It was late night when Heer woke up from a deep slumber as the alarm rang loudly next to hear ear. She turned around and pressed the snooze button and went back to sleep until ten minutes later when the alarm rang again. She promised herself that ten more minutes and she would get up, but even after half an hour she was still sleeping. Suddenly, a loud sound came in through the window, of something that sounded like a gun shot.
Heer had been working all day and it was only at 8 PM that she had gotten a chance to take a nap and be ready for her next shift that started at 1AM. She quickly got up and ran outside to see people running all over the place. She tried to ask what was happening, but the gun shots kept people running, rarely stopping to answer. People went in through the doors to hide behind gated doors.
Heer ran towards the main desk to try and find a way to help. Her shift had begun two minutes ago, and it was her duty to maintain peace in the hotel as she was assistant manager for the night. She was running down the stairs when a hand grabbed her and pushed her against the wall. It was as if the time stood still for a second when Heer muttered her last prayers.
In fear, Heer did not open her eyes but instead just prayed that this would all stop soon and people could go home safely to their families for Christmas. Because of the silence, Heer was forced to open her eyes when she saw a familiar face staring back at her, "Mr. Juneja?"
Prem turned around and looked at Heer, he was surprised she knew him, "Are you stupid? Why were you going down there? That's where the gun sounds are coming from!"
"I know, I am on duty. I am supposed to be down there helping them out. Please let me go." Heer tried to come out of the grasp but failed.
"Don't be stupid, this is not the time to act heroic." Prem tried to find an exit out of the building.
"Mr. Juneja, it is my responsibility as the Assistant Manager that people who chose to live at this hotel find no fault. I have to go out there and make sure that I can help in whatever what possible." Heer finally managed to get out of the tight grasp.
Prem felt like slapping the girl that was standing opposite him, "Oh yeah, because what are you going to be able to do?"
"If everyone thought like that, we might as well say goodbye to our country as of now only. I know a back route that you can take to escape since I am pretty sure that there would be no one there. Go down from the other set of stairs and there is a back route that takes you to the workers area. There is a small attic there that takes you underground and when you open the door, it will lead you out the back way." Heer handed him the keys that would open the closet door since it was under extreme security.
Prem looked at the key in his hand was still surprised by the strength this girl held at a time like this.
Heer looked around to make sure there was no one looking, "And on your way, can you take as many people out as possible? Once you have opened the door and made your way out, please leave the key on top of the cabinet right next to it so that I can send more people towards that area. Please hurry up and go. Contact as many people as you can once you are out there so that these terrorists can't do much more harm. And thank you for trying to save me."
Prem stood there for a few more seconds and then made his way towards the closet door. He found a few people on the way who he directed with him towards the back exit. A small kid sat squatting on the corner and started crying furiously as Prem approached him.
"Shhh… come here beta." Prem tried to take the kids into his arms but the kid scratched trying to save himself. "Where are your parents, beta?"
The kid cried more, confused about whether this man was also involved in the shots that he heard or not. He answered quietly, hoping this man could help him find his parents, "My…parents… went downstairs for dinner. I was just... playing video games... in the hotel room."
Prem took the kids in his arms and told him to stay quiet. "Okay beta, I am going to make sure you get out of here."
"No, I want my parents. I need my parents. Please, let me get my parents." The kid became quiet but the tears did not stop at the thought of losing his parents.
Prem tried to calm the kid down as he walked towards the exit. He directed at least another twenty people with him towards the exit and found the key exactly as the girl had described.
The kid would not go, "I want my parents. Please get my parents."
Prem handed the kid to another couple, "Beta, you go out now. I am going to go inside and make sure that I get your parents back."
The little kid cried trying to remember what his parents were wearing earlier that day. He felt like slapping himself, had he not been so busy playing his video games when his parents left, he would know what they were wearing. "Uncle… my mom she has a orange sari on and my dad is wearing a black suit like yours. Please let me come with you."
"No, beta. You go." Prem instructed the group of people on what to do when they got out of there.
On the other hand, Heer quietly went down the stairs and directed more people towards the same people she had told Prem about. She said a quick prayer as she went towards the gun sounds when she tripped over a dead body's legs. Heer got up, completely covered in blood and stumbled back when she saw how brutally the young girl had been killed.
Heer felt tears prickle in her eyes and she felt a chill run down her back. She went towards the young girl to see if she was still alive but there was no beats. Heer's hands were involuntarily shaking and swear prickled down her back. She was angry, mad, frustrated and scared not just for herself but for all the other innocent bystanders that had been killed because of these inhumane attacks.
