This is my entry for the ITV OS Contest, don't know how it came out but I promise you won't be disappointed either.., do give it a try!

Host:  _Anusha_69

Judge: Kriya00004

➜READ THE DESCRIPTION

"But bro hua kya h itni halchal kyu (coughs) machi h?" asked a confused Sid who just returned to the academy from a nice brisk walk.

"Emergency bro! City Hospital me fire break hua h and that too near the emergency ward.. Rescue mission par ja rhe h. I just hope ki hum sabko bacha paye!" Monami replied to her buddy taking her necessary medical stuff.

"Me bhi-"
"Sid you mad or what! Tabiyat kharab h aur jana h tujhe. Tu kahin nhi jayega."
"Arey lekin-"
"No Sid, no!"

Well he had to surrender and wished her luck. She along with almost all the trainers and few cadets of academy went there to carry on their mission and save lives.

~~

"Ptanhi ab kesa hoga wo.. kadha banadu uske liye? Nahin. Lekin tabiyat zyada kharab hogyi ho to? Lekin use jb mere pyar ki parwah hi ni h to me kaun hoti hun uska khayal rakhne wali?" She tried to get herself out of the dilemma, and probably she got her answer. "Par sahi me tabiyat zyada kharab hui ho to?"

Luka chuppi bahut hui
Saamne aa ja na..

A mother's heart dude, a mother's heart! Strange thing it is - tut ke judta h to bhi apne bachhe ke liye hi dhadakta h, isn't it?

Mrs. Batra went to his room with the glass of 'kaadha' in her hands.
"Dilbagh ji ne banaya tha tere liye kaadha lekin wo de nhi paye isliye me layi hun, Cadet Siddharth ke liye na ki Sid.. ke liye." She literally gave him the explanation but she wasn't supposed to, why was she even saying all this?

On sensing no reply her eyes scanned the whole room just to find it empty. "Zaroor isne mujhe kaadha banate hue dekh liya isliye bhaav kha raha hoga." She said with an irritated face but back of the mind some other thoughts occupied her. "Lekin ye buddhu gaya kahan hoga? Thik to hoga na? Kahan dhundu?"

She searched the whole academy but all in vain, Sid was nowhere to be found!

Kahaan kahaan dhoondha tujhe
Thak gai hai ab teri Maa!

At last she went in Mr. Batra's cabin who was keenly indulged in his laptop. She could hear some voices like people are shouting, she neared him to see what he was seeing. The laptop screen displayed the devasted scene of the City Hospital, fire and smoke surrounding the whole environment.

"Hay bhagwan, humara rescue mission successful hojaye kitne masum logon ki jaan bach jayegi!" Mrs. Batra prayed from the bottom of her heart while Mr. Batra simply nodded

They both could trace their brave team of commandos and cadets, though blurred due to the smoke. Suddenly Mrs. Batra noticed something. A person bringing out a patient with his support, silhouette picture due to the smoke and sunrays, and.. CURLY HAIRS!

"SID!!?"

~City Hospital, Deolali~

A person handed a patient to a doctor when a girl came near her.

"Siddharth je ka hai han? Monami ne tumhe mana kiyo tha na, phir kyu aaye tum? Khas khas ke halat kharab ho rakho h tab bhi!" Sanjana said to that person, Sid, who was coughing just too badly.

"Sanju (coughs) me thik hun. (coughs)"
"Na Siddharth. Dekho tumayi tabiyat aur kharab ho jayegi aur humse je na dekho jayego. Tum jao aur wahan betho jahan (coughs) dhua kum ho." She said coughing due to the smoke. "Please keh raho hain!?"

"And you think (coughs) mujhse in sab logon ki esi haalat dekhi jayegi? Sanju mujhse (coughs) je na dekho jayego. Mujhe mat roko I (coughs) I.. don't want anyone to die jab me unki help kr sakta hun!" He tried to coax her in between his coughs. "Please (coughs) keh raho hain.. (coughs)"

She looked at him helplessly and resumed her rescue mission while Faizi who heard their conversation, smiled at them.

