ONCE IN A LIFETIME

13. SORTING THE HEART

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The chapter is all about filling voids

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Enjoy reading!

After all the facades of a happy moment wore off, all of them went back to their modes. They couldn't even explain the horrendous sentiments that played in them. They were all broken in some way or the other. Their affixation was done by AD. He was all they needed in life.

He had played the roles of an elder brother, best friend and father whenever and wherever necessary. They couldn't bear the thought of their magician laying on a hospital bed, an inch away from probable death.

They slowly walked into the room, not before taking precautions from Naina and promising to come out real soon. They had been collecting their entire will power to watch him there.

AD rested there immobile and completely oblivious to the rest.

He looked so calm and peaceful that, for a second they doubted if he was just sleeping and this five years was a terrifying dream. One by one, they all kissed his forehead and walked out, tongue tied at the sight. They wanted to be punished with no easy pass. Also, if AD knew their reasons, what and how much did he know? Were they the reason he was here? That single thought suffocated them.

They settled on the benches there and uttered no word. It was like they didn't have anything to say. Hours passed idly and dusk set in followed by night, but not a soul moved from their places.

Naina and Arya forced them to have dinner, which consisted of some healthy soup and some khichri. They refused to go back to the guest house and stayed back with AD. They wanted him close.

Veda was used to staying back as she did most of the times. She settled on one of the benches instead of Naina's cabin and dozed off. All of them watched her with tears in their eyes.

The Veda who was naughty, short tempered and full of life is now mature and has faced the big bad world. She overcame all of her obstacles and emerged strong. Three months changed her life more than all her growing years. Little did they know that they saw only a minute part of her battle.

Isha was standing on the terrace and was deeply drowned in thoughts when warmth touched her cold shoulder. She looked by her side to find Akki. He started speaking in a neutral tone.

"Life had never been easy for me, Ishu. My parents ruined my childhood causing some irreversible changes to my personality. I would have grown up to be the meanest guy the world had ever known. But, just like my dadi told me on her death bed, an angel brightened up my life.

He took me to his home even when I had hurt him, unintentionally though. He saw my slipping soul and pulled me back. He gave me a mother and father", his voice chocked at this. Isha held his hand and looked into his eyes that held pain. Dreadful pain.

"Something in me couldn't push him away like I did to the rest. I was constantly treated as a threat till I met AD. I took that seriously too and time proved it right", he drowned in the dark past where he saved all his loved ones in the nick of time. He shuddered at the memory and Isha tightened her hold on him.

"I spoke s**t about AD but he never left me. He was not the clingy guy, never was, but he just used to choose me over everyone else. He had an air of protectiveness that made me feel secure whenever he was around, something that should have been given by my parents. Slowly, he became a habit and we being in the same class was a cherry on the cake.