The Girl With No Surname

Part 14 - Live it through

'Shaurya Sir, main kyu nhi jaa sakti aapke saath', Anokhi threw the question at him in front of others.

Shaurya glanced around him once before replying, 'It is risky yaar. I can't take you with me. Even I wouldn't go but I want to see his face when he is arrested.'

Neil had cracked an amazing plan to catch Jethlal and his men redhanded. The warrant and everything were ready. While one team will rescue the girl, another one will reach Jethlal's place and arrest him right away.

Anokhi took Shaurya's hand and dragged him away to a corner, much to everyone's surprise.

'Kya kar rahi ho Anokhi? Kya sochenge sab?' Shaurya sounded a little irritated.

'I don't care', Anokhi said to him. Her eyes were moist, 'I want you to promise me that you will be okay, bas. I want you to return to me, safe and sound. Can you do that or not?'

Shaurya couldn't help smiling. He cupped her swollen face in his hands and planted a deep kiss on her forehead, 'I promise. And I also promise ki iske baad, main kabhi tumse dur nhi hounga. Hamesha tumhare saath rahunga. Hamesha.'

'You promise?' Anokhi caught the lapel of his blazer and pulled at it.

'I promise you', Shaurya replied with a smile. Anokhi put her arms around his waist and hugged him tightly, 'Mujhe itna darr kyun lag raha hai?'

Shaurya stroked her hai, 'Kyunki tum pagal ho. Accha chalo I need to go now. They are waiting. We need to rescue that girl.'

Anokhi released him, 'Okay. Jaldi ana.'

Shaurya turned and was about to leave but stopped, thought of something and turned back to her. His eyes glinting with passion, he bent over and placed his lips on hers almost to her shock. She couldn't even respond properly as he took it all in and released them as suddenly as he captured them. A flustered Anokhi couldn't even look at him. Finally pecking on her lower lip, he whispered against her face, 'I am yours, remember this.'

With that, he left.

The kidnappers' location had been traced. It was somewhere near a small field where they were celebrating the Dussehra festival.

Neil Mehra said to the others, 'There will be a lot of people, okay? We need to be careful, very careful. They might be in a van or something. We just have to find them and break in without capturing much attention.'

They left in common clothes so that no one could recognize them. Neil, Shaurya and a few other men climbed into an SUV while others took Shaurya's and Col. Mehra's cars.

Hours went by without any news of them or the girl or Jethlal. Col. Mehra was feeling restless, so was Anokhi. He switched on the TV to check the news.

'Shit! Are ye kaise ho gaya? Hey bhagwan!!!'

The Colonel's voice made Anokhi rush to the living room along with a few officers who were there. The sight on the TV screens made them freeze in shock. There had been a massive accident. Two trains had run simultaneously beside a field where Dussehra was being celebrated and in the dark, killing several people on the tracks where they had gathered to watch the festivities. The noise from the crackers was so high that the unfortunate people could not even hear the whistle from the trains, thus falling to their horrible fate. Shouts and pitiful cries filled the air as bodies were scattered all over the place. Suddenly, the Colonel shouted, 'Oh no! Ye to...ye to wahi jagah hai jahan ye log gaye hai. Kushal, Kushal!' He ran out, shouting, while Anokhi stood there, her eyes wide in shock.

After about 45 minutes, Neil and a few other officers arrived with the Colonel's daughter, their faces gloomy and sweaty. The girl ran inside and embraced her father. After the reconciliation, he asked Neil, 'What happened to Jethlal? Didn't you?'