Aastha's eyes fluttered with every bang on the door. Her chest was heaving, her brain numb. Shlok was still holding her from behind with his palm covering her mouth. A tear from Aastha's eye reached Shlok's fingers. He turned her towards himself. Those eyes were filled with tears and tension. He cupped her face and assured her of her safety. "Don't worry Aastha, I am with you!" he whispered.
"Aastha, is there any other way out?" asked Varad looking around.
"Yes, the back door..." replied Aastha, "but it is locked from outside..." Aastha cursed herself for locking the back door from outside. Had I not locked it, we would have been out by now!
Suddenly the bangs on the door stopped. Aastha, Shlok and Varad stared at the door wondering what Ajinkya was upto.
*****
Aditi unintentionally held Karan's hand as they watched the men making efforts to get into the bungalow. Her grip on Karan's hand tightened with every blow on the door. But the door was too strong to be broken. Ajinkya told his men to stop. Adit and Karan exchanged glances knowing not what was going to happen next. Everyone knew that Aastha was inside as the main door was locked from inside. Aditi just hoped that Aastha somehow escaped. Her eyes widened in fear as Ajikya told his men to try and break the window glass instead of the door.
*****
The silence was broken by the impacts on the window glasses by Ajinkya's men. "They are breaking the glasses!" cried Aastha in fear. Shlok placed his palm on Aastha's mouth again, reminding her to stay quiet. The window glasses were thick and strong enough not to be broken easily.
As Shlok was trying to calm Aastha down, Varad's eyes sparkled as he got an idea. "The window!" he exclaimed in a low voice running towards the window near the back door. "Aastha, give me the key to the back door!" he said opening the window and pushing himself out.
"Careful Dada!" said Shlok as Varad got through the window towards the back side.
Aastha handed Varad the bunch of keys. "Which one?" asked Varad looking confused.
"The shiny one!" replied Aastha.
Varad quickly inserted the key into the lock and the door was opened in no time. Shlok let Aastha go out first and then he followed with her bag. They locked the door and began running towards Shlok's car that was parked nearby. Shlok suggested to leave Varad's car there itself, Varad too agreed. Because Varad had parked his car near the main gate and taking it back was too risky.
Aastha stopped suddenly as she remembered something. "My phone!!" she exclaimed and began running back to the back door.
Shlok saw her. "Where are you going?!" he said as he dropped Aastha's bag to the ground to go get hold of her. He threw the car keys to Varad telling him to ignite the engine and be ready.
Shlok ran behind Aastha and held her by the waist from behind. "Are you crazy? What are you doing?" he scolded her.
"My phone!" she said as she ran towards the door with all her efforts, "I left my phone inside!"
Aastha reached the door and fumbled with the keys to get hold of the right one. Just as Shlok reached there to stop her, they heard Ajinkya's men breaking the window glasses and jumping into the bungalow. Shlok and Aastha exchanged glances in horror. Shlok just pulled Aastha as he began running towards the car which Varad was ready with near the back gate. Aastha's foot twisted while running and she cried in pain as she fell to the ground. Shlok stopped immediately. There was no time to ask Aastha whether she was fine or whether she was able to stand up and run. Without another thought, Shlok just lifted Aastha in his arms and ran towards the car as fast as he could. Varad had already opened the back door for them. Shlok got into the car with Aastha. Varad quickly got into the driving seat and they drove off before Ajinkya and his men could know anything.
*****
The door was opened from inside for Ajinkya and the others to enter. Aditi's heart was beating faster with every step she put forward. She was holding Karan's hand tightly. Ajinkya told his men to search every nook and corner of the bungalow. Aditi shut her eyes tightly praying for Aastha's safety. Karan caressed her hand gently with his fingers to assure her that everything was going to be fine, though he himself wasn't sure. Ajinkya was waiting anxiously to get hold of Aastha but, to his disappointment, the men came to him saying that there was no one in the bungalow. Ajinkya let out a cry of frustration as he banged his hand on the table. Aditi and Karan were relieved to know that Aastha had escaped though they wondered how. Ajinkya ordered his men to check everything carefully to see if they found any information about Aastha or where she might be. Just then Aditi received a message... We are fine, thank you
This was not the number she had sent message to earlier. This was a different number. May be this is Aastha's new number. "We?" she thought, "That means Shlok is with Aastha... Thank you bappa!"
*****
"I have informed Aditi" said Shlok as he returned Varad's phone.
Aastha had still not come out of the shock. Everything had happened so suddenly. Shlok's head was aching badly. It was thumping and Shlok could feel the pain now. His eyes watered as the pain increased. He rested his head back on the seat and closed his eyes as he sat beside Aastha. Suddenly Aastha felt Shlok's head falling on her shoulder. She was scared for a while. But then she saw Shlok's face... His eyes closed.
"Thank you Shlok!" she said but got no reply. She thought not to disturb Shlok and let him sleep till they reached the Agnihotri Mansion.
"Thank you Dada!" she said to Varad, "I don't know what I would have done without you both..." Varad told Aastha not to worry and that that she was safe now.
Varad parked the car in front of the door as they reached the Agnihotri Mansion. He got down and opened the door for Shlok and Aastha before he took out Aastha's bag from the dickey. Niranjan, Anjali and Sojal came rushing to the door seeing the car and they showered a number of questions on Varad.
Meanwhile, Aastha was trying to wake Shlok up. "Shlok... We are here... Come let's go in and then you can sleep again..." But there was no response from Shlok. "Shlok?" said Aastha gently tapping on his cheek. "Wake up Shlok... You can take rest in your room... Now wake up" Neither did Shlok say anything nor did he move. Aastha was worried now. "Shlok?" she tapped harder on his cheeks. "Are you alright?" Now Aastha was tensed. "Shlok! Open your eyes!" she said shaking him. Seeing no reaction from Shlok, Aastha called out to Varad... "Dada! See what has happened to Shlok... He is not waking up!" Aastha's eyes filled with tears seeing Shlok. "Shlok please, open your eyes!" she cried.
*****
Anupamaa
Fan Fictions
