10
"What happened to you? You are looking so dull and tired today," one of the waitress of her restaurant asked observing Preet's silent behavior since she step here.
"Nothing, just feeling little tired and weak," Preet sigh while pressing her forehead from side feeling light headache.
The lady touch her forehead and shook her head giving disappointed look to Preet.
"Preet, you are having fever," Preet didn't say anything just nodded at her.
"You should rest at home instead of working," Preet smile slightly at her and said,
"Don't worry, Anu. I will be fine. You go see the customers," she send her away.
As she was alone the smile on her face fell. She place her head on the counter and look at the paper in daze where she was editing their restaurant menu.
"Preet ma'am, I restock the store room. You can check the items," one of the worker said to Preet as she was going toward the store area.
"I am going there. You can leave now," the boy left from there while Preet take stairs to go underground store area. The store area is just below the kitchen of the restaurant to ease the supply of items and ingredients for cooking.
The whole underground floor is used for storing various items for the restaurant.
Preet was busy checking the stock while looking at the list in her phone.
"Who keep this boxes here instead of cold store?" she sigh looking at the boxes of dairy product.
She open the cold store door with difficult as it was heavy. She one by one took the boxes inside the room which is freezing making her body shiver badly.
As she placed all the boxes in the corner of the room where all the diary product is store.
"I need take good of these people for creating all this mess and wasting so much food," she lightly scold looking at the scattered and tore packets of frozen peas on the floor.
She began collecting them and separated the tore packed from others. She nicely arrange them on the self and look around the room to if everyone is fine or not.
She rub her hands feeling extremely cold and decide to go out after she make sure everything is in place. As she try to slide the door to open but it didn't move. She again try but again fail. She get scared at the thought of being locked there.
She slam her palm on the door while shouting,
"Hello, Is anyone there!?" she yell loudly slapping the door but she didn't hear anything from outside. Her lips are trembling badly due to cold.
She felt her heart drop at the thought of stuck in this freezing room. Tears formed in her scared eyes and she again started shouting loud for help.
"PLEASE HELP ME!! PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR!!" She started trembling badly as the coldness seeps into her skin making entire body cold like ice.
Goosebumps appears all over her body due to fear and low temperature.
"HELPPP MEEE!! PLEASEE!!!" she cries out in her trembling voice as slowly her body turning cold making her body muscle slightly numb.
Her head is pounding inside due to all the shouting and panic. She sat on the floor leaning against the door and hug her herself tightly to protect herself from cold waves.
"My...y p..hone..ee??" she whispered while shaking badly her lips started turning blue due to cold.
She check her kurti's pockets but it was not there making her cry even more in anxiety.
She started rubbing her arms filling them turning frozen and blow warm air in her palm as they got numb. Her chest heaving up and down suddenly feeling suffocated in the closed room filled with cold air.
She again stand up with difficulty and started slamming on the door with her full strength as if it will break with her little power.
"Pl...eas..e ope..n the door..r, pl..ea..se. I...I can't bre..aa..th, pleas...se. Sav..e mee" she whispered and slip down on the floor as her body started getting weak. She place her head against the cold door tiredly while breathing heavily.
She wipe her lips with her sleeve feeling something warm flowing from her nose. She look down to see blood on her hand. She close her eyes and soon a sob left from her lips feeling numb, scared and defeated.
"Vee..r" his name slips from her blue trembling lips before her body gave up and she slipped into darkness.
Her lifeless hands fell on her lap from the door. Slowly as the time passing her glowing face started turning pale and red. Her lips turned dry and blue-ish as her body temperature started decreasing with every passing second.
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Veer is working in his office when suddenly his phone ring turning his attention from the laptop screen to his phone. He pick up the seeing the unknown number.
"Hello," he said in his blank tone.
"Is it Mr. Veer Singh Rajvansh?" the unknown female voice asked.
"Yes, it's me,"
"Sir, this is Anu. I work in your wife's restaurant. Actually sir, Preet ma'am left her phone and handbag here in the restaurant," she politely informed.
Veer frowned in confusion and look at his wrist watch to see it is only 4 pm. She always come home after 6.
