Shera ✔ A Short Story

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"𝑱𝒐 𝒃𝒉𝒆𝒋𝒊 𝒕𝒉𝒊 𝒅𝒖𝒂𝒂
𝑾𝒐𝒉 𝒋𝒂𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒂𝒂𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒖𝒏 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒓𝒂 𝒈𝒂𝒚𝒊
𝑲𝒆 𝒂𝒂 𝒈𝒂𝒚𝒊 𝒉𝒂𝒊 𝒍𝒂𝒖𝒕 𝒌𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒅𝒂𝒂"

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*Ambulance blaring*

"Stay with me, Sadaf."  A muffled voice echoes among the chaotic atmosphere. "I'm right here, meri jaan. With you. Keep your eyes open. Please!"

The stretcher is moved down the long endless hallway with medics surrounding a subconscious Sadaf. Her eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness as the white-washed ceiling of the hospital zoomed past her. She battles with the dark clouds blurring her vision, moving her gaze across the masked faces to locate his. Her breathing turns shallow by the time Shera's face comes into her view. Contoured in agony, pain and blood. His eyes, teary mirroring hers with striking fear laced in them.

Who would have thought,  Major Rajveet Shikhavat would also feel scared one day. The man was named after a lion, sher, the king of the jungle known for its fearless spirit. But each living being has their breaking point. This was his.

Sadaf tried to utter a word of condolence from behind the oxygen mask, while moving her hand to grab his. She squeezed it lightly, mustering every atom of strength she had left in her body. The tears rolled down his cheeks, a cry breaking through his mouth.

"Aap please baher intezaar kijiyea." The male doctor said, briefly patting his shoulder and following the staff into the OT. Shera came to halt, as the door shut in his face. His gaze trained on Sadaf who lay with her eyes closed under the surgical light.

(Please, wait here.)

"Mr. Shikhavat,"

Turning his head indifferently to the side, he noticed Sadaf's doctor, Priya make her way towards him.

"I heard what happened. Par aap fikar na karein. Wo theek hojayegi. She's a fighter." She heartens him before making her way inside past the swinging doors.

(I heard what happened. But, don't worry. She'll be fine. She's a fighter.)

Nothing she said made any sense to him. He stood there in a haze, mind clouded with the petrifying images from the night. The knife stabbed in her thigh, the bullet that hit her. All the blood that gushed out of her wounds as he carried her to his jeep. The same on, coincidentally in which she'd first sneaked in with Seher. His feet refused to move a mere inch from the door of OT. His mouth, busy murmuring a series of pleas to the one above, with all the reins in his hands.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please. . ." Shera went on mindlessly not knowing what to say after that. 

Don't take her away from me.

Spare her life.

Don't make me live without her.

His subconscious soundlessly prayed.

On the other side of the door, the atmosphere turned dense as tension rose. "Is she pregnant?" The male doctor voices out in concern.

"I'm afraid, she is. 6 months into her gestation period." Priya affirmed, feeling the weight of her words the second they left her mouth. There was a concise pause of silence as the doctors glanced at each other, knowing all too well what the next step had to be.

The head doctor gave out instructions to the staff in the room asking about the patients' vitals before proceeding to work on the bullet. Because it was right in the abdomen area, extremely close to the liver and the spinal cord, it had managed to go deeper than he thought. His gloved hands were layered with Sadaf's blood as he tried to pull the metal piece out using the fitting apparatus. A clicking sound resonated in the room as the 6mm bullet fell against the steel tray. Signing in relief, he moved away from the stretcher and peeled his gloves off before washing his hands in the sink whilst the nurses sew back the skin in place.