The Arrangement by Chauhan

40) Life

His doctor's brain had taken a setback and only the emotions clouded his senses. He didn't act like a doctor but a deranged husband who could feel her pulse drop in his hold, her body going cold, and her lungs not taking enough air.

His life wasn't breathing and he could feel himself choke at the mere memory.

Not that he still felt better. He could feel a hold around his windpipe, sabotaging his breaths as Uttara had yet to open her eyes.

Her beautiful eyes were forever engraved in his soul. Her eyes were the miraculous pair that had attracted him and later enslaved his entire existence towards her.

"Don't go there again, Vidyut. It was our duty to save her, first as a patient and next, you were my batchmates. She is my biggest competitor's wife. I wouldn't have left a chance to take a lead in our race towards the best." Jaykar smirked grinning, he goaded him. Yashasvi Jaykar was always prudent, a chaser towards the title of being best, and would always find ways to surpass his competition.

"This will give you one for a very long time." Vidyut glanced at him and then back at his wife who slept peacefully. "I will owe you for life."

After all, he saved his life.

"Get some rest. Your wife is getting better, Dr. Vidyut. A few more hours and she will be up and back talking to you." He assured him positively, squeezing his shoulder and moving towards the door. "She is a superstar and if the media gets to know she married a slug, they will have a field day. And, another win for me, not that I don't know that I look way better than you."

Vidyut rolled his eyes at his jesting. Another reason he ignored Yashasvi Jaykar's existence in his 5 years of MBBS degree. He was 'narcissism' in its human form. Rakshit would never hold a torch to his level.

The door closed and he took the exit, the nurse followed hot on his heel.

His shoulders slumped and he crossed the distance between them, hovering over her sleeping form. Her eyes had sunken back, her skin mutating to form eyebags and the oxygen mask had consumed her features. Her mane of black straight hair was sleek and greasy, something she would have whined about already, eating his ears out.

"Your hair is matted, they have lost its shine, Tara. Wake up and demand me to let you go wash them. Why are you taking so much time? I miss your little complaints." His knuckles brushed against her cheeks, they had lost its rosy tint which always made him kiss her. He loved watching her flushing, blushing from the other corner of the room when he would work silently while she would be going live for her fan meets.

"You know I hate being ignored by you." He murmured a complaint to her, pecking the back of her palms and blinking away the moisture. He wasn't supposed to cry. "I am sorry she did this to you. I should have not left you alone."

Dropping his head against her sleeping form, he let the white bedding soak the traitorous tears that were too stubborn to leave the threshold of his eyes.

"I am so sorry, Tara. I am so sorry."

All his life, he had considered himself lucky to be a part of the Chauhan family, to be raised and known as Rashi and Harshvardhan Chauhan's son but for the first time, he regretted being born to that woman. Being born in this world where she was still breathing.

Although she was out of their lives now, he couldn't shake the guilt of what that woman did to her.

And for what? Him.

How delusional someone could be? How harming her would have driven Vidyut towards her was out of his reasonings? He couldn't think or form logic, worst he may never look into Uttara's eyes and not remember that woman's deed.