Swara fell down near Sanskar. She couldn't control her body more. Neither tears nor words were escaping now. She was feeling numb and lifeless. She sat carefully and kept Sanskar's head in her lap gently. With her dupatta, she wiped his face. The dust, the blood, the tears, she wiped it all gently.
"Durga Prasad! Your pride is dead!" Jackson laughed evilly.
Durga Prasad clutched his chest and was about to lose his control when Ramesh held him tightly.
"Using someone's helplessness is the extremity of cowardliness." Ali yelled in a heavy voice.
Jackson was so engrossed in his triumph that he and his men forgot to see the troops landing inside from the smashed window.
As soon as Jackson saw those troops, he put gun on one of the child's forehead. But these were quicker. Within minutes, situation was under control.
Durga Prasad ran towards Sanskar. Ali followed him. All the troops had just witnessed the extreme level of sacrifice. The respect they had in their heart for Sanskar had increased thousand folds.
One of the doctor came running. He checked Sanskar and looked at Durga Prasad with a hope in his eyes.
"He is alive! We cannot lose hope!" He said. His heart too was filled with gratitude. It was due to Sanskar and Swara that they were alive.
Durga Prasad came near Swara and patted her hair, "Beta! We have to take Sanskar from here na! He needs surgery immediately!"
Swara's mind gain a little consciousness. She looked at Durga Prasad and nodded. Ali and Ramesh took him from there. Everyone ran behind him. Swara too ran behind them. She didn't care how many times nurses tried to held her when she fell down. She didn't care of her wound bleeding. She didn't care of glass pieces stabbing her feet. She ran behind Sanskar as if someone was trying to take him away from her.
Shekhar was standing in front of operation theatre. Uttara was there too. They were outside busy helping the patients when they heard of this news. And who was better cardio thoracic surgeon other than Shekhar himself!
He saw troops coming with Sanskar. He then saw Swara running madly behind them. Shekhar held her in between.
"Papa! Sanskar! Papa save him! I let him die! Papa save him! Save him papa please!" Swara hid her face in his chest and cried hard. Shekhar signed Uttara. She nodded.
"Beta! I will try my best!" Shekhar assured her. But even he knew there wasn't any chance.
On the other side, Laksh was in a distraught state. He was holding hands of Ragini.
"I had never imagined that one day, I had to operate my own brother. I never knew this Ragu!"
Ragini looked at him and kissed his forehead, "It's the time to perform the duty of a doctor. He is a patient right now who needs your assistance."
Swara was sitting holding hands of Uttara. The guilt was overcoming her senses. The fact that it was her who chose his death, was killing her inside. What would she say to Ashna! How would she face Sujata! How would she face Sanskar!
"It's me Uttara!" Swara muttered, "It's all due to me!"
"No! You just did what was right!" Uttara tried to convince her.
"I should have tried a little more to convince him to kill me! Hai na! I didn't give my 100%!" Swara was blabbering lost in herself.
Ali, who was watching her from a distance, let tears escape from his eyes. Ramesh offered him water and looked at him looking at Swara, "Sir! Sanskar sir's condition is not good! I have heard a nurse saying so!"
"Just pray Ramesh! If something happens to sir, than Swara mam will die too!" Ali said still looking at Swara.
Durga Prasad was sitting on bench holding his head in his palm. He didn't know whether he should be feeling proud of Sanskar's bravery or cry for his condition. Looking at Swara, the one who always kept a brave face shed more tears.
He looked at Ram, staring blankly towards the operation theatre. Durga Prasad came near him and kept his hand over his shoulder. Ram looked at him and hugged him crying, "see what happened! Why this happened! My Sanskar!"
Durga Prasad patted his hair, "Can you promise me one thing?"
Ram nodded.
"You won't say even a word to Swara!"
"Why would I say anything to her?" Ram asked wiping his tears, "She did what was right! Jackson wanted my son and he would have... would have done the same even if Swara had chosen Sanskar! Only a fool will blame her for this!"
Durga Prasad sighed. He finally felt a little relief. He then went near Swara who was sitting in a numb state. Her tears had been dried up. Her eyes were red though. All the parents of children, whom they saved, were looking at her with a mixture of gratitude and tears at her. But she was unaware of those eyes.
"Beta!" He caressed her hair, "You did something very brave! Not everyone has this courage. Don't regret your decision. You saved the lives of 30 people."
"I don't have any regret of saving 30 people. I just have one regret. If I could have convinced Jackson one more time, in Sanskar's place it would have been me na! Or you know, I could have jumped in front of Sanskar when he shot the bullet. I could have saved him but did not. He entered the place for me, he put himself in mortal danger for me, and I was just watching everything. How bad wife I am!" Swara's words stabbed the hearts of everyone present there. Many silent prayers were escaping from their lips. Giving up one's life for others was still easier than choosing the death of husband in exchange of life of others.
