The faint of emergency lights pulsed through the mall like a heartbeat, casting long shadows on the shelves lined with survival gear. Payal moved with a clear sense of purpose, grabbing a sturdy black backpack from the rack and tossing another toward Gana.

PAYAL

“Fill it. Essentials only—no junk.”

Gana nodded, catching the bag mid-air. They both moved fast now, scanning the shelves with trained eyes. Water bottles, energy bars, a small first-aid kit, flashlights, rope, gloves. Payal even found two lightweight ice axes used for mountaineering and handed one to Gana.

PAYAL (grinning slightly)

“Not exactly standard zombie gear—but better than nothing.”

GANA (swinging it once through the air)

“Feels good. Definitely better than a mop handle.”

They zipped their bags, slung them over their shoulders, and crouched near the shadows, eyes on the dim, silent mall stretching out in front of them.

GANA

“How are we even supposed to get out without getting spotted?”

Payal gave a sly smile.

PAYAL

“That… is the best part of Decathlon.”

She motioned for him to follow, weaving past the fallen mannequins and broken shelves toward the back end of the store. Gana trailed behind her silently, trusting her lead.

At the very end of the massive store, behind a half-drawn rolling shutter and some stacked boxes, she pointed at a concealed metallic stairwell—an alternate access escalator that connected to the second floor, hidden from the main open areas.

GANA (impressed)

“Well, well… nice. You’ve got good eyes.”

PAYAL (smirking)

“Just good instincts. Come on.”

Without another word, they moved toward the stairwell, each step silent, ice axes in hand, packs secure. The emergency lights flickered above them as they disappeared into the shadows, climbing toward the unknown.

They pushed open the heavy exit door at the back of the second floor. The rusted hinges groaned softly—then silence. Outside, a cool breeze greeted them, carrying the scent of ash, metal, and decay.

They stepped onto the rooftop parking extension that overlooked the mall’s wide perimeter. Below them lay the once-bustling city—now a graveyard of machines and memories.

The road stretched endlessly in both directions. Crushed, overturned, and burned-out cars choked the lanes. Some were still smoking. Others had clearly been abandoned mid-panic, doors flung open, some splattered with blood. A few crashed into streetlights, creating sparks that flickered weakly in the distance.

But the most disturbing part—there was no sound. No people. No cries. No movement. Just the hum of wind and the occasional distant clang of something metallic shifting.

GANA (quietly, eyes scanning the horizon)

“Where is everyone…”

He stepped forward slightly, resting one hand on the railing as he looked out further—rows of apartments with windows shattered, stores looted and dark, traffic lights still blinking pointlessly at an empty intersection.

PAYAL (standing beside him)

“They ran… or didn’t make it. Either way, this place is dead.”

GANA

“It’s like the world just… stopped.”

PAYAL

“Not stopped. Changed.”

They both stood in silence for a long moment. In that silence, reality set in deeper than any scream or explosion. Whatever world they knew—it wasn’t coming back.

PAYAL (adjusting her backpack)

“We have to keep moving.”

GANA (still staring at the empty roads)

“But where? There’s no one left.”

PAYAL (without hesitation)

“Indira Gandhi International Airport. Delhi.”

GANA (turning to her, confused)

“The airport? Seriously? You think flights are still running in all this mess? Wait… you know something, don’t you? What’s there, Payal?”

She exhaled sharply, like she’d been holding something in too long.

PAYAL

“Fine. I’ll tell you everything. Until now, neither the time was right… nor did I trust you enough.”

She paused, facing him properly for the first time in hours.

PAYAL

“I’m from Bangalore. I came here for business… with my father. My full name is Payal Priyadarshini.”

GANA (smirking)

“Wow. Got anything shorter? Like, ‘PP’? That name’s longer than my resume.”

PAYAL (stone-faced)

“I’m not in the mood for jokes. And if you open your mouth again, I swear I’ll shove this ice axe so far down your throat, you’ll be a coat rack.”

Gana raised his hands, mock-surrendering.

GANA

“Okay, okay… ice axe understood. Silent mode: activated.”

PAYAL (ignoring him, voice heavier now)

“This wasn’t a business trip. It was… a marriage trip. My father was planning to make a big business deal—by marrying me off to his future partner’s son.”

GANA

“Wait. You were—?”

PAYAL (cutting him off)

“Yes. I was forced to meet the guy. He brought me here, to noida… said he wanted to show me his business empire. He’s a builder. His friends owned this mall. And he even brought his girlfriend to the club that night.”

GANA (incredulous)

“Girlfriend? While meeting his fiancée? That’s… bold.”

PAYAL (sarcastic laugh)

“Yeah. He said he wanted to ‘test’ if I could handle his lifestyle. Told me, straight-up—this is who I am, and I won’t change after marriage. Better get used to it. Said I should remember my place.”

She clenched her fists but kept her tone calm.