"Okay, I will ask someone to pick up her things, " he said and was about to hang up but stop.
"Anu, did she tell you where she was going?"
"No sir but we didn't find or see her for almost an hour now. Actually she was not well today and having fever since morning. So maybe she left for home," She informed him.
"Okay thank you," he cut the call and immediately call Avni. Sudden worry took over him hearing about her health.
I shouldn't shout at her knowing she was so sensitive and emotional.
He thought while mentally cursing himself for losing his calm.
"Hello Avni," he asked as soon as Avni received his call.
"Ji Bhai,"
"Can you please check on Preet for me? She is not well," He request her.
"Is she home?" Avni asked and started going toward their room.
"Wait a minute, Bhai," he impatiently wait for her to reach their room. He was feeling sudden restlessness in his heart. Like something is not right.
"Hello Bhai," he comes out of his thought hearing Avni.
"Yes Avni. Is she sleeping?" he asked
"She is not here in the room," he frown and said,
"Maybe she is in the bathroom,"
"No, Bhai. She is not. She didn't come home yet,"
This make his heart stop in worry and panic. She is not here nor in the restaurant then where did she go that to without her phone.
On the top, she is not well.
Suddenly negative thoughts started coming in his mind.
"I will call you later, Avni," he cut the call and again call to her restaurant.
"Yes sir," A lady said.
"Anu, did you she took her car?" he asked while taking his car keys and coat before walking out of his cabin in a hurry.
"No sir,"
"Did anyone see her going out?" he again asked while walking toward the lift.
"No sir,"
"Anu, can you please check her everywhere for me. Maybe she is there only," he said her.
"Sure sir,"
"Thank you. I will reach there in a while," he cut the call and start his car and pull his car on the road with a heavy feeling inside him.
Unknown fear settle inside his chest along with unsettle heavy feeling.
He keep praying for her safety inside his head.
"Just be alright, Preet," he whispered while driving fast.
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He stop the car in front of her restaurant with a screeching noise and almost run out of it into the restaurant.
As he was about to ask the manager about Anu, his eyes land on the lady standing near the counter with a disturbed expression with phone near her ear. She look up and her eyes widen seeing Veer standing there.
"Sir?" She whispered.
"Where is Preet?" He asked in a dead tone but from inside his heart his thudding loudly inside his chest in fear.
Anu gulped looking at his dark eyes. She open her mouth to say but close it not knowing what to say.
"Anu Di, come fast. Preet Di,... she gets stuck in the cold store," hearing this ground slip from under his feet and without waiting for everyone he runs downstairs to the basement. Anu and others followed him from behind.
As they reached there, Veer try to open the door but seems like its lock jammed.
"Preet!! Dammit!!!" he shout in frustration when the door didn't open.
"What are you all looking at? Go call someone for help!!" he shout angrily at the other staff who are standing there.
"PREET!! Can you hear me?!! PREET!!?" He asked in the hope to get some reply from inside. His whole body is shaking in fear when there is no sound coming from inside.
"Please be save, Preet," he whispered looking at the door scared and worried for her.
He again began opening the door with all strength and suddenly the door slide open making everyone sigh.
But soon everyone grasped in panic when Preet unconscious body fell forward and lean against his legs as soon the door open completely.
"Preet," he let out in low voice and fell on his knees holding the cold and lifeless body of Preet in his arms. His throat tighten and fear crawled in his seeing his wife motionless.
He cupped her face with his trembling hand and lightly pat her cheek.
"Preet, open your eyes please. Can you hear me, love," he whispered softly looking at her white face. Her body is freezing.
He check her pulse to find them really slow, almost nil. Another fear stuck him hard.
He look around to see her staff were standing around them with concerned and worried face.
He again look at the Preet and quickly remove his blazer. He wrapped it around her body before taking her in his arms and runs toward his car.
He carefully settle her in the passenger seat and fasten the seat belt while looking at her red pale face with unknown emotion.
"Please hold on, Preet. Nothing will happen to you. You will be fine," he said and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead as if assuring himself she will be okay.
"I am sorry, Preet,"