Amrita held the phone to her ear, still listening to the sounds of the car. Saaransh had called her just moments ago to let her know they were on their way back from their family vacation. He sounded tired but cheerful, and she could hear the comforting murmur of voices in the background. She smiled to herself, feeling relieved to know they were safe and on their way home. “Drive safely and inform me once you reach home,” she reminded him, her voice warm but firm. Saaransh chuckled, “Of course, Amu. We’ll see you soon. Bye.” Just as Amrita was about to end the call, a loud, terrifying thud echoed through the line.

“SAASHA!” Saaransh’s desperate scream filled her ears, freezing her in place. She could barely process what was happening as Shahin’s terrified scream followed, a raw and chilling cry that made Amrita’s heart pound. She felt rooted to the spot, her mind trying to comprehend what could have caused such panic.

“Bhai? Bhai? Hello! Bhai, bhai, bhai!” she called out, her voice rising in desperation as the silence grew. “Bhabhi? Shahin? Saasha? What happened? Please, please reply! What happened?” Her heart was racing, her fingers gripping the phone so tightly her knuckles turned white. “Saasha? Saasha, baache, please say something!” Amrita’s words poured out, a mix of panic and confusion as she tried to make sense of the agonizing silence that filled the line. Then, abruptly, the call was disconnected.

Her entire body trembled as she tried to call back, her hands barely able to press the buttons in her desperation. The line rang, but no one picked up. She tried again, and again, each unanswered call escalating her fear. “Please, pick up! Please!” she whispered, her voice breaking. She couldn’t bear the thought of what might have happened.

Overwhelmed with fear, Amrita’s legs felt weak beneath her as she stumbled toward her husband, Adhir, who was sitting in the living room. He looked up, startled by the panic in her eyes. “Amu, what happened?” he asked, standing up quickly to steady her. “Saaransh…Shahin…there was an accident. I don’t know what happened, they…they’re not answering,” she gasped, her voice thick with terror. Adhir took her hands, grounding her with his calm presence. “Breathe, Amu. We’ll go find them. Just breathe.”

He held her tightly for a moment before rushing to grab his keys. Amrita followed him, her mind swirling with images of her brother, her sister-in-law, and little Saasha. “Please, let them be safe,” she whispered, a prayer laced with desperation as they hurried to the car.

The drive to the accident site felt like a lifetime, each minute stretching out agonizingly as they drove through the darkening streets. The closer they got, the more dread settled over her like a heavy blanket, suffocating and relentless. She could barely sit still, clutching her hands together tightly as Adhir tried to keep her calm. But all the calm in the world couldn’t erase the fear lodged deep in her heart.

Finally, as they turned onto the road where Saaransh had last been, Amrita felt a lump rise in her throat. There, on the side of the road, was her brother’s car. It was overturned, the front crushed against a tree, windows shattered, and the once-familiar family car now a mangled mess of metal and glass. The dread she’d felt turned to horror.

“Oh my God,” she whispered, clutching Adhir’s arm as they approached the scene. Emergency lights flashed around them, casting an eerie red and blue glow over the scene. Amrita’s entire world seemed to slow as she took in the sight—the gurneys, the medics rushing around, and, somewhere in the midst of it, the lifeless, broken figure of Saaransh.

She stumbled forward, her legs barely able to hold her up. “Bhai!” she cried out, her voice carrying over the chaotic scene, desperate to reach him somehow. Adhir held her back, his arms a lifeline as she tried to push forward. “Let me go! I need to see them!” she pleaded, her voice broken. But Adhir pulled her close, his face stricken as he tried to shield her from the sight in front of them.

She craned her neck, catching a glimpse of Saasha’s small, still body as medics worked frantically to tend to her. “No, no, no!” Amrita sobbed, the reality of the scene hitting her like a wave. Her entire body shook, every fiber of her being fighting to deny the horror unfolding before her. She could hear the muffled voices of the medics, their movements hurried and precise, but none of it felt real. It was as though she were watching a nightmare she couldn’t wake up from, each moment more unbearable than the last.

In that moment, Amrita felt her world shatter, each passing second a cruel reminder of the fragility of life.

As Amrita stared at the wreck, heart pounding, she noticed one of the medics suddenly freeze, staring at the backseat of the car. His face went pale, and he quickly called over another medic. They whispered urgently, casting glances her way.

Amrita’s hands began to shake. She felt Adhir grip her shoulder tighter, sensing something was wrong. The medic approached them, eyes filled with unease.

"Ma’am…sir…there’s something we found. Something…we can’t explain."

Amrita’s breath caught. The world seemed to fall silent.

What had they discovered?

Heyy Butterflies,

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