Chapter 4 Revelations
His mobile’s buzz vibrated across his thigh. He opened his eyes, seeing the sky bright blue and a bird cutting across it. Samar squinted, glancing at Amaal sleeping on his arm, her leg pushed between his thighs. His mobile kept buzzing between them and he carefully reached down and extracted it.
His specs were skewed, his eyes hazy. He rubbed them through the specs and held his mobile at arm’s length. The caller ID photograph came into focus before the name did. He cut the call and closed his eyes.
The mobile began to buzz again. He sighed. Had Amaal sent their wedding photo or what?
Samar gently disentangled himself from her and she startled awake.
He patted her head, sending it back down.
She mumbled something before turning and going back to sleep.
He gently swayed the hammock for her and walked a few steps away.
The birds were chirping loud and happy, the air warm now.
He pulled his T-shirt away from his chest, letting the mild breeze cool off the sweat, swiping Accept on the call and plastering it to his ear.
“Adil.”
“Where are you?”
“Why?”
“Have you been in touch with Atharva today?”
He yawned, trying to recollect what today meant. “No,” he shook his head. “I mean, yes… I met him yesterday morning for NDP registration in Delhi.”
“And then?”
“Then he was going to take Iram and Arth to see Amar Jawan Jyoti. What happened?”
“They are untraceable.”
All remnants of sleep evaporated.
“What do you mean untraceable?”
“I can’t find them, can’t reach them on either of their phones, no signals… tried all night! He didn’t leave any SOS or no-questions-asked signal.”
“Noora was with them.”
“Even he is not traceable…” Panic began to bleed into his voice.
“What’s going on?”
“Samar?” Amaal’s voice made him turn.
She was sitting up on the hammock, reading on her mobile. She looked at him, horrified, and held it out to him — “Read.”
“The SIT report is out.”
— TO BE CONTINUED —
The Heaven Series 5.0 concludes the long and thrilling journey of Atharva Singh Kaul and Iram Haider as they find themselves poised on a tangent breaking the circle of their exile.
If you haven’t read Atharva and Iram’s story yet, start here.
#1 The City of Pillars
The tale of how Atharva and Iram met, way before everyone else thought they did.
#2 The Space in Between
The story of Atharva and Iram’s marriage, and what went on behind the public facade.
#3 Beyond this Heaven
The story of Atharva and Iram’s confrontation with their life’s biggest secret.
#4 The Circle of Exile
The saga of Atharva and Iram’s strife with life’s cruelest realities.
For bonus deleted content from A Fortress of Windows, follow Bhavini K. Desai on her Instagram.
Scroll down for an excerpt from The City of Pillars.