3rd June 2023
Hearing the little girl say that there was a thief in her house, Ali, thinking it was someone who came to look for some food or something, or maybe it was some zombie who entered inside after hearing some noise, decided to check it out. Maybe he can also find some pictures of her parents and see if he saw them in any base, or knows anything about them.
Standing up he dusted his clothes a little, removing the ash that fell on him while smoking.
"I will go and kick the thief out." Ali said as he ruffled her hair. "Don't go anywhere."
"I'm coming too. It's me house." She said as she held his hand and refused to let go.
"Fine." Ali said, as he picked the girl in his arms, and started walking towards the tilted house in the middle of the road. "By the way, you haven't told me about your father? Did he go with your mamma too?"
"Uhm umm" The girl shook her head and said "Daddy is working out. Mamma said, I will meet him first on my birthday. She also said he will bring me lots of gifts and sweets." She waved her hands while talking about the number of gifts excitedly.
"..." Ali, who heard her words, could only shake his head in response. 'Probably a single parent household then.' Ali thought as he heard she hadn't even met her father yet. A trash of pity rose in his heart as he thought he should take her with him, but then thinking about his state, he just decided to drop her with Aarvi and then go back. 'She'll be safer with her instead of living alone, or with me.'
Ali thought and looked at the little girl, only to see her frowning and looking away, while pinching her nose. Only then did he realize he didn't even wash her mouth after smoking all night. He put the girl on the ground and held her hand. "It's your house, so you can lead me."
The girl who got away from that bad smell finally took a deep breath and smiled, while dragging Ali with her.
Walking forwards they both entered the house, it was a normal house, similar to what any other middle class household had. Though slightly empty and less decorated. He didn't see any pictures or anything much on the walls, but he saw lots of toys lying around the floor.
'Was it rented?' Ali thought, noticing the emptiness that normal house owners wouldn't like in their place. But looking at how the little girl talked about her mom and the games and picture books lying around, his mind made up a scenario of a poor single mom looking after her lovely daughter alone. 'Maybe her mom didn't abandon her, but she got teleported away from her.'
"Uncle, there. The thief's there." The little girl said while pointing at a locked door.
Ignoring his thoughts as now it didn't matter which situation was true, the fact remained still, that this little girl was now alone here. He looked at the locked door, and made the girl sit on the sofa in the hall. "Stay here, I will catch the thief." Ali said, not wanting to take a kid anywhere close to where a zombie or as she said a thief might be.
Ali opened the door and walked inside, but his steps halted when he saw who it was in front of him. He saw Shiva's body lying on the bed. The blood from his injuries and on clothes had all been dried now..
"Shiva" Ali muttered, as he found the dead body of his friend. On the day of the apocalypse an ambulance was taking his body on his orders , but then the apocalypse happened. He had tried to look for his body so he can give his friend a proper funeral, and not give him a fate where he's turned into some stupid zombie. But he found nothing. The guards he sent couldn't find anything except the empty ambulance crashed over a roadblock. He thought Shiva's body got teleported somewhere away, and he wouldn't find it again, but who knew he'd find it here and like this.
"Uncle, do you know that thief?" The little girl who followed behind him, asked, when she found him just staring at the sleeping thief.
"He was my friend, and he's not a thief." Ali said, as he took a long breathe and calmed his emotions.
"Then why is he in my room? He even came sneaky sneaky." The little girl said while tilting her head with a confused look.
"He just got lost a little. And he was tired." Ali said as he decided to finish what he promised his friend.
He couldn't kill Kevin for him, but at least he can give him a proper funeral that he deserved.
"Can I take him away?" Ali said, as he looked at the little girl.
"Then let's wake him up." The little girl said, as she went forward and pulled on Shiva's hand. "Wake up, thief uncle."
Ali pulled the little girl back, and bent down to her level "He won't wake up now. He _ he _ "
He started speaking but didn't know what to say or how to explain what dying is to an 8 year old. But gladly he didn't have to, as the little girl spoke up "Is your friend dead? Mamma said only those who died don't wake up. My neighbor grandpa also dead like that."
"Yeah. He's gone." Ali said as he looked at Shiva's body again.
"Then let's give him a fire bed. That shop Grandma said the fire bed gives people a happy birthday in next life." The little girl said as she brought a picture book and showed Ali a funeral image.
Taking a sigh of relief, Ali tried to pick up Shiva's body, but failed. His body was already wounded here and there, after getting into fights with Kevin a few times, losing and getting beaten. He tried again, but only to fail again.
"Can I keep him here?" Ali said as he looked at the little girl.
"But that's my bed." The little girl said with a frowning face.
"I'll get you a new one." Can I, please." He asked again..
"Fine. But don't ever tell Mamma, I said it." She said it.
Getting the girls permission, Ali just prepared a few things for his funeral, he didn't know much about this stuff as he never really cared. All he knew was that in their religion, after someone died, everyone just prays to their gods and burn them on the wooden pyre. So he did just that.
Getting a few things that can handle the fire, while dragging the bed in the middle.
Knowing Shiva's habits and what he used to think about gods, Ali didn't pray much either. He just pulled the girl away in his arms lit the bed.
He watched as the flame spread over the entered bed, covering his whole body in it too. The little girl buried her face on his shoulders as she felt the heat burning her. But Ali kept his eyes fixed there, his thoughts unknown.
But his mind a little bit clearer and heart a little lighter than before.
He was thinking about taking the girl away and later going back to look for someone from his family, however long it took him. He didn't want to live with regrets like Shiva did, or die with unfinished business.
He was thinking like that when the rushing sound of footsteps came from the outside. Looking out the window, Ali noticed many men from the base, those who followed Kevin all the time standing outside, entering the house.
'So he wants me dead too now huh.' Ali thought as he noticed how some of them were even holding guns.
He looked at the little girl in his arms and then at the burning bed at front "Would you follow me?"
"But mamma said _"
"I'll help you look for your mother." Ali said, cutting off her words.
"Fine. But you will give me toffees. Lots of them." She said while pointing her fingers, counting and asking,
"Okay. Let's go out now." Ali said, and took the girl through the back door, he noticed a when he first came in. After he opened the gas cylinder in the kitchen, spreading the flammable gas everywhere.
When he was outside, under the cover of the darkness, he silently moved away from the house, without turning back.
–booooom—-
Until the sound of a loud blast rang out behind him, destroying that whole house, with everyone who entered inside. A cloud of flame and smoke rose in the empty road, attracting the attention of quite a few infected ones and zombies.
'Let them be burned alongside you.' Ali said as he entered an empty building nearby.
The little girl looked at her house burning behind her, and muttered "Mamma will beat me now. I really burned the house this time."
"By the way, I haven't asked you, your name yet." Ali said as he realized he didn't know what to call her.
"Shashi" The girl said as she closed her eyes as she started feeling sleepy.
"Shashi huh, well, you can call me Ali, instead of uncle. I'm not that old yet." Ali said as he laid the girl on an empty bed.
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A/N - Okay.. No need to complain. I know this chapter didn't turn out well, and then the funeral scene was just rushed and nonsensical. I added it in a rush and inbetween. I'm too sleepy to read everything again and fix it back. Maybe I'll edit it in a few days and make it a little sensible and perfect. Just forgive moi till now.
Ali's system comes in next chapter, so I'll make it up for u promise.