Zombiestan

by Mainak Dhar

  Freddy sat down and opened a pack of biscuits and passed them around. Abhi grabbed two of them and wolfed them down with gusto. David asked Freddy what he had been through but all he got in response was a rambling reply about his secret Tandoori Chicken recipe that was the talk of Karnal. As they sat down, Freddy suddenly put his fingers on his lips.

  'Now we all need to be good boys and girls and we need to sleep tight. If we make any noise, they will come. Good night.'

  He turned off the bulb, curled up in a corner and closed his eyes.

  They all looked at each other and Mayukh saw a hint of amusement creep into Swati's eyes, replaced immediately by a look of guilt.

  'What happened?'

  She put her head against his shoulder.

  'I was about to say something about him being crazy, but he probably saved our lives tonight.'

  They were all on edge, but soon fatigue got the better of them, and one by one, they fell into an uneasy sleep. Mayukh had Swati with her head resting on his left shoulder and Abhi curled up on his lap. He would never have imagined such a situation just days ago, but before he drifted off to sleep, he thought that he had never been so happy.

  Shuffling noises directly overhead their hiding place awakened him, and then he heard the screeching howls of the Biters. He had heard it many times now, but even now it send a shiver down his spine. He looked around and in the darkness could make out the others stirring. They all sat huddled together, praying that the Biters would not find them and would move on. The Biters seemed to be trashing Freddy's modest restaurant, judging by the crashing and ripping noises they heard.

  David whispered to Mayukh.

  'I screwed up. We left our car outside. If these Biters are indeed getting smarter, they know we must be around and are looking for us.'

  The suggestion that what everyone had taken to be mindless zombies were gradually becoming sentient, thinking, yet equally bloodthirsty enemies was something that struck fear in all of them. David sat there, his rifle pointed at the hatch, hoping that he would not have to use it.

  Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, the Biters left. Mayukh and the others were caked in sweat despite the winter chill, and nearly everyone jumped when Freddy turned on the bulb. Despite all that had happened, his smile was ever present and he clapped his hands together.

  'We won our game of hide and seek again. Now we can go out and play there. Welcome to Zilmil Restaurant. Five star food at one star prices!'

  They emerged one by one, relieved to see that it was daytime and also taking in the extent to which the restaurant had been destroyed. The Biters had literally taken it apart piece by piece, smashing furniture and crockeries, leaving it looking as if a tornado had smashed through it. The devastation did not seem to dampen Freddy's enthusiasm, since he picked up a half smashed cup and offered Abhi tea. The boy squealed with laughter and soon they were playing a game of hide and seek. That gave the adults some time to plan. David was about to suggest that they leave immediately when he saw something out the window.

  'Oh, shit!'

  They ran out to see the windows of their SUV smashed open and scratches and dents crisscrossing its sides. Mayukh's heart sank as he wondered what they would do if the vehicle wouldn't start. David ran to it and tried the ignition. To everyone's relief, it started. Swati sighed with relief next to Mayukh.

  'Thankfully they aren't that smart.'

  But then she added, in a lower tone.

  'Yet.'

  They managed to pry Abhi from Freddy, who asked them to leave Abhi with him as a playmate and seemed genuinely hurt when they told him Abhi was going with them. Hina looked pleadingly towards David and asked if they could take Freddy with them. David instantly refused. As much as Mayukh felt sorry for the man, he realized that with the long journey that lay ahead of them, he would be a liability. As they were about to drive away, Freddy ran up to the window where Mayukh was sitting, smiling again.

  'They say there is an ashram in Manali where the Biters don't go. If you get hungry, don't go there but come back to Zilmil Restaurant. Remember, Five star food at one star prices.'

  Mayukh smiled and waved goodbye, but then something seemed to occur to Freddy and he gripped Mayukh's arm, speaking with a serious tone that Mayukh had not heard in his voice before.

  'Be careful. The Biters are not the only ones to hide from. There are those who come in the day.'

