1: Books & You
[First Draft so there can be mistakes and for english there can be grammatical mistakess too. So forgive me for that.]
A trail of blood rolled down her hand, eventually seeping into the paper that she grasped. Her world seemed to diminish as if only he existed in it and the moments she spent with him. A sharp blow of breeze struck her face. She lifted her eyes, and the tears escaped.
Indeed, in those thoughts, she had completely forgotten where her steps led her to the middle of the road. The sharp glare of the headlight blinded her for a moment, and the next instant her body lay on the road. The blood slowly expanded its pool as it rolled over the road. Her breath came heavy, and a name landed on her lips. Life was uncertain to her, and the last name she wished on her lips was his.
“Arjun”
“Dua, are you alright?” That last voice jolted into her ears before her eyes drifted into unconsciousness.
A few months ago,
The darkness of the night shrouded the valley, but only a momentary glow flashed when the rifles fired. Viransh swiftly took the shield of the dense tree that had its roots stretched to spans. He took out the NVD and a glance ahead through the slight gap between the branches of the tree, lent him sight of the trees ahead that were covered in snow. For a moment, everything ceased. There was no firing.
" No one will move ahead until I say,” he ordered the military officers in Sanskrit so that only they could comprehend those words.
" Climb the stairs and drench in bravery.” The secret message was well crafted.
Aslam fired at the military officers once again. The blood splattered on the blanket of untouched snow, which brought a vicious evil smile to his face.
" Umar,” he yelled, but no response came. His eyes travelled around only to find emptiness. He turned around, and the barrel of the rifle pointed at him. Before his fingers can even push the trigger, a series of shots are fired at him, brightening the area for a few seconds.
“Now these valleys will no longer be tainted with blood,” Viransh said.
The lights embedded on their helmets fall upon the terrorist’s fallen body. Viransh steps ahead and glances at the other dead bodies. The operation was still remaining, but a cry tore away the extreme dead silence, causing the army officers to turn toward the same tree where Aslam was hidden.
The light coming from the flashlight lowered to the bottom of the tree, revealing it to be a hideout. Rudransh bent on his knees and was on the brink of extending his hand when one of the officers warned him.
“Sir it can be a trap” even he knew that but the crying that sounded to be of a child and sufficient to compel him to head into it.
Everyone is left shocked when a child appears whom Rudransh gave to Viransh’s arms, after which he too came out of the hideout. Viransh looked at his face, moistened with tears. The wound bled at his forehead. That pain resonated within his heart. No one knew for how long he had been there. His hands were tied and even the legs. He gently bent and the child’s feet touched the snowy land. Indeed he was shivering. Viransh slowly unties his hands but the words freeze before the sentence can be completed.
“Beta, you” His eyes cease at the belt tied around him from which a sharp red glow laced into the air.
“It’s a bomb.” Rudransh turned him around, and the face that he couldn’t see in the darkness came into clarity.
" Aavansh” his dilated eyes told the fact that he was related to him.
“Papa,” He was about to hug Rudransh, but Viransh held his arm.
“Wait for a while, let this be defused first, after that, Papa will be with you.”“How are you here, Aavansh?” Rudransh questioned, furrowing his brows.
“Mumma!! They hurt us.” Aavansh kept weeping, sending dread within Rudransh.
The chime of the jhumkas dangling from her bangles, akin to a latkan let loose a serene music interlacing into the air. Adorned in a black long anarkali suit that had intricate mirror work.
Isha turned around and her eyes darted around for a glimpse of him, but where was he? Her lips dropped off the smile, and once again she proceeded toward the shelves having romantic novels. Her eyes search for her favourite book, which finally will be hers, but even that is out of her reach. Her hands touched the wooden surface of the stool. She pulled it towards her, and the heels were taken off.
The coldness of the surface struck her alta decked bare feet. Though she too felt cold yet she wore the long suit for him and he was nowhere. Isha returned her sight from the door to the book. She extended her arm and her fingers held onto her favourite novel, taking it from the embrace of other books.
Her eyes perked up at the discovery of the red sticky note upon which the letters were carved in Hindi with the snow-white ink.
“You gave up so soon.” Isha turned instantly, and her eyes yearned to get a glimpse of Arjun, but once again, only disappointment struck her. She turned around towards the shelf, but the nail whose presence was on the stool pierced through her skin. She lifted her leg up, but the loss of balance struck. She reached out to the shelf for support, but even it gave out and she landed in his arms. The shelf leaned towards them. Before Isha has a single chance of seeing her rescuer, he wraps his hand around her head so that the falling books do not hurt her, while his other hand grasps the shelf, preventing its fall on them.
In that mild light, Isha felt fearful, but the familiar touch brought her solace. She slightly moved back and her lips shone with a smile on finding Arjun’s presence.
“Arjun,” her voice came as a whisper. Even in that situation, she only saw him. Nothing else mattered to her, whether the falling shelf or those books.
“Isha, what if something had happened to you?”“You are there, right?” She leaned her forehead against his, and the tilak on her forehead got on his forehead.
“There is no sindoor with me, so I used the tilak on my forehead to do your tilak,” she says joyfully.“Thank you so much. You are the one I want in this life.” Arjun’s words were interlaced with love.
——-
Aadhya waited at the airport for Viransh’s arrival, but he was too late, and her flight would leave in an hour.
“Please come soon,” she thinks while still being at the departure gate. The soft snowflakes brush against her hand. A shining glimmer in those eyes at the sight of the military cars that paused a few inches from her. Viransh got out, and a smile beamed on his face, but the moment Aadhya noticed the blood on his uniform, the elation faded away.
“What happened? Are you injured?” she worried for him, touching his arm.
“The bullet just grazed me.” A hesitation formed in Viransh, the one before a revelation that even he knew would disappoint her.
“Aadhya,” he called, losing the excitement in his tone.
“Viransh, you haven’t even bandaged it. What if it gets infected?”“I have done it. I’m completely fine.” Her eyes roamed over his uniform, which was slightly torn. He still hasn’t changed into the new one. Her fingers touched his arm, pushing the shirt’s fabric away, and the white dressing revealed itself.“Alright then, hurry up or we’ll miss the flight.”“Aadhya, I can’t come.” Those words snatch away her smile once again, bringing in the shroud of gloominess.
“Why?”“I have to stay here in Srinagar.”“But you promised we would go to Mumbai together.”“I am sorry, but there is an emergency.”
" ok,” she smiled, understanding thatcountrycomes first. Her arms wrapped around him in a hug. Viransh too wanted to go with her, but cancelling his holiday was a last-minute decision. With those moist eyes, he watched her go inside.
The bell rang, indicating the seat belt sign being deactivated. Aadhya, sitting on her seat, admired the view that the airplane’s window offered to her.
“Aadhya, let’s go,” Anvesha said, getting off the seat that is on her opposite side. Aadhya too got up to serve the snacks to the passengers. While she kept the food items, suddenly she felt the barrel of the gun pressed against her head. Her eyes dilated, and the soft drink slipped off her fingers.
