Chapter 8

Surya heard all about Kimbala from Gurudev multiple times but never been there. He was not sure which path would be the safest for him. This was the first time when he was going to that island.

He read books as much as he could about Kimbala, and it's location. But he realized it soon that those books needed some up-gradation about the facts written on it. Things were changed a lot.

This journey took time longer than he anticipated. Those people to whom he was asking the directions they were not smart enough either. Some of them replied to him with their anger, fear for that place, or just polite expression of not knowing about the place. Surprisingly, some of them showed him the direction, hiding their lack of knowledge, which was an insult to the injury.

Finally, he reached a place just next to Kimbala. Kimbala was a river island and the only way to be there was via a boat. The place where he was standing, was separated from that island by the river. A boat was the only option.

Surya searched everywhere a boat to hire. Maybe that was the resting time for all the sailor men or everyone went on a vacation at the same time. There was not a single boat to hire.

He kept walking on the sandy bank.

Finally, his eyes found peace. There was a tiny boat, he could see. He moved his legs faster towards that boat.

"Is this your boat?" Surya asked the man sitting on it.

He was busy watching the river. The reaction in his face explicated that his river watching moment was abrupted by Surya, and he did not like it at all.

The man looked Surya from head to toe and said," Do you see anyone else here?"

He got back to his moment.

"I must go to Kimbala. Can you take me there?" Surya asked again.

"Nope, I can not take you there by any chance,"

"Why not? Your boat seems okay to me,"

"It's not about my boat. It's you. You won't be able to pay me,"

"How much do you charge? Just name your price," Surya said.

He moved into the boat and sat inside.

"Hey, man, what are you doing? Are you insane? I have told you already I am not going there. So get the hell out of my boat."

"Listen, for me, it's a matter of great importance, and you are going to take me no matter what."

"I have another option for you. Jump to the water and swim to that weird island. I am sure you can swim. The water is cold, but you will be fine. It's in that direction." he said, pointing his finger to his left.

"I can pay double if you want, or some in advance. What do you say?"

"If we go there we won't be able to return alive. It's okay if you want to die, but I love my life. I am not ready for it,"

"Look, I can completely understand your fear. That place is dangerous. Normally, people avoid that kind of place. But you will be with me. No one will hurt..."

The sailor man stopped him in the middle and said," no, you don't understand. I am not afraid of that island or any of the people living there, but to that thing in the water. Something has happened recently. No one takes there boat to that area,"

"What do you mean? What happened in the water?" Surya asked.

"They say there is something in the river, a monster. I have no idea where all those creeps come, but it was not there earlier."

"What kind of monster you are talking about?" he was curious.

"I don't know. I have never seen it. People say that whenever they saw that thing, they lost control, and automatically moved towards it to become the food,"

"What is your name?" Surya asked, exhaling a breath.

"Sahid, What has to do with it?" he sounded irritated.

"Look, Sahid," Aryan came closer to him, " I have spent my life fighting with all those things. I can promise you that I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me,"

Sahid was about to say something, shrugging his shoulders. But, Surya spoke again, "Besides, if you take me there, I will tell you how you can protect yourself from that thing. It will definitely be a boon to your business, isn't it? Everyone will hire your boat,"

"Fine, I will take you there." he scratched his head," But, if anything happens to you, I am not responsible for that, and you have to pay me extra if there are any damages to my boat."

"Agreed," he said.

Sahid pushed the boat to the river, and then sitting inside it, he started to strike the water with his ore. The boat started to move smoothly towards the island.

Some time of silence was passed, except for the sound of fast-flowing river water.

"What's under that hood?" Sahid asked, breaking the silence.

Surya did not give much attention to his question.

"What's wrong? You have got a big ugly scar while fighting with some monster?" He teased him.

"It will be prudent if you can keep your mind and eyes in the river instead of questioning about my fashion sense and my skin,"

"I took several people to Kimbala. All of them were very weird. But you are the weirdest one, you know that" he was moving the ore sometimes to the left, and sometimes to his right.

"That's because I am the only one who is capable of saving you from the monster. So keep your mouth shut,"

"Yeah, time will tell that you are really that good like you have said or you were just bluffing. If I die, I will not spare you,"

"ssshhhh," Surya stood up, sensing something.

"What's wrong?" Sahid was also panicked.

