Falling Into Oblivion

Chapter 5: Unexpected rescue

Banhi's fingers tightened around her bag as she navigated through the quiet streets. The sun was setting, casting long shadows that seemed to whisper of unseen dangers. She had just finished her kathak dance class at the studio, a routine she had fallen into to supplement her income. But as she approached the studio, her heart sank. The streets were eerily empty, and a sense of foreboding filled the air.

She hurried inside, only to be greeted by the anxious face of one of the other teachers. "Banhi, tumhe curfew ke baare mein pata chala?" the teacher asked, her voice trembling.

"Curfew? Nahi, mujhe nahi pata tha, all of a sudden?" Banhi replied, her mind racing.

"I sent all the kids back safely but forget to call you, sorry. But don't worry I'm staying here today until everything settles down," the other teacher says and goes to another room

 Banhi nodded, and pulled out her phone and saw her father calling.

"Banhi, tum theek ho?"

"Papa, main safe hoon, par main studio ke andar hi rahoongi jab tak curfew khatam nahi hota. Aap please chinta mat karo," she said quickly, trying to reassure him.

Her father's voice was thick with concern. "Are you sure you're okay, beta? Har kuch der mein message karte rehna, theek hai?"

"Main karoongi. Don't worry," Banhi promised, hanging up and then calling her friend Dhriti. "Dhriti, it's Banhi. Main safe hoon, par yahan curfew lag gaya hai. Just letting you know."

Dhriti's reply was swift and worried. "Be careful, Banhi. Andar hi rehna."

Banhi nodded even though Dhriti couldn't see her. She closed the blinds of the windows for extra safety, but a sudden fear gripped her. She crept closer to the window, peeking through a small gap. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw a group of men on the street, causing chaos. They were throwing things, breaking windows, and fighting with each other. One of them lit a trash bin on fire, the flames licking the darkening sky.

"Yeh log yahan kya kar rahe hain?" Banhi whispered to herself, her heart pounding. She quickly moved away from the window, her mind racing with worry.

She tried calling Dhriti again. "Dhriti, yahan kuch log bahar gadbad kar rahe hain. Mujhe bahut darr lag raha hai."

Dhriti's voice was full of concern. "Banhi, bas andar hi rehna. Police ko phone karne ki koshish karo. Aur lights off kar do."

Banhi nodded, switching off the lights to make sure no one outside could see in. She fumbled with her phone, trying to call the police, but the line was busy. "Oh god, please help," she muttered, her hands shaking.

Suddenly, there was a loud crash outside, followed by shouting. Banhi's heart raced as she crept back to the window, peeking through the gap again. The group of men was closer now, their faces twisted with anger and malice. One of them kicked a storefront, shattering the glass. Another man was screaming something incoherent, his face contorted with rage.

"Kya kar rahe hain yeh log? Pagal ho gaye hain," Banhi whispered, her voice trembling. She backed away from the window, her heart pounding in her chest.

She texted her father again. "Papa, bahar bahut gadbad ho rahi hai. Main dar gayi hoon."

Her father's reply was immediate. "Banhi, police ko call karne ki koshish karte raho. Main bhi kuch karta hoon yahan se. Tum bas andar raho aur khud ko safe rakho."

Banhi nodded to herself, clutching her phone tightly. She tried calling the police again, finally getting through. "Hello, mujhe help chahiye. Studio ke bahar kuch log halla kar rahe hain, please jaldi aaiye," she pleaded, giving them her location.