  EIGHT

  According to the guidebook, it was a good eight to ten hour drive from Karnal to Manali, which was the last gateway to the mountain passes that would lead to Ladakh. With its large number of hotels and guest houses, they had hoped that they would be able to find some refuge in Manali for the night before they set out again the next morning.

  The problem, David thought as he tried to focus on the road ahead, was that there was no way they were going to get anywhere close to Manali by Sunset. With the windows smashed, they could not drive very fast, and he had quickly conferred with Mayukh and they had agreed that if it looked like they were not going to get to Manali by Sunset then they would stop at the town of Mandi on the way.

  They had been driving for a couple of hours and Abhi was dozing on Hina's lap. Mayukh was in the front passenger seat, and he felt behind him for Swati's hand, holding it as the trip continued. They played with each other's fingers, and once when Mayukh laughed out loud, David turned to him to see what was so funny.

  'Do you lovebirds want to move to the back seat?'

  Swati blushed at Hina's comment, but Mayukh noted with a smile, that she did not let go of his hand. It was funny how everything had changed with the times. There was no denying that if he had met Swati in school under normal circumstances, he may have been attracted to her, but with the circumstances in which they had been thrown together, there was no time for him to court her for months, no time for them to trade emails and text messages before they went on that first date. No, things had changed indeed. Their first date had involved being chased around by undead creatures called Biters.

  Suddenly Abhi piped up, having awakened and now sitting alert on Hina's lap.

  'Is it cloudy today?'

  Swati tousled her baby brother's hair.

  'No, Abhi, it's actually quite sunny, but see we have no windows, so it feels windy.'

  Abhi was however insistent.

  'No, no, it's very cloudy there.'

  Mayukh had turned around to watch Abhi when his gaze followed what the boy was looking at. In the distance, he could see a rolling cloud of dust being raised on the approaches leading to the highway. By now, Swati and Hina were both looking as well, and Hina shouted to David.

  'What is that?'

  David caught a glimpse in his rear view mirror and then turned around for a better look. Mayukh could see David's face tighten as he responded.

  'At least two or three vehicles, coming at high speed.'

  In a few more seconds, they could see them-three jeeps, loaded with at least four men in each vehicle. Swati murmured hopefully.

  'Maybe they're also trying to get to safety like us.'

  Just then, one of the men in the leading jeep took out a pistol and fired three shots. Moving at high speed, the shots came nowhere near their vehicle, but they all now knew that the three jeeps bearing down on them were hardly coming to offer assistance.

  'Get down and stay down! There's no way we can outrun them.'

  Those in the back seat needed no more encouragement from David as Hina and Swati both hit the deck, keeping Abhi under them. The boy was asking why they were hiding in the daytime, but nobody had the time to answer him. David motioned for Mayukh to take the wheel, and he slid over, trying to keep the SUV going straight. They would have looked ludicrous in any other circumstance, with David half sitting on Mayukh's lap and leaning out the window. But there was nothing funny about what he had in mind. He asked Mayukh for his rifle and then took aim at the jeep in the middle. Two more men were now firing their handguns, and a few shots were pi
nging off the SUV. David fired a carefully aimed three round burst and the windshield on the jeep shattered as the shots hit home, killing the driver instantly. The jeep careened over to the side of the road and toppled over, and the men standing in the back were thrown onto the road by the impact. The other two jeeps spread out and continued the chase, steadily gaining on the SUV.

  'Mayukh, they're on both sides of us. I can't get them both from here.'

  Mayukh was wondering what to do when he heard Swati shout.

  'Give me your gun.'

  Mayukh hesitated and then not having any better ideas, handed his gun to Swati. She leaned out the window and kept firing at one of the pursuing jeeps before the clip ran empty. She didn't hit anything or anyone, but the surprise of being met with such firepower caused the jeep to slow down and veer back to the right, where it entered David's field of fire. By now David had unloaded a dozen rounds into the other jeep, several hitting the driver and sending the jeep rolling end on end till it landed in a heap by the side of the road. The third jeep, having moved from Swati's side was now a bare twenty meters away and three men on it were firing away with handguns. Mayukh heard David gasp in pain as he fell back into the SUV, falling on Mayukh and causing him to lose control. He then heard a whooshing noise as the vehicle buckled and started swerving to the right, as he struggled to control it.

