your location, like I always do whenever you are late from somewhere. I had the screenshots of the path up till you had gone halfway inside the forest. I suppose the signal started failing then. What were you thinking, Madhavi?” His voice held annoyance now, and I had the feeling of déjà vu. Or had all of this really happened before? In another world, in another time? Had we come back alive in that time?
Returning to the present, Aarav was chastising me, “What kind of a crazy person goes to the middle of the forest at night, following their dog?” He was shaking his head.
“I had to go. Now I feel I was meant to. Aarav, Peaches knew what was coming and was guiding me. She took me to that cave, and it saved my life. It was all so strange. I cannot help but wonder if there’s a purpose behind it. But I left her to die, Aarav. There, in that radiation wasteland.”
“You expect too much from yourself, Madhavi,” Aarav said. “You have been very brave getting this far, keeping your head screwed on straight in the face of such turmoil.”
“What happened then? In the forest?” I asked.
“Yes, I looked around the forest for a while, calling out your name. I felt desperate and hopeless. But I was only going around in circles. After four hours of searching, I thought you really were gone… I didn’t know what else to do or where else to look, so finally, I returned.” His voice had become heavy. “On the way back, there were around fifty or so villagers on the road, on foot. Some families, some alone. They had walked there on foot from a remote place less affected by the bombings. They had been hundreds when they had started, but most died of radiation sickness and injuries. Together, we arranged for a truck in working condition, and they followed me here, along with some other people I met on the road. There were around five families in cars, looking to find shelter. All of them followed me here.
“How did you survive, though, Madhavi? The bombing took place hardly half an hour after your call to me. Where were you?” he asked. “You said something about a cave?”
“I followed Peaches. She led me to a cave. I fell into a trap door or safe house of some kind, and I got knocked out for almost two days. When I came to, the bomb had already dropped over Rajgar. I was rescued almost eight days later by a survivors’ group, Double A, by the guy you met at the document office. Pranav,” I told him.
“Double A? Do you mean the online forum After Annihilation, AA for short?”
“Yes,” I said.
“How incredible!” he exclaimed. “Who’s Pranav?”
“He’s the admin,” I said.
“That was the admin of Double A?”
“Yes,” I said.
“I always wanted to meet him. Double A is the survivors’ group I joined on the internet. The one I kept asking you to register with too,” he said.
“I know,” I said. “Your name, office, and home address all were on the list. I figured that was the ‘secret’ survivor group that you kept on talking about in college. I asked them to pick you up, but they didn’t agree. They said the attacks had been on a much larger scale than they had predicted, and going into Varshi would’ve been risking the lives of the others.”
We walked on in silence, each busy with our own thoughts. Slowly, the path became more crowded as we seemed to be nearing the city. Anticipation mixed with fear filled me and I hurried my pace. What I found going forward, was much more than I had expected; not only in its physical structure but, also in the experiences it held in store.
Chapter 7
At the end of the road we beheld an unexpected spectacle. The road had opened into an underground cave almost a kilometre wide. Most of the ground was taken up by a huge lake that had steam rising from it. The lake looked to be fed by a stream of water bubbling up from somewhere below. It was emptying constantly through another stream, also underground. One half of the lake was covered by huge boards standing on pillars. They were large and looked like shutters laid down over the lake.
Above was solid rock. The temperature in the cave was hot, making me sweat. From here we followed the guides to another passageway dug out and lined with brick and cement. It was well lit with LED lights. We walked on for fifty meters and came to a large hall, which was well furnished and with a high ceiling. Some men in uniform were standing on a raised platform, directing people and making announcements for the almost five hundred civilians present. We had arrived at the entry point of Shunya, the “announcement hall” of the safe city created by hundreds of workers. It was eighty metres deep and could house almost five thousand people.
Two huge speakers were blaring out an announcement continuously.
“Please be quiet and maintain decorum or you will be asked to leave the city. As of today, thirteenth April, 2034, this is the only place in the country where safety is ensured. This city has been constructed for the preservation of human civilization in cases of man-made or natural mass extinction. As of today, we have no news of the situation in other countries, but we believe the bombings have completely stopped, due to unavailability of missiles or manp
ower. So far, internet and cell phone connectivity have not been re-established.
