“ Shaurya, riots have broken across the whole city because of the minister’s remarks on a certain community. Beta, please don’t leave the college campus. As it is, it’s really late. Stay at your office and eat something from the canteen but don’t drive home right now, am I clear?” Shaan asked his son over the phone.
“ Yes dad.” Shaurya replied, pinching the bridge between his eyes. The NEWS was on in his cabin as the police had imposed Section 144 in the whole city.
Shaurya hung up and then walked to the college campus’s main exit gate to inform the guards to stay inside the gates and not let any student out. Anyways, most of the students’ who didn’t stay on campus must have already left for their homes and that was one thing pestering Shaurya. He could only hope that they would have reached home safely.
“ But sir, a student has just left, twenty minutes back.” The guard informed Shaurya who was gravely concerned now. No one should be out in situations like these.
“ Who?” He asked and the guard went to the id card scan machine to see the last scanned identity card.
“ Anokhi Bhalla, 2nd year.” He informed Shaurya and for a moment, his heartbeat stopped.
Anokhi was out there when the whole city was completely unstable and there was violence going on everywhere. Why did she have to be so careless. Couldn’t she have just stayed in the college, sharing college room with a friend for the night? Now all she did was put herself at risk.
“ Damodar, you go to the admin office and ask Mrs. Vohra to call the parents or guardians of the students and check if they have reached home.” He instructed one of the three guards and then jogged to the parking lot to his car to search for Anokhi.
“ This girl just keeps on crossing heights of carelessness and irresponsibility. Just being extremely bright in academics doesn’t give her immunity to talk her way out of trouble and right now, the whole city was in trouble. Miss Bhalla, how long will it take you to try and look after yourself?” Shaurya muttered, driving out of the campus. Luckily, he knew where she lived and hence, drove in that direction slowly and looked left, right and center to spot her.
“ Anokhi….where are you?” He muttered as his eyes landed on a fire that had started nearby. He was about to pass from there to continue his search but hid heart stopped him.
“ Let me just check there once.” He said, getting out of the car. There was no one around, thankfully as he stepped near the fire, screaming Anokhi’s name.
“ Anokhi……Anokhi. Are you here?” He shouted at the top of his voice but got no response. He continued to scan through the area when he saw a figure lying near an abandoned house step, unconscious. It was Anokhi.
Shaurya, completely losing it, jumped over the fire and ran towards where she was lying, dodging fire in between.
“ Anokhi….come on, open your eyes. Right now.” He asked her, patting her cheek and shaking her slightly by her shoulder but he gave no response.
“ Miss Bhalla, you have got to stop ignoring my instructions. Wake up.” He pushed her hair that were on her face back and stroked her head lightly.
Anokhi stirred and little, feeling someone calling out for her but the pain in her head was too much for her to respond.
“ Anokhi….wait a minute.” Shaurya said and picked her in his arms in bridal style, forcing her to open her eyes a little.
“ Shau…..Shaurya sir?” She asked, trying to make sense of what was happening around her and wrapped her arms around his neck for a little extra support.
“ Jaanti ho, yahan aakar kitna badaa paagalpan kiya hai tumne?” Shaurya asked her so softly that for a moment she thought that she was just hearing things but one look at him confirmed that he really had asked her.
“ Aapne bhi sir.” She replied, weekly as she could feel her eyes closing once again.
“ Miss Bhalla, you are unable to keep yourself conscious but you still want to debate.” He said, not being able to believe Anokhi.
“ I am not debating with you, I am just telling you the truth.” She shot back as they reached the car and he placed her very delicately, like she was a china doll.
“ You are absolutely impossible Anokhi.” He said as he started to drive back to SIAC.
“ I am not.” Were her last words as she drifted back to unconsciousness and Shaurya looked at her, trying to wake her up.
“ Miss Bhalla, stay with me. You cannot sleep right now.” He said, loudly which jerked her up, awake again.
“ Please sir.” She almost begged, finding it extremely hard to keep her eyes open.
“ No Miss Bhalla, you cannot lose your consciousness right now. Talk to me. Tell me what happened.” He asked her as they were almost at the institute.
“ I was…..I was walking back to di’s place and then all of a sudden…..” Anokhi started but she was soon drifting back to sleep.
“ All of a sudden what Anokhi? Tell me? Stop falling asleep.” He asked, desperately to keep her up because if she concussion, it was necessary for her to stay up.
“ A mob…a mob was running towards my direction. I panicked and hid behind a pillar of a house and stayed there for a while till the mob passed but when I came out, there was an explosion nearby and the next……the next thing I knew was that I was falling unconscious. Then the next time I opened my eyes, I was looking at you.” She finished as Shaurya entered SIAC and the guards shut the main gate.
“ Why did you have to leave Miss Bhalla? You could have stayed in the college. You put yourself at such a huge risk.” She said, parking the car and then getting down, he walked to the passenger’s door and opening it, he scooped Anokhi back into his arms, finally feeling safe now that she was with him.
