Book I - Husband, I Love You (Completed)

Part 21

The entire space in the elevator car was covered with smoke. Rishab slowly lifted himself off his delicate wife and coughed as he cleared the smoke by waving his hand. He sat back on his heels still kneeling down on the floor beside his wife. He felt a burning sensation at his back and at the side of his forearm. His T-shirt had caught some fire and he put it off with his other hand. He couldn't reach his hand to his back so he just rubbed his back to the elevator wall.

Madhu was still on the floor shrunk herself to a ball. He scanned her body quickly to find any sign of injury but he found none. He exhaled in relief. He will be damned if he let anything happen to his wife again as she had had enough already.

"Madhu?" Rishab gently rubbed his hand on her back and gripped her shoulders. He could say she was still alive with the way her whole body was shaking.

"Madhu..." he pulled her up and hugged her. She didn't hug him back. She just hung her head on his shoulder, shivering.

"Madhu, we should get out of this shit! Now" he said pushing her off him and looking at her face. She was looking at him but her eyes were distant as if she was in some other world.

"You hear me?" Rishab patted her cheeks gently. She kept grinding her teeth. He worried she would bite her tongue. "Madhu, just talk to me... Madhu, please"

He looked up the ceiling. There was a huge hole caused due to the explosion. It was sheer luck the bomb was not a powerful one and they were not blasted to pieces. Thank the lord! they were still alive. He wondered was it a failed attempt to kill them? Or was it deliberately made in a lighter way just to threaten them and to show the fear of death?

"Madhu, I will lift you up and you just get out of this elevator and I will follow you." Rk said looking at the way to escape from the hell hole!

"Madhu, dammit! Snap out of it!" he shouted at her. He knew she was shocked to death but he needed her at the moment to support him so that they can get out safe. They have survived an explosion and no way in hell he will let them die. He was sure the elevator cab was stopped through the emergency breaks and it might break any minute.

"Madhu!" He shook her harshly. She didn't respond. She just stared at the blank space. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I'm sorry, Madhu" he whispered and did something which he had never done before in his life. He slapped a woman! He slapped his beloved woman!

The very next moment he drew her head to his chest and let her cry soaking his shirt. Good thing she was crying and out of her shock. He sighed.

"Rishab, we are dead." She cried burying her face in his chest. If it was any other moment he would have laughed at her for making such a funny statement. Dead? How silly? They are very much alive and hugging. He shook his head at his wife for being melodramatic.

"We are not yet but we will die if we don't get out from here." He said ruffling her hair. She cried gripping his right hand for support making him flinch in pain. She rose her head up from his chest and looked at his face and then looked at his right hand which had fresh burns.

"Omg! Rishab, you... your hand..." she panicked and her hands started shaking vigorously out of her control. "Shush! Shush! I'm okay. I'm okay." He said grasping both her hands with his one hand and with other hand he caressed cheek wiping off her tears.

Then swiftly he stood up and yanked her up as well by holding her hand. He took her shawl from her neck and wrapped it around his palm and he put down the fire at the sides of the hole of the emergency trap door at the ceiling.

"Madhu, I will give you a push and you just climb up." He told her. Her eyes widen as she looked up the burning elevator cables.

"I can't do this." She said and held her head as it started spinning.