The Birla siblings.......

glimpses

Ruhi ran as fast as she could, the chill night air whipping against her tear-streaked face. Her breaths came out in short, ragged gasps, each one heavier than the last. Her mind was a storm of memories and pain— the chilling image of Ruhanika lying motionless, covered in blood, replaying in her head like a haunting echo.

She didn’t know where she was running to—all she knew was that she had to get away from it all, the guilt, the helplessness, the silence that followed the screams.

Everything around her blurred—cars, lights, people—nothing made sense. Her heart pounded furiously in her chest, drowning out the sounds of the world. And in that intense rush of emotions, she didn’t see the massive truck speeding towards her, its horn blaring desperately.

Time seemed to slow. The lights of the truck flashed in her eyes. Her legs froze, but her mind screamed for her to move. She couldn't.

Suddenly, strong arms yanked her backwards with force, sending her stumbling. She crashed into a firm chest, gasping from the impact, her hands clutching onto the shirt instinctively. Her breathing was wild, her heart still racing from the brush with death.

It took her a moment to realize she was safe, that she was still alive. She slowly looked up, her trembling eyes meeting the calm, steady ones of her savior.

"Shaurya…" she whispered, almost unable to believe it.

His hold on her tightened slightly, grounding her trembling form.

"Are you crazy, Ruhi? What were you doing?" His voice was low, rough with concern, but not angry. "You could've—" he stopped himself, the thought too terrifying to complete.

Ruhi couldn’t respond. The weight of the night came crashing down on her all at once. Her knees buckled from exhaustion and shock, but Shaurya held her up, not letting her fall. Her hands remained clenchedu in his shirt, her face buried in his chest as the sobs finally broke free.

And there, in the middle of the road, amidst the chaos of passing cars and honking horns, Ruhi let herself fall apart… while Shaurya stood firm, holding her together.

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