Rushing

The car finally pulled up in front of their house. "Please stay here with the car.", he instructed to Lalmohanbabu and stepped out, followed by Tapesh. It was almost dark by now, but the lights hadn't been switched on inside. 

"Something is very wrong." He muttered as he felt a pinch in his gut. 

Tapesh opened the door with his key and they both barged inside. It was all quiet like a century-old haunted house. Switching the lights on, they called for Srinath and Sindhuja. None responded. His heart raced as his mind rummaged through all the possibilities of what might have happened. 

The two of them split their ways, he went to the kitchen and rooms below while Tapesh went upstairs, still calling out.

He was looking through their backyard when Tapesh shouted from upstairs, "Feluda! Feluda!"

Without wasting a moment, he turned back and sprinted through the stairs to where the lights were on. Tapesh was standing at the end of the corridor facing his own room, staring in front of him with wide eyes. He went there and followed Tapesh's gaze. His heart skipped a beat. This was exactly what he had feared.

A lump of a body lay on the floor with its back at them, blood on the floor near its head. He didn't need a moment to recognize who it was.

"SINDHUJA!"

Running to her, he sat down and lifted her head to his lap, turning her body to face him. There was a gaping wound on the left of her forehead which was red with blood. Tapesh gave out a cry of shock and he felt his throat go dry. He shook her shoulder, pat on her cheeks. "Sindhuja, Sindhu! Sindhu look here! Can you hear me? Sindhu?!" She didn't move a bit."Topshe, get some water!"

While Tapesh ran to his bedside glass of water, he took out a handkerchief and dabbed it lightly on her forehead to stop the bleeding. "Sindhu!... Sindhuja... Get up..." He was scared to to this, but had no choice. Hands cold and shaky, he held her wrist to feel the pulse while Tapesh sprinkled water on her face.

She gave no response to the water, but her pulse was still there, though slowed. He had a small moment of relief. She's alive.

Turning to Tapesh he said, "We need to get her in the car!"Tapesh went ahead to hold the door open as he slipped his hands below her shoulders and knees, bundling and carrying her up in his arms. He climbed down the stairs to reach outside the house and Tapesh locked it back, rushing again to open the car's door. He followed carefully placing her in the car and then swiftly sat in too, Tapesh on the other side.

Lalmohanbabu and the driver stared back at them in shock. He almost shouted, "To the hospital! Quick!"The car bolted off Rajani Sen road again as Tapesh, still dazed about everything happening, managed to tell Lalmohanbabu how they found her in the room like this. Meanwhile he had  her sitting leaned on him, bloodied head in the crook of his neck, one hand round from behind her for support and the other one cupping her face so her head doesn't wobble with every pothole. 

He wasn't listening to anything going around. He had an outburst of everything in his head; worry because her injury seemed quite bad, fear of losing her, anger, thinking about what exactly happened to her & who might have done it, regretting being careless, and what not. Holding her close as if his life depended on it, he somehow focused his mind and only thought of one thing. She's still alive. I'm going to get her to safety. She WILL BE alright.

"I'm here. You're going to be completely fine, Rosogolla." He whispered into her ear while his heart throbbed at the possibility that he might as well turn out to be wrong.