Ananya stopped in her tracks while stepping out of the mall. Her eyes widened in surprise. Kabir stood there, smiling.

“Kabir!” the voice barely escaped her throat. She had missed him for a week; still the intensity of her emotions on unexpectedly seeing him in front of her surprised her. She ran to him, unmindful of the careful pleats of her saree that her stylist had spent hours on, and hugged him with all her might. He reciprocated with the same passion and buried his face in her tresses as his hands wound tight around her.

She felt slightly embarrassed when she stepped back at last. They were in public and their embrace had been more intimate that she would have allowed in her right mind.

“Aap… aap to seedhe ghar aane waale the na?”

“Tumhein sabse pahle main khud dekhna chahta tha. Taiyaar hone ke baad.”

She chuckled, embarrassed, “Mera makeup to kharaab hi ho gaya hoga.”

“Mujhe bharosa nahi tha ki tum aur khoobsoorat lag sakti ho, lekin… Ek kaam karte hain. Shaadi ki baat nahin, shaadi hi kar lete hain.”

She blushed and looked away.

He let his hands gently caress her cheek, then said, “Do minute ruko. Main car nikaal kar laata hoon.”

She nodded.

He had taken a few steps and he sensed danger more than actually seeing the tall, hooded figure with a glass bottle in his hand.

“Ananya!” he screamed and made a dash for her.

He managed to push her in time to safety, but a splash of the liquid aimed at her face landed on the back of his hand instead.

He let out a cry of agony.

“Kabir! Kya hua? Kya hai ye?”

“Acid. Acid attack,” he hissed through his gritted teeth. The pain was unbearable.

For a few moments, Ananya lost her head and could not recall what she knew about the first aid for acid attack. But then she gathered herself together, looked around and spotted a stall selling soft drinks. He also had packaged water, neatly arranged on one side of the stall. She made a run for it and came back with two bottles ignoring the startled cry of the shopkeeper. She poured the water on his burning hands. It seemed to provide him some relief.

His scream had atracted the mall security.

“Ye acid hai,” Ananya pointed to the small pool of liquid on the floor to the befuddled security guard, “Dhyaan rakhiyega ki kissi se touch na ho jaye. And for God’s sake,” she suddenly took to shouting, “Ek cab bulaiye. Hamein hospital jaane ki zaroorat hai.”

Occasionally sprinkling water on his hands during the cab ride to the nearest hospital. She also made a call to Inspector Khurana telling him about the incident. He promised to meet them at the hospital immediately.

—

“Kabir? Ananya?” Mrs. Kashyap rushed into the emergency room, followed by Ronnie, Richa and Armaan. Inspector Khurana was already there.

“Ma!” Ananya had managed to stay calm till now, but on seeing her mother, all the fear she had kept suppressed came bubbling up. She fell into her mother’s embrace and sobbed like a child.

“Ananya!” Kabir called her, himself slightly dizzy from the pain as well as the strong pain-killer injections the doctor had administered him, “Tum Ma ko bekaar mein dara rahi ho. Chhota sa burn hai, Ma. Theek ho jayega thode dinon mein. Aur Ananya ko kuchh nahin hua hai.”

Ananya broked the embrace, but tears refused to obey her will and continued falling down her face, “Ma. Woh acid mer oopar phenka gaya tha. Kabir mujhe bachate hue…”

“Bas Ananya,” Kabir interjected again, “Tum baith jao, please. Tum shock mein ho.”

Looking listless, she obeyed and sat down on a chair nearby. Richa went to her and pressed her shoulders.

“Tum theek ho, Kabir?” Mrs. Kashyap finally got a chance to ask after the patient.

“Superficial burn hai. Jaldi hi theek ho jayega. Ananya abhi aise bachchon ki tarah ro rahi ahi. But usne bahut bravely sab handle kiya. Immediately paani daala mere burns par. Isliye zyada skin damage bhi nahin hua. The doctor was impressed.”

“Haan. Aur jo thoda bahut jo skin damage hai bhi woh ek simple skin grafting surgery se normal ho jayega,” Khurana added, “Doctor confident tha.”

“Bhagwaan ka lakh-lakh shukr hai, Kabir.”

“Are! Dada, Bhabhi? Aap log  kab se khade hain darwaaze par?” Kabir stood up on seeing the.

“Bas do minute se, Kabir. Tu theek hai?”

“Main bilkul theek hoon. Ananya ne bekaar mein aap sab logon ko phone kar ke pareshaan kar diya.”

“Ananya,” Kabir’s sister-in-law turned to her and asked sharply, “Tum abhi kah rahi thi ki attack tum par targeted tha.”

Ananya got up, wiping her eyes and replied, “Ji.”

“Kaun tha attacker phir?”

“Mujhe nahin pata.”

“Lekin aise attack to aksar ex-boyfriends hi karte hain.”

Anaya was startled at the accusation implied in that.

“Bhabhi, please. Ananya waise hi bahut pareshaan hai.”

“Ananya,” Inspector Khurana spoke now, “I understand ki tum pareshaan ho. Lekin jo baat Mrs. Sharma ne kahi hai, woh poori tarah galat nahi hai. Acid attackers ka most common profile yahi hota hai – jilted lover. Kya tumhein koi idea hai ki woh kaun ho sakta hai?”

Ananya looked from Khurana to Kabir and back, her face puzzled as if she was unable to comprehend what was going on.

“Baith jao, Ananya. Richa, please,” Understanding what was expected of her, Richa took Ananya’s hand and forced her back in a chair.

“Jilted lover to involved hai, Khurana,” Kabir said, “Lekin Ananya ka nahin.”

“Phir?”

“Ananya! Tum jaanti ho ki Shreya kahan rahti hai, right?” Kabir asked.

She nodded absently, then looked up with a start, suddenly realizing what he was implying. “Shreya? Lekin woh to koi… koi ladka tha na?”

“Jo bhi tha ya thi, usne jeans aur hooded sweatshirt pahan rakhi thi. Hoodie aur full-sleeves ke liye ye mausam thoda zyada warm nahin hai? Aur uski height… Mujhe uska address do.”

“Agar woh Shreya thi to I am sure hum mall ke CCTV footage se evidence nikaal lenge,” Khurana said

“Woh to karna hi hoga tumhein. Lekin main tumhein supporting evidence bhi dilwa deta hoon, Khurana. Ananya, address do please.”

“Aapne hi kaha tha na, Kabir, ki woh kitni khatarnaak hai. Agar woh acid attack kar sakti hai to—Please mat jaiye.”

“Ananya. Tumhein pata hai ki woh mere saath kuchh nahin karegi. Aur Khurana bhi hai mere saath. Address, please?”

“Main bhi chalungi aapke saath.”

—

To be continued