KATHA

23 KATHA - LAAL ISHQ

I froze.

My precious car.

"Angel ! Floor it !" Rishi yelled through the gunshots at me. And I was close to crying. Those bastards fucked up my baby. And he was yelling in my ear.

"Fucking hell !" He grabbed his gun and started firing at the cars that were chasing us. They were raining hellfire as if we personally put sticks up their asses and kicked them upto their mouths.

My car.

"Motherfuckers ! Did you piss off any asshole lately ?"

"No !"

"Fuck, we're short on ammo, Angel !" He yelled as he got back to firing again.

My heart raced as the deafening sound of gunshots pierced the air. The world around me seemed to blur as panic surged through my veins. Instinctively, my fingers tightened around the steering wheel, knuckles turning white as I swerved the car to dodge the bullets that whizzed past us.

"Under the seat !" I shouted and grabbed my gun. A little fear, a little exhilaration and a strong shot of adrenaline rushed through me and my thighs clenched. I cursed under my breath. Goddamnit. Not the right time. I would show the bastards and hand them thier balls. They knew us if they came this prepared, but what they didn't know was that we were a team, a force to be reckoned with, and we fought back as the four wretched cars, all white, relentlessly pursued us. The road beneath us trembled with every powerful rev of the engine, the tension cut through my skin.

Another peek, another shot and Rishi took one car down.

"You okay, Angel ?"

"Why, I'm brilliant." I smirked at him.

Fear is a dominating force. A master puppeteer. It becomes the catalyst for extraordinary feats, a catalyst that propels the spirit to go beyond it's own limitations. I feasted on my fear, I got drunk on it and laughing, I handled the wheel with one hand and shot the other out. I had two seconds. One clear view and I took the closest car off the road in five successive shots.

"Good job, Angel ! But... Who the hell are these bastards ?!"

"Hell if I know !" I threw the gun at him to load.

My focus remained on the road as I maneuvered the car with precision, my senses heightened to the chaos. The night was a flurry of motion, a dance of danger and survival. And my body started shaking, this relentless need to get out of the car, kill all the motherfuckers expect one and get him talking was overwhelming. Blinding. I was a storm contained in a glass bottle and when I heard the back glass of my car completely shatter, so did that bottle.

I snatched my gun from Rishi and started firing again, the car losing balance but I was too furious to care, I shot the windshield to splinters, intentionally avoiding shooting the tires and shot the driver right in the face. The burn on my arm from where a bullet grazed me travelled to my head, heating my ears. "Angel !" Their car severed and the man on the passenger seat took control. I was about to shoot him but suddenly the dynamics shifted.

Two cars emerged, swiftly eliminating the last two of our attackers. The two cars spiralled out of the road and I stepped on the brakes, breathing like I've been drowning and just came up for air. Relief washed over me, mingling with the rush of adrenaline that still coursed through my veins. My eyes met Kalki's intense gaze as his car pulled alongside mine, a mix of concern and relief in his eyes. Men left the other car and shot down our escaping attackers.

He was out of his car in seconds and I let him rip open my obliterated car's door and haul me into his arms. In that instant, the aftermath of the chase seemed to fade into the background, and the world narrowed down to just the two of us. Kalki's strong arms enveloped me in a protective embrace so tight, I could feel his heart thundering against my ear, his worry palpable against my trembling form. I clung to his body, desparately drinking in the comfort of his existence.