Minutes later the fire brigade which got delayed due to traffic jam, reached the site and within seconds started extinguishing the fire but it would take time as due to the delay, the fire spread to the whole hospital block from the emergency ward.

A car stopped near the hospital and Mrs Batra came out of it, rushing to the site, ignoring her husband's denial. She knew how smoke always affected Sid more than others and moreover he wasn't well either!

Teri raah take aankhiyan
Jaane kaisa kaisa hoye jiya,

She tried to catch his sight till her blurred vision allowed but what she could see and hear was just people's cries, media, rescue teams, medical staff, fire fighters, and lots of hustle! She saw a rescuer with a lady who was crying badly for her infant. She went near them and held her shoulders, giving her the much needed support. Though her situation was very discouraging, Mrs. Batra's wasn't good either.

Teri raah take aankhiyan
Jaane kaisa kaisa hoye jiya..

Mr. Batra also helped people with others. Hours of fire, hours of hardwork, hours of waiting, many injuries, many missing and a few deaths later one could see the site clearly, a devasted scene! Yet her eyes searched for him. Just like the fire, her hate ignited from a small flame but converted to hatred, a huge fire but this tragedy extinguished the fire of hatred she developed for him over the fortnight.

Dheere-dheere aangan utre andhera
Mera deep kahaan..!?

The sun had already set and it would have been the dusk, when she noticed the environment. The ambience lacked liveliness. Critical patients and those who got severely injured had already been sent to the nearest hospital with the first aid given by the doctors at the site. The hospital building had collapsed perilously and some screams were still audible. Few members of the rescue teams including those of PSAF were inside, and probably Sid too.

Dhalke sooraj kare ishaara
Chanda tu hai kahaan..Mere chanda tu hai kahaan?

She was about to enter when Mr. Batra held her hands thus stopping her. He very well knew what she was going through, the accident which took 7 years ago snatched their son from them and now she didn't want to lose Sid. She had seen everyone else on the site and was relieved for them but the sight she needed to calm down right now was of Sid.

Luka chuppi bahut hui
Saamne aa ja na..
Kahaan kahaan dhoondha tujhe
Thak gai hai ab teri Maa

But Mr. Batra didn't want her to lose her control once she gets inside otherwise anything could happen. Defeated, she turned towards the entrance and kept looking there.

Aaja saanjh hui
Mujhe teri fikar
Dhundhla gai dekh meri nazar aa ja na..

Koel and Karan were injured badly so were outside and saw all this. They both looked at each other and Karan nodded. Koel went behind Mrs. Batra and raised her hand till her shoulder length but backed it off and backhugged her. Ofcourse she could understand her feelings as she herself was a mother. She tried console Mrs. Batra and her words probably worked to some extent. Karan and Mrs. Batra smiled seeing this. They all looked at the entrance hearing a familiar voice.

Aaja saanjh hui
Mujhe teri fikar
Dhundhla gai dekh meri nazar aa ja na..

"Sid!" Mrs. Batra exclaimed happily and without wasting time rushed to him and engulfed his body in her warm motherly embrace he craved for!

Sid got shocked but then tears brimmed his eyes just like they were brimming hers earlier! He held her in his hold as if his life depended on her and he wouldn't let her go. He kept coughing and crying while she just kept caressing his hair, wetting his shoulder.

"Pagal! Kyu aaya tha han? Ek to teri tabiyat pehle se hi kharab h yahan dhhue me aur kharab hojati to?" She said breaking the hug.

"Hogayi h ma'am!" Monami, who was behind them with a baby in her hands, watched all this. She came forward and passed the baby carefully to a nurse. "Sid ki tabiyat aur kharab ho gyi h. But ye meri sunega toh na! Lekin jo bhi ho, I'm proud of you Sid. Tune aaj kitne logon ki jaan bachayi h jb tu khud thik ni tha! Aur is baby ki bhi!" She said coming to them and patted Sid's shoulder. It was Sid only who found that baby unconscious due to the smoke but Monami brought it as Sid was too exhausted.

