Once Upon A Miracle

Chapter 7: A trip to India

"So full of artless jealousy is guilt,
It spills itself in fearing to be spilt."

~ William Shakespeare (Hamlet) 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The first thing Sherry felt was the blaze of the sun on her skin and the humidity hanging in the air like a palpable blanket. When she inhaled, the scent of spice invaded her nostrils.

"Woah!" Warren exclaimed beside her.

Sherry blinked, trying to clear away the disorientation that came with teleportation. When her senses returned, she gasped too.

They were standing amidst the center of a crowded market place. It was like entering into an explosive world of colour and light. Vibrant stalls cluttered the narrow alleys, forming a patchwork of confusing maze. Exotic fruits, clay lamps, garlands, delicious confectionery, spicy, mouth-watering snacks, silk of the finest quality and various other things were being sold everywhere. Shopkeepers yelled out their wares, some even resorting to dragging customers into their stores. The sound of lively chatter, shameless bartering and a Bollywood song bursting through someone's speakers made the atmosphere appear full of febrile confusion.

But, of course, the awe that shimmered in the eyes of the two kids was because of a beautiful, white structure rising in the distance. The Taj Mahal stood majestically against a backdrop of an azure sky, its minarets and towers glinting with the golden sunlight. It was the most beautiful thing that Sherry had ever seen -- its old beauty, history, and culture capturing her sight.

Similar to Miracle and Blue, no one here seemed to spare a second glance at the two kids, as they wove through the sea of people.

"Dreamy's presence is palpable," Warren muttered. He paused when he realised that Sherry had stopped walking to gawk at a carriage that offered to take visitors on a 'royal ride' to the Taj Mahal.

He rolled his eyes and started dragging her towards the Taj. "We're not Miracle," he pointed out as Sherry huffed in disappointment. "We can't produce money out of thin air. If you want, though, I can snap my fingers and damage the wheel of the carriage, so nobody can use it---"

"NO!" snapped Sherry.

"Fine! Jeez, I was just offering!" Warren said and if Sherry hadn't know him as well as she did, she would have almost missed the bitterness in his voice. Of course, it wasn't rocket science to figure out that Warren was jealous of Miracle. Who wouldn't be? Miracle brought happiness to people's lives, while Warren was fated to bring disaster.

Maybe that's why Sherry liked to stick with Warren. She understood him, after all --- more so than most people. She herself begot the bad luck in people. Her sister did the exact opposite. Sherry had always been resentful of that but that didn't mean she didn't love her sibling. Of course, she did. She loved her to death.

All she wished for was that she hadn't gotten the rotten end of the deal.

But, oh well, as Fair liked to say, "Life isn't me."

Suddenly, an ache spread through Sherry's chest, making her snap out of her thoughts. She gasped as she realised they were almost at the entry gates of the Taj. Dreamy's presence was getting stronger. She could feel it too.

Warren completely avoided the long queues and instead jumped over the turnstile. Sherry followed, knowing the people won't be able to spot them anyway, not unless they wished otherwise.

"But even if Dreamy were here, how would anyone be able to kidnap him amongst the presence of such a large crowd?" Sherry asked, as they walked down the path along with a sea of tourists, the white mausoleum resting at the end of it.

"How am I supposed to know?" Warren said. "Hey, stop gawking around! Keep a lookout for any possible clues."

"Do we have to go inside the Taj?"

"I think so. The presence seems to be emanating from it."

Finally, after jostling through the throngs of people, Warren and Sherry found themselves stepping inside the tomb. Immediately, a sort of hush fell on the air, as everyone gazed around in awe at the arching ceiling, the intricate, geometrical designs, the looming columns and ultimately at the center area where a dead queen was supposed to be resting.

It almost hurt to walk because the ache inside of Sherry was increasing by the second. But she could feel something more – a growing knot at the pit of her stomach. Something didn't feel right. She knew it.

"Warren..." she whispered but her words still echoed through the chambers.

Warren didn't answer, instead walking past the various rooms – all empty of furniture and looking strangely bleak. It seemed like a labyrinth to Sherry but Warren seemed to know where he was going. Until, he, abruptly, stopped near a spiral staircase that led up to the rooftop.

A sign was placed before it that read – DO NOT ENTER. AREA UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

So, of course, Sherry found herself walking up the staircase and into the rooftop, the wind bellowing against her. From here, she could see the Yamuna River snaking beside the Taj and the small stretch of greenery beyond. She would have felt serene but that knot inside of her made her tense.

"Well...there doesn't seem to be anything here," Warren said, annoyed. "It's all empty--"

Suddenly, an angry howl echoed through the air, making Sherry jump out of her skin. They whirled around, scared and shocked, as a figure appeared behind them, seemingly materialising out of nowhere. It was a bulky silhouette against the glare of the afternoon sun but when it came close enough, Sherry realised it was just a man.

A really scary man.

He was tall and muscular with a hard jaw, broad shoulders and a bald head. He was clad in all black and seemed to have appeared straight out of an action movie. You know, the kind where the villain's lackey chases the hero on a bike and has a big gun and just refuses to die? Yeah, he was definitely the lackey.

Or maybe Sherry was just overthinking. Maybe he was just a tourist here.

Sherry hoped so because she was already moving ahead towards him as if approaching a wild beast, while completely ignoring Warren's warnings. They could just pretend to be lost kids and make a run for it.

Of course, at that moment, Sherry forgot that if he were a normal man, he wouldn't have been able to see them, in the first place.

"Hello, sir. Could you please help us?" Sherry began sweetly. "We're lost--"

She stopped short when she looked up at his face and spotted the thin film of haziness in his eyes. She stared, so shocked that she didn't notice the hand flying towards her. She cried out as she felt the man's hand hit her side, making her fly sideways from the impact. She hit the ground on her elbows, painfully twisting it.

Warren cried out and ran for Sherry. She whimpered in agony as he crouched down beside her, worried and angry.

But, just then, the shadow of the man appeared over them again. And this time, both Sherry and Warren caught the unmistakable glint of a knife in his hand.