Saptarshi's Pov 

We reached the mall as fastest as possible. Still it took 20 minutes to reach there.

The scene was horrific. The huge black smoke was coming out of the second floor of the mall.

A crowd of people was formed in front of the mall. Some people were screaming for help for their people who was inside the massacre, some of the  injured people were rescued by their relatives and other people who wanted to help. The ambulances were blaring along with the fire bridges. 

The most disgusting scene was of those people who were creating videos instead of helping out the people. In fact, the people who were videotaping and the crowd weren't cooperating with the medical staff and firemen. 

Soon we jumped on the scene and started to clear the agitated and frustrated mob. We got to know that some men's clothing shops, one jewellry shop, the food court and the gift section had caught fire. The rumor we heard was that maybe the fire was caught from the food court. We still didn't confirm it as rescuing the victims was more important at that moment. 
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"Did the team rescue everyone from the gift section?" I asked one of my team members .

" 80% positive Sir but unfortunately the fire is still spreading towards the north where there are two women's Saree shops and some people, mostly women, are trapped in that portion. The firemen are working, soon we will complete the job, Sir." He informed me ,making me curse.

" Don't waste a single second...make it as fast as possible. We can't let anything happen to them." I told him who replied to me in positive .

It's been two hours since we arrived. We have rescued as many as possible,  injured people and victims were sent to hospital. 

It's tough to not lose cool because the crowd outside wasn't letting us do our job. We created barriers so that the rescue teams do their work easily and the people outside couldn't go and injure themselves while people tried to break it. 

We understand that they were worried for their family but they need to cooperate with us so that we bring their loved ones to them as soon as possible. 
So some of the police and volunteers were stopping them from entering the scene.

Suddenly my eyes caught someone whom I didn't expect to be here. The person was the man with whom I had seen Aratrika meeting secretly at the back of her house on that night when we went to her house. 

He was injured as there was blood on his forehead and some burnt marks on his hand.  

What was he doing here? 

Does that mean by any chance Aratrika is also here? 

Immediately my heart beat picked up its pace due to fear.
 I roamed my eyes around but didn't find her. 

"The crowd is huge, you can't see if she is out by any chance. " My mind reminded me.

Unknowingly my feet went towards him and I decided to ask him about Aratrika.

"Are your family members out?" I asked him, trying to keep my tone normal as anxiety was running in my nerves.

He looked at me and before he could answer , a woman ran towards him and hugged muttering, "Thank God " in every breath. A little boy who ran along with the woman stood hugging his legs. 

"You are safe...are you okay?" Saying this he started to check her and that boy. Tears were falling from their eyes. 

"Yes..yes...thank God you are okay." The woman said. 

"Sir, my family… I mean my wife and child are safe. " He said to me.

I was stunned. What's happening? 

Child and wife? Then Aratrika? That meeting? 

Before I could ask more, a scream left from that woman's throat. 

"What happened?" He asked his wife.

"Where is Aru? " She asked, making my head snap towards her.

"Maybe she is other Aru." My mind said to me. 

But….

"What do you mean?" The man asked her nervously. 

"She was with me when I was coming out but now I remember from the time I was here I haven't seen her." She cried out,  making my heart beat stop for a second. 

"Wait a second, do you mean that Aratrika … I mean Aratrika Mukherjee was here with you?" I asked them, gulping the lamp which formed in my throat due to fear.

I was hoping that she wasn't the one.

"Yes...yes.  " the woman told me ,making me freeze in my place. 

This can't happen….where is she? 

I was about to run inside but stopped hearing the man.

"But how do you know?" The man asked me.

"Let me find her out first...it's not the time for your questions. " I replied to him in irritation. 

Is he insane ? She is missing but here he is enquiring me.

"Mam, can you please tell me which floor you people were on ?" I asked the lady after calming myself down.

" In the food court." 

As soon as she completed without wasting a second I ran inside the mall after instructing them to search her outside. 

I reached the food court and searched for her. It was difficult because of the smoke. The police team ,medical team were rescuing the people who were injured and who were choked due to smoke.

But I didn't find her. I immediately went towards the other sections but couldn't find her.

The smoke was almost choking me but still my pain looked very small in front of Aratrika who was missing. 

Finally I went towards the women's shop which was also burnt. The smoke was everywhere. As I searched for her, mentally  I was praying to God so that I could find her safe. But unfortunately I couldn't find her here either. In fact the shop was empty. A  shiver of fear ran down my spine.

The scary thoughts were haunting me ,making me breathless. For the first time in my life I felt the fear of losing someone ….I couldn't explain that feeling in words. This was unknown to me.

Aratrika, where are you? 

So........

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