Qismat ko hai ye manzoor kya keeje!
Milte rahe ham baa-dastoor kya keeje!
Dil kah raha, usey musalsal kar hi aao
Wo jo ruki si raah baaki hai.
Wo jo ruki si chaah baaki hai!
------------------------------------------------------
"Sidharth" his name left her lips, in the faintest possible way, almost as a whisper, as her body swayed, her eyes rolled back and sall he saw was that she lost her balance and was falling. His hands, almost reflexively held her, preventing her from falling. The action was so quick, almost as if it was a very familiar instinct. Sidharth patted her cheeks, called out her name, and when she didn't respond, he knew she had lost consciousness.
"I... I need to rush her to a hospital." he said, panicked.
Awasthi put a hand on his shoulder, giving him a nod, assuring that the institution will ensure the guilty is punished. Taking a last look at Sahil's body laying on floor unconscious, blood oozing from his head, making a pool of redness around him, he scooped Shehnaaz up in his arms as he walked towards where his car was parked and drove to the nearest hospital he could find.
--------------------------------------------
It had been 3 hours she was put on drip. The needles pierced through her dainty hands, the liquid going inside her system, drop - by- drop, her eyes closed, she looked so weak and broken laying on the bed unconscious.
Sidharth observed her still body, sitting across the table near the bed. All he could feel was guilt and self-loathe, his eyes pooled up at the mere sight of her in that condition. He was the one responsible for this. Had he been cautious, this wouldn't have ever happened to her. Only if he had kept her at distance, only if he had not let her in, she would have been at her home, most probably, happy, healthy, safe and sound. The ever - increasing guilt pricked his heart every passing minute. The beep of the machine, the sound of the fan moving, and the clock ticking filled the eerily silent room, as he looked up at the ceiling, his hands locked up to his chest and fingers drummed at the back of his wrist. He anticipated what he would say to her. What was he even supposed to say? Apologize? For bringing her in this mess? For the way she was suffering, while he was there healthy and safe? For being the reason she is going through so much of pain, without any fault of her own?
The doctor who had tended to her came inside the room, and checked her vitals. Sidharth stood there silently observing, when he heard the doctor call his name.
"Mr. Shukla! Dr Trivedi here. Its an honor meeting you, I'm sorry for the situation though." he said.
"Hello doctor. You know me?"
"Of course. Who doesn't?"
He smiled and said, " It'd have been so much better if nobody did."
A few moments of silence followed after.
Dr Trivedi was an amazing doctor, from what Sidharth had heard when he rushed in to the hospital. He borderline screamed at almost everyone as he was told to go through the long procedures of filling forms and details before Shehnaaz could be admitted. He had asked the receptionist to do whatever was necessary but get her the best treatment as soon as possible. Her absence had unleashed an unknown fear in him, and that fear skyrocketed as her unconscious body lay there on the stretcher. That was when he was told about Dr Trivedi. He looked at the doctor properly for the first time. He appeared to be in his mid-fifties, his grey hair shined in the almost dim room, the stethoscope he had been wearing around his neck all the time was taken away by him and shoved inside the pocket of his white coat.
"So, it's actually a good sign that her abdomen isn't stiff or something. The bruises I had seen almost made me believe the blow she recieved was fatal enough to have caused internal bleeding. It's her luck nothing as such happened. The scan results do not show any broken ribs either, again her luck." Dr Trivedi said, referring to the reports he had in his hands.
" She's gonna be okay? Right? " Sidharth asked, his voice cracked, the question came out almost before he could process it all.
" Of course! However, I will suggest not to let her eat or drink anything for at least a few hours. She will be put on drip the entire while, till the pain subsides. If she gains consciousness, she might ask for something to drink or eat. Don't let her eat for a few hours. At least till tomorrow morning. "
He nodded at the doctor,
"Do you mind if I ask you a question?" he said to Sidharth.
"No, of course do ask."
"Is she the ladylove?"
Sidharth opened his mouth to deny but then he couldn't, he felt as if words refused to form in his mouth. So he just nodded his head in affirmation, his own cheeks heated up at the thought. Dr Trivedi smiled giving him a knowing grin, and left the room.
The joy was short - lived though. The next moment, he felt his own self contradicting his heart, telling him that it's still time to step away, telling him that he would cause her nothing but harm, that she deserved better than being dragged in a game of revenge and vengeance. Unsure of what to do, he sat on the chair beside Shehnaaz and wrapped her free hand in his own, very softly carefully, as if afraid that he'd break her fragile form.
Sidharth caressed her face, tugging behind the few strands that fell across her face carefully. He watched her sleeping form for what seemed to him like an eternity. It was painful and somehow peaceful at the same time. She was still out of consciousness, he could see the light, slow movements of her chest as she breathed. His heart stinged, his stomach felt hollow inside and his head hurt and throbbed, he felt different kinds of pain engulfing his whole being, each one ten times more intense than the other. Seeing her like that had left his entire being shook. The fear of losing her ate up him alive every single second in these 2 days. He had known no peace, but his own fear was nothing compared to what all she went through. A part of him almost anticipated that she might refuse to even see him.
