Posted:
Another effort at a one shot. Do post your comments/criticisms.
"Kids? Where are you? Are you all right?" called Heer.
A pair of tiny arms snaked around her hips. "I'm scared. I want out of here."
It was Tanu's voice. Heer stooped down and hugged the child. "Hear the sirens? The firefighters are coming. They'll get us out."
A scrambling noise sounded in the wreckage beside her. "Gungun?"
The other little girl, her body racked with sobs, threw herself at Heer. "I wanna go home. I want my mommy."
Heer gathered Gungun against her side. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart"
As the dust settled, she began to comprehend the situation. This was not the way she wanted to spend her day off. On a whim, she took off alone wanting to spend some time researching modern paintings and landed at the museum of art. When Heer saw a small group of kids with their art teacher in tow, she smiled. An outing from school, she mused. But two girls had gotten away from their teacher and hid in the restroom. And that's when the explosion happened. It had trapped them in the short access corridor to the ladies' room. Their approach to the main hall was blocked. There was a hole large enough to lift the children through, but she had no idea what pitfalls lay on the other side. She didn't want to send them out alone, and she feared the whole structure might tumble if she tried to clear her way out.
She could still smell smoke, but she could also hear the sirens of the fire engines, the distant shouts of firefighters, and the splash of water from their hoses. If the teacher and the rest of the class had escaped the building, the teacher would have alerted the authorities about the two missing children.
The only thing to do was to wait and keep the children calm.
In the far distance, blending with the noises and the sirens, she could hear people moving through the ruins, shouting to one another. "If we sing real loud, the firefighters will hear us and come find us. Ready?"
Their voices were raspy and thin as they began to sing. But as the singing cleared the dust from their throats, their song grew louder and more steadier as they continued "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
"Hello? Where are you?"
Heer and the girls broke off midphrase at the call. The voice that hailed them was rich and deep and was coming from where the main hall had been before the blast.
"We're in here," called Heer.
She heard the sounds of debris shifting and someone approaching. A beam of light shone through the small opening that led to the main hall. The light beam withdrew, and another light, more powerful and widespread than the flashlight, filled the crevice. A big man with wide shoulders thrust his head into the small opening.
Heer caught her breath. He looked like an avenging angel with a hard hat for a halo. Even with smoke and dust smearing his face, she could discern the strong lines of his jaw, the classic slope of his nose and the intense brown of his eyes that glowed with compassion and concern. His expression radiated kindness and a virile gentleness, and she realised with a jolt that there was resolution and incredible strength as wel. His smile melted the icy knot of fear in her stomach and hope surged in its place.
"Don't worry," he said casually, as if they'd met in an elevator instead of a bombed-out building. "I'm Prem Juneja and my friends and I will have out of here in no time."
As promised, Prem Juneja and his friends managed to get the two girls out of the small hole with little effort. After a minute, he came back to get Heer. Heer had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. How could any many look so damn sexy with so much dirt on him and seem so at ease with a building raining down around his ears?
Prem thrust a hard hat and his own demin jacket through the hole towards Heer. "Put these on and move far from the opening as you can. We're going to frame some supports before we tear open this hole."
Heer tugged on his jacket, still warm from his body heat, and was inundated with a melange of scents: sunshine, meadow grasses, soap, leather and a pleasingly masculine musk. As she slid her arms into the sleeves, it was as if Prem Juneja had wrapped his arms around her, a comfortable illusion. The thought and the jacket warmed her. She hadn't realised how hard she'd been shivering until she stopped. Caring for the children, she hadn't had time to think about herself. Now, the solitude and vulnerability of her situation hit her full force.
Her distress must have shown in her eyes, because Prem reached out through the opening, his eyes fierce with emotion, his jaw set with determination, his lips curved in an encouraging smile, and ran his fingers down her cheek in a tender salute. "You're a hell of a brave lady."
She didn't want to move, to break the warm, heartening contact of his touch. She wanted to lean into the cup of his hand, the only place in this hellhole of a building she felt safe.
He patted her cheek, and gently showed her away. "Move, now" he ordered.
A scream of chain saws and thunder of jackhammers assaulted her senses and sent a rain of dust and debris around her. Then, suddenly, it was quiet.
Before she could lift her head, she felt someone grip her elbows and lift her to her feet. She glanced up into Prem Juneja's grimy but handsome face.
"Sorry, I don't know your name" he said.
"Heer Mann."
"C'mon Heer," His face lit with the same killer smile. "Let's get out of here."
Before she could protest, he swept her off her feet and into his arms.
"I can walk," she protested.
Prem gripped her tighter. "You don't know the way through the wreckage."
Heer twined her arms around his neck and held on tight, her face buried against the broad expanse of his chest and wondered about her rescuer and his killer smile.
Love,
Ash
"Kids? Where are you? Are you all right?" called Heer.
