Mujhe Pyaar Hua Tha~ Short Stories Collection

2

I honestly never cried this much before writing any scenes, but this feels very personal. Huge respect to the families who lost their sons, husbands, brothers and friends in the war so that we civilians can sleep peacefully at our homes.

Author's POV

Five days later, Ziah and Daksh landed in Srinagar. The cold air carried a sense of foreboding, but she chose to ignore it. From here, Daksh would leave for his base camp while she would report to the Army Hospital in Jammu. They had known this moment was coming, yet nothing could have prepared them for it.

At the Jammu Airport, both of them stood tall in their uniforms, their duty outweighing personal emotions. Daksh's juniors and senior officers arrived to pick him up. As they approached, Daksh turned to Ziah and took her hand in his. His grip was firm, warm, reassuring.

"Take care of yourself," he said softly, his dark eyes searching hers.

"You too," she whispered, her voice barely audible. She wanted to say more, wanted to hold him longer, but she had to be strong. Right now, she was an officer, not just his fiancée.

He lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a brief kiss to her knuckles. "I'll be back soon," he promised.

Ziah nodded, forcing a small smile. She didn't trust herself to speak. Her heart pounded against her ribcage, as if warning her of something.

Daksh let go of her hand and turned, walking towards the convoy of vehicles. His fellow officers greeted him with smiles and salutes. Ziah stood still, watching him. One of the officers opened the car door for him.

And then it happened.

A deafening explosion shook the ground beneath her. The impact threw her a few steps back, but she barely registered it. Flames erupted from the vehicle, black smoke rising into the sky. People screamed, ran, shouted orders. Chaos spread like wildfire, but Ziah stood frozen.

Her vision blurred as she focused on the burning car.

Daksh.

He was there. He needed help. She had to save him.

Her breath came in short gasps, her hands trembling. She tried to move, but her body refused. A strangled scream left her lips.

"Daksh!" she cried out, her voice lost in the chaos.

Someone grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away. "Ma'am, you need to step back!" a soldier said urgently.

She pushed him off, her eyes wild. "No! He's in there! We need to save him!" she shouted, trying to move towards the wreckage.

More hands grabbed her, but she fought them all. "Let me go!" she screamed. "He's alive! He needs me!"

That was when another officer stepped forward. "Major Chaudhry," a calm yet firm voice called out.

She turned to see a tall officer with sharp features and dark eyes.

"Daksh is safe," he told her, his voice steady. "He's been taken to the hospital. You need to come with us."

Ziah's breath hitched. "What...?" Her voice broke, hope flickering in her eyes.

Vrishank nodded. "He's alive, Major. But we need to go now."

Tears welled up in her eyes, but she managed a weak nod. She clung to his words, to the possibility that Daksh was safe. Without another protest, she let the officer guide her away from the flames, her heart desperate to believe in the lie she was being told.

The morning sun streamed through the curtains, painting the hospital room in hues of gold. Ziah sat upright in bed, her face devoid of any emotion, her eyes fixated on the phone in her hands.