"Come back, it's over. Running there now would be pointless. There is no use trying to follow his footsteps because he would be dead by now”, Teesha dropped her gun and knelt down with her head on the ground. The tears streaming down her cheeks, wailed, "It will just bring us to his corpse and if we are late, we will be one too"

 Slowly it began to drizzle, and the ominous clouds became thicker. The buildings that were about to collapse, the trees that gave up, and the birds who were unable to expand their wings to fly were all more frightened by the silence than by the sound of the weapons. She felt as if she had failed and that everything was over.

Teesha and Riu were standing beneath the clouds, staring at each other's anguish about not being able to stop their brother from going to war, when it began pouring heavily. Teesha continued to sob on her knees as Riu added, "We promised him. He hates war, Teesha, so we promised he wouldn't suffer in this war. We made an effort to convince him that the world is lovely, wars are just the result of unhappy individuals who seek peace through violence, and everything will be okay when they understand that it’s all wrong. Who said it all?" She forced her tears as she glanced at the clouds that were bringing rain: "It was you who promised him that everything would be okay, and now you just….give up.”

“Hey! Hey! What the heck are you two girls doing here? Are those assault rifles?"

They were being approached by two military personnel. As they escaped from the area, Riu grabbed Teesha's hand and said, "Come, let's go somewhere else." 

While it was still pouring outside, they rushed to the empty railway, where they crossed the bridge and followed the road to their Uncle's house. Now, Riu added, "We need Uncle's assistance." 

"What can he do right now?" asks Teesha, still feeling guilty. " How on earth can he assist when it was him who inspired Deejan to join the fight, go to war, and perhaps even pick up a weapon? He did it all.” “How can you say that it was him?” Riu questioned abruptly.

"How come not? Ever since he started to live with him, he steadily drifted away from us," Teesha said." He used to be a cheerful go-lucky boy when he was with us, but his thoughts have changed ever since we left him at Uncle's house. Deejan was clearly upset. Of course, Uncle being ex-military, a person who seen wars from close up, he would have brainwashed Deejan." 

"It's not what you're thinking", Riu said as she walked up to her. "You're just assuming things. That's not true," and as a military car approached, they both resumed their running. While the sun was beginning to set, the rain never stopped or slowed down. In the moonlight, the clouds still appear dark.

The door was being repeatedly knocked, and when an old, well-built man with a large moustache on his face opened it, he said, "Riu...Teesha...” He yelled, "Where the hell were you two girls!”. Teesha entered her room without even seeing him in the eyes. As the Uncle shut the door, Riu entered after watching it in silence. 

He asked, "May I know what happened?" and Riu remarked, "Deejan is dead; we were unable to bring him back." “What? Oh god! The poor boy could not have gotten worse treatment. He would receive no mercy from the Yunasianists”, and he simply put his palm on his face while sitting calmly on the couch.

“You did it… It’s all you” Teesha yelled from upstairs as tears rolled out her eyes. 

“What?” Uncle asked. 

Riu moved forward, “Teesha I told you…” but was interrupted by Teesha, “I know what you told me, I know…. but whatever happened to Deejan, it’s all because of someone, he was influenced. It can’t be him, he would never go to war and he would never pick up a gun. Uncle, you already ruined the life of two young girls, me and my sister when you first made us hold these guns just so that our brother one day, wouldn’t have to touch these man-killing machines” Teesha continued to weep, “But today… we couldn’t even see his body, where is he? How was he even treated” and saying this, she went back to her room

Uncle kept on staring upstairs, confused and thinking what can he even do, “Riu meet me at the roof. I will get some tea, I need to talk” and walked away. Riu sat on the roof gazing at the skies beneath the enormous arch that resembled an umbrella.

“Teesha, Riu I don't know whether I'll ever return, so look after Deejan. Uncle Yura will now take care of you. Although the war has been going on for seven years, remember to avoid adopting violence and avoid trying to join it because there is no winning in war; you will always lose something, and your loved ones will also.”

Riu still remembers what her father said before leaving for war.

“Mom, if you were still alive. I think our family… no, this world would be a better place. You were the most peaceful person on this planet who could influence anyone. If you were a superhero, you would have stopped the war and would have saved dad and Deejan from sacrificing themselves” She stared at the moonlight and said to herself.

Uncle Yura said, "Missing her?" while taking a sip from his cup of tea. "I miss her too. If my sister were here, the world would change for the better and be more pleasant. But now..." he said, sitting down. " Teesha just overreacted; she was usually too emotional, said Riu, holding her uncle's hand.

" She never uses reasoning, but she will never move past Deejan's passing. She didn't mean any harm," Yura said, "She thinks I brainwashed him, but that's not the truth.”

Yura sipped some more and said, "As children grow older, they gradually begin to learn the truths about the world that we adults have kept away from them. They steadily learn to survive even if they are slowly approaching death. Humans mature as an adult in that way.”

He has usually kept away from things, so.." Riu said, "I still wonder why did he take that decision suddenly." She leaned back. "The war began precisely on the day he was born; the Yunasianists first launched a missile on us, but the Huyanas would never remain silent and in a flash, 14 years had passed and..."

"Yes, the time has flown by, but this never seems to end. This must be stopped by one of us," added Yura

“Deejan used to sit in his room, alone. Write letters to you sisters and time flew, didn’t know he would do this…” Yura said. “Letters? What letters?” asked Riu, “We didn’t get any”

“What? Then…what he used to write?” asked Yura. “Riu…Riu… come here, I found something” yelled Teesha from downstairs.

 It was a diary. 

“What could be in Deejan’s diary?” asked Yura. 

”There is nothing inside,” said Teesha. 

“He used to write his diary, see all the pages are torn. He didn’t want us to read it” said Riu.

A piece of paper from the diary. All three of them stared at it, “What’s this” Yura picked it up.

I will come back… Soon

“What does this mean? Will he really come?” teared up Teesha

A couple shots were fired near their house at the same time. To avoid the gunfire, they hurriedly dove and fled for their lives. Teesha was hiding under the table as Yura and Riu headed back toward a pillar. They attempted to evade the coming bullets as the firing continued for a few more minutes. The firing eventually came to an end. Four military soldiers entered as the door slowly opened. 

" The Huyan military?" Riu said, "Why did they assault us?" They were followed inside the room by a young, slender boy with a pistol.

“Deejan?” The sisters and Yura were surprised to discover him there with them.

To be continued…

The Song Of The War, Part 2: The Traitor