Heer took the young girl from the ground and put her on a couch as if preserving her for the family that would receive such a heartbreaking news. She did not know this young girl but she felt as if a part of her had been broken down as well.
Heer saw a AK-47 gun lying next to another body and she wished that she knew how to work it. She picked up, in case, she could use to save herself or other's later on. She figured it was probably empty but no one else needed to know that. She walked towards the other room, hoping that the terrorists would not see her.
She had no plan but she felt a need to save the people who were living in one of the safest places in the country. She took out her cell phone and text messaged one of her friends, instructing her to let the police and commando officers outside of her number and to text her with updates on where they were situated. She tell texted another friend of hers who knew Prem Juneja's cell phone number and waited for the responses before she headed inside.
Within minutes she knew that the commandos were entering through the back way that she had told Prem about. She also received Prem' cell phone number and she quickly messaged him telling him about the update and asked him for his location.
Without waiting any longer, she went in through the doors and was shocked by the view. It was nothing like she expected. It was a dead body on top of another and she dropped the gun without paying any attention to who was around her. She no longer felt scared because she knew that is she did, the terrorists would win. Instead all she felt was anger, anger that was overcoming every inch of her as she walked towards her friend's body.
She had known Meher since Meher was five years old. They worked together to pay for their college, they had sat all night long last night talking about Meher's upcoming engagement to Preet who she had been dating for five years. It was supposed to be Meher's last day at the hotel working as a marketing coordinator because she was moving to Delhi with Preet.
Heer looked at her body and felt completely numb. No thoughts ran through her body as she looked around to see a Christmas tree with blood splashed all over it or the fireplace that now was shut off and instead had a gun in it's place.
She got up slowly and felt confused about what to do. She wanted to go inside but she knew that she stood no chance and it was basically committing suicide. There was no turning back now, she went towards the next door and stood in shock as she saw a tall lean man hold a girl by her hair and the gun pointing at her.
Heer pushed the man and instead of the girl the man grabbed her by her throat really quickly and threw her against the wall. Her head hit the wall as she slid down into a fetal shape. The man once again picked up the young girl and this time brought her forward towards Heer.
He laughed loudly, "I am going to kill her in front of you now. She is the daughter of one of the richest men staying at this hotel, if I kill her, the country will be shaken."
Thankfully Heer had not changed into her staff wear, it made it easier for her to lie. "What are you talking about? That is not even his daughter!"
The man looked around and found the person that had told him this, "You said she was his daughter!"
"I figured, because he was walking around with her earlier today!" The boy said timidly.
The man pushed the little girl aside and got ready to shoot her when Heer spoke up, "But I am his wife."
The man turned around and laughed, "You and I are alike."
Heer prayed to God that was not true because she would hate to be anything like these beasts.
The man came forward and held Heer by her chin, "You were willing to sacrifice yourself to save the child and I am willing to sacrifice myself for my country."
Heer felt like spitting at him but she knew she was in no position to do so, "You and I are nothing alike. You kill innocents for your own good while I am saving an innocent from beasts like you."
The man pushed Heer against a wall really hard, "And what about all the innocent people your men have killed?"
"That justifies nothing," Heer could feel piercing pain in her head as if it were bleeding.
"Oh really, if I kill you now, would your so called husband Prem Juneja not want revenge?" The man pushed the wife a little closer.
"Even if he did want revenge, he would never stoop down to this level. An eye for an eye makes the world blind," Heer felt the knife prick through her stomach slowly.
The man was enjoying himself as he pushed the knife only a cm at a time as the blood started dropping down, " I think I am going to leave you alive to tell the world what dangers are coming it's way. Let them know that this is not over and we will get justice."
"Oh, you better kill me now because when I don't tell anyone anything you will want to kill me. I will go out there and say nothing except that the men that came today were beasts and nothing else. I hate all of you for what you are doing. There are little kids dead outside, tourists have been killed brutually, and for what? Justice? Will this bring back the parents or relatives that you are fighting for?" Heer winced as the knife went in even further. The loss of blood was making her dizzy but she was not going to give up just yet, at least until she knew the kid was safe.
There was a noise as someone came running through the door. Prem Juneja stood there and was shocked to see his daughter inside. Before he could go up to her, however, Heer pushed the man and went running up to him. She hugged him and whispered softly into his ears, "Pretend like she is not your daughter or he is going to kill her. And I am supposed to be your wife."