Sid smiled at her and then looked at the baby with that smile intact on his face. Everyone else also smiled seeing this. "I just hope (coughs) ki isse iske parents mil jaye especially mother.. Ma ke pyar ki (coughs) kitni importance hoti h mujhe pata (coughs) h aur.. aur kisi ne mujhe wo yaad bhi (coughs) dila diya." Sid said turning to Mrs. Batra who's eyes were wet just like his.

"Devki Ma ke baad I got you as Yashoda Ma. Pata h Mummy G aap na (coughs) aap na best ho lekin me ekdum buddhu ekdum nalayak (coughs and takes deep breaths) mene aapka dil dukha diya.. (coughs) kabhi.. kabhi maa ka pyar mila ni na, aapne (coughs) aapne diya to sambhal ni paya aur aapka dil dukha diya."

"To kyu dukhaya mera Dil han? Tujhe kya lagta h me sabko beta beta karke bulati hun? Gadha! Yaad h na us din phone pr kya kya keh rha tha!" She scolded him pulling his ear as a lone tear escaped her eyes.

"Mummy (deep breaths) Mummy G.., wo sirf ek.. ek misunderstanding thi nothing (coughs) nothing else." He said wiping her tear. "Lekin aapne kabhi.. kabhi meri baat (coughs) suni.. suni hi nhi!"

Mrs. Batra looked at him shocked as her grip on his ear loosened. "K-kya hua tha? Aur agar wo sab galat fehmi thi to tu.. tune wo sab kyu kaha ki 'Mummy G to bas pyar ka dikhawa karti h'? Kya hua tha Sid mujhe puri baat bata!"

Sid smiled listening his pet name instead of 'Cadet Siddharth' from her. "Wo Mummy G (coughs) hua yun.. tha ki-" he started explaining what all happened on that call and to whom he spoke.

There was one friend of him who had toxic parents. Sid knew that saying 'don't worry' or 'everything will be fine' won't help so he build up a story of his own stating many lies just like "Mere DaddyG ko to meri bilkul bhi fikr nhi h" he knew his father cared for him and lately he had been calling Sid to ask his well being.

"Then I said, 'MummyG to bas pyar ka dikhawa karti h she doesn't love me..' Aur wahi aapne sunliya and galat (coughs) samjh liya." Sid said as he ended explaining the 'whole' situation and pouted remembering his Mummy G's face the moment she had listened this line. And about Mrs. Batra, shocked would be and understatement. The person she thought ditched her was actually giving mental support to someone.

"Mujhe maaf karde.. beta!" She said and hugged him. He also hugged her back and both of them cried their hearts out. Sid parted the hug and wiped her tears nodding in no..

"MummyG aap mafi (coughs) mafi kyu maang rhe ho? Koi bhi hota to yehi samjhta jo aapne.. (coughs) aapne samjha lekin promise.. promise me ki aage se kuchh esa ho to aap meri (coughs) meri baat sunoge.." He said panting heavily.

"Promise, mere bacche, promise!" She said with a faint smile. "Lekin agar kabhi sach me tune Mera dil dukhaya h na to me maar maar ke tera bum sujha dungi!" She said making everyone chuckle within tears.

"Done deal!" Sid said wiping his own tears he held back from long. "Lekin Mummy (coughs) MummyG aapka Beta wahan.. se aapko dekh (coughs) dekh.. rha h, see!" He said pointing upwards towards the sky. "Uske liye hi (coughs) smile kardo, Please.. keh raho hain!"

She smiled and hugged him tight to which he responded whole heartedly. The warmth of the hug reflected how she was his world and his promise to protect her, protecting his world from the evil eyes with a sense of assurance of always being there.💙

Truly, he crawled inside her body, found out where she was the most ruined, Loved her there, and will love her forever and ever!✨