The heart and the mind are always fighting a never ending battle. Hunger clearly explicitly wins the war.

"Accha, to ab kya?*" Sheetal asked wanting to leave the place as soon as possible.

The fog around the Mandi had gotten thicker. It carried the cold which tickled Radhka's nose, at the same time, the saltiness made her sneeze.

'Ohhhoohhhooo!'

Rahika instinctively placed her hand on her stomach and made a miserable face.

"I am hungry?"

"Kya?*" Sheetal gave her an incredulous look.

"I said I am hungry."

"How could you be hungry at a time like this?"

"Is there some fixed time only ke then I can be hungry?"

The sisters continued to argue as though nothing has happened at all. Aman shook his head not knowing what to do.

"You haven't eaten anything here, have you?" he almost shouted slicing the sister's arguments in half. This got their attention and they stopped turning to face him.

"Why?" "No" they replied.

"Are you both sure? Absolutely sure?"

"No I haven't." Sheetal answered turning to Radhika.

"Why are both of you looking at me? Didn't you hear my stomach. Pet mein chuhe daud rahe hai!*"

"But you didn't eat anything right?" Aman persisted.

"No"

"Not even a single grape or a tiny peanut?"

"Nahi!*" Radhika shouted, " I didn't. What is with all the question? What are you? The C.I.D?

"Sshhh. Don't be mean." shifting her gaze "What does it matter?"

Aman sighed and took a deep breath.

"If you want to get out of here, you have to make sure you haven't eaten any food from here. The food ties you to this place. It affects different people differently but one thing is sure once you have had it, it connects and traps you... So are you perfectly sure you have not eaten anything?"

"No!" both reply instantly.

"Ok. We need to get to the main entrance and then you can leave."

"We?" Radhika asked "You're going to help us?"

"Do I have a choice?"

They stared at each other silently. Radhika whispers "Why help us? Tum ko kya mile aye ga?*"

"Nothing. I will get nothing."

"So why help us?" Radhika asked as an innocent baby.

Silence.

"Because nobody helped me when I stumbled here. I never got to see my family or friends again. I had to learn the laws of this place and how to survive here. I could not go back. It was too late by then. At least both of you have a chance before it is too late."

Aman heard himself speak but he couldn't understand why he had explained his reasons to them. Maybe they reminded him of his old home or maybe it was nice to talk to someone who understood him. Whatever it was, it didn't matter. The girls had to go.

Aman looked at the silver transparent dome covering them. It was starting to fade. He grabbed his bag and removed something. Stretching his hand to Radhika...

"Here eat this."

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*Accha, to ab kya? - Ok, so now what?

*Kya? - What?

*Pet mein chuhe daud rahe hai! - Rats are running around in my stomach. I am extremely hungry.

*Nahi - No

*Tum ko kya mile aye ga? - What will you get?