GANA (walking beside Payal, eyes still scanning the horizon)

“So what exactly is at the airport? From the looks of everything, it’s hard to believe any flights are still operating…”

PAYAL (quietly, with a mix of hope and dread)

“When all this started… the chaos, the fires, the screams—just before everything went dark, I managed to talk to my father. One last phone call.”

She stopped walking, staring out into the smoky skyline as if she could still hear the call echoing.

PAYAL

“He couldn’t hear me properly, but I heard him. He said—wherever you are, you have only two day and maybe even less than that. The army is evacuating VIPs and high-level civilians using military aircrafts from the Delhi airport. They’ve built a temporary safe zone, but once that last transport leaves, there’s no going back.”

GANA (stunned)

“And that call was…?”

She glanced at the analog watch strapped to her wrist, one of the few things still ticking right in this broken world.

PAYAL

“Last night. 8 PM. After that… network died. Nothing since. And right now…”

She turned the watch face toward him. The hour and minute hands clicked slowly forward.

PAYAL

“…it’s already 7:50 AM.”

GANA (doing the math, panic creeping in)

“So we’ve got… one day twelve hours.”

PAYAL

One day “Twelve hours to get across a dying city. No transport. No backup. No second chances.”

A long pause followed.

Then Gana looked at her with a determined smirk.

As they walked further down the deserted road outside the mall, the sun finally began peeking through the hazy clouds of smoke. The silence was eerie—only their footsteps and distant echoes of dripping water filled the void.

GANA (breaking the silence)

“My name’s Ganesh Bhati.”

PAYAL (a little surprised)

“Ganesh? Like… the god?”

GANA (smiling gently)

“Yeah. My mom named me after Lord Ganesh. Said he’s the remover of obstacles.” (he chuckles) “Guess she had high hopes.”

PAYAL (softly smiling back)

“She might’ve been right. You’ve already saved my life once.”

Their eyes met for a moment—a flicker of connection in the middle of chaos.

GANA

“I came here from Mumbai. Been living in greater noida for about a year now… for my studies.”

PAYAL (curious)

“Why didn’t you finish your studies in Mumbai itself?”

GANA (checking the road ahead, then grinning)

“We don’t have time for that story right now. Maybe if we survive this, I’ll tell you over coffee… or ration bars.”

PAYAL (laughs under her breath)

“Fair enough.”

They stopped for a second to reorient themselves. Gana pulled out a crumpled map and pointed at a marked location.

PAYAL

“Where did you get that map from?”

GANA (shrugging slightly)

“From the mall. They hang these maps everywhere like they’re pieces of art. You’ll find one at almost every corner—especially in places like Decathlon.”

PAYAL (raising an eyebrow)

“Useful artwork, then.”

GANA

“Yeah, for once, mall decor actually saved us.”“Alright, let’s first see where the airport is… there it is!”

“From here to Indira Gandhi International Airport, it’s roughly 40 to 45 kilometers. On foot, if we go non-stop, it’ll take 9 to 10 hours… and that’s best-case scenario. But walking straight through isn’t possible—not in this.”

PAYAL

“So we’ll need transport. A car. A bike. Anything that moves.”

GANA (nodding)

“Exactly. We’ll have to keep an eye out. 

PAYAL

“Then we better get lucky. “Okay, before we go any further—ground rules.”

GANA (grinning)

“Rules? We’re in the apocalypse, Payal.”

PAYAL (serious)

“Exactly why we need them. This isn’t a road trip, Gana. It’s survival. So listen up.”

She raised one finger.

PAYAL

“Rule one: No splitting up. Ever. I don’t care what happens—we stay together.”

GANA

“Fair.”

PAYAL

“Rule two: No unnecessary noise. No yelling, no screaming, no randomly testing how loud you can be.” (she looks at him pointedly) “Silence keeps us alive.”

GANA (mock offended)

“Hey, I’m not that loud.”

PAYAL (ignoring him, holds up three fingers)

“Rule three: We don’t trust anyone. Not unless we absolutely have to. This world’s changed, Gana… people out there might be more dangerous than the infected.”

GANA (nodding, now more serious)

“Got it. No trust, no noise, no hero stuff.”

PAYAL

“Rule four: We move fast, but smart. Always have a plan. Always know your exits. If something feels off—it probably is.”

GANA

“Anything else, commander?”

PAYAL (smirks slightly)

“Yeah. Rule five: if I say run, you run. No questions, no hesitation.”

GANA

“Right. And if I say run?”

PAYAL

“Then I probably already ran.”

They both chuckled for a moment, but the laughter faded quickly into the silence of the empty street ahead. The world was no longer the same—but together, they were slowly figuring out how to survive it.

TO BE CONTINUE

Hello tapas family 

Author’s Note:

I’d be really happy if you shared your feedback in the comment section. Let me know what you liked or what I can improve—I want to make this story even better for you.

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