"There is something, I can feel it. It's coming here," he whispered, "close your eyes and don't open until I tell you. Don't even move. Put the oar up."

Sahid closed his eyes and tried to remain still, like a statue. He was even trying not to move his chest while breathing. The boat was moving slowly by the current of the river. Sahid was feeling like everything around him had stopped moving. There is not the slightest sound. The surrounding became pin-drop silence.

"hisss," Sahid could hear this.

A cold, heart-stopping sound.

It's so close to him. His legs and hands were shaking, and the heart was beating like a drum. He wanted to open his mouth and breath as much as the air he could. Somehow, he was sitting with his lips pressing hard.

"hisss," again the sound was heard. This time it got closer.

Sahid could feel something was looking at him. The warm air coming from that thing was touching the skin of Sahid. Suddenly, his body was started to feel very heavy. Tears were coming out from his eyes. His nose was getting blocked due to snot, making it harder to breathe.

"Sahid," someone touched his shoulder.

This time he forgot everything. He felt like it's going to eat him now. His mind was totally blank, and a shout came out from his mouth automatically.

"Help...help...save me," he moved his ore in the air forcefully to hit whatever it was.

"Calm down, calm down. It has gone," he said, grabbing his hand.

Surya was standing in front of him. Sahid looked at him for some time. He was still wondering if this was real or not.

"You are alive,"

"What was it?", Sahid sounded petrified.

"Something you don't want to know about,"

"Is it dead, have you killed it?" Sahid was asking breathlessly.

"No, but I pushed it away,"

Sahid looked back.

"Don't worry, it's not following you," he said, with a smile on his face.

"Now, how far we are from Kimbala?" Surya asked sitting on the deck.

"Not so far, we are about to reach, "

Sahid gazed around to find out their location.

"We are already late, move fast,"

He took his oar back and started to move it in the river. The boat was back in its speed.

Finally, after some time, the boat touched the surface of Kimbala.

"How much are you going to charge for the trip?" Surya asked, jumping from the boat.

"Wait, wait. You can't get rid of me like that,"

"What do you mean?"

"You said that the monster is still there. It's not dead. I am not going back alone. I have felt that thing, and it gave me a near-death experience,"

"Then, wait here until I get back,"

"I take this as the safest option for me," Sahid tied up his boat.

Surya was approaching the village. Though it's day time, due to the tall trees, it felt like evening. He was moving inside and inside through a narrow path. Only trees he could see, not a sign of a single human.

After walking some time, he found an open area and lines of huts. He remained still at his position, observing the place.

It's strange not a single person was there in the middle of the day.

But...

Something was happening behind his back.

A villager was walking towards him from behind with slow and silent steps holding a heavy bamboo stick. He did not want to alert Surya with his presence. When he got Surya in his range, he raised the stick above his head clenching his teeth.

He was about to hit his head.

Just a second before the stick to touch Surya's head, he turned back and holds the stick. With his other hand, he pushed the man in the chest with his open palm. The man fell to the ground.

"Don't even think about it," Surya said, holding the stick to the face of the man.

"Who are you? What do you want?", the man cried out.

"I am not here to cause any trouble,"

"Let him go," Someone shouted from behind.

Surya turned towards him and saw two men were grabbing Sahid by his hands. One of them was putting a knife on his neck.

"Hey man, you have a very unique style of welcoming your guests. I like that." Sahid said to one of the men holding him.

"Shut up, another word, and I will rip your tongue from your mouth," the man holding the knife shouted furiously.

"And you, what do you want?" he shouted again to Surya.

"I am looking for someone who can tell me about Bharta,"

"What is it you have to do with Bharata? Who are you?"

Surya raised his sleeve of the left hand and showed the tattoo on his forearm.

"The mark of the GHOST," one of the village people said with widening his eyes.

"So, can we talk now without anyone getting hurt," he asked.

"Sure, I am Gagong be. Sorry about that. I was not able to recognize you," a man with a long bore came closer. He sounded welcoming this time.

"It's fine. There is an emergency. That's why I am here,"

"Hey, guys, there is still a knife on my neck," Sahid shouted.

"Let him go. He is not our enemy, "Gagong ordered the man, holding the knife.

The knife was removed.

"You could have just asked that instead of putting a knife on my neck," Sahid said, rubbing his neck