For next one and half hour, everything was a blur for Naina. She had no recollection when someone called for help, when the ambulance arrived, when she accompanied Ambika to the hospital... anything. It was only when the nurse stopped her from entering the operation theatre after Ambika was rushed inside on the stretcher did she become aware of the situation and her surroundings.

'Sister...' She croaked in a choked voice, 'Mummy... woh meri mummy hain.'

The nurse pressed her shoulder, 'Please ma'm, aap OT mein nahi jaa sakti. Aapko yahin wait karna hoga.'

Naina fought back the huge lump that had settled in her throat to ask the most difficult question, 'Woh... woh theek ho jayengi na?'

The nurse assured her in a mechanical voice, 'Doctors will try their best.'

The door closed and Naina was left alone in the corridor.

She looked around, feeling utterly helpless and lost. How could this happen? How can the same tragedy strike her twice in one lifetime? How could she be the reason of same fate for two mothers? She squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head vigorously, trying to rid her of the foreboding thought. No, it cannot be the same fate, it should not be. Ambika would be fine. She would come out of this... alive. She had to.

A soft nudge made Naina open her eyes with a start.

Another nurse stood in front of her, who motioned towards a door ahead in the passage, 'Aap mere saath chaliye. Aapko dressing ki zarurat hai.'

'Huh?' Naina gave her a blank look.

The nurse pointed at her forehead. Naina gingerly lifted her hand to touch the skin She was startled when she pulled it back and saw blood on her fingertips. Was she hurt? But there was no pain, none at all.

'Mujhe... mujhe kuch nahi hua.' She mumbled, 'Yeh shayad mummy...' He could not bring herself to say more.

The nurse gave her a compassionate look, 'Ma'm, aapke sar pe bada cut hai. Dressing aur injection dena important hai. Abhi aap shock mein hain isliye pain feel nahi ho raha lekin cut gehra hai. Aapki mummy operation ke baad aapko aise dekhengi toh unhe achha lagega kya? Aur fir unka khyal rakhne ke liye aapko fit bhi toh hona hai. Don't worry, main kahin dur nahi, isi room mein lekar jaa rahi hun aapko.' She pointed at the door ahead of them.

Naina did not want to leave from there. What if the doctor needed some information, what if Ambika asked for her, what if...

'Ma'm please.' Nurse's voice broke her disarrayed thoughts.

'Nahi. Main theek hun. Pehle mummy ko bahar aane do uske baad main dressing karwa lungi.' Naina refused to budge as her mind created extreme scenarios that could worsen the situation in her absence.

When no amount of insistence made Naina change her mind, the nurse quietly went back to the room and returned with a tray that carried the required supplies. She made Naina sit on the chair and started to clean the gash on her forehead with antiseptic. The sting made Naina hiss sharply before she fisted her hands hard.

To keep her mind diverted from the pain and sting, nurse asked in a gentle voice, 'Aap Ambika ma'm ki daughter hain?'

The question took her by surprise, 'Aap mummy ko jaanti ho?'

The nurse smiled, 'Ma'm Dr Bhatnagar ki patient hain. Jab unhe heart problem hui thi tabse yahin treatment le rahi hain. Isliye maine aapse kaha ki aap tension mat lijiye. Dr Bhatnagar ko unki condition se related saari information hai. He'll take good care. Aap Maheshwari sir ko bula lijiye.'

Only then it dawned on Naina that she had not informed anyone. Dadaji and Girish were in Ahmedabad. Anaya had left for Mumbai by morning flight. She would be coming back later in the night. That left only Sameer. Her heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. What would she say to him, how would she explain all this?

Just then, her phone started to ring. She picked it up to see the driver's name flashing on her screen. She had completely forgotten about the car and driver.

Quickly taking the call, she started to tell him that they were in hospital but Harish seemed to be aware of it. From him, Naina got to know what had happened a couple of hours earlier. After the collapse of ceiling, the marketplace had become a site of complete disorder, with people running around, shopkeepers pulling down the shutters, rumours of a bomb blast arising out of nowhere. Only a few sensible ones were trying to help the ones injured. Besides Ambika, there were some more who had suffered grave injuries and quite a few with minor ones. Harish had come running to look for them when he heard the commotion. He immediately identified Ambika. Seeing the blood on Naina's head, he had presumed that she was badly hurt too but Naina had been coherent and told him she was okay, though she had no recollection of the exchange now. Thankfully, some shop owner had called up for medical help. When the ambulance arrived, Harish informed the medical team about the hospital where Ambika was going for her regular treatment and they brought her here, along with Naina. He had followed them in the car.

