Kairav

I walked towards Watson. He was sitting in the frontyard, sharpening the knives and wiping the blood off the guns.

"Hey Watson", I greeted him unexcitedly and he looked down at me.

"Hey buddy", he said cheerfully, bending in front of me.

"You don't have to bend down to reach my height. It makes me feel inferior and small. I'm fine with looking up to you", I spoke and he chuckled at my sentence.

"Oh really....you're still that small boy for me", he said poking my nose and I looked at him sternly with folded arms.

Watson sighed and stood up to lean against the door of the jeep.

"What's the matter little guy? You wouldn't come to talk to me all by yourself. What's going on in that brain of yours?", he asked me curiously.

"I wanna learn how to use a gun", I replied casually, shrugging my shoulders and he looked at me in surprise.

"What?", he asked not believing.

"Yeah", I shrugged my shoulders again.

He continued to stare down at me.

"I just wanna learn to defend myself, to be safe. Why do you guys have problem with that?", I asked him frustrated.

"We're here to keep you safe. I'm here", Watson replied and I scoffed.

"Dad used to say the same thing. But now.......he isn't here. So do you want me to die because there's no one to protect me and I don't know how to defend myself?!", I asked Watson and he took a deep breath and rubbed his forehead.

I continued looking up at him. A strange silence prevailed between us.

Watson sighed and bent in front of me.

"See buddy. I'm glad to teach you all this. Your mom should allow. Did you ask her?", Watson asked me.

"There's no use to ask her. She believes dad's alive. She's living in an imaginary world", I told Watson and Watson sighed in disbelief.

"You had a fight with her, didn't you?", he asked me.

I didn't reply anything. Watson looked at me softly and held my arms.

"Listen buddy. Be easy on your mom. She's going through so much. Don't speak anything that hurts her in anyway. After all, you're the only precious thing she has after your dad", Watson explained me and I continued looking at him with a serious expression.

"You're gonna teach me or not?", I asked him. He sighed and gave up.

"Yes, I am", he spoke and I smiled faintly at him.

"Kairav!!", mom called me from inside and I turned towards her.

"What?!", I yelled totally not interested.

"Come inside once", she said walking inside and I had no other option, so I followed her inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Naira

Kairav walked inside and I served him a plate of donuts. He looked at me cluelessly.

"Forgive me if they're not good. We didn't have the sufficient ingredients", I said but he didn't pay any attention and started to walk away.

"I don't wanna eat them", he said but I blocked his way. He looked up at me. I kept the plate on the table and bent in front of him.

"I'm sorry baby. I shouldn't have raised my voice on you", I said caressing his face, and rubbing his soft cheek with my thumb.

"Oh yeah...you slapped me", he said in a bitter tone and started to walk away that I pulled him into a tight hug and started sobbing.

"I'm sorry....I'm so sorry baby. I know mumma's bad. She's really bad. Please forgive her", I said hugging him tightly. He meant the world to me. He was the only thing I was left with. I can't lose him now. I didn't  want him to go away from me.

Kairav didn't hug me back. I released the hug and held his arms.

I looked into his dark brown generic eyes that he had inherited from Kartik. Each and every feature of his, reminded me of Kartik.

"Kairav....please speak to me. Don't get upset please. I can't lose you now. Say something baby. Dont be quiet", I pleaded him but he wasn't affected. He walked away so easily like I was nobody to him. I sighed in defeat and remained to sit on the floor in despair.

**One week later**

Naira

"Kartik....", I said over the walkie talkie, standing under the shade of the same tree. Still, there was no reply. The signal continued to buffer.

"It's been over a week now....(pauses for sometime) I still haven't heard anything from you. I come here everyday, stand under the shade of the same tree, where we shared our last kiss together. Can you hear me Kartik? Are you still alive? My hope is diminishing with each passing day Kartik. I'm defeated....(sobs) defeated as a wife, defeated as a mom. I need you, I need you by my side. Its our love that has kept me strong till now", I tried to speak without bursting into tears as I was on a very low pedestal emotionally. My voice was quivering and I was biting my lip to keep the tears inside.

"We're still at the Colonel's House. All of us are doing fine. The situations are mild there. No deaths till now......(whimpers) Where are you Kartik? Why can't you come home? To us? Kairav is affected a lot Kartik. He is affected badly. He doesn't show but he misses you a lot. He needs you. And you'll have to return for him, for our son. He's going away from me, distancing himself from me. If you had been here, none of this must've happened. Please come soon Kartik", I said and pressed the button of the walkie talkie. I slid it inside my jean pocket and turned back that a biter pushed me down and rode on me.

I screamed in shock.

"Help me!!", I screamed for help while I tried to push it away. It was snapping its teeth in front of my face, trying to tear out my flesh. Its eyes were bulged out, skin was pale...its mouth was loose from the rest of its face. In simple words, it looked horrible and a disgusting, nauseating smell came from it.

"Get off me you asshole!", I yelled at it. It was my first encounter with a biter....first so close encounter. I was failing to keep it away....it had come closer to my neck and was about to bite me that Watson entered just in time and killed it with a dagger.

The biter dropped dead above me. I grunted and pushed its body off me. I stoop up and breathed heavily, trying regain my senses. It was so sudden and abrupt. I was about to lose my life.

I looked at Watson. He was looking at me with a concerned expression.

"Still don't want Kairav to learn defence?", he asked me and I scoffed.

