Part 8: "Whistle at Dawn"

Rainforest, five hours before Janardhan's capture—
Kanjira: Here. You must be dying of thirst.
She lifts the canteen and pours water into the boy's mouth, his hands still tied tight.
Student: splutter
The boy gulps it down fast, but the canteen is snatched away.
Janardhan: Keep that for us! Don't waste it on him!
Student: sob
Janardhan: Don't start with me! Remember, I didn't ask you to tag along. You were the one that wouldn't leave. Now we're here. Like what you see?
Janardhan grabs the boy's hair, jerking his head up.
Janardhan: Move it, kid! There might still be a chance to get out of here before the circle to the other side of the jungle.
Janardhan: We cross that river and put some distance behind us, then we'll lose them for good.
Janardhan: But we've still got to hack our way through this bug-infested jungle before we ever see a road.
Kanjira: Promise me ... once we cross this river, we let him go?
Janardhan stops in his tracks.
Janardhan: Do I need to repeat myself? You can leave anytime you want. Go ahead.
Janardhan: In fact, I really don't want anything to do with you. So, how about you do both of us a favor and stay out of my way!
Janardhan: But this little runt isn't going anywhere. I know his kind. He won't just let this go.
Student: I-I ... I swear I won't tell them anything!
Student: Just run!
Student: Leave me here, please!
Janardhan: No, brat. You're coming with me. You were the one that wanted to find me, weren't you?
Janardhan: Well done. You've found me. All by yourself, happy now?
He slaps the boy's head from behind with a rough palm.
Kanjira: Please, Janardhan, let him go. It won't do any good to drag him along with us.
Kanjira: If we don't, they'll just have one more thing to pin on you.
Janardhan: Ha! Pin it on me? You think they're only looking for me now? They've already made up their minds!
Janardhan: They'll beat us both to a pulp, bury us under a pile of fake crimes, and call it justice!
Janardhan: So how about you stop worrying about me and start worrying about yourself! If you don't believe me, go ahead, run back and find out.
Kanjira: ...
She's never seen Janardhan like this before.
His face is twisted, almost monstrous.
Kanjira: Hm?
She notices a sharp stone suddenly appear in the boy's bound hands.
He had picked it up, likely when he fell before.
The boy catches her gaze and offers a look of desperation.
Student: Please, don't say anything.
Kanjira: Janardhan!
Janardhan: What now? Do I need to kick you like some lost puppy to get you to finally leave?
She takes a deep breath.
Kanjira: We need to rest for a bit. The river's right ahead.
Kanjira: If we try to cross it without a plan, the current will sweep us all away before we even reach the middle!
Kanjira: We should check the water first. Who knows how deep it could be?
Janardhan: ...
He hesitates, then nods in agreement.
Janardhan: Stay put. I'll check the water.
He moves toward the edge of the river. Eyes darting, breath still heaving in his chest.
He takes a soft but certain step into the water, feeling the current against his legs.
Then he looks across to the far bank, measuring the distance.
Janardhan: The current's not too bad, but we'll need a rope!
Janardhan: Gotta cut some vines for that.
Janardhan: Hey ... you two!
He turns back and sees only Kanjira.
He scans the brush, catching sight of the boy as he runs back into the dense forest.
Janardhan: Ah! I'm a damned fool.
He pulls out his gun and fires a warning shot high into the air.
The first of three.
Student: weep
A bullet whistles through the sky. The boy freezes.
Janardhan lowers his gun and strides over, grabbing a rotten branch off the ground.
Kanjira: Janardhan! Stop it. Just let us go. I'll stay behind with him. We'll tell them that you disappeared.
She grabs his arm and pulls hard, trying to stop him from moving forward.
Janardhan: ...
Janardhan hesitates for a moment, then shakes her off coldly.
She staggers to her feet only to catch a heavy blow from the back of his hand.
Kanjira: Ugh!
She collapses to the ground, the taste of blood rising in her mouth, crisp metallic scents filling her nose.
Janardhan's eyes are cold as he stares back at her. Empty and unrecognizable.
Janardhan: Heh, you still don't get it, do you, kid? You still think you can make this work.
Janardhan: Haven't you figured out yet what your kindness gets you?
Janardhan: You think it will change things, but it won't; all it does is let other people walk all over you.
Kanjira: He shouldn't be dragged into this!
Kanjira: I ... I know you've given everything you had to people, and all it brought you was pain ... I know something inside of you is broken, and you hate this world ...
Kanjira: I don't know what you've been through, but I know it must have been awful. I know you don't want to care anymore, and maybe I can't change that.
