I had been running for few minutes now but he was nowhere to be seen. Dammit dammit! This is not how the plan was suppose to go. It was simple, we use that imposter to get inside the terrorist hideout, find Karan and get him out of this mess. But, that stupid imposter snatched Faizi's gun and ran away. He clearly knows these allies better because he disappeared within a blink of an eye.
I kept walking, trying to find him when I reached what seems to be the back of the hideout. I inform Sanju that I lost Balli and of my where abouts,
"Sanju come in Sanju",
"Monami, tu thik hai?",
"I'm ok, did you find Faizi is he ok?",
"Sirji thik hai, tu Balli ki chinta na kar hum usse dhund lenge",
"Sanju, I think I found the back entrance to this place I'm going in",
"Na Monami stay where you are, hum tohe pass aa rhao hai",
"If that imposter gets to Karan before us I don't know what they will do to him, I have to go in, I'm really sorry Sanju, come and find me, over n out."
"Monami, Monami..?!"
Sanju is my commanding officer. I know that I'm suppose to follow her orders but I also knew that she would understand just this once I can't. I can't just sit back and watch, waiting for him to be rescued. That man had always protected me, even when he wasn't in love with me, even when I thought that he hated me he still protect me. Not just me, he always protected everyone even at the risk of his own life, like he was responsible for the safety of the entire world.
Doesn't a man like that deserves to be saved, deserves to be protected by someone? I really wanted to be that someone.
I enter the building steadily, clutching the gun in my hand. The building seems to be empty unlike the intel we got from the imposter. This is not what I expected. I expected guns and bullets not creeping silence. It looked like the building was abandoned.
What if I was too late, what if something had happen to him? No, no it can't be. He couldn't be gone no. The gods won't be so cruel to me. They won't take him away from me. Not when he and I got so little time together. There is so much that I wanted to say to him, so much that is left to hear. He wasn't gone. If he was, I would know, I would feel it, in my bones I would know!
I pushed aside my hopelessness and kept walking stealthily, reminding myself the training he gave me and the oath I took,
"Kartavya, saahas va validan desh ke khatir desh ke naam", Karan's words echoing in my mind, gave me the much need courage to keep going.
A rattling sound from the corridor broke my chain of thoughts. Someone was here. There was a man standing with his back to the door so I sneak into to the room,
I point my gun at him, "Hands up, don't move!"
The man turns to look at me. Karan? No no it's Balli.
"Monami what are you doing here?" He started walking towards me.
"Stop don't move!"
"Monami?"
"I said stay where you are or I'll shoot you."
"Monami it's me Karan."
"No stop it, I'll not fall for this again. One step towards me and I'll pull the trigger."
"Ok, ok I won't come near you, ok, see I'm going back, relax. I won't hurt you."
He took a few steps back with his arms in the air so I could see them and stood on his knees.
"I know you are scared, but I could never hurt you."
"Stop it! Stop talking like him. I know you are not him." I scream at him.
I wanted to believe him. I wanted to believe that this man was my Karan. I wanted to believe those eyes. But I couldn't make the same mistake again again. Not this time. I tighten my grip on the gun.
"Look at you, I'm.. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry you had to face all that, I'm sorry that I wasn't there. God, I should have listened to you that day, I should have never left you alone. I see you got my ring. Did you like it?" He asked with a tiny smile on his face.
"I mean it's nothing fancy but I thought you would like it. I wanted to be the one to give you the ring that day. There was so much I wanted to say that day." The pain in his voice made me want to believe his words, but I still stand my ground.
"If I could go back you know what I would say? I would tell you that how much.. how much I love you, that you make me better, in every way possible, and that I don't want to spend a single day of this life without you in it, I..I wanted to ask you if you would marry me."
His voice broke at the end into a wisper trying to catch a breath and a tear roll down his face. It was him it had to be him. Those dark eyes filled with honesty and love.. love for me. I had seen that look before. It was the look he gave right before saying something incredibly honest, like he was about to carve his heart out or reveal the most treasured secrets of the world. Another tear rolled down my face. There was an echoing silence between us, except for the sound of our breaths.
I
gulp some air in my throat trying to form words.
"Karan" I wispered but it sounded more like a question.
"Monami!" He wispered.
"It is really you."
I take small steps towards him losing my left grip from the gun. I try to reach for him while holding the gun in my other arm. He slowly forwards his hand still trying to maintain distance. I hesitantly slip my hand into his. Without wasting a second he seized me into a tight embrace. And before I knew it, I was clinched in his arms, pressed to his chest, my arms around his neck. I sank my face into the crook of his neck as if to ask him to never let go. I could feel the strength in his arms as he wrapped them around me, to trap me in his neverending warmth. As he embraces me, I can feel the life in him, the blood pumping in his veins, the warm breath coming off his lips and his heart, beating faster than ever. If hugs could healed, we'd be holding each other all night.
I hold his face in my hands, "it's really you", overwhelmed by emotions I kissed his cheeks and his forehead and every part of his face. "Are you ok? Did they hurt you?"
"No, I'm ok."
Although it was dark but upclose I could see the cuts and bruises on his face. He had been here for almost a week now but he still managed to look strong. Why wouldn't he, Karan Shergil could be many things put weak wasn't one of them. I brush the bruises lightly with my thumb and he flinched. "You are lying." I tried to make it sound like a complain and failed. He smiled.
"I'm ok now." He assured me.
"You never answered my question."
"Question?"
"Will you marry me?"
I chuckle through the tears in my eyes.
"Yes, yes I'll marry you." He smiled and kissed my forehead.
"But for that, first we need to get out of here."
* * * * *
