The sky is a dull grey. A silence hangs over the broken city street, broken only by the distant echoes of chaos. Smoke drifts up from a smouldering vehicle nearby. Gana and Payal rush out of the hospital, breath heavy, blood smears on their clothes—not theirs, but too close for comfort.

Payal (panting, looking back nervously):

“That… was way too close.”

Gana (tight grip on his ice axe):

“Zombies in front, psychos behind… great odds, huh?”

They slow their pace, finally stopping behind a wrecked ambulance for cover. Payal kneels, catching her breath, eyes scanning for movement.

Payal:

“Those four men… they weren’t just scavengers. The way they looked at me—like prey.”

Gana (clenching his jaw):

“Yeah. And their boss… he wasn’t planning to let us walk away. Not after that stunt.”

Payal nods, quietly remembering the moment they unleashed the zombie on the group. Her hands are still trembling slightly.

Payal (half a laugh, half shaken):

“I can’t believe that worked. Using a zombie as a weapon…”

Gana (dryly):

“Better than using me as bait.”

Payal (smirking a little):

“I mean, you do look delicious when you’re stressed.”

Gana raises an eyebrow, but then the mood quickly sobers.

Gana:

“They’ll be back, if they survived. And I’m betting they’re pissed.”

Payal:

“Yeah. We can’t count on being lucky twice. Let’s move. Fast.”

The streets are cracked and quiet. Gana and Payal walk cautiously, broken glass crunching under their feet. Burned-out cars, shattered signboards, and distant sirens fill the air with an eerie sense of stillness.

Payal (still catching her breath):

“So… what’s the next checkpoint?”

Gana (glancing around, then checking a hand-drawn map):

“Akshardham Temple.”

Payal (confused):

“A temple? Seriously? Wouldn’t that be full of people? I mean… temples are usually crowded.”

Gana (nodding, then smirking):

“Exactly. Usually. But think about it—yesterday was Monday.”

Payal (sarcastically):

“Wow. Great. And today’s Tuesday. So?”

Gana (calmly):

“Akshardham is closed every Monday. So yesterday, no crowd. No visitors. And by the time this whole disaster hit… no one got a chance to go there today either.”

Payal (blinking, surprised):

“Wait… how do you even think about all this? We’re literally surrounded by zombies and psychopaths, and you’re out here calculating temple schedules?!”

Gana (half-grinning):

“I pay attention. That’s why we’re alive.”

“Look, it’s a big place. Fenced, isolated. If no one made it there… it could still be clean. And safe. That’s what we need right now—shelter before night.”

Payal (thoughtful, a little more serious):

“Safe sounds good. After what happened at the hospital… I could use a place to breathe.”

Gana (softly):

“Then let’s keep moving. Before someone or something finds us first.”

TO BE CONTINUE 

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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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