Kanjira: But ... maybe things aren't as hopeless as you think. All I know is, if you're really going to take this kid hostage, then you'll be as bad as they say you are!
Kanjira: I don't think you want to hurt us. I know that's not you. That can't be you!
There's no shift in his empty eyes as he laughs. It's a venomous and sickly sort of laugh.
Then, he turns toward the boy still frozen in fear.
He raises the thick branch, ready to swing it down on the boy.
*thud*
The second of three shots.
Birds scatter into the sky.
He sways to the side, revealing the boy lying on the ground.
And blood seeps from a fresh wound.
Janardhan: You little pickpocket ...
He collapses to his knees.
She trembles, her hands aching from the kick of the gun.
Kanjira: I'm sorry. Janardhan, I'm so sorry.
She rushes over and guides him over to a nearby tree.
Kanjira: I didn't know what to do! I didn't know how to stop this.
Janardhan: Heh, you might make for an even better marksman than a pickpocket. cough
Kanjira: I'm sorry. I'm sorry!
She presses her small hands against the wound, but the blood keeps flowing.
Janardhan sighs deeply, staring up at the sky.
Janardhan: cough Listen to me. You did the right thing, kid—You hear me? You did the right thing.
Janardhan: I wasn't thinking straight. You're right. That kid's innocent.
Janardhan: I'm glad you ended this before it went any further.
Footsteps close in from the distance.
Kanjira: Y-you weren't really going to hit him, were you?
Janardhan: cough Still think you can figure me out, don't you?
Janardhan: No time left for that. You have to go now.
Kanjira: I'm not leaving! I'm staying here with you!
Janardhan: Your parents are out there waiting for you.
Kanjira: Then we have to leave together!
Janardhan: cough No ... No!
Kanjira: Come on, please. You can lean on me!
She tries to lift him, gritting her teeth, but he pushes her away.
He reaches into his bag.
Janardhan: Take this.
He presses a heavy leather pouch into her arms.
Janardhan: Promise me. Use what's inside. Keep moving.
Janardhan: Keep going until you find what you're looking for, until you find your answer.
He shoves her hands away and pushes her toward the river.
Kanjira: But what about you?!
Kanjira: No, what are you doing?!
He's gotten the gun from her again. He waves her away, leaving her with no other option.
Janardhan: It's time to end this.
He raises the gun toward the sky and pulls the trigger.
The third shot.
Officer I: Over there! The shot came from over there!
Dog: Woof woof!
Janardhan: Now, you won't look back.
Janardhan: Run! Get the hell out of here!
Janardhan: If you don't want everything you've done to be for nothing, if you don't want this journey to mean nothing—run!
Janardhan: Trust me. Once they're gone, circle back toward the station.
Janardhan: Then, keep running.
The police dogs close in.
She wipes her tears and starts to move.
Kanjira: I promise you, Janardhan!
Kanjira: I'll find Batia! I'll come back for you! You'll be okay; you have to be!
Janardhan: Just get the hell out of here!
She wipes her tears with her sleeve before finally forcing her legs to move again.
In the distance, a train whistle cuts through the air.
Her figure melts into the jungle, swallowed by the trees.
The dogs are getting closer.
Janardhan: Heh ...
Janardhan: That's my girl.
Batia: Janardhan, you need to know something. A pair of elderly folks came to see me at the camp earlier.
Batia: They recognized the girl. They know her name and where she comes from.
Janardhan: ?!
Janardhan: You're saying they're her parents?
Janardhan: Then why the hell didn't they come see her themselves?!
She doesn't show blame in her eyes, only the kind of calm that comes from carrying too much regret.
Batia: It's not that simple. They're in a lot of trouble now, and they can't risk dragging a child into it.
Batia: Maybe that isn't the right thing to do. Maybe they'll regret it. But I will respect their wishes.
Batia: Listen, I can't tell you more, but you need to understand—seeking the truth will cost far more than you imagine.
Batia: You need to convince her to turn back. There's nothing for her out there.
The man stands, defiant.
Janardhan: I'm not doing that.
Janardhan: She's stronger than you think. And this—this is her journey.
Janardhan: What she's searching for is bigger than any answer you people can offer.
Batia: But it's pointless.
Janardhan: It's nothing close to that, Batia.
Janardhan: There's more to this world than what you're willing to see.
A train whistle slices through the morning mist. The wind howls. Black smoke rolls over the treetops.
At the end of the train, a small hand grips the rear guardrail.
The train picks up speed. The tracks rattle. Birds scatter from the trees.
Newborn sunlight streams through as the train bursts out of the tunnel, flooding the world in light.