Free Immortals by Spartan Kaayn Page B

consequences of one’s actions did not stop with that person, but engulfed their entire kinship.
    That was the greatest morality check for the Mumbai mob. What you did on the streets of Mumbai was a matter of life or death for your family. You die loyal, and they were rewarded; you betray, and they had to pay with their lives. People like Jai were considered dangerous. Jai had no one to call a family and that meant the gang had no insurance against a betrayal by him.
    Jai realised he had betrayed the gang and that now the gang had Henna and her family to answer for Jai’s and her own betrayal. Only, that made his resolve stronger to guard Henna with all his might, and keep her safe, come what may.
    Henna had told her mother the gist of what had happened to her. She saw the mayhem and understood what had transpired. The pillar on the left of the house had collapsed during the fight and the courtyard was a mess. Three unknown and armed male dead bodies lay strewn in her house.
    Henna’s mother gathered herself in a moment and said:
    ‘Both of you leave immediately. I will handle everything.’
    She urged her daughter and Jai to go. She feared for the safety of her daughter.
    ‘But…’
    Jai wanted to say something but Henna’s mother cut him short.
    ‘Henna’s father will be here soon. I will send for him. The police also will be here anytime now. No one outside of the house has seen both of you till now. It will be very difficult to explain your presence to the police and it would not take them long to figure out the connection. Moreover, I am sure the police are also in cahoots with these people.’
    That last sentence made sense to Jai.
    The advice was sound and it was best for them to leave.
    ‘But Aunty, you cannot stay here for long. They will make another attempt sooner rather than later. It is a prestige issue for these bastards now.’
    She nodded but did not say anything.
    Quick farewells were said and Jai and Henna were on the road, sneaking out of the back of the house in ten minutes.
    Jai walked at a steady pace as they made their way to the railway station. They would be on the first train out of there.
    ‘Where will we go now?’ Henna asked between sobs.
    ‘Mumbai.’
    ‘What?’ Henna was surprised and stopped in her tracks. She looked at Jai, dumbstruck.
    ‘What’s in Mumbai? Nothing you say to Bhai can make him change his mind now,’ Henna said in a desperate voice.
    Jai walked close to her, placed his palm against her face
    ‘Henna, I am never going to plead for mercy with the person who has hurt you thus. I am not going to Mumbai to plead with the bastard.’
    A tear rolled down Henna’s cheek.
    Jai continued, ‘I am not going to say anything, but we need to do something. If we do not, they will stop at nothing. Your family will be murdered and then a relentless cat-and-mouse game will go on until we are caught. I do not wish to live a life of the hunted, looking over our shoulders at all times.’
    ‘But what can we do, Jai?’
    ‘I have something in my mind and I need you to trust me on this. Please.’
    Henna stood there, ambivalent for a second, and then bobbed her head in an affirmative and caught up in stride with Jai.
    Henna’s trust in Jai was nothing short of absolute.
    Jai did not have to try too hard to convince her. She was now following him blindly and if anything were to happen to her, Jai would never be able to forgive himself.
    He would not let anything happen to her.
    He had already ‘brought her back’ from the dead twice. He would do that over and over again if needed.
    They walked in silence towards the railway station.
    ***
    The train journey was uneventful.
    It had mostly been silence between them during the journey. They were uncertain about what lay ahead for them. Jai had an ill-conceived plan and all Henna had was a blind yet shaky trust in Jai. Shaky not because she felt he would betray her, rather whether he would achieve what he had set out to do. Neither