"I am so sorry. I did this to you. I don't even deserve you baby! I'm so sorry. " His eyes watered as he said these, each syllable he spoke pierced his heart.
He laid his head on the ned in front, near her hand, still having it wrapped in his own, as he dozed off slowly.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Sidharth woke up almost an hour later. Glancing at the clock on the wall in front, he decided to call his mother.
He had not wanted to give her the news that Shehnaaz is in hospital, injured, which is why he had deliberately switched his phone off. But he couldn't keep her in darkness, he had to tell her. So he after anticipating a lot, he chose to inform her. At least that he had found her.
"Hello Sidharth. Kahaan hai tu?" Maa said as soon as she picked his phone up.
"Mom, woh... I found her." he said.
"Abhi kahan hai tu? Ghar aa raha hai na? Usse saath le aana, Sidharth. She must be weak."
"Uhm about that.. She... Mom.. She's in the hospital!" his lips quivered and voice cracked.
"Kya? Kaunse? Main aaun kya? What happened? Is she alright?" Maa asked in one breath, yearning to listen that the girl she has been wanting to meet since months.
"It's nothing fatal. But that bloody assh..."
"Language, Sidharth!"
"Gussa aata hai uske naam se Mom. I wanted to rip him apart then and there, but I could not. The police said they'd make sure he gets punished. Mom, I swear main maar deta usko, but Shehnaaz.. She was so.. She looked so shattered, and when I went near her, she just fainted. So I, uh, I brought her to the hospital." he explained the scenario to her, while she hummed in between he spoke, assuring him that she's listening, and that she's there!
" How is she? Hosh aaya usko? " Maa asked breaking the silence took over the conversation.
" No Mom. Not yet. It's been almost 5 hours." he sighed.
"Everything will be alright Sidharth. Just hold on, okay?"
"Thank you Mom." he spoke, almost on the verge of tears.
He took a look at her through the corner of his eyes before hanging up, and gasped as he saw her finger flicker. He rubbed his face against his palms, almost believing that he might have started hallucinating because of the the exhaustion. His face lit up in joy the next instant as he saw her eyes flinching, her free hand went up to her face, rubbing her eyes. He rushed to her, his hands touched her face, his thumb brushing her cheeks ever so lightly, while he placed his other hand on the bed, just beside her waist.
He almost teared up as he heard her calling for her mother, her lips quivered as she did that. She opened her eyes fully, taking in the surrounding. Realisation hit her, she felt a hand caressing her, a familiar touch lingered over her,and that was when she looked beside her.
"Sidharth!" she whispered, smiling up at him. The kind of smile that soothes your ache. He was so skeptical, so scared that she might just push him away, hold him responsible, but from what her conveyed to his, he was relieved all his inhibitions seemed far from truth.
Her hair was sprawled all over the pillow, her eyes were puffed, her lips dry and crinkled, there were little cuts here and there on her cheeks, and she still managed to look like the most beautiful sight to his eyes.
"I'm..sorry. I'm so sorry!" he choked on his words, caressing her hands.
"Don't be Sidharth. Look, I'm fine." she pulled her hand from his hold, bringing it up to touch his face.
"You... came! I knew you would come and take me away. How do you manage to come to my rescue all the time?"
"Shehnaaz,"he said, guilt laced his tone.
" I was the reason you got into the mess. And, I.. I don't know I feel so stupid to have let you be alone even after knowing things might go wrong. "
He still had to ask her about the video, but he decided not to. At least not till she recovers and her health gets better. One issue at a time he had decided. There were so many things he had to tell her about, the most important one being the fact that in her absence, every moment had led him to a realisation. A realisation that he was skeptical of saying out loud to her. But his heart knew, damn it did. Troubled by how he might just panic her, he got up to leave, he could use a smoke maybe.
A tug on his fingers stopped him. He saw her eyes teared up, holding two of his fingers in a tight grasp, as she looked up at him expectantly.
"Don't leave me!" she said, the string of tears she was trying to stop shed themselves through the corner of her beautiful eyes. She needed assurance, she was scared and she felt herself losing. She wanted him to say something, anything that would tell her they'll be fine, but his apologies and sudden withdrawal troubled her already pained self. She had gotten used to him accompanying her in even the littlest of things, and she'd be lying if she said that she didn't love it. She wanted to tell him that all the time, even when she was in deep pain, her mind wandered off to thoughts of him, and it was his name that left her lips everytime she felt the intensifying pain take over, that it was his smell her mind registered every now and then, even when she had been unconscious.
He bent down, sitting at the small space beside her. Her eyes looked deep into his, expectantly. He saw a need of assurance in hers, while some more tears leaked from her eyes.
He wiped them away from the pad of his thumb, the touch was so light, so soft, that she felt she didn't even know if he actually touched her or was it just a faint tingle.
"I'm not leaving you baby. Never!" he spoke with conviction, pressing a kiss across her cheek. In that moment, they knew they were in it deep. Each one had so many things to say, so many questions to ask, but like always, they let their eyes do the talking. She shifted towards her left, making space for him. When she signalled him to lay down beside her, he obliged happily.
The bed was small, he would have laughed off if somebody even talked about two people sleeping in a space as little as this, but the way she put her head