'Madam, maine sir aur Dadaji ko phone lagane ki bohot koshish ki lekin unka phone lag hi nahi raha. Aur Sameer sir ka phone off aa raha hai. Aap bolo toh main office jaakar unhe le aaun?' He asked.

Naina contemplated for a while, then replied, 'Main aapko paanch minute mein call karti hun. Tab tak aap yahin wait karo.'

When she tried to call Sameer, she got the same automated announcement that the phone was switched off. After a few attempts, she gave up. Just when she was about to ask Harish to go, she recalled the office address that Girish had sent her when she was coming from Singapore. The address also had the office phone number. Quickly, she started scrolling through the messages, her fingers moving faster as the anxiety built up inside her. After what felt like an eternity, she finally found the message she was looking for. Without wasting a second, she dialed the office number.

A smooth warm voice greeted her, 'Good evening, Maheshwari Industries. How may...'

Naina interrupted her in an urgent tone, 'I'm Naina Ag... Maheshwari. Sameer Maheshwari ki wife. It's urgent. Unse connect kijiye please. Unka phone switched off hai.'

The voice turned more respectful, 'Good evening ma'm. Main call unke staff ko transfer karti hun.'

After a silence of just a few seconds, she heard a guy's voice, 'Naina ma'm, hello. Main Jimmy. How are...'

'Jimmy.' Naina interrupted him, trying to keep her voice steady, 'Mera Sameer se baat karna important hai. Abhi.'

'Yes ma'm. Main unhe kehta hun aapko call karein.' Jimmy could sense the urgency in her voice. He was aware that Sameer had been tensed whole morning because he had to handle a crucial meeting on his own, due to the absence of his father and grandfather. After it had concluded, he wanted to give some time to his boss to relax. But a call from his wife on the official number was definitely an emergency.

After hours of trudging through paperwork all morning, Sameer had gone for the much awaited meeting. By the time the meeting wrapped up, he was exhausted. Nonetheless, the day had been productive. He had impressed the investors enough to secure their investments in the upcoming project. But now, he was unable to focus on more work and was thinking of taking rest of the day off. Just then, Jimmy knocked on his door.

'Jimmy maine kaha tha na...' Sameer frowned at his assistant, but stopped mid sentence at the solemn look on the guy's face.

'Sir, Naina ma'm se baat kar lijiye. Office ke number pe unka call aaya tha. It's something important.' Jimmy informed him.

'Office ke number pe?' Sameer was surprised for a moment, then sighed. Must be another of Naina's method of keeping distance from him.

He had forgotten to charge his phone in the morning, preoccupied with thoughts about the upcoming meeting. It wasn't until just before the meeting started in the afternoon that he realized his battery was nearly drained. In a rush, he plugged the phone into the charger and hurried off to the conference room. Now, as he pulled out his phone from the connected wire and pressed the side button... he found the screen unresponsive. It was then that he noticed his mistake. He had plugged in the charger but had forgotten to flick the switch on. The phone had been sitting there, connected but powerless, the entire time.

Sameer quickly walked out to Jimmy's cabin and asked for his phone. Tapping Naina's number on it, he waited for her to pick up, which she did, in one ring.

'Hi Naina. Kya hua?' He tried to sound normal though his mind was racing with curiosity about the urgency of her call.

'Sameer... woh...' Naina was suddenly at loss for words, not knowing how to convey the gravity of situation. Clutching the phone tighter, she closed her eyes and let out in a heavy whisper, 'Tum hospital aa jao. Mummy... mummy yahan hain.'

'Mummy?' Sameer felt a punch in his gut, 'Kya hua unhe? Naina, woh theek hain na?'

'I... I don't know.' Naina felt another wave of guilt wash over her, 'Harish ne kaha yahan ke doctors... woh jaante hain mummy ka case isliye... mujhe nahi pata Sameer.' She fought with herself to keep the surge of panic in control.