  'Bastards shot out one of our tires', David exclaimed through clenched teeth as he felt at his wound, his hand coming back covered with blood.

  Hina asked if he was okay, and David said that it was just a flesh wound, and then added somberly.

  'Now we have no choice but to stand and fight.'

  As the SUV slowly rolled to a halt by the roadside, David did something unexpected. He opened the door and rolled outside onto the road. The jeep's occupants saw him and began firing at him as he ran to the other side of the road, diving to take cover behind a road sign. Mayukh took his gun from Swati, loaded his last clip and stood outside the vehicle, aiming at the jeep that was now bearing down on David.

  He had fired at one of the goons attacking Swati, and then at the Biters outside Purohit's apartment. But this was different. It was the first time he was shooting to kill a human being. David was not returning fire, and he was either out of ammunition or more badly wounded than he had admitted. Either way, Mayukh knew it all came down to him. He steadied his hands, spreading his legs slightly and bending at the knee to get the best balance. He remembered what his father had once taught him. Always shoot between heartbeats. He aimed just ahead of the driver and pulled the trigger twice in quick succession.

  The first bullet hit the man in the hip and the second, raised by the slight recoil of the gun, hit him in the chest. The jeep swerved to the side as the driver fell out, not to get up again. Mayukh had no time to contemplate what he had done. The three remaining men were now jumping off the jeep, guns in hand, and turning towards him. A bullet pinged off the SUV inches from his face as he knelt down and fired at the shooter. Three shots in rapid succession, two of which struck home. The man went down hard against the jeep, bounced to the ground and did not get up. Another man fired at him, the bullet grazing his hip as Mayukh felt a stinging pain sear through his leg as he fell.

  That was when David exploded into action. He raced out from behind cover, his handgun raised, firing as he ran. He emptied the clip into the man nearest to him, who was struck by round after round, pirouetting like a puppet on a string before he fell. David discarded the gun, took his combat knife in hand and jumped on the man who had just shot Mayukh. The man had turned to face him and tried to raise his gun, but he never stood a chance. The man must have fancied himself to be tough in innumerable drunken brawls, but facing a Navy SEAL out to kill him, he lasted no more than three seconds.

  Hina was now outside, and Abhi had run up to Mayukh, hugging his knee and crying. Mayukh felt Swati hugging him close as he tried to get up. She was smothering him in kisses.

  'Oh God, I thought you were…..'

  There was no need for saying anything more. Mayukh held her close, as he saw David walk over. His right shoulder was covered in blood.

  'Ah shucks, I wish someone would fuss over me as well. I'm bleeding as well, you know.'

  Hina walked over to take out David's first aid pack and tended to his wound.

  'All you get is a sixty-five year old crone. Now stop being a baby and let me look at your wound.'

  They had both suffered superficial wounds that were soon bandaged and they just sat there on the highway for some minutes, reveling in the close escape they had. Mayukh looked at Swati, who was feeding Abhi some cookies.

  'You were really brave back there.'

  Swati said something about not even hitting anything, but David patted her on the shoulder.

  'Doesn't matter, Swati. You probably saved all of us there.'

  He had been inspecting the weapons of their fallen enemies to see if there was anything useful but had proclaimed them to be pieces of junk-all crude country-made pistols. The hunt for a spare tire for their SUV had proved equally fruitless, with the spare having been slashed by the Biters. Two of their pursuing jeeps were wrecks, and the third was leaking fuel from two bullet holes.

