Horrible Nightmare

Susan was still shivering. Just as Advay was putting his coat around her shoulders, out of the corner of his eye, he saw the man draw a gun and point towards Susan. Reacting instinctively, he pulled Susan towards him, so that his entire body was covering hers.

Bang!

There was sound of a gun shot.

Susan stiffled. Unmoving, she looked up at Advay's face, terrified. As soon as the bullet made contact with his skin, Advay could feel the pain shooting through his entire body, making him weak. He gnashed his teeth together to prevent any sound from escaping his mouth.

Unable to maintain his balance, he felt as if he was slowly falling backwards. His back hit the ground, giving him another bolt of pain.

As if from far away, he could hear Susan's panicked voice, calling him " Advay! Advay! No, don't lose consciousness. I will call an ambulance right away. "

His eyes were fluttering, threatening to overpower him. He tried to lift his arm, but it fell back limply to his side.

Susan was trying to find her cellphone. But except for that, everything came out - her lipstick, napkin, sanitary pad, a wad of notes, handkerchief and what not else. Her cheeks red, she groped into the insides of her bag hurriedly, and finally grabbed her mobile.

" Suzy... " Advay called weakly, grabbing her arm lightly, making an attempt to sit up.

Susan froze, as she stared at him with her black eyes wide open. It was as if something had shattered inside her. She had not heard him call her with this name ever since 10th grade.

Not noticing the effect it had on her, he continued weakly, clutching his back, where the blood continued to ooze out profusely. " Call... my.. brother first... He will know what..... to do. "

" But...? " Susan was confused. Shouldn't she call the hospital first, get his wound stitched up? Why was he so adamant on her calling Arnav?

" Plea..se " Advay whispered, his face turning pale, as he allowed the blackness to engulf him, his body swaying...

" ADVAY! " Susan cried, seeing him lose consiousness. It felt as if her heart had stopped beating abruptly. Disregarding his words, she immediately called 911 requesting for an ambulance. Then she dialled Arnav's number, who picked on second call only. After explaining Advay's condition to him, he hurridely hung up, promising to reach them at the earliest. Lastly, she called her sister's number. Hearing her phone switched off, she left a voicemail and slumped against the wall, tears streaming down her face, dirtying it further.

Covering herself more securely with the coat, she thought to herself. What wouldn't she have given to stop this from happening today? God, did she really deserve this? Maybe. But certainly not Advay, he had done so much for her. It was a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. Closing her eyes, she leaned her her head against the wall, wishing all this would disappear.

Arnav didn't know how long he had been sitting there, thoughts after thoughts pursuing through his mind. Oh, What wouldn't he have given to kill those bastards who dared to shoot his brother and touch his sister-in-law. His brown eyes gleamed through the darkness like a hunter waiting to pounce on it's prey, radiating an aura that would send chills down anybody's spine.

Behind him, his assistant, George stood quietly, at a safe distance. He had long known his boss's ways and techniques of working. If there was one person whom Arnav cared about, really cared about, it was none other than his brother Advay. Anybody who wished to hurt him could not remain unscathed. He shuddered to think what would become of that person.

" Did you call her? " Arnav asked him third time, his voice cold.

However, before the assistant could reply, the door of Operation Theater opened and Dr. Lashkar walked out, removing his mask and gloves. He gave Arnav a nod, who stood up and motioned him to follow into his office.

" The operation was successful. He was lucky that the bullet only grazed his chest, some ribs were fractured, so no serious injury done. " Dr. Lashkar sardonically answered Arnav's unasked question. Removing his spectacles, he sat behind the table and continued, " On the other hand, Miss Khemka might need a little more attention. There were cuts and abrasions on her whole body, which has been attended to. She may have a mild concussion, but the main thing is how she reacts after she wakes up. These events tend to trigger emotional quotients in some patients. So, it is better you get her sister here when she wakes up. "

Arnav raised his eyes, his brows furrowed. That was what he had been trying to do since he came to know about this incident, but she was nowhere to be found. He had not even informed Grandpa about this, lest he should worry.

" I know. " he replied, getting up. " Thank you for your help. "

Dr. Lashkar was a long time family doctor. If something like this happened, it was better to come to him for assistance as he needed controlling the news from spreading to media, in short minimising the damage.