Dhruv

******

I ran towards the terrace. That sight had already blown my mind. I could hear my heartbeat accelerating crazily. I just wanted all that to be a nightmare.

Shit! I don't want this to happen even in my nightmares.

As soon as I reached there, I found the door of the terrace locked. I tried to push it but it didn't open.

She was not in the condition to lock the gate, then how this door got locked, I thought.

I pushed it again and again but nothing happened. Time was ticking and I was getting more scared. My palms got sweaty due to nervousness, anxiety, and fear. I had to hurry before anything terrible happens.

With the little hope left, I pushed the door hardly once more and it opened. But the sight in front of me didn't put me to ease.

She was standing at the edge on the railing of the terrace with one of her legs hanging in the air. No, no, no.

"Stop!" I said. She pulled her leg backward and turned towards me. Her eyes held no emotion, she looked lifeless and it killed me seeing her like that. My heart ached to see her in that condition. But that was not the time to think all that. All I wanted was to pull her out of danger and the only way out of that situation was to distract her.

"If you want to do this, then take me with you," I said trying to distract her mind. I knew she wasn't thinking properly.

"I don't want to live too," I added.

"You know, what happened to my parents and my sister. I...I was broken." I said and moved towards her a little. I kept moving slowly towards her. With every step, I felt my heart racing faster.

"And then....then you came, like a ray of sunshine. You became the Ember To My Flame. Although I had my friends and my family, yet, I used to felt empty. There was this void inside me, but not for long."

She was just staring at me without even blinking her eye. Only I knew what was going on inside me seeing her in that condition.

"Do you know who filled that void?" I questioned and now I was just one step away from her. I took a deep breath and with every ounce of courage left in me took the next step and said,

"You."

With the last step, I pulled her down from the railing. With a sudden jerk, we both fell. She was above me and I could feel the tears rolling down my cheeks. I held her tightly in my arms securing her.

I was scared even thinking about what would have happened if I had been late for even a second.

That was the last time something gut-wrenching happened and I swore on my death to protect her always.

I will always protect you, muffin. I promise you this my love, my Saavi.

We stayed like that for a while when it struck me, why didn't she react when I pulled her. I was just a stranger for her still she wasn't shoving me off. When I pulled away and found my answer as I sound her unconscious in my arms.

Panic overpowered me again and I picked her up and went down to the healthcare unit on the other side of the NGO. I put her down on the bed and asked the doctor to check her. She was aware of the activity which happened a while ago and assured me that she is fine and it was all because of shock.

The real question which was running into my mind was what made her took that step and I knew the only person who could answer me was Sophia.

After leaving Saavi in the care of the doctor for a while I was going to find Sophia when I heard the voice from Mrs. Maria's chamber.

"How could you be so careless Sophia? What if something would have happened to her?" Mrs. Maria's voice was laced with anger.

"I am sorry. I had no idea that George will do something like this."

"I already had told you that you can't just appoint anyone as a staff member of this NGO, didn't I? Then how come I didn't know you appointed him? And how dare you to leave Rose with him?"

I barged into her chamber without giving a second thought when I heard that sentence. Both of them looked shocked and Sophia's expressions were fearful.

"What happened?" I asked looking at Sophia. She didn't reply but avoiding my gaze.

"I need an answer." My voice was low yet menacing. She still didn't utter a word but looked at Mrs. Maria with fear. She was testing my patience when I was running out of it.

"I said, I need the TRUTH," I shouted which made her flinch.

"I will tell you what happened." Mrs. Maria said and looked at Sophia in disgust.

Mrs. Maria narrated everything to me and I filled with rage hearing all of it.

"Where is he?" I asked to which Mrs. Maria looked at Sophia. Sophia spoke up that time.

I went towards the room he was living in and barged inside where he was taking a nap peacefully after doing all the shit. He got up startled due to the sudden noise of the door bursting open.

He was trying to decipher what was happening when my punch landed on his face.

" Who are you?" he asked and again I punched him.

"What are you doing?" He shouted but I kept punching.

"How dare you lay your hand on her? How dare you?" I shouted while beating the shit out of him. I didn't care at that time that my hand was wounded too as all I wanted was to kill the piece of shit who tried to molest my love.

Mrs. Maria told me that a guy named George came to the NGO looking for a job. Mrs. Maria didn't approve of him but Sophia appointed him without her knowing and that piece of shit tried to hurt my girl.

I kept punching and kicking him when I heard Mrs. Maria, "Mr. Kapoor, please leave him. I have called the cops, they will be here anytime soon. Please leave him."

I didn't pay heed to her words and kept kicking him. But suddenly someone tried to pull me back.

"Leave me, I won't leave him. I need to kill him."

I was pulled back with force this time and a familiar voice yelled at me, "Are you out of your senses?" Jai had come with his team. I was shocked but then I remembered Mrs. Maria called the cops and that's why he was there. His team took George with them while Jai stayed.

