Abhigya Stories Collection

Lonely Hearts

Thanks to all for voting and commenting on the previous story.

Before the flight had come to a complete stop, Pragya had quickly got up and grabbed her bag from the overhead compartments. Then she restlessly stood in the aisle waiting for the air hostess to open the door. Every now and then a tear would drop from her eyes and she would quickly wipe it away. She still couldn't believe they were no more, all of them. She quickly wipes her tears and forces herself to not to cry and sees the door opening and she pushing people out of the way runs out. She ran through the airport not even realizing the curious looks she was receiving. She comes out of the airport and turns around looking for any familiar face. She didn't know who had come to pick her up. Was it her family driver or theirs?

"Pragya!" Abhishek calls out to her.

Pragya quickly turns to the sound and sees Abhi waving at her. Without even realizing she starts running to him and the moment she reached him she hugs him tight and bursts out into tears. Abhishek hugs her as tears filled his eyes.

He let her cry for a few minutes and then finally he gently tells her, "We have to hurry, Pragya. We can't keep them anymore."

Pragya nods and steps away from him. Abhishek takes her bag in his hand and leads her towards his car.

Abhishek stops the car in front of Mehra mansion and Pragya ignoring everyone's sympathetic and curious looks runs inside and stops in shock seeing all the bodies on the floor. She breaks down and starts wailing loudly. Suddenly, someone hugs her and she cries into their chest ignoring their words about God's decision', fate', be strong'.

Abhishek walks in to see Pragya crying in Malti Aunty's arms. Pragya's relative. He looks at Pragya helplessly for a minute and realizes that he couldn't do anything for her, so he goes to make arrangements for the funeral.

Abhishek was talking to Rajiv regarding the funeral when "How did it happen?" a stranger asks Abhishek.

Abhishek sighs, "Accident."

"You were not with them?"

"No." Abhishek replies.

"Where did it happen?" he asks curiously.

Abhishek turns to Rajiv angrily and Rajiv turns to the stranger, "You come with me. I'll tell you." Rajiv takes the stranger with him and Abhishek turns to look at his parents' body when he notices Pragya next to her parents' body. He watches as Pragya cried seeing their lifeless body. The tears he had been trying to suppress started coming out. He sighs; their family had been wiped out with one accident - His parents, his brother, his bhabhi and Pragya's parents. Pragya's parents had come to stay with their daughter i.e his bhabhi as they were planning to celebrate Pragya's 18th birthday in grand scale. All of them had gone for a movie and due to work he couldn't go. On their way back, they had met with an accident and all of them were gone at once. He closes his eyes in pain, he had been at work when the call came, he had been shattered then. But somehow he had the presence of mind to tell Rajiv to not inform Pragya about the death as Pragya who was studying in a residential school was having her final board exams and just one more exam to go. She was supposed to come the next day after her exams. He had Rajiv inform Pragya's school and have all the newspapers removed. After her exams, someone from her school had informed her about the deaths, and put her on a flight home. Abhishek had contemplated on going and getting her but then he changed his mind as he couldn't just leave everything here and go to get her.

"Chief... it is getting late." Rajiv whispers to him.

Abhishek nods and taking a deep breath he walks towards Pragya. He kneels down next to Pragya and gently touches her shoulder, "Pragya..."