The nurse, who were tied up alongside children, came near her.
"Ma'am! You are injured. Your wounds need dressing." One of them said.
Swara looked at them and said, "I am okay!"
"No you are not!" Ram came in front of her, "You need care too Swara!"
"Papa! I need to be here! Sanskar's operation is going on!" Swara stood up but suddenly, she felt ground suddenly slipped away from her feet.
"She needs rest! Sister, prepare a makeshift resting room for her." Ram ordered. He was concerned for his daughter in law too.
Swara was inside the resting room. Two nurses were doing her dressing. But she was numb. The trauma took a toll over her. Her blood pressure was quite high.
Suddenly she felt a strange uneasiness. She felt as if something was being snatched away from her.
"Sister! Please go outside and tell me about Sanskar! Please!" Swara pleaded.
Nurse understood her emotions. She went outside.
It was 10 minutes when she came back. A scared look was in her eyes. Swara looked at her with lots of questions.
"Ma'am! Sir.... Sanskar sir!" She was stuttering.
Swara's heart beat was raised up.
"Sister! Tell me. Please tell me operation was successful. Please tell me he is fine!" Swara folded her hands in front of her.
Suddenly, Shekhar came in running towards her. Swara tried to get up from bed but Shekhar signed nurse something.
"Papa! Papa how is Sanskar?" Swara's heart was beating as fast as it could. The fear of unknown was brimming in her heart. Her eyes were asking her father whether her husband was safe.
Shekhar signed nurse something. She nodded and started to fill up a syringe with some medicine. Swara looked at Shekhar in disbelief.
"Papa! I am his wife! I have the right to know!" She almost yelled, "Sister! You know na! You know everything na! How is my husband?"
There was a strange helplessness in her eyes. Swara understood but her heart was not ready to accept the reality.
Shekhar signed nurse. She took her hand and started to rub alcohol over it.
"Leave me!" Swara took her hand away from her and held Shekhar's hand, "Papa! Please tell me!"
Shekhar sighed and took injection in his hand, "Beta! I am sorry for this. But I am your father and I love you the most!"
"What?" Swara asked.
Suddenly, the door of room opened. Sujata, whose eyes always had love for her, was glaring at her with pure hatred. She almost ran towards Swara and shook her by holding her shoulder.
"Mrs. Maheshwari! Please!" Shekhar tried to interfere.
"You.... You snatched my son from me. You are the reason that my son is lying in coma! I gave you my son! I gave you the love of a mother. But you snatched my son from me! You are responsible for his condition." Sujata was shaking her violently while crying immensely.
Ram held Sujata tightly and took her to one side, "It's not her fault! Sujata it's not Swara's fault!"
"She had a choice and she chose my son's death! My son chose her life over his and she gave him 3 bullets in chest. The heart that beat for her is now bleeding because of her!" Sujata was screaming when Ram struggled to take her outside.
Shekhar looked at Swara whose face was blank.
"Swara beta!" Shekhar patted her head. She didn't respond.
"Swara!" Shekhar again said.
Suddenly her eyes rolled over. Before anyone could understand, she fell unconscious on bed.
"Sir! Her blood pressure has been shot up to dangerous levels!" Nurse said looking at bp monitor.
Shekhar's hands shivered. Looking at his condition, nurse ran out and called Ram. As soon as Ram came inside, he signed Shekhar to move out.
"She is my daughter too Dr. Shekhar! I will handle!" Ram assured her and started his work.
It took 30 minutes for Swara to get back to normal. Shekhar was standing outside with his face covered by his palms. The pain of not being able to save his son in law had imprinted in his heart.
Laksh kept his head over Ragini's shoulder. His tears could not dry up. Sujata was crying hard keeping her face covered by her palms. Annapoorna, amidst het tears was doing failed attempts to calm her down.
Uttara came near Shekhar, "Papa! We have to be strong!"
Ram came out wiping sweat from his forehead. "Swara is fine now! Sleeping!" He informed.
"You saved my daughter! But I couldn't save your son!" Shekhar folded his hands, "I am sorry! I did everything to save him. I did everything to prevent him falling to coma! But everything failed."
Ram sighed. He patted Shekhar's shoulder and tried to smile, "At least I have my daughter with me!"
"Sujata ji is right!" Shekhar said.
"No! She is not right!" Ram said at once, "She is in anger. I will explain heR everything."
"Maybe she doesn't need any explanation!" Annapoorna came from behind. She took them towards Swara's room where Sujata was sitting holding Swara's hand in hers.
Standing in a corner, two chocolate brown eyes were staring at them. Remorse filled in them, tears falling down continuously, Sanskar's soul was watching everything. He wanted to wipe their tears, to comfort them, to be with them. But he couldn't! After all this was the rule of new world he landed into! This was the rule of all the comatose patients who can roam within the boundaries of hospital, could see everything, but couldn't do anything to comfort their loved ones!