“ Sir….I can walk.” She offered and asked him to put her back on her feet.
“ Let’s not argue about anything right now Anokhi. You barely can keep your eyes open so I don’t think you can walk.” He replied as he walked inside the college infirmary which was headed by an extremely trained and experienced nurse.
“ Oh my god. What happened sir?” The nurse asked as Shaurya placed Anokhi on one of the infirmary beds.
Shaurya told her and upon inspection, the nurse declared that Anokhi did not have concussion. She gave her some vitals, cleaned her wounds up, bandaged them and asked her to sleep for a while.
“ Sir, she’ll probably be knocked out of a few hours. I’ll inform you when she is all good to leave.” The nurse said, addressing Shaurya but he just couldn’t bring himself to leave from there. He felt a very different calm and storm when he was with her and right now, all he wanted was for her to be in front of his eyes.
Those thirty minutes while he was searching for her were hell for him. All different, more than worse scenarios playing in his head. He was afraid for the first time in twenty years. Really afraid. All he wanted was to find her and then keep her close, not letting her out of his sight. He also knew that it was really unusual for him to feel something like this for a student but Miss Anokhi Bhalla wasn’t just another student for him. From day one she had challenged him, stood up to him, sometimes stood up for him and most importantly, she understood him.
“ I’d prefer to stay here if you don’t mind.” He told the nurse and she just gave him a smile, going back to her desk as Shaurya sat on the couch placed right opposite to the bed and had asked one of the peons to fetch his laptop and a few files from him office. Even while working, his eyes were going again and again to Anokhi who was sleeping peacefully on he bed. It was almost seven in the evening when she started stirring in her sleep and then finally opened her eyes.
“ Miss Bhalla, try taking it easy, will you?” He asked as he saw her panicking and keeping the papers in his hand, walked to her, giving her a glass of water.
“ Thank you sir.” She said, taking the water and gulped it down in one go.
“ Are you feeling better?” He asked her as she looked at him.
“ I am okay.” She replied, trying to get down from the bed.
“ Are you familiar with the concept of taking it easy Miss Bhalla?” Shaurya asked, raising an eyebrow as he held her by her shoulders a little to stabilize her.
“ I can’t lie down or sit anymore sir.” She said, rubbing her eyes and Shaurya chuckled at her reaction.
“ Then do you want to just stand here?” He asked and she nodded in a no.
“ I am going for a walk outside.” She told him, putting her sandals on and Shaurya started to walk next to her.
“ Sir….I don’t need a babysitter!” She exclaimed as she found him walking right next to her.
“ And I don’t think I’m capable of leaving you alone after what you did to me today.” He confessed without hesitating for a bit.
“ But why did you come to find me sir?” She asked, really curious. Why would Shaurya bother about her outside college?
“ Because Miss Bhalla, you acted like a fool, leaving the college in such a terrible situation. Would you like to explain yourself?” He asked her, as she sat down on one of the benches, she did feel tired and her body was sore.
“ I wanted to reach di’s place quickly and I didn’t think that even this area would be that much affected.” She confessed, shifting to the other side of the bench as Shaurya took a seat, next to her.
“ What was the rush Anokhi that you agreed to put your life at risk?” He asked, sensing some discomfort as she answered the question.
“ It’s really nothing sir.” Anokhi lied once again but Shaurya saw right through her.
“ Miss Bhalla, there is no use lying to me. Just tell me. I might be able to help you.” He tried to convince her and after a lot of efforts from his side, she gave in.
“ My jiju. He says that if I don’t get back home before 5 PM the I’ll no longer be allowed to stay there and he will call my papa to take me back to Kapurthala.” He blurted out, because he really was being a lot persistent.
“ So basically, he is blackmailing you.” Shaurya said, more to himself than to her but she nodded in a yes, nonetheless.
“ Miss Bhalla, pack your things from there and come to college on Monday. Your accommodation will be arranged.” He promised her and she, in excitement, gave him a huge smile and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He was taken aback for a moment but he too, kept his hands on her shoulders, a smile threatening to break on his lips.
Anokhi, realizing what she had done, immediately distanced herself from him again and stood up, letting her hair fall on her face to avoid Shaurya seeing her embarrassed.
“ I am so sorry sir.” She muttered, not making any eye contact with him.
This made him stand up too and he held her by her shoulder, turning her towards him and made her look into his eyes.
“ You don’t have to be. Now come along, let’s go to the canteen.” He said, as he took her hand in his and the two of them walked to eat something.
She was with him at the moment and was alright and at the point of time, this was all that mattered. He would care about everything else tomorrow.
Hey guys, this is a very, very short OS and that’s the best I can do today because I am really busy in the evening and hence won’t be able to write.
Please do tell me what you think about it. I crave a lot for your reviews and they motivate me to write as frequently as I can.
Thank you so much for giving it a chance.
See you real soon, until next time,
Bye!!❤❤
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