"Ta – Ta Mumma..."
"Peeshh jaldi aana..." she said innocently.
Anokhi gave her baby girl a lengthy kiss on the forehead and nodded through misty eyes.
They had no idea that it was their last sight of each other for the day.
...
"Sir ji... Inka parivaar bada ajeeb hai..."
"Har roz koi naa koi gaayab ho jaata hai..." Batti stated as a matter of fact, which earned him a glare from his superior.
They were all standing there, looking around, when the crowd began to move towards them.
"Anokhi ji !!... Sambhal kar !!!..."
She got frightened, but before she could react, she was dragged away by someone who arrived just in time.
...
Barricades were destroyed, and everything was damaged.
They were both making their way through the crowd when Shaurya noticed a man lying on the ground, struggling to stand up.
He quickly left Anokhi in a safe location and ran towards the man who was crushing between the escaping people.
Anokhi kept staring at him, thinking about how passers-by who were running for their lives didn't help the injured man, but he chose to take the risk instead.
...
"SHUT UP !!!!..." his anger had reached its peak.
"Mujhe koi shauk nhi hai tumhe is tarah TOUCH karne ka..."
"Agar tumhe kuch ho jaata hai toh log yeh nhi samjhenge ki tum kitni bahaadur ho..." his jaw clenched.
"Log mujhpar ilzaam lagaayenge... Log mujhe blame karenge !!... Samajh rhi ho tum ?!!..."
"Ki main apni student ko bacha nhi paaya..."
...
"Itni zidd kyu hai tumhe ??!!..." he yelled.
"Aap itne adhiyal kyu hai ??!!..." she wriggled out of his hold.
...
He was desperately searching for her in the blaze-ravaged area like a "mad" man.
One was found, but the other had gone missing.
He was frantically running around like a lunatic, completely helpless.
His heart was hammering against his chest in the fear of facing the worst.
...
He had just arrived on the fringes when he was jolted by a loud blasting sound.
He came to a halt and turned to see the burning car that had just exploded.
His eyes landed on a familiar figure lying unconscious over there.
"Anokhi..." he gasped in shock.
...
Her silky black tresses were "slathered with dust", her pink round cheeks were "full of bruises", "red liquid" was oozing from the corner of her peach lips; she was there right in front of him in a state he could never have imagined in his wildest dreams.
The devastating sight made his heart BLEED.
...
"Main kuch nhi hone doonga tumhe..."
"Tum humesha mujhe bohot irritate karti ho... Ab jab main bol rha hoon mujhe irritate karo toh kyun nhi kar rhi ??..."
"Main agar gussa ho jaaunga naa tumhaare saath... Tumhe achcha nhi lgega..." he cried like a child, gently patting her cheeks.
Ahir saw him in tears.
He was seeing this side of the "angry" man for the first time. He was taken aback to see him reacting in that manner.
"Anokhi tumhaari Aastha Mam haina... Haina ? ... Unhe dekhna haina..." he said softly.
"Anokhi..."
"Anokhi... COME ON !..." Shaurya exclaimed when he noticed her eyelashes flapping.
"Anokhi ji... Main ACP Ahir... Aap meri awaaz sun rhi haina..." Ahir rubbed her palm to make her conscious.
...
"It's really stupid of me... How could I be so stupid ?!!!!..." he rebuked himself.
"Mujhe use chodna hi nhi chaahiye tha... Aisi haalat mein use chodna hi nhi chaahiye tha..."
"Sirf do second ke liye door hue... Aur yeh accident ho gaya..." his eyes brimmed.