  Hina had her head against the SUV's side, her eyes closed. Her heart was still hammering, and as she began to think of the dangers they had all faced and the stakes each of them had in the struggle to get to Ladakh, just how little she mattered. David was their unspoken leader due to his military experience; Swati and Mayukh had each other and Abhi to live and fight for; and the little boy was the key to this whole expedition, the one spark of hope that kept them all going. But what was she doing in all this? She couldn't fight, had nobody who would lament her passing, and had no useful skills to offer. David sat down beside her, smiling as he tried to think what was going through her mind.

  None of them had yet asked the question that was on the back of everyone's mind. How would they ever get to Manali or to anywhere safe before Sunset? It was already two in the afternoon, and nobody had any bright ideas. They were also running short on ammunition. David was out of ammunition for his rifle, and was on his last clip for his handgun, and Mayukh had only four rounds left.

  Just then, Mayukh shouted.

  'Shit, not again!'

  All of them looked to see a cloud of smoke approaching them on the highway.

  ***

  Given the attack they had just survived, they were in no mood to take any chances. Hina, Swati and Abhi crouched inside the SUV while David took cover behind one open door, and Mayukh the other. They had just over a dozen rounds between them, but they were hoping to catch whoever it was in their crossfire. As the vehicle, a black van, came closer, David aimed at the driver, and was about to fire when the van stopped and a single man stepped out, his hands in the air, and began walking towards them.

  As he came closer, they saw that he was white, totally bald and wearing jeans and a plain white shirt. His hands were raised, and as he came within a few feet, he said loudly, in a thick accent.

  'I am here to help.'

  Mayukh got up, and started to move towards the man, but David motioned for him to wait, his gun still pointing at the man.

  'That's close enough. Who are you?'

  The man looked at David and smiled.

  'My name is Walter. I am alone and unarmed.'

  The way he said his name, it came out sounding like Valter. Hina and Swati had also come out of the vehicle, and the man waved to them. He seemed friendly enough, but with all they had gone through, David was not about to take any chances.

  'Walter, what are you doing out here all alone?'

  The man dropped his hands, causing David to tense, but then he laughed.

  'Come on, you have two armed young men covering me. I am fifty and have no weapons on me. Let me come closer and I can tell you more. By all means, keep your guns on me if that makes you feel better, but don't make me shout through this conversation'

  David
nodded and the man approached them. Up close, Mayukh could see that the man was very fit, with not an ounce of spare fat on his body and his arms were sinewy and muscled. His face was however creased and wrinkled with age. He smiled again as he came up to them.

  'I do this route twice every day, looking for people like you.'

  When David asked him what he meant, he pointed to the overturned jeeps and carnage around them.

  'There are many like them, preying on the weak and desperate. And then, there are the Biters. It seems nowadays safety is a precious commodity. Thankfully, we have safety to offer and are trying to get as many people there as we can.'

  Mayukh asked him where he was from, and the man responded with an expression that indicated that he would have thought that everyone knew about the sanctuary he was referring to.

  'The Sammasati Ashram in Kullu, of course.'

  Then Mayukh remembered the ashram that Freddy of the one star price had referred to. David must have remembered as well, for he visibly relaxed, lowering his gun, though he did not put it back in its holster. Walter took this as a good sign, and came closer, still smiling and nodding politely to Hina and Swati. Abhi had bounded out of the SUV and looked at the stranger in their midst. He ran his fingers over his hair and then giggled.

  'You have no hair.'

  Everyone tried their best to suppress their laughter as Walter knelt in front of Abhi.

  'No, my dear, I have not had hair for many years now. But I do have a toy train set back at the Ashram. We could play that if you liked to. Would you like that?'

  Abhi's eyes lit up and he looked at Swati, as if seeking permission. David asked Walter how they had set up the Ashram and how many people were there. Walter looked at his watch.

  'My friend, it's almost three in the afternoon. Even if I drive as fast as I dare to with all the abandoned trucks and cars on the highway up ahead, we will barely get there by Sunset. Come with me, and I can tell you everything you want on the way. But you have to trust me at least that much.'