From the Ruins (On Hiatus)

Part 7

"Kam se kam inhe meri gadi tak toh lejane mein madad kijiye!" She growled at the crowd.

10 minutes later, on autopilot, she drove to the hospital with shaky hands as she stared at the 2 sisters and their injured mother.

Woh theek hai. Woh theek hai. Woh theek hai.

She had forced herself to stay together for the children but she knew this would only end badly for her. Upon reaching, she yelled for help and for a stretcher. She held onto the girls as their mother was taken into the OT.

Sitting the girls down on the bench she bent before them and held their hands.

"Mama theek haina Didi" Mahi whispered in tears.

"Doctor Uncle haina apke Mama ke saath. I'm sure woh sab theek karenge. Dharne ki zaroorat hi nahi hai. Pata hai duniya mein sab se zyada himat humein humare apno se hi milta hai. Toh ab aap dono ko apni Mama ki himat bana parega taki woh jaldi se theek ho jaye." She wiped their tears before reaching for their hands again.

"Aur tum dono? Ek dusre ka saath dena, ek dusre ki himat bana aur ek dusre ka haath aise pakre rehna phir dekhna har mushik ghadi kaise jatt se guzar jayegi." She put their hands together.

"Par Didi, Mahi hamesha mujhse ladhti hai" Shrishty complained.

"Nahi! Shrishty zyada ladhti hai! Meri baath bhi nahi sunti!" Mahi yelled out.

"Haan toh bhai behen main ladhai aur jhagre toh hoti hi hai! Lekin kabhi bhi in ladhai aur jhagro ko ek dusre ke liye pyar se zyada nahi hone dena. Meri choti behen bhi mujhse bahooot ladhti, pura din jhagarti rehti hai par main phir bhi usse bahot zyada pyar karta hu!" She calmly explained.

"Meri mama kehti ti, jinki behen hoti hai woh bahot lucky hote hai. Behen mein apko muma, dost aur behen, teeno milti hai. Badi behen ko mama ki tarah choti behen ka khyal rakhna chahiye aur choti behen ko ache dost ki tarah badi behen ka saath nibhana chahiye." Akshu said wistfully.

Just then a man came running through the halls, fully dishevelled.

"Shristy! Mahi!" he yelled out the second his eyes landed on them.

Akshara stood and watched the father catch his running daughters in a hug. Now, seeing the girls safe, she slowly backed away. She could feel her armour chipping off and the pain and memories slipping through the cracks. Finally turning the corner she hit her back to the wall and slid down as tears began filling her eyes.

"Sab theek hai! Sab theek hai! Sab theek hai!ˆ she murmured to herself as she curled into a ball and tightly pressed her hands to her ears. Feeling her chest tighten in pain she struggled for every breath. She had gotten so lost in her suffering that she failed to hear the voice talking to her or feel the arms hugging her.

"Akshu! Akshu dekh sab theek hai! Ankhen khol! Dekh teri Aaru tere saath hai! Akshu please mere liye ankhen khol! Tune abhi kaha na ki behen saath rahe toh himat milti hai, main yahi hu tere saath! Please ab toh ankhen khol!" Arohi cried as she tried to bring Akshu back to their present.

She and another intern had come running to help after hearing about an accident case. But before she could turn the corner, Akshu's voice stopped her in her spot. She signalled the other doctor to go but she could not move any further.

Every word out of Akshu's mouth felt like another pound of pain and guilt thrown onto her heart. She had been a terrible sister, worse than an enemy and for what? Jealousy? Her fear of being second?

Hearing Akshu's words and seeing her breakdown finally forced Arohi to realize how much she had hurt Akshu. All Akshu wanted was her little sister and for Arohi, this was the final push she needed to finally break down the walls she had made to keep her away.

Sitting in that hospital floor, hugging her hyperventilating sister, Arohi began to sing in her terrible voice.

"Sun sun nanhe lori ki dhun
Ho jaa meethe sapno mein gum
Sun sun nanhe lori ki dhun
Ho jaa meethe sapno mein gum

Tu mera suraj hai
Tu mera chanda hai
Tu mere ankhon ka tara hai sun..."

As Arohi continued to sing, the words slowly began to reach Akshara's subconscious mind. Hearing this lullably felt like both her mothers had held Akshu safely in their embrace. Slowly, her heart calmed and her lungs filled with air until all she felt was fatigue. Finally as she opened her tear filled eyes, she stared in shock at a frantic Arohi hugging her and singing.

"Aaru..." Akshara whispered hoarsely.

"Tu yahan..." she tried to look around but froze as she felt Arohi jump and hug her tighter.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry Akshu! Main kitni galat thi aur maine sab kuch bhigad diya! Please apni choti behen ko maaf kar de! Aaj ke baad kabhi koi zid nahi karungi! I promise aur jaise Mama ne kaha tha, hamesha tera saath dungi!"

Arohi watched in confusion and worrry as Arohi continued to cry and apologize.

Nahi! Sab kuch bhigad raha hai! Aisa nahi hona chahiye tha!

Finally taking a look at her surroundings, Akshara realized that in autopilot mode, she had somehow drove straight to Birla Hospital and not the City Hospital as she intended to.

Nahi nahi! Yeh kya ho gaya mujhse!

Akshara tried to stand and looked around for an escape. As she pulled away she whispered, "Mujhe jaana hai.." before she sprinted for the exist. Arohi stood distraught at Akshara's rejection.

Akshara kept looking around as she made her way to the exit hoping she could escape without bumping into him. She had already messed up with Arohi...she couldn't do it with him too. Not now!

Safely making it out the exit, she ran to her car and hit her head on the steering wheel.

"Aisa nahi hona chahiye tha! Kanha ji abhi kyun? Itni saalon se meri haar khoshish nakam rahi aur aaj bina kuch kiye...Arohi... kyun!!"

She lifted her head to look at the darkening sky but along the way her eyes caught another sight. One she had been dying to see for the past year. One she had also been avoiding since her return.

Right by the entrance, removing his helmet, stood Abhimanyu Birla, the only man she had ever let in her deceiving heart. She sat in her car, her eyes glued to her Abhi as he looked around as if searching for something.

Realizing he might catch her and further ruin everything, Akshara turned on her car and drove off. No amount of will power was able to stop her from catching one last look at him before she turned the corner and drove to Pihu's new home.