Day 237 – Friday – 3:30 PM
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We were all having lunch together under the shade of the ancient Indian temple. It felt peaceful, almost too peaceful for a world that had gone silent with the dead. Inside the temple grounds, we found a few peacocks walking gracefully — a surreal sight. I, Ajay, Kohila, and Dev fed them some leftover rice and grains.
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The statues of the gods, the faded but still vivid paintings on the temple walls, and even the peacocks reminded me of my family. We used to go to a Murugan temple in Ipoh, called Kallumalai, especially during Thaipusam. For a few minutes, I stood in silence, watching the peacocks, my thoughts lost somewhere between memory and hope.
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Then, K-Zhaii called me over. He pointed toward a small housing area not far from the temple. A thin column of smoke rose from it.
“There might be someone there,” he said. “And we’ll have to pass through that kampung path anyway.”
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He was right. It had been too risky using that large cargo truck yesterday, but it kept us safe through the night. Now, it was out of fuel and not usable anymore.
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Meanwhile, Professor Joe had found an old book on Siddha and Ayurvedic medicine in the temple library and was absorbed in reading it. His mind was already racing with theories.
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Later that day, we approached the area where we had seen the smoke. It was a small town near Masjid Tanah. K-Zhaii pointed out, “Three fires in a row — it’s an old emergency signal, a call for help.”
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After what happened last night — being almost sacrificed to the Rottens — we were extra cautious. We took shelter in a nearby building and climbed to the top. From there, we released Cyclops, our drone, to scout the area. Everything seemed normal... until someone shot the drone.
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We immediately ducked behind walls.
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From a distance, we saw three men surrounding us from different directions — a Chinese middle-aged man with a rifle, an Indian man on the opposite building, and a Malay man approaching on a jeep. It was a perfect triangle formation — we were surrounded.
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Then more people emerged, weapons raised and aimed at us.
But suddenly, Professor Joe’s eyes widened.
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He saw someone.
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“That’s Mr. Pratap,” he whispered. “He’s one of us. A scientist.”
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Without hesitation, he raised his hands and shouted,
“Pratap! It’s me — Joe! These are my friends!”
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Pratap’s eyes narrowed at first, then softened. He raised his hand, signaling the others to lower their weapons.
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“Stand down! They’re with me!” he shouted.
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They welcomed us inside.
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That Night
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Pratap and Professor Joe embraced like long-lost brothers. After introductions, Pratap brought us to meet their leaders:
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Mr. Cheng
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Mr. Ram
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Mr. Azhar (also known respectfully as Dato')
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Together, they called their group The Hang Tuahs.
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These three men — Chinese, Indian, and Malay — had lived in this housing area for generations with their families. After the outbreak, they turned the area into a hidden stronghold, helping survivors who passed through. Now, it was a thriving mini-community of 121 people.
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Each house was painted in the colors of the Malaysian flag — red, white, blue, and yellow. Despite everything, they still believed in their country. They still hoped that one day, help would come. Until then, they stayed united. Malaysian at heart. Together.
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We shared our story. Dato’ Azhar listened and said,
“You’re welcome to stay here tonight. You’ve earned it.”
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We agreed.
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Day 237 – Friday – 10:00 PM
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After so many days, eating real cooked meat was pure satisfaction. The Hang Tuahs even had movie nights using DVDs and an old DVD player. I laughed to myself — who would’ve thought DVD players would become a luxury in 2049?
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Later, Pratap sat with us and shared what happened to their group.
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“We were returning from Lumut Jetty,” he said. “We got ambushed by a massive horde in Kuala Lumpur. It was chaos. We fought hard… but we lost Dr. Zamrul.”
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Professor Joe froze. Dr. Zamrul was like a brother to him.
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Without a word, Pratap took out Dr. Zamrul’s ID tag and handed it to Joe.
“I kept this for you,” he said.
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Joe’s eyes welled up. He held the tag tightly and whispered,
“Excuse me... I’ll go rest now.”
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We didn’t stop him. We understood.
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Day 238 – Saturday – 9:00 AM
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It was time to move. The next stop — Ayer Keroh, and from there, the hospital where Valli might still be.
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I felt hopeful. Nervous. Excited.
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Before leaving, I took a small Lord Murugan statue from the temple and packed it in my bag. I prayed silently.
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Ajay teased me, “Machan, whatever you prayed, better hope Valli is still single. Or else you’re gonna have a new problem.”
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Everyone burst into laughter.
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I smirked, grabbed an empty Coca-Cola can, and threw it at Ajay.
“Daiii, wait until I meet her first!”
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Then Dev walked in, holding a sketchbook. He showed us his new drawing — a cartoon of our group, weapons and all. He even named us:
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"The Travellers"
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We loved it.
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As we were packing, Pratap suddenly rushed into the room, looking serious.
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“Everyone, come quick! You need to see this!”
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and then Add to home screen.