Mon sunshine ☀️- A Pranushka Story

Chapter 3. Happiness

After 2 hours of a deep slumber, Abhiveer opened his eyes, vision a little blur.

4 rooms away, Surbhi gained consciousness and found Sheila, her new friend from Ladakh,  sitting beside her bed,on a stool.

Shiela, a very sweet and beautiful girl in her early twenties, got along well with Survi.

Survi tapped Sheila's shoulder to wake her up, who was resting, with her head on the side table. She immediately woke up and went out to call doctor and Colonel.

Doctor examined her again and granted her a leave from the hospital. She was asked to make minimal moves with her right hand as the wound was still fresh and much movement may cause severe pain.

On the other hand, in Abhiveer's ward, the general physician did the dressing of his wound and granted a leave. He was given a walking stick, though he didn't need one, as he was habituated with such bullet wounds.

Abhiveer saw Survi as they both came out of their wards at the same time. They walked through the corridor where Survi was ahead of him, unaware of his presence. He couldn't resist and tried reaching Survi, collapsing half way through, due to pain caused by brisk walk.

Survi turned back and saw Abhiveer on the floor.
"Abhi. Oh god." She said and rushed towards him.

"Are you alright Abhi?" she cupped his left cheek and asked.

He nodded feebly. His heart raced. Beated fast.

Akash came and helped him stand up and walk out of the hospital.
Survi immediately withdrew her hand, a tinge of embarrassment across her face.

Survi stood there, expressionless, speechless, staring at the diminishing figure of Abhiveer, without even blinking.

Sheila shook her. It was then when she was brought back out of her trance.
"Don't you want to go?"

"Ofcourse I want to. Come. Let's go."

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"Survi. I'm really sorry for what happened. I should have taken care of your safety. But what I am sure about is that, that you were definitely not the target of the shooter. He either was here to harm any of us officers or some refugees." Colonel sounded apologetic.

"Sir please. I understand every bit of it. Please don't be sorry. I'm alright. This is no big wound." Survi said,  not completely satisfied with Colonel's words.

Before she was shot, it twice happened that she felt someone's presence. Even though they turned out to be the people she knew. She still believed it was some third person following her. She knew she was at a risk and thus decided to stay more alert.

_____

It was  2 hours since Survi,Abhiveer,Akash,Sheila and C.Shergil had reached back to their cottages when a Maruti eeco full of carton boxes stood in front of the cottages.
Workers unloaded the cartons from the car and settled them in the front corridor of one of the cottages.

Survi thanked them and they left.

Those were the stuffs for refugees. Clothes, footwear, blankets, winter essentials, and much more.

Survi sat and spent time with all the refugees and heard their grief. Their stories of what they lost during the attack in their space, hurt her deep. She choked on her breath listening to the heartbreaking happenings of their lives.

How unfair of god to steal away parents of those little lives who didn't even know what death meant. How unfair of him to steal away that husband from a lady, who got married two months ago. How unfair of him to steal away the only support of a mother, her son. How unfair of him to let them suffer so much at once.