The Brides

Announcement

CHAPTER 23

"IT'S BEEN 24 FREAKING HOURS AND STILL HE IS MISSING. YOU FAILED IN TRACKING YOUR FRIEND! WHAT KIND OF INFLUENTIAL MEN ARE YOU?!" Sneha shouted on Mayank and Avinash.

"You need to calm--" Nidhi tried to help her.

"Calm down??? Calm down?? Seriously?? I can't okay? He is missing and we have no idea where he is!" She said and was shivering with anger.

Riddhima slapped Sneha, and shook her vigorously. "WE ALL ARE TRYING SNEHA! HE IS ALRIGHT! JUST CALM DOWN!"

She took a while to realise what just happened and then broke down, crying bitterly on the floor. "I can't ... I can't take it!"

Nidhi ran towards her and hugged her tightly. "It's okay."

Avinash cell phone's ring made everyone a statue as they were intently staring towards him. "Yes? Oh.. Okay." He disconnected. "Riddhima, come with me. Mayank and Nidhi stay with her."

"What ? Where? No! Tell me what happened?" Sneha weakly got up and spoke.

"Mayank keep in touch." Avinash said with a painful expression and then took Riddhima with him.

"No!" Sneha shouted from behind but they were already gone.

After two hours of hell, Mayank's cell phone rang. All he did was to listen to the person on other line carefully and just replied "We are coming." And motioned both the girls to walk with him.

"Is he okay? They found him? Where was he?" Sneha asked desperately getting in the car, but he kept his mouth shut and was concentrating on the road.
"Mayank? Where are we going?" Sneha asked again, impatiently.

"Sneha, we are about to reach, relax." Nidhi reached towards her and pressed her hand.

"Yeah.. you are right. We are .. its all good. I'm gonna beat that dumb husband of mine, today. He still doesn't know what he means to me and.. we are about to reach.. yes." She was taking deep breathes and was murmuring to herself.
After a few minutes, Mayank pulled the brakes.

"Hospital? Why are we here?" She asked, impatiently.

"Come." Mayank and Nidhi pulled her inside along with them.

"Riddhima!" Sneha ran towards her the moment she saw her. "What? Why are you crying?" She asked in a confused tone. Riddhima shook her head and hugged her tightly, who in return pushed her back. "Why are you crying?"

"I'm sorry." Riddhima said.

"For what?!" She yelled a little louder. "Avinash! What is it?" She turned towards him and he gave her a jacket. A jacket full of blood.

"It's... Gautam's.." She whipered and was staring towards the jacket. "Nice! He helped someone again! Riddhima you remember that day? He was all in---"

"A metal canopy fell on him and--" Riddhima tried.

"No! He is alright, he can't just--"

"Sneha! He is dead! Gautam is dead! He is no more!" Riddhima shouted on her and started crying.

Everyone was in shock and was drop dead silent.

"I want to see him." Sneha whispered. "I want to see my Gautam."

Avinash held her from her shoulders and moved further inside the hospital taking her to the mortuary.
"He is inside." He said lightly and she absent mindedly nodded.
"Sneha look at me." He said and turned her towards himself. "You are stronger than you think. Be strong." He shook her and left.