'I'm coming.' His panicked voice echoed in her ear and then the phone went silent. With trembling fingers, Naina clutched the phone between her hands, as if the grip on the instrument would ensure a grip on the flood of fearful emotions that were crashing within her.

After speaking to her, Sameer rushed to his room. There was no time to charge the phone now. He had to leave without a working phone. With no GPS, he could not check traffic conditions or know how much time it would take to reach the hospital. Trapped in frustration and panic, he grabbed the dead instrument, and darted out. Naina had not mentioned exactly what had happened, and there was no way he could find out till he reached there. He just prayed that it was not an attack. His thoughts kept circling back to Ambika's recent check-up just a week back , where everything had seemed normal. The doctor had assured them there was no reason for concern, so what could have triggered this emergency? Why this sudden need to be hospitalised? Naina sounded... lost. Yes, her voice was raw with fear, not just troubled or worried. With all kinds of scenarios plaguing his mind, he steered through the traffic on roads which was lesser since there was still some time for the day to end for office goers.

Once she had spoken to Sameer, Naina tried to place a call to Girish and Dadaji. As the driver had mentioned, neither him nor Girish could be reached. Their phones apparently were out of the network area. She spoke to the driver and told him that Sameer was on his way. Harish waited impatiently at the main gate. The moment he saw the familiar car entering the main gate, he waved frantically, trying to catch Sameer's attention.

Bringing the car to a halt, Sameer hastily got off and handed him the key, 'Kya hua mummy ko? Tum log toh orphanage gaye they na?'

When Harish told him about the incident, Sameer felt as if someone had punched him in the chest, knocking his breath out. The shock gripped him, freezing him in place. He had never imagined something like this, not even in his darkest thoughts.

Harish's voice quivered, 'Badi madam ko gehri chot aayi hai, unke sar se kaafi khoon beh gaya tha.'

Sameer could not wait any more. He sprinted towards the hospital reception, pausing momentarily at the counter to enquire in a hoarse voice, 'Mrs Ambika Maheshwari. Emergency mein laaye hain...'

Before he could ask more, the nurse promptly informed, 'Operation theater mein hain. Second floor.'

His heart sank. Operation theatre was a terrifying word. Navigating through the corridors before taking the flight of stairs as he didn't have time to wait for the elevator, Sameer swiftly reached the passage which led to OT. There, at the end of it, huddled on the edge of a steel chair was Naina. Her shoulders were hunched, her hands clasped together in a tight grip. Her usual confident demeanour was replaced by a fragile stillness that sent a cold wave of dread through Sameer.

The sound of running steps made Naina look up with a start. The fear that was gnawing at her suddenly gripped her throat as Sameer's face came into focus.

'Naina.' Sameer was breathless by the time he reached her. He glanced at the sterile, shut doors, and knew instantly that the operation was still in progress. Only when his gaze turned towards her did he notice the piece of sticky bandage on Naina's forehead.

He sat on the chair beside her, his eyes flickering between her bandaged forehead and her ashen face.

'Tum theek ho?' His voice was filled with concern and fear.

Naina was finding it difficult to meet his eyes. Her gaze was fixed on her clasped hands that could not stop shaking.

Sameer placed his palm over her hands, asking in a softer voice, 'Tumhe kitni chotein aayi hain Naina? Please batao mujhe. Yeh...' He pointed at her bandage, '... yeh doctor ko dikhaya? Kya kaha unhone?'

Naina drew in a sharp breath. It was not the time to talk about herself. It was time to face the inevitable. It was time to tell him the truth.

'Sameer.' Slowly, she raised her eyes to look at him, her voice breaking several times as she narrated the horrifying incident, 'Mummy... mujhe bachane ke liye... unhone mujhe kheench liya par khud... woh khud ko nahi bacha paayi. Unhe yahan...' She touched the side of her head, 'yahan chot aayi hai. Bohot zyada.'

Sameer looked back at the heavy doors, his heart clenching with new fears. What Harish had told him earlier and what Naina was saying now, it did not sound good. Naina pursed her lips, unable to utter out the apology that rested on the tip of her tongue. This was not something that could be corrected by a mere sorry from her.

Just then, the door swung open, and a nurse rushed out. She hurried over to them, her face etched with urgency.

'Blood arrange kijiye. Hamare paas ma'm ka blood group available nahi hai. Fast.' She said in a tensed voice.