Prem understood, "Are you okay? What did you do to my wife?"
The man came closer, "So she is your wife, huh? Well I might as well kill her then."
"Get away from her," Prem pushed Heer behind him.
Heer who was losing too much blood tried to push Prem out of the room, "It is already too late for me but take this child and go!"
The man stood there laughing like a maniac, "Oh what a cute little story. Saving each other. But let me tell you something, none of you guys are getting out of here alive."
"Oh but we are," Heer said as she grabbed a gun with her feet and brought it up. "If you shoot either of them, I will shoot you."
The man laughed again, "You think I am scared of death?"
"No, but you are scared of dying with the name of a coward. You shoot them, I will shoot you and when I get out of here, I will be sure to mention what a big coward you were." Heer pushed the girl out the door and was nudging Prem to go but he stood in his place refusing to move. She turned to him, "Don't be stupid, just go!"
"So you can be heroic all on your own? No thank you." Prem pretended to hug Heer as he took the gun from her hand and shot the man standing in front of them quickly. Three bullets were out and in his chest before Heer could blink and eye.
It was the gunshot noises that led the commandos to enter the room quickly and kill the other two terrorists that were aiming at Prem and Heer. Heer sighed with relief but before she could say anything, she collapsed on the ground.
The ambulance took Heer to the hospital and Prem along with his daughter followed them all the way. He yelled at Riya, his daughter, for being in the hotel because she was supposed to have left with her mom. "Dad, you know I don't like going with mom. I don't know why you force me."
"Because she is your mother," Prem was furious. He had broken up with his wife years back but she demanded money regularly along with visits just to prove to society that she could be a good mother. But the truth was, Ashlesha did not care one bit about Riya or Prem.
Prem drove faster to the hospital but there was too much traffic. As he entered, there were reporters all over the place who ran to see why Prem Juneja was in the hospital. He avoided them and tried to go past to make sure that the stranger was doing fine.
He did not even know the name of the women who had saved his life. Riya looked around at the ladies who were on the ground crying and others who stood there in shock with tears streaming down their eyes. A little kid walked around wandering the halls for his mom and Riya went over to take the kid into her arms and towards the mother who was on the hospital bed.
Prem looked at Riya and was saddened by everything that was happening. How was it fair that a 6 year old son had no mother anymore? How was it fair that the newly wedded wife who had come to Taj for her wedding night was now given a white sari? How was it fair that the husband stood by his wife's bed mourning because now his kids did not have a mom, he did not have a wife?
Prem took Riya and looked around trying to find the women that had saved the lives of him and his daughter. He did not know her name or any information about her and with so many other people there, it was close to impossible to go through everyone.
He made his way through rooms after rooms, looking for her but to no vain. He asked one of the ward boy, "I looked in all the rooms but she is not here."
The boy looked around and answered after a brief pause, "If she is not here, she might be in the morgue."
Riya started crying but Prem assured her that nothing could happen to her. "No, we will keep looking here."
There was blood everywhere, and the worst part was the media was harassing family members of the deceased. Prem went up of the newsman and slapped him half across the face ,"Is this they way you have been raised? Don't you see the terror on that little's kid's face and all you are doing is putting bright light on her trying to get a story?"
The journalist lowered his head and as soon as Prem left, he turned to the camera, "That right there was the famous business tycoon, Prem Juneja. He seems to be distraught by this event as well, no one is in their senses. Everyone seems to have been going through a tragedy. That is all for me Anil Trivedi, Red News. Back to you Anjali."
Prem felt like kicking them all out of there but instead he knew that it was to no excuse. He went from a room to room, hoping to find that women but she was nowhere to be found. He prayed and hoped she was fine but for his and his daughter's sake, he would not go in the morgue. There was no way that anything could have happened to her. He was going to believe that because she was an angel. She had come into their lives and saved them.
Riya hugged her father and they mourned for the loss of their angel. They both prayed that somewhere along the path of their lives, they found find her and thank her. But until then, they were going to make sure they would do anything to fight against the terrorism.
After dropping Riya home, Prem went back to the place and found the little kid who he had found hiding under the table, "Beta did you find your parents?"
The parents came and thanked Prem. "You just gave us our life back."
Prem smiled but there was no reason to happy or content because everyone around him was crying or in tears. He knelt down next to an old lady and helped her up. The night went on, and the number of deaths increased but Prem was no longer scared. That girl had taught him that these terrorists can be destroyed only by being strong yourself and that is what he planned on doing. Till the end.
------------------------
-Pari
Current Affairs
