My OS Collection

AbhiRa OS : Too Late Now

Premise : After six months of her leaving Abhimanyu, Akshara returns home and realizes what she did calling it as a 'sacrifice', in actual was an unforgivable sin. But it was too late now...

WARNING : Angst and major character death!

~

The grand and majestic Birla House was standing tall on it's white pillars. Just the way she remembered. As she walked through the golden gates, she reminisced how she had drove her and Abhi home on the bike after their wedding. How he had made the petals fall on them as they entered. She teared up as she ran her fingers on the nameplate :

Birla House.

It's been six months. Six whole months she had been away from her home. Her Abhi. But she was helpless. At least, that's what she had been continuously telling herself. Dr. Kunal had left no option for her. It was either Abhi's surgery or them together. But in these six months away, her mind had provided several way outs which she could have taken, instead of following the selfish doctor blindly.

A long breath exhaled her lips.

She knew she did wrong. She accepted it as well. And was completely ready to rectify. To beg for Abhi's forgiveness. She'll do whatever it'll take but she won't rest until he forgives her.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the entrance door and walked into the hall. Nobody was there. She frowned. It was 10 on a Sunday morning. It was usually the time for the family to have breakfast so why was it so quiet ?

She walked further in while looking around. Something seemed a miss. The quiet of the house was unusual. The air that touched her cheeks had a melancholic essence in it that leaves a heart saddened.

She heard footsteps behind her and whirled around to find Neil. Thank God! A familiar face! A smile broke through her lips but vanished just as quickly when she took in the state of her brother-in-law.

He had grown out quite a stubble. Dark circle under his eyes while the eyes were empty. Gone was the shine and liveliness she had always associated with him.

“Neil...” - she said. Her tone a mixture of guilt and restlessness. She was guilty because she left his brother. Restless because the atmosphere of the house and his appearance was not settling well in her gut.

He smiled a hollow smile. “So you are here.”

His tone lacked any kind of impression. He wasn't accusing, he wasn't asking. Nor was he happy. It was just an statement. Like reporting the obvious. Her heart beated loudly. She opened her mouth to say something but he beat her to it.

“Bhai is not here.”

She stopped. She was going to ask where was everybody because she didn't have the courage to ask directly about him. Neither the nerve after what she did to him.

“Then... where is he ?” - she asked after a long while and looked at him expectantly.

Neil kept looking at her with the same blank face before saying :

“Follow me.” - and without checking if she was following or not, took stairs towards...

Her and Abhi's room.

Her heart rose with hope. Maybe Abhi was home and he was taking her there. She ascended the stairs with zeal, desperate to see Abhi, and followed Neil into their room.

Only to find it empty.

The room was just as she had left. Her and Abhi's wedding photo on the nightstand. The neon AbhiRa hashtag on the other side table. Abhi's music system in the corner. The cupboard having a line of their clothes. She touched each and everything and cried.

Neil didn't react. Didn't even blink. He just opened the first drawer of the dresser and pulled out an envelope before walking towards her. Without saying anything, he held it out to her.

She blinked at him. Confused.

“You asked where Bhai is.” - he said in that same, quiet voice.

She took the envelope from him and upon opening it, found a folded paper inside. Pulling it out, she unfolded it to read but the heading itself snatched the earth from beneath her feet.

Certificate Of Death

Something loudly dropped to her stomach and she belatedly realized it was her heart. She tried to regulate her breathing. It might be some relative of Birla's. Maybe everyone had went to the funeral. That explained the empty house.

This is to certify that Mr. Abhimanyu Birla, died at 7:17 PM on 25th day of August in the year 2022.
Gender : Male
Age : 28
Cause Of Death : Cardiogenic shock. [Severe heart attack due to sudden and severe stress caused the condition.]

I hereby-

The paper fell from her hands. She staggered back, her knees hitting the bed and she collapsed with a thump.

“You were the first person he asked for after gaining consciousness. But he only found your bouquet that had your note in it. And as soon as he finished reading, he started gasping. Suffered from severe shortness of breath and his heart stopped pumping blood. The doctors declared it as a cardiogenic shock and attended him immediately but... he couldn't make it.” - Neil said, his tone STILL lacking any expression. Hollow. Empty.

“Could not make it or... maybe he didn't want to.” - Neil said after a pause, looking out of the window. “All his life, he had faced abandonment. From his father, his mother, his brother, his whole family, even his wife. Whether directly or indirectly, intentionally or unintentionally, one way or another, abandonment is all he had got. He must be in peace now. Up there. In heaven. With people who are worthy of his company.” - Neil said, a scarce but real smile on his face just at the thought of his brother finally in peace.

Akshara was in hysteric sobs by now. Her heart was fighting against her ribcage while aching so severely that she felt it'd explode. She slipped from the bed and fell onto the floor on her knees as her shrieks of agony rang in the room.

“Maa couldn't bear the news of Bhai's death and the sudden shock sent her to coma. Even in her half-dead state, her condition worsened day by day and doctors adviced to shift her to the hospital. She is there ever since. On every Sunday, the family goes to spend the entire day with her after breakfast. That's why nobody's home at the moment. I was also leaving when you came.” - he finished quietly. In the same monotonous voice and blank face.

His body had gave up the moment doctors had declared the death of his brother. After that, everything was pointless. Because his reactions were automatically linked to the question : Will it bring Bhai back ? And the answer was always a ‘no’. So his body, heart and mind didn't deem ANYTHING worthy of any kind of reaction anymore.

Akshara banged her fist on the floor. Screaming her guts out. The guilt, which already had slowly built over her in the past six months, was now washing over her in triple force. Like a tidal wave of ocean. Burned her like a dangerous flame of wildfire. Shook her. Like a powerful hurricane.

If only she had acted wisely! If only she had chosen to confide in him! If only she had tricked Kunal in his own trap by having Abhi on board! If only she had done anything, ANYTHING! other than leaving Abhi then he WOULD HAVE BEEN ALIVE! He would have been there! Smiling that shining smile of his that was enough to put even the sun to shame. Looking at her with those eyes which held SO MUCH love that it was beyond a person's capacity!

“Abhiiiii!!!” - she wailed while clutching at her heart.

His so pure and golden heart had stopped beating JUST BECAUSE OF HER! She was the reason of his death! The person, who loved her the most, was not in this world because of her! What had he ever asked of her ? Just her companionship! Just to be there with him! He never demanded anything more or less! And she did the very thing he feared the most; leaving him.

How she wished she could turn back the time! To change everything! To stop herself from commiting such a sin! Oh what will she not give to get him back! Alive and breathing! Smiling at her while expressing his undying love!

But alas!

Nothing could be changed. It was a guilt of a lifetime now.