'Blood?' Sameer got up to his feet, alarmed, 'Kahan se?'

Nurse gave him quick instructions, 'Blood banks ko contact kijiye. Neeche reception se aapko sabka phone number mil jayega. It's very urgent. Her life depends on it.'

Before Sameer could react, Naina swiftly pulled out her phone, 'Kaunsa blood group? Main call karti hun.'

'A negative.'

Naina's fingers froze. Without a second thought, she grabbed the nurse's arm, 'Main A negative hun. Aap mera blood le lijiye.'

Nurse glanced at the stark white plaster on her forehead, 'Lekin aap...'

Naina did not let her complete her sentence, 'I'm fine. Mujhe kuch nahi hua. Main blood de sakti hun.' She insisted, her voice fraught with determination.

'Okay. Mere saath aaiye.' The nurse rushed towards a door ahead in the passage. Naina followed her hastily.

It was almost two hours later when Dr Bhatnagar emerged out of the OT.

The moment Sameer saw him, he hurried forward, his heart pounding with anxiety, 'Doctor, mummy kaisi hain? Is she fine? Kya main unse mil sakta hun?'

Dr Bhatnagar pressed his shoulder, 'She's looking good. Lekin abhi mil nahi sakte. Recovery room mein under observation hain. Raat bhar unke parameters check karne honge. Kaafi blood loss ho gaya tha isliye heart pe pressure aa gaya. It's a miracle ki cardiac arrest nahi hua. Time pe blood mil gaya toh condition sambhal gayi. Fir bhi, we need to keep an eye tonight.'

Sameer felt the walls were closing in around him. He struggled to process the reality. The knowledge that his mom was in such a critical condition filled him with dread. He fought to maintain composure, though the strain was evident in the tight set of his jaw and the furrowed lines on his forehead.

'Unhe ek baar dekh sakta hun please?' He pleaded, his voice quivering.

'Beta, sambhalo khud ko.' The elderly doctor reassured him, 'I'm sure kal subah tak Ambika ji ki haalat sudhar jayegi. Last week hi saare test hue hain. She was doing fine. Let's be positive and hope for the best.'

Naina, who had been silently standing behind Sameer, listening to the doctor, felt as if all strength had seeped out of her body. She had hoped for the doctor to say that Ambika was absolutely fine and there was no reason to worry. But the danger on her life still lingered.

The fear was evident in her shaky voice when she asked, 'Unhe kuch hoga toh nahi na?'

Doctor gave her a warm and comforting look, 'Aapki mummy jaldi hi theek ho jayengi. Don't worry. Bas aaj ki raat nikal jaaye, uske baad aap dono unse mil bhi lena aur baatein bhi kar lena.'

After Dr Bhatnagar walked away, someone from his team approached them to explain the extent of injuries and their impact in detail. The young doctor used several complicated medical terms which did not make the explanation very comprehensible but he also assured that most likely, the situation would improve in next twelve hours. Since she had received the blood transfusion on time, her condition had not deteriorated. After the operation, Ambika had been shifted to a room attached to the OT that had all necessary medical equipments to deal with any emergency. Nurses and doctors would monitor her condition every moment. However, no outsider could visit her till then as it could pose the danger of infection to the patient.

The doctor advised them to go home and come back in the morning. He had barely taken a step to leave when he noticed the dazed look on Naina's face. He immediately recognized it as a sign that she was about to lose consciousness. Without hesitation, he stepped forward and caught her as she began to sway.

Sameer's eyes widened with shock and panic when he turned sharply to follow doctor's hasty steps. A surge of alarm gripped him, keeping him frozen on the spot, unable to think or act.

'Sister. jaldi aao.' Doctor called out in a loud voice.

A nurse rushed out of the adjoining room.

'Stethoscope lao. Madam faint ho gayi hai. Let me check.' He eased Naina on the chair beside them. Coming to his senses, Sameer swiftly moved to support Naina's limp form, cradling her gently in his arms. His hands were steady now, though his face was etched with concern. It was heartbreaking for him to see the two people he loved the most in the world in such vulnerable state.

'Oh!' The nurse exclaimed, 'Inhone blood donate kiya tha lekin uske baad bilkul rest nahi kiya. Maine kaha bhi tha ki itna blood dene ke baad inhe uthna nahi chahiye par yeh tabse yahan khadi thi. Juice wagerah bhi nahi liya.'