“This facility has a capacity for a maximum of five thousand people at a time. With us currently, we have five hundred civilians from all over the country and two hundred army men and women in service. The prime minister is in the city but has sustained burns and radiation sickness. He is under treatment in the city hospital. As of now, Iddis is under military rule until the prime minister’s complete recovery.
“Within the country, we are attempting to contact any survivors who may have found temporary safety. If anyone has any information about safe houses, please let us know immediately. Due to the level of radiation in the atmosphere, soil, and fresh water, the surface has become unfit for survival till the processes reverse themselves to a habitable degree. This city is the only known shelter for the remaining people. Please make sure to follow all rules and regulations to maintain the sanctity of the city.
“You will be allotted rooms according to the numbers you were given at the time of registration. Please proceed with your army guides.”
The announcement ended.
Me and Aarav looked at one another, uncertain about everything.
We reached a level still lower in the earth, through a wide flight of stairs dug out from the rock. Beyond lay a street so long we almost believed we were in any other city on the surface. It was well lit and warm, with LED tube lights running along the length of it. There was a metal vent spanning the entirety of one side of the high ceiling. These metal vents pushed filtered air into the street and maintained the temperature to an optimum degree. Pillars of concrete and iron supported the roof at every foot.
Now and then there were stone pillars, erected irregularly, and these were the only indication that the cavity was not entirely man-made. A series of six exits lay at the proximal and distal points of the street. The walls on either side of the street were made up of thousands of small white cabins with numbers above their doors.
Although the temperature was comfortable, looking at the scene that lay in front, I started feeling suffocated. I wanted to run back to the surface.
One of the soldiers came up to us and asked for our identification numbers. “Room 333 will be past the exit on the left,” he told me. He looked at Aarav. “2053 is the fifty-third room on the left side of the second street.”
Aarav and I would have to part. The gateway was guarded by two soldiers, and men were not allowed to enter the street on the left. For security reasons, we were told upon asking. The guards checked my papers, and I entered alone, bidding bye to Aarav for the time being. We arranged to meet later near the staircase to the announcement hall.
A female soldier, dressed in the signature green uniform, began leading me and four other women onwards. She was in her fifties, not tall but bulky. Beyond the gate lay 1st Street. An exact replica of the second but a quarter shorter in length, its top supported throughout by similar stone pillars at regular intervals. Similar metal vents lined the rocky roof, and lights hung from above. Cabins lined both sides of this street as well, the ones on the right forming the wall between the two streets. There were three entry and exit gateways, all on the right side, leading into 2nd street.
“How many such streets are there?” I asked the soldier woman.
“Three in total,” she said. “Second street has three thousand rooms for single men and families, and this one has two thousand for single women. Many single mothers with children also live here on 1st street, and 3rd street is where the hospital, administrative offices, cafeteria, farms, and other things are.”
“The farms?” I said.
“Yes. 3rd street is the longest and widest, and the farms cover almost the whole distal end of it.”
“Is there anyone from Rajgar?”
“I don’t know,” she replied.
She led me to cabin number 333. She looked through the documents I was carrying. “Hmm, yes, this is it. Madhavi Sharma. This is where you will be staying from now on. You will be provided with an extra pair of clothing and jute slippers. If you need anything else, you can contact the administrative office. You will be informed about other things in the announcement hall, or you can read the notice boards in the cafeteria. Some weekly announcements are told over the public announcement system on Monday mornings.”
She gave me a key, then walked away to assist the others.
I was standing in front of my tiny white cabin. It looked like a small box from the outside. I opened the lock to the door and entered. Managing to find a light switch in the corner, I turned it on, and the room was filled with white light. The ceiling was around twelve feet high. Furnished minimally, it was a small room with a single bed, a table, and a chair. Though having my own bed in these conditions felt like a luxury after the tribulations of the past twenty days, what I hated was the absence of a window.
According to instructions, every five cabins there were two smaller cabins that housed one toilet and one bathroom respectively.