Mrs. Maria told Jai what had happened. He assured us that he will receive harsh treatment.

"You are hurt," Jai said looking at my blood-filled hand.

"It's nothing."

"Dhruv, you lost a good amount of blood."

"I am fine," I replied blankly. Shaking his head, he held my arms and took me to the healthcare unit. He asked the doctor to treat my wound while I was indulged in her thoughts only.

"What are you doing here at this hour?" he asked being suspicious, after all, he is a cop.

"Came to collect some reports." I lied but he didn't look convinced still chose to not counter-question.

After the bandage was done he asked me to leave and said that he needed to ask some questions from Mrs. Maria. I knew what questions he wanted to ask so I told him I will stay. He didn't protest and we both went to her chamber while I made sure Saavi didn't come to his notice. To my relief, the curtains of the room she was in were drawn.

Both of us went to her chamber and Jai asked her about George and also Rose.

"Mrs. Maria, I will have to take Ms. Rose's statement."

Mrs. Maria didn't look fine with it. Although I also didn't want to let Saavi come in front of anyone, yet I couldn't get why was it a problem for Mrs. Maria.

"I am sorry officer but that's not possible."

"But I will need her statement."

"If you want, we can provide you the CCTV footage and you can take other's statements."

"But the victim here is Ms. Rose."

"She can't give you the statement."

I was getting anxious about her weird responses. Why can't she give the statement? Why was Mrs. Maria so adamant at that?

"Why Mrs. Maria. Why can't Rose give the statement?" I asked.

She looked at me and replied sadly, "Because she can't speak."

"What?" Jai asked but I was too stunned to reply.

"Yes, none of us have ever heard her voice. And it made us all believe that she can't speak."

I couldn't believe what was she saying. I was getting punches since yesterday continuously.

I was a stranger to her, she was scared of me and now the revelation turned my world upside down. That's not possible. My Saavi is not dumb. She has the most beautiful voice.

"That..that's not...possible," I whispered.

I got up from my seat and said, "You..you don't know anything about her. She has got the most beautiful voice and yet you say th...that she can't speak." I was fumbling with words. It was getting suffocating in there after listening to her.

"I am sorry Mr. Kapoor but none of us here have heard her voice, not even once."

"That's not possible," I said taking deep breathes.

"Dhruv what's wrong? Do you know this girl?" Jai queried and I couldn't hide it from him anymore.

"Jai, Rose...Rose is my Saavi. She is here." He was shocked at my answer. Who wouldn't be?

"Jai, please tell her that she can speak. Just tell her that she has got the most beautiful voice." I said pointing towards Mrs. Maria but it took time for him to process everything that was going on.

After processing everything in his mind Jai spoke, "Dhruv calm down."

"But.."

"Dhruv." his pitch was a little high that time. I went out of the room in rage towards the healthcare unit but stopped in the mid-track.

The NGO's garden was in my sight and I made my way towards it. Sitting on the bench there, I looked around me. Girls of every age were there, some looked sad, some were smiling some of them were just quiet.

One of them who was not more than 10 years old caught my sight. I was the one to rescue her with Namit a year ago. I used to come to meet her for over a month but then got busy with my schedule so couldn't take out time.

She never used to smile but now she was even laughing and playing with others.

"She healed." I heard Mrs. Maria when she took a seat beside me.

I didn't say a word. I couldn't. My teary eyes were a result of the pain of my heart.

"I didn't say that she was dumb. It's just something had made her like this. I believed you when you said that she has the most beautiful voice." she added further.

"You do?" I asked not believing her words.

"Yes. When she came here we tried to talk to her but she didn't speak anything. We had to make her entry in the records and we needed a name. She was as delicate as a Rose, so I named her the same."

I nodded hearing her and blinked my tears away.

"I want to take her away from here, with me."

"Take her tomorrow as her reports will be ready till then."

"After what happened today, do you really think I will leave her here for even a single day?"

Guilt spread all over her face. She was tongue-tied for a moment.

"I will pack her things and send you the reports tomorrow." Saying this she got up and went inside. I made my way towards where Saavi was and as I entered the room, I saw Jai sitting on the chair beside her bed.

Mrs. Maria might have told him where she was and I could see the pained expression on his face. He looked at me and smiled sadly while I returned the gesture.

"How?" he asked, probably trying to know how she ended up in a mafia's trap.

"I don't know yet, but will soon find out." She was still unconscious and I guess that was for the better as that way, it will be easy for me to take her to my house. I picked her up in my arms and went towards the main gate where Mrs. Maria was already waiting for me with a bag in her hand.

After handing me the bag she caressed her head and said to me, "Take Care of her." I nodded in response and went towards my car followed by Jai.

After placing her in the front seat, I said to Jai, "Don't tell anyone about it."

"What? But why?"

"Give me a few days. I will tell everyone myself." he agreed to it and went away while I drove to my house with my love.