The doctor gave a worried look to Sameer, 'Inhe fluids dijiye. Make her rest. Inhe bohot weakness hogi. Khud ko exert karna theek nahi hai.'

The nurse directed them to the room, 'Aap inhe room mein lita dijiye.'

Sameer lifted unconscious Naina and carried her to the room. After gently placing her on the bed, he asked the nurse, 'Sister, koi aur problem toh nahi hai na meri wife ko? Accident ke waqt yeh bhi mummy ke saath thi. Ghabrahat mein maine pucha hi nahi. Kahin isey aur chotein toh nahi aayi?'

'Yeh aapki wife hain?' The nurse was slightly surprised, 'Yeh itni tensed thi toh mujhe laga Ambika ma'm ki daughter hain.' She then smiled gently, 'Inhe sirf forehead pe cut aaya hai. Thoda rest karne dijiye, she'll be fine.'

But her face did have some lines of worry as she followed the doctor out of the room. Sameer could hear the faint whispers of their conversation but he could not catch what they were talking about.

When the nurse came back, she handed a bottle of juice to Sameer and instructed, 'Main injection de arhi hun. Thodi der mein inhe hosh aa jayega. Uske kuch der baad aap yeh juice pila dijiye.'

It was about fifteen minutes later when Naina stirred.

Sameer placed a hand on her forehead when she tried to lift herself up, 'Tum leti raho. You need rest.'

'Mummy?' Naina threw him an inquisitive glance.

Sameer tried to keep his voice calm, 'Mummy observation room mein hain. Unke paas doctor hain.'

'Main ghar nahi jaungi Sameer.' She declared in a determined voice, 'Jab tak mummy se mil nahi leti, unse baat nahi kar leti, main kahin nahi jaungi.'

Sameer fought back the tears that choked his throat, 'Main bhi yahin hun Naina. Lekin subah tak tumhe apna khyal bhi toh rakhna hai. Lo, yeh juice piyo.'

Thankfully, she did not argue and quietly took the bottle from him. But the liquid failed to bring back any colour to her pale face.

When she put the empty bottle aside, Sameer could not hold back any longer. Taking her hand in his, he said in an overwhelmed voice, 'Mujhe nahi pata ki main tumhe thank you kaise kahun Naina. Aaj tumne mummy ki jaan hi nahi bachayi balki mujhe zindagi bhar ke guilt se bacha liya. Thank you. Thank you so much.'

Naina gave him a perplexed look, 'Mummy mujhe bachane ki koshish mein injured hui hain. Yeh toh meri galti hai Sameer. Guilty main hun. Tumhe kyon guilty lag raha hai?'

Sameer shook his head vigorously, 'Tumhari nahi meri galti hai. Kyonki main meeting ke chakkar mein phone charge karna bhool gaya. Agar tum Jimmy ko call nahi karti to pata nahi mujhe kab jaakar accident ki news milti. Yahan mummy ko meri zarurat thi aur main apni laparwahi ki wajah se yahan nahi hota.'

Naina's voice softened a little as she sat up, 'Iske liye khud ko blame mat karo. Yeh toh kisi ke saath bhi ho sakta hai.'

Saying this, she swung her legs down and was about to get up when Sameer fell on his knees beside the bed, his eyes filling up with guilt that had been eating him up since he reached the hospital, 'Agar mummy ko time pe blood nahi milta aur unhe kuch ho jaata to yeh galti mere liye zindagi bhar ka dard ban jaati. Meri wajah se mummy... kya main kabhi khud ko iss baat ke liye maaf kar paata Naina? Kabhi nahi.'

His words sliced through Naina, laying bare the fear that was her first thought when she had seen Ambika lying in a pool of blood in the market. She, of all the people, could understand his turmoil very well.

'Sameer.' She clutched his shoulders and guided him to his feet.

Sameer rose up to face her. There was a tenderness in her eyes that he had never seen before. Suddenly, the weight of his feelings became too much for him and he could not contain his tears anymore. They streamed down his face unabashedly. Naina couldn't bear to see him so distraught. Without another thought, she pulled him into her embrace, holding him tight in the circle of her arms to provide him with a comforting warmth.

Next update on Thursday