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Sagarika

Mrs Chawla caught my hand and pulled me with them.

"Wait!" The curt command halted me, as the leader stepped forward and grasped my arm. I shivered under the cold assessment of eyes that seemed to strip my clothes from my body.

"You will stay," he said looking at me. Turning to Siddh, he added grimly, "My informer just told me that the girl was saying something about her family connection and she seemed to be from a wealthy family if she could give money to the woman at the restaurant. "

Oh, my God!! Has he been there?

"No, she is just a stupid girl, too high-headed, she belongs to an ordinary family, it is just that women these days think too highly of themselves and their family. If they are earning they think they can do anything with their money. She is just delusional." Siddh was saying and I was shocked.

What the hell happened to him?? He is strict and irritating but is not a chauvinist... He respects women.

His mom, sisters, and Maurvi aunty would have beaten him black and blue if they were here.

But I guess, he was just saying all that to convince them to let me go.

"I mean her uncle is just a lower-grade party member. He has no say in the party but for her, he is already a CM candidate. You know how girls are... Please let her go. " He tried to persuade the leader.

" No!! She will come with us. You can leave with the rest of the people. " He said and I was about to faint hearing that.

"No!!" I almost cried.

"What?? No!" He said.

"Do you think you have a choice?" The leader said.

"She is my wife, we came here for our honeymoon, under no condition will I let you take her away. She is not going anywhere with you." He glared at the leader and all the guns were pointed at him. I could see his jaw clenching. But he took a deep breath and calmed down.

WIFE??

"You just convinced me that we need only one hostage. She is the one we need. " The leader said with a cool smile as if he was playing a game and winning.

"But she can't survive this jungle on her own. She came here as I brought her here forcefully. She has been nagging ever since we walked into the jungle. Let her go, I swear, she is very irritated when she is not comfortable... Can't stay in the jungle, only I know how I am tolerating her tantrums ever since we entered the jungle."

I wanted to punch him for saying all that but hug him at the same time as he was trying to save me.

"She is going with us. " The leader said holding my arm. Siddh got my arm released from his grip.

" Take me instead. Because she is not going anywhere without me, she is my wife, and I will not let her go. Kill me if you want but that will affect the negotiations... Who would believe that you would not harm her in any way if you had her alone? It will also spoil your reputation in the state... Those who support you may also think that you might harm her. Let her go! Take me instead." He said.

Oh God!! Please save us.

"Okay, don't get disheartened, we will take you with us..." The leader said, Siddh looked relieved.

"...But she will come along." He added

" No!" Siddh shook his head.

"Yes!!"

"She..." He started arguing but the leader raised his hand to cut off the argument.

"Either she comes with you or she comes alone. We can't keep the two lovers apart. After all, you were on your honeymoon."

"But she is going to make my life hell here with her nagging. Please let her go." Siddh retorted.

"Already bored with your wife... But she looks very good to me. Don't worry, if you can't handle her, we will take care of her. And if you still don't want her around then you can leave with others we can handle her. " The leader said.

Bloody bast***!

Siddh seemed to lose his mind. He clenched his fist, but the very next second he took a deep breath and exhaled.

"Why do you want a complication? Why not take me? I have been a scout and have attended some camps. All boys' camps. Girls are not meant for the jungle."

"Enough!! No more discussion on this. She is coming with you. Alone you might just be foolish enough to try to escape—you have the look of that sort of man about you, my friend, but now that we have your woman you will stay. And if you try to leave, we will kill her.'

From a distance, I heard Mrs Chawla's brief protest, before her husband silenced her, unaware of the look of helpless appeal in my eyes as they clung to Siddh's rigid back.

It seemed an hour before he turned, pivoting round slowly, no expression at all in his eyes.

"Please send her back... She will create problems... Trust me girls are like that... Especially this one. I have known her for almost two decades... We have known each other since we were children. She is a typical girl... With all her tantrums." Siddh said.

What a liar!!

Why doesn't he beat the bast***? He is a boxing champion for god's sake!

Punch him! Knock him out, Siddh!

"Do not argue with me," the leader told him, "otherwise they shall all stay."

'That's wrong,' I wanted to protest. 'I'm not his woman,' but the words stuck in my throat. I couldn't bear to look at the others as they stumbled out of the clearing, my last hope that the guerrillas might relent and allow us to leave fading as I heard their footsteps die away.

"Come," the leader ordered. "It is time we left. You were right," he told Siddh, "the others would have held us up. If you try to delay us by falling deliberately behind I shall give your woman to my men. It has been many weeks since they have had a woman. Our camp is remote, and our life there is too Spartan to attract women like yours."

Oh God!! No!!

I had gone ice-cold when I heard his threat, refused to look at Siddh, too mortified by the leader's assumption to meet his eyes.

Why did he tell them that I was his wife? Why did he say that we were together?

I needed to talk to him. He would have to answer my queries.

But I got the answer several seconds later, when, under the pretext of helping me up a steep incline, he muttered softly to me, "I know What are you thinking? This isn't the time for petty conventions. If I told them the truth I'd be condemning you to gang- assault. As long as they think you're my woman they won't touch you. Even among mercenaries there's a certain code of ethics, and besides, they probably think that if any of them tried to touch you I'd react in the same way that they would in similar circumstances—kill with my bare hands,' he elucidated grimly, 'and none of them would want to be the one I took with me before they cut me in half with those neat little Russian toys they're carrying!'

WHAT??? No!! He must be kidding...

Maybe not... The leader implied that.

I just gulped. Didn't even dare to look at Siddh at the moment.

Shit!! What did I land us into??