Dhadkan (Book 1 - Singhania Brothers)

Part 29 : The depth of love

Aniket shook his head. He didn't know how to break the news to them. Ritvik understood his state and offered to bring them to hospital. Aniket agreed gratefully.

When Ashi and Aryan rushed inside hospital, Aniket didn't know whom to handle first. Both of them were shattered. Aryan looked completely lost. Aniket took a step towards him but he quietly made his way to the operation theatre and stood in front of the door.

Aniket wanted to go to him but Ashi's tears were heart wrenching for him. She was going through this all over again. The last she had visited hospital, she had suffered the greatest loss of her life. She wasn't strong enough to bear another loss. Aniket gently took her in his arms. Ashi held him and cried out. "Yeh sab kaise hua, Ani?"

Aniket told her everything. Ashi broke down in tears all over again. This time both in grief and fear. Aniket was trying to hold back his own tears and failing miserably.

"I'm sorry, Bhabhi..." He mumbled in a muffled voice.

Ashi composed herself and looked up at Aniket. "Pagal ho gya hai, Ani? Isme teri kya galti?"

"I shouldn't have left him alone. Mujhe..."

"Don't be stupid, Aniket." Ashi cut him off. "This is no where your fault. Arnav needs you, Ani. You can't fall weak. Kuch nhi hoga Arnav ko. He'll come back to his family." A fresh set of tears rolled down her face as she said it.

Aniket hugged her and let the tears fall. He shouldn't have left Arnav alone. He shouldn't have let him go inside unarmed in the first place. Ashi held on untill she saw Ayaansh. Shivers ran down her spine looking at his lifeless face.

"Ayu?" She gently called out.

Ayaansh didn't even hear her first time. Second time she called out, her voice was even quieter but Ayaansh looked up. Ashi extended her arms towards him. Ayaansh stared at her for a moment before he ran up to hug her and hid his face in her midriff. Ashi closed her eyes in relief. She was scared the boy would refuse to take comfort.

"I'm sorry, Bhabhi..."

Taking a deep breath, Ashi pulled back and made Ayaansh look at her. She could read the same guilt in his eyes that she saw in Aniket's eyes a few moments back. All the brothers were same. "Teri kya galti hai..."

Ayaansh's eyes filled up. She didn't know it was all because of him. She would hate him for doing that to Arnav.

"Teri galti nhi hai, bachcha.."

Ayaansh shook his head stubbornly. It was all his fault. It was him who was supposed to take the hit.

"Tere Bhaiya ne wahi kiya jo koi bhi bada bhai karta. Jo unko karna chahiye tha!"

Ayaansh looked at her dumbfounded. She knew Arnav had taken the hit for him. Instead of blaming him, she was siding with what Arnav did!

Ashi cupped his face. "Arnav loves you a lot, Ayu. Jaan basti hai unki tum bhaiyo me. Kaise woh apne bachche ko kuch hone de dete?"

She pulled him in her embrace. "Kuch nhi hoga tere Bhaiya ko. Arnav never leaves his family alone. Dekhna woh ekdam thik ho jayenge, bachcha."

Aniket blinked back his tears, looking at them. Ashi looked absolutely broken and still she was offering comfort. They could never repay her love. He stepped back quietly knowing that Ayaansh was taken care of, and walked to Aryan.

Aryan looked back startled when he felt a touch on his shoulders. He looked at Aniket and his eyes filled up. Aniket crouched down and pulled him to his chest.

"Bhaiya thik hai, bachcha."

Aryan didn't say a word but deepened the embrace. Aniket let him be and looked through the glass door with hazy eyes. The only person who could provide them real comfort was lying inside lifelessly. His eyes stung with the helpless tears. He furiously wiped them away. He couldn't fall apart. He had to hold on. He had to hold on till his Bhaiya opened his eyes for them!