My thoughts started to lead me towards the distressing pent-up emotions of the past days, but now was not the time. I sat down on the bed, forcing myself to think about other things. I had no clothes than the ones I was wearing and the extra pair I had been promised. Would I still have to eat out of tin boxes? How long would I have to stay here? My head got dizzy, and I lay on the bed, falling asleep instantly.
When I came to, the lights were dim, and someone was sitting on my bedside. There was a cannula attached to my wrist. I started to sit up, but it was difficult. I felt weak and dizzy.
Someone grabbed my hand.
“Aarav?” I said as I began to open my eyes again.
“It’s me,” Pranav said.
“Hi,” I said.
He was wearing a white shirt and camel-coloured pants. I saw him clean shaven with his hair swept back for the first time. I vaguely registered in my mind that he was handsome.
“How are you feeling?” he asked.
“What happened to me?” I asked in reply.
“You fainted in your room,” he said. “The patrol guard came by to hand out the extra set of clothes, but the door to your room was open, and you were lying in your bed unconscious. The guards brought you to the hospital. I saw them carry you on a stretcher as I was exiting the administrative office, so I accompanied you here. I know some people, so I got them to put you in this private room instead of the ward.”
“What’s wrong with me?” I asked, leaning upright on the pillow with difficulty. I felt very weak.
“The doctor said it is radiation exposure,” he said after a slight pause.
What rattled me was not his declaration but the total lack of fear that was aroused in me as a result.
“Oh,” was all I said.
“Don’t worry, Madhavi.” He sat beside me on the chair and held my hand. Taken aback, I pulled it away. His expression did not change.
“They have treatments now. Some of the high government executives are being treated. Even the prime minister,” he continued. “I… You found your friend. I am happy you did.”
I said nothing for a while. Pranav sat back straight in his chair, his face much more relaxed than I was used to.
“My room is 3301,” he said. “It is right next to the second exit, which opens into 3rd Street. If there is anything you need, let me know.”
“Okay, thanks,” I said.
A woman in a white coat over a white kurta and pink salwar entered the room. She was tall, around forty years of age but looked much younger due to the bouncy ponytail resting high over her head.
“Hi. How are you feeling now?” she asked.
I sat up straighter in my bed. Pranav helped arrange the pillows.
“I am okay,” I said, looking at her questioningly.
She smiled at me with concern in her eyes. “I am Dr Geetika Swarupa.”
I liked her immediately and returned her sweet smile. “I am Madhavi Sharma, and this is my friend, Pranav.”
“Yes, we
have met before.” She nodded towards Pranav. “You also hold an administrative position in the city, I believe?”
“Yes,” Pranav answered.
I looked at Pranav, confused.
“Well, Madhavi, we have measured the effective dose of radiation you have absorbed. Around five hundred millisievert. I believe you did not take medication to prevent acute radiation sickness, right? You went out after the blasts?”
“No. I didn’t take anything,” I replied.
“Well, you don’t need to worry. We have an experimental drug we have been trying out on the patients who have been exposed. Even on the prime minister.” She took out a small vial of transparent solution from her apron pocket. “Recilisin sodium,” she said. “It will work by repairing DNA that has been damaged by large number of free radicals that have formed in your body due to absorption of large amounts of radioactive contamination.”
I was looking at her, trying to grasp it all.
“Would you be willing to take the drug?” she asked.
“What will happen, if I don’t?” I asked.
“Cancer, probably. Infections, diarrhoea, vomiting. The body will break down.”
I had no choice in the matter, really. “Sure, I’ll take it,” I said, a sad smile on my face, appreciative of the dark humour of the situation.
“Keep your spirits up and stay close to your friends in a time like this.” She looked at Pranav.
She came forward and took out the cannula in my hand. “You can leave for now. If anything happens, just let us know. I believe you will be completely fine in a few days.”
“Thank you for explaining everything properly,” I said, “but there is something else I want to ask you.”
“Yes?” She stopped midway to the exit.
“Among the people admitted, I want to find two people from Rajgar. Can I get a list or something?” I asked hopefully.
“Uh… who is it?” she asked.
“My parents,” I answered.
“Oh. When did they come here?” she asked.
I swallowed and lied. “I am not sure.” I could feel Pranav looking at me, but I did not turn to face him.