from Kabul

The ambulance wailed in a distance contrast to the loud screaming in his heart. All around him people huddled and looked on curiously, some shocked, some shouting for water. But all he cared was her. Just her.
It was still crystal clear in his memory, the first time he'd seen her. It was right here outside the Consulate. Dressed in pink salwar,the cool breeze made her curly hair stand out in uncontrollable wisps around her face. She'd kept pushing it off her cheek. He thought she was pretty. Just pretty. But then, she smiled. It was like some sort of Super nova blasting in his eyes. It wasn't merely the beauty of it; it was the life in it. Something he hadn't seen before.
And then, she left.
Next week, he saw her again. She was no miss world but her smile would put even a gushing miss universe to shame. Standing in the long queue, in the hot sun, she was talking to someone. She was talking as much with her face and hands as with her lips which contrasted his own 'mouth shut' self. And she twitched her lips to smile.
And then, she left.
She was now everything to him.But as for her, he didn't really exist. But perhaps, destiny had something else in store. He saw her again. He thought, there could be nothing more beautiful than her smile, until he saw her eyes.
And then, she left.
He couldn't get her out of his mind. And thus he came everyday unmindful of the long queue, least bothered of the hot sun, lost in her thoughts he started enjoying the long visa procedure.
It was late afternoon. She was standing in the queue and a dozen people separated him from her. Men and women stood waiting for their chance braving the sun and dust. Like most in the queue he wanted to go to the country which helped his, he wanted to see the Taj Mahal. He wanted to pray at Ajmer Sharif, he wanted to offer a chadar at Haji Ali, he wanted to see Shah Rukh Khan up-close, he wanted to see the hot Mallika Sheravat. But unlike others, he wanted her the most.
As fleet of official black cars of the Embassy arrived, nobody missed the odd looking white Toyota as it closed in. The gate was closed after the embassy Cars moved in, but the white Toyota accelerated and rammed into the gates.
He thought he was blinded and deaf as he just squatted on the ground too shocked too numb to realize what had just happened. Wrecks of metal and plastic lay amidst pieces of what would have formed a human body; and blood cleansed and cooled the hot dusty road.
And then it trickled into him and he ran as fast as his wounded legs could, his bloodshot eyes searching for her, amidst the wrecks and ruins left from the Bomb Explosion.
Somebody near him was calling the emergency number as cries of pain, agony and despair filled the air. Finally he found her, the white of her dress, stained red with her blood. Her beautiful eyes were shut in pain. He could see now that her hairs were all over her cheeks but she was not brushing them aside. He held her closer for a moment, making her cry in pain.
"Don't worry, help is on the way" he said breathlessly. For a moment he worried whether she knew English. He felt a soft touch on his arm."Thank you." he heard the faint slow reply, not like her life, which was flowing out of her. "Someone should inform my parents." She was growing paler.
"Where is the ambulance!" he yelled in panic and hysteria.
She just smiled, her heart breaking smile.
And then, she left.

P.S: A suicide car bomb tore open the front wall of the Indian Embassy in Kabul on Monday, killing 41 people and wounding 147 in the deadliest attack in Afghanistan's capital since the fall of the Taliban seven years ago.
The massive explosion, which rattled much of Kabul at 8:30 a.m., detonated only 30 yards from where dozens of Afghans line up to apply for visas, one of the reasons the casualties were so high.
Women and children browsing nearby shops were among the victims who lay on the ground, bloodied and in agony, crying for help. Smoldering ruins covered the pavement.