"Stop connecting things", I said picking up my bag and wearing it on my back.

"Shouldn't I be the one who should say that to you? You were about to die!", Watson raised his voice and I sighed. I turned towards him.

"Thank you Watson. Thank you for saving my life", I thanked him, rather unwantedly and started to walk away that he spoke something from behind.

"You should just stop doing this. Kartik won't return back now", Watson spoke and I turned back to him.

"What did you say?", I asked walking closer to him. Watson sighed in defeat, keeping his hands on his hips and lowering his head.

"Accept it Naira. He's dead. You coming here, risk your life, to talk to a man who's dead!", He yelled at me.

"My husband's not dead!", I said with gritted teeth, glaring at him.

"I watched him die Naira....I witnessed it. I watched him give up", Watson spoke.

"He can never give up. KG never gives up. He can never give up on us", I spoke and Watson looked down at the forest floor and rubbed his forehead.

I looked at him for the last time and started to walk away.

"Kairav wants to be with Kartik. He wants his dad. He wants to feel his presence. He wants to live with him. He wants to become like him. I guess that's why he wants to learn combat, about guns....that's the thing that brings him closer to his dad", Watson spoke suddenly and I turned back at him.

He was looking at me with those "defeated" and "hopeless" eyes.

"Even the kid has found a way to live without Kartik...to survive without him. You should find a way too. It has already been one week but there's always a way out", Watson tried to explain me. His words kinda influenced me. They had a hidden meaning that I wasn't able to recognize then. But I didn't mind it anyway and walked away from there.

This was a daily routine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kartik

"Hello....can you see me?", I heard an unknown voice. I had finally woken up from my deep slumber and was trying to open my eyes but it was a difficult task. They felt so heavy, it was like they were shut since ages.

My eyelids moved and I opened my eyes slowly. My eyes were half open and I see the blurry image of a man. He was waving his hand and snapping his finger in front of me. I tried to open my eyes fully but it was straining.

I winced in pain as my head ached sharply.

"Careful...easy easy", the man said, and slid his hand down my head. I was trying to raise up. He supported my back and placed a pillow behind. My vision was somewhat clear now. I grunted in pain and leaned back on the pillow, throwing my head back and breathing slowly.

"Good. You're alright", the man spoke, excitement and pride in his voice.

I looked at him. He looked like a normal guy...may be in his early 30's. He was dressed casually, had curly hair and a stubble. He was wearing glasses and looking at me like I was some kind of a "precious alien creature".

"I'm so glad you're alive", he spoke happily while I continued to get a clear picture of everything.

"Where am I?", I asked cluelessly. It seemed like I had been sleeping for quite a good time as my eyes still drooped low and voice was sore.

"With good people. That must be your greatest advantage now", he replied and I looked at him cluelessly.

"Who are you?", I asked this strange creature who looked like a human.

"I'm Steve....your saviour. Imma surgeon. I saved your life", he replied and nothing.....I repeat nothing could go inside my head.

"What had happened to me?", I asked him.

"Well...over a week before, you were found badly injured, almost in a dying situation in the woods. There was none with you, just a horde of zombies advancing towards you. Then this gentleman, he saved your life", Steve said pointing towards a crossbow man. He was standing in a far corner of the tent talking to somebody. I looked at him, trying to recognise him. He looked at me for a few seconds but then turned away, walking out of the tent.

"Who's he?", I asked Steve.

"Daryl...Daryl Dixon. The crossbow man. He found you while doing rounds and brought you here to get you treated", Steve replied, wearing his stethoscope and checking my heartbeat.

"Yeah...you're eligible enough to be alive", he remarked and I looked at him strangely.

"You guys have a hospital here?! Aren't we supposed to be in a zombie apocalypse?!", I asked him frustrated and he shrugged his shoulder.

"We're in the middle of a zombie apocalypse. We just lost a man this morning. That's the reason, the situations are quite melancholic and dull at the moment. And yeah....this is a hospital. A mini one but yeah....I've opened my operation theatre inside this tent", Steve spoke proudly, describing each and every detail. He was a chatterbox and nowhere looked like a surgeon.

"Are you sure you're a surgeon?", I asked him doubtfully.

"You wouldn't have been alive to ask this question if I wasn't", Steve replied with a straight face. I nodded, trying to process things in my head.

He was pretty serious about his profession.

Just then it struck me.

Naira.....Kairav!

"I need to go to my family", I spoke abruptly, pushing away the sheet from above me and trying to get down the bed but a sharp pain ached my whole body.

"Aaahhh", I winced in pain, shutting my eyes tightly and sitting back on the bed.

"As expected....you can't move from your bed", Steve declared and I looked at him shocked.

"Bro...you were in a coma for one week. You had severe head injury and a dislocated ankle. Now I cured it. Your limbs r broken. But I fixed them. In short, the good news is you're still alive", Steve spoke and I looked at him in disbelief.

"What? When can I move? Will I be able to walk?", I asked him panicked.

"Yes, of course. Just need some rest. Drink water", Steve said picking up a glass of water and making me drink water.

"I can't be just lying here. My family thinks I'm dead. You want me to rest?", I shouted at Steve.

"You'll soon fall asleep buddy. Don't worry. I had added sleeping pills to the water that I just made you drink. So....good night. Dont let the big bugs bite", he said, getting up from his seat and walking out after zipping the tent and making everything dark again. I looked at everything suspiciously.

"I need to leave!!", I yelled but no one heard me.

******************

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