Page 173 of The Circle of Exile
A car door banged shut and the door of their house was pushed open. Iram glanced up and saw him stride in, enraged, the cloud of the night behind him. His eyes met hers and he stopped short.
“Iram? Hello? Iram, Meer wants to talk to you…”
“I have to go,” she ended the call.
“What is this?” She asked, feeling Yathaarth turn over and holding him with one hand on his chest.
Atharva’s nostrils flared. Like he was ready to set something on fire.
“Atharva?”
She couldn't get up. There were no pillows here to bank on the other side of Yathaarth.
“Singh sir betrayed you?”
His teeth gnashed together. She could see his jaw tick even from this distance. The rage that she had awaited in him all these days was now suddenly roaring.
“Atharva.”
“They are planning to extern me.”
“What does that mean?”
“Make me leave.”
“Leave the party? But you are the founder…”
“Leave Kashmir.”
Her jaw locked.
“Come here, please,” she managed through the pulse ticking at the base of her throat. “I cannot get up.”
He looked like he would turn and walk back out. But she must have looked just as wretched because he strode to her and stood over her head, a shadow on her and Yathaarth.
“Sit.”
He did not move. His fingers were rock-hard fists by his side.
“Atharva, please. Sit.”
He took a seat on the edge of the coffee table in front of her, his eyes going to Yathaarth.
“They want you to leave Kashmir. And go where? Jammu?”
“Jammu & Kashmir. The state.”
“Why?”
“To prevent me from tampering with evidence.”
“Qureshi?”
“He is not directly doing this but there must be some approval of his. Awaami Party is demanding it.”
“Surely they can’t demand and have Qureshi fulfil it. He said he will make you leave?”
“Yogesh Patel got in touch after this afternoon,” he sounded marginally calmer.