A pair of tiny arms snaked around her hips. "I'm scared. I want out of here."
It was Tanu's voice. Heer stooped down and hugged the child. "Hear the sirens? The firefighters are coming. They'll get us out."
A scrambling noise sounded in the wreckage beside her. "Gungun?"
The other little girl, her body racked with sobs, threw herself at Heer. "I wanna go home. I want my mommy."
Heer gathered Gungun against her side. "It's going to be okay, sweetheart"
As the dust settled, she began to comprehend the situation. This was not the way she wanted to spend her day off. On a whim, she took off alone wanting to spend some time researching modern paintings and landed at the museum of art. When Heer saw a small group of kids with their art teacher in tow, she smiled. An outing from school, she mused. But two girls had gotten away from their teacher and hid in the restroom. And that's when the explosion happened. It had trapped them in the short access corridor to the ladies' room. Their approach to the main hall was blocked. There was a hole large enough to lift the children through, but she had no idea what pitfalls lay on the other side. She didn't want to send them out alone, and she feared the whole structure might tumble if she tried to clear her way out.
She could still smell smoke, but she could also hear the sirens of the fire engines, the distant shouts of firefighters, and the splash of water from their hoses. If the teacher and the rest of the class had escaped the building, the teacher would have alerted the authorities about the two missing children.
The only thing to do was to wait and keep the children calm.
In the far distance, blending with the noises and the sirens, she could hear people moving through the ruins, shouting to one another. "If we sing real loud, the firefighters will hear us and come find us. Ready?"
Their voices were raspy and thin as they began to sing. But as the singing cleared the dust from their throats, their song grew louder and more steadier as they continued "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"
"Hello? Where are you?"
Heer and the girls broke off midphrase at the call. The voice that hailed them was rich and deep and was coming from where the main hall had been before the blast.
"We're in here," called Heer.
She heard the sounds of debris shifting and someone approaching. A beam of light shone through the small opening that led to the main hall. The light beam withdrew, and another light, more powerful and widespread than the flashlight, filled the crevice. A big man with wide shoulders thrust his head into the small opening.
Heer caught her breath. He looked like an avenging angel with a hard hat for a halo. Even with smoke and dust smearing his face, she could discern the strong lines of his jaw, the classic slope of his nose and the intense brown of his eyes that glowed with compassion and concern. His expression radiated kindness and a virile gentleness, and she realised with a jolt that there was resolution and incredible strength as wel. His smile melted the icy knot of fear in her stomach and hope surged in its place.
"Don't worry," he said casually, as if they'd met in an elevator instead of a bombed-out building. "I'm Prem Juneja and my friends and I will have out of here in no time."
As promised, Prem Juneja and his friends managed to get the two girls out of the small hole with little effort. After a minute, he came back to get Heer. Heer had never been so glad to see anyone in her life. How could any many look so damn sexy with so much dirt on him and seem so at ease with a building raining down around his ears?
Prem thrust a hard hat and his own demin jacket through the hole towards Heer. "Put these on and move far from the opening as you can. We're going to frame some supports before we tear open this hole."
Heer tugged on his jacket, still warm from his body heat, and was inundated with a melange of scents: sunshine, meadow grasses, soap, leather and a pleasingly masculine musk. As she slid her arms into the sleeves, it was as if Prem Juneja had wrapped his arms around her, a comfortable illusion. The thought and the jacket warmed her. She hadn't realised how hard she'd been shivering until she stopped. Caring for the children, she hadn't had time to think about herself. Now, the solitude and vulnerability of her situation hit her full force.
Her distress must have shown in her eyes, because Prem reached out through the opening, his eyes fierce with emotion, his jaw set with determination, his lips curved in an encouraging smile, and ran his fingers down her cheek in a tender salute. "You're a hell of a brave lady."
She didn't want to move, to break the warm, heartening contact of his touch. She wanted to lean into the cup of his hand, the only place in this hellhole of a building she felt safe.
He patted her cheek, and gently showed her away. "Move, now" he ordered.
A scream of chain saws and thunder of jackhammers assaulted her senses and sent a rain of dust and debris around her. Then, suddenly, it was quiet.
Before she could lift her head, she felt someone grip her elbows and lift her to her feet. She glanced up into Prem Juneja's grimy but handsome face.
"Sorry, I don't know your name" he said.
"Heer Mann."
"C'mon Heer," His face lit with the same killer smile. "Let's get out of here."
Before she could protest, he swept her off her feet and into his arms.
"I can walk," she protested.
Prem gripped her tighter. "You don't know the way through the wreckage."
Heer twined her arms around his neck and held on tight, her face buried against the broad expanse of his chest and wondered about her rescuer and his killer smile.
Love,
Ash
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Jhanak
O Humnava Tum Dena Saath Mera
