Abhimanyu tried different ways to make Akshara talk but she was being stubborn and adamant about not opening her mouth.
"Kyun baat ko badha rahi ho Akshu? Mujhse kya chhupana?"
"Baat hoti tab chhupati na Abhi. Kyun bewajah jhagad rahe ho mujhse?"
"Wow! Toh ab main jhagad raha hu? Haan kyun nahi. Hu main pagal. Aray koi tumhara peecha kar raha hai, chaar din pehle tum itni zyada disturb ho gayi thi ki khaana tak nahi bana payi aur main jhagad raha hu? Itni cool kaise hi sakti ho tum?"
"Cool hu kyon ki koi baat nahi hai. Uss din jo bhi hua woh mera weham tha bas aur kuch nahi. Tum bhi toh gaye the na bahar, dikha koi? Nahi na. Ho jata kabhi-kabhi jab hum disturb hote hain toh chize imagine karne lagte hain aur wahi hua mere sath. That's it. Band karo iss topic ko."
"Theek hai kar diya. Lekin ab yeh batao ki tum itni disturb kyon thi jo aisi cheez imagine kar rahi thi? Answer me Akshu."
Akshara was stuck in a ‘aage kuya aur peeche khai’ situation. The answer to both of his questions was the same. She knew that she was doing wrong by keeping Abhimanyu in the dark but she was scared. Very scared. For him and herself.
These crazy people who can enter someone's room through a window and keep these crazy letters can do anything. She cannot hamper her love's safety without any plans. So, she ran from there making an excuse of a phone call, leaving a suspicious Abhimanyu behind.
-
Akshara was about to leave from the hospital when a hand shot up and wrapped itself around her thin waist. The person covered her face with a handkerchief dipped in chloroform and threw her in the back of a car.
She fought with him tooth and nail but he was taller and stronger than her and took advantage of it. After eight minutes, she started to lose consciousness because of inhaling the chemical and in the next five minutes she blacked out…
-
After completing a rather simple surgery which took him four hours, Abhimanyu got out of the operation theater. He was feeling anxious and nervous which meant only one thing……. Akshara, his Akshu was in trouble.
He called her mobile for almost ten times in a row and heard the automated voice as a reply. He knew that his wife was angry at him but she never ignored his calls. At least not in their five months of marital life. That sudden feeling of anxiousness returned and Abhimanyu left for his house but not before informing his team to look carefully after the patient.
"Akshu…. Akshu? Maa, Neil, bhabhi…. Akshu kahan hai?"
"Kya hua Abhimanyu? Akshara abhi ghar nahi aayi hai." Shefali rushed to the hall hearing her brother-in-law’s distressed voice.
"Nahi aayi? Aise kaise nahi aayi? Bhabhi woh chaar ghante pehle nikli thi hospital se. Abhi tak ghar nahi aayi? Kahan hogi, kis haal mein hogi meri jaan?"
Abhimanyu was now babbling random things, sometimes even scolding himself for fighting with her. Various what ifs were coming into his mind which scared him to the core and made him mentally slap himself for even thinking about it. Seeing his state Manjari went to him and side hugged him, trying to relax him a bit and find out the cause for his distressed state.
"Shaant hoja beta. Pehle bata toh kya hua hai? Ho sakta hai Akshu NGO mein ho ya Goenka house mein? Neil, tu apne bhai ko sambhal tab tak main Swarna ji ko phone karke baat kar leti hu."
Neil went to Abhimanyu with a glass of water and somehow made him drink it. He rubbed his back, trying to calm him down but nothing worked. Abhimanyu was as restless as earlier.
"Akshu Goenka house mein bhi nahi hai. Aaj jaane wale thi lekin subah usne mana kar diya. Sharda ji ne bataya ki woh NGO bhi nahi gayi aaj. Abhi, beta tu kuch bol na. Kya hua hai?" Now Manjari was as upset as Abhimanyu, feeling scared for her daughter-in-law’s well being.
Abhimanyu was now even more worried about her safety but somehow controlled himself and told the truth to the family. Everything that has been happening since the last four days. How Akshara was always jittery and nervous, how she used to check her surrounding areas as if searching for someone and about her constant lack of focus even during her sessions.
Everyone was worried about her and they knew that even the police wouldn't help them before at least twelve hours. Suddenly Abhimanyu received a call from an unknown number.
"Hello…. Akshu?"
"Kaisa pagal bana diya hai na iss ladki ne tujhe. Har jagah bas yahi dikhti hai tujhe."
"Who's this? Akshara kahan hai?"
"Relax bhai. Itna kya chilla raha hai? Teri biwi, let me correct, teri bahut hi zyada khubsurat biwi filhaal mere pass hai aur is'se pehle ki tu phir se chillaye main bata deta hu, woh theek hai. At least abhi tak toh hai aage ka pata nahi. Main apne aap ko control kar paunga ya nahi."
"Tu hai kaun? Aur Akshara ko kyon uthaya? Kya chahta hai tu? Paise? Jitne chahiye utne mil jayenge tu meri biwi ko chhor."
"Aur agar main kahu ki mujhe teri biwi hi chahiye toh?"
"Toh tu iss duniya ka nahi rahega."
"Hahaha. Sahi hai, ghar baithe dhamki de raha hai. Pehle dhoondh toh mujhe. Main chaar saal tarsa hu iske liye, tu chaar ghante mein pagla gaya. Chal tujhe thoda time diya, 24 ghante ka time hai tere paas. Dhoondh sakta hai toh theek varna teri yeh doll meri hui."
That person cut the call before Abhimanyu could react. His rage knew no bounds now. Neil took his phone from him before he could throw it.
They did not know exactly what to do but Abhimanyu Birla vowed to bring his wife back, safe and sound, even if he had to tear apart the whole world, he would.
ANYTHING FOR HIS WIFE!
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AbhiRa Moments ~ OS/TS Collection
General FictionA bunch of one shots and short stories. AbhiRa in alternate universe.