“Wo… can I… can I go out for sometime?” he asked stammering fearing that she will show her anger again.
“Hmm..” she replied pinning up some papers.
He took baby steps out of the hall. Few minutes passed and the entire environment was deadly silent. And then suddenly “BOOM”…”BOOM” came two sounds of bomb blast one after another.
“Shivay…” Anika shouted aloud throwing all the papers up in the air. “Shivay…” she cried out again and ran out her room. She reached to the lift and pressed the button but the lift took time to come up so she ran towards the staircase and went down but Shivay were no where to be seen. Her feet trembled “Shivay…” she cried looking at the sky and fell down with a thud.
Tears were rolling down through her cheeks. Her phone rang which showed “SIR” she looked at her phone and kept it back in her pocket and got up controlling herself. All the colony people were gathering down gradually. She looked down with no courage to face anyone.
She slowly went inside the building and looked up when she saw Shivay coming out from the lift.
“Shivay…” she smiled, her tears rolled down her cheeks again but this time it was of her happiness. Shivay saw his angel crying so he went to her.
“What? what happened Anika?” Shivay asked pressing her hands. Her hands reached to his face.
“My Shivay… my Billu… my kanji aankho wala bhagad billa…” she said brushing her hand over every inch of his face and her trance followed her hands.
“I am fine Anika” he said wiping away her tears.
“Where were you?” she asked still caressing his face.
“Mrs. Bakshi called me upstairs when I came out of our flat. She was showing me the view from the terrace when we heard blast sounds so we went inside the lift to come down and check what happened but the lift got stuck into the middle for around twelve minutes that increased our tension and we were banging the door when the lift man came and helped the lift to come down… why are you crying?” he explained. She hugged him to listen his heartbeats.
“Nothing… just the fear of loosing…” she stopped in middle and looked at his beautiful eyes.
“Loosing me?” he asked wanting to listen from her mouth.
“Yes loosing a challenge to someone… loosing you” she said and continued “let’s go upstairs”
Police came by then along with bomb squad. They cleared the crowed and started examining the place. Anika took Shivay upwards.
“Shivay… I need to go somewhere very urgently. Please you stay here only, don’t go anywhere… I promise to come back by an hour or two.” Anika said.
“I will also come along with you and please tell me where are you going?” Shivay asked.
“You will know once the right time comes. Not now… please listen to me for some days and after that I will set you free” Anika said. Her voice and tone was totally different indicating that she is in some deep thought.
“What’s going on?” he asked trying to sound rude.
“I said na you will come to know when the right time comes. Now without any further argument just stay here. Dare you go out” she said and went to her room. Shivay sat back closing his eyes trying to figure out her actions, she took her car keys from her room and went out locking Shivay inside.
“CLICK” the sound came of the lock. Shivay came out of his world and ran to the door “hey… why did you lock me in? What the hell is going on? Hey… Anika… Anika” he banged the door and called her name but she was gone.
“Mam…” a man called out Anika and ran to her to show all the reports collected by then.
“Check out the chemicals clearfully… and yeah Shivay is upstairs… make sure he do not come out” she ordered.
“Mam… according to the spots plotted where the bombs were kept we got to know that the blast wasn’t planned at all” the person informed Anika.
“Hmm… any property destroyed or anyone got killed?” Anika asked looking here and there and then continued “where is the crowd?”
“We have sealed the place and took the crowd to other side to make them understand not to panic. You go mam this was all for now. We are examining and if we get any clue we will let you know” the man said closing the file.
Anika walked to her car and went out of the colony.
“Anika… Anika” Shivay called aloud from the window but she went away without looking up for once.
“Sorry Shivay… I am going to save my first love… I cannot turn back to answer my second love now” Anika thought and concentrated on her driving.
Her phone rang showing up an unknown number. She parked the car and put up the phone.
“Hello…” Anika replied.
“Hello… Ms Anika” a sarcastic voice came from other side.
“Who is this?” Anika asked doubting something.
“Ohhoo… how can I forget that you are not only Ms. Anika but you are Ms. SP of CID” Anika shouted out without letting the man complete his sentence “who the hell is this?”
“Your well… nahhh… your first love’s bad wisher” the man laughed out loud.
“Dare you say that” she shouted.
“All the best” the man said and cut down the phone.
“Hello… hello… hello..” Anika tried to call the number back but by then the sim was disconnected.
She started the engine, her phone ranged again showing her known number ‘SIR’, she picked it up.
“Yes sir” she answered.
“Anika… listen… you don’t come here directly… go to the South Kolkata Police Station first, there two men’s suicide was reported just half an hour ago… I am sensing something fishy… go there check the reports and let the bodies go for postmortem and then you come here” her sir advised.
“Yes sir” she took left turn and went in the direction of the place she was advised.
The news of sudden bomb blast spread like a fire in no time. Shivay opened the news channel and every news channel was covering the same sudden incident. Om called Shivay.
“You are fine?” Om asked sounding tensed. Sobbing sound came from back.
“Who is crying?” Shivay asked.
“First you answer my question. Are you fine?” Om repeated.
“Yeah… I am, who is crying?” Shivay asked.
“We disclosed everything about your stay along with Anika… and just after that only we got to see a bomb blast in Kolkata so everyone got tensed. Choti maa is crying” Om said.
Shivay asked Om to give the phone to Pinky. Om gave the phone. Shivay assured Pinky that he will be fine and he asked everyone not to take tension and not to share his location with anyone. Everyone agreed. They cut down the phone. To pass his time Shivay went to kitchen and started trying to discover any new recipe.
PRECAP- ANIKA’S FIRST LOVE… any guesses? I so wanted to read a story like this but could not find one. So I decided to write it by my own. This is completely an adventure and learning experience for me. Please do support and let me know about all your views down in the comments section.
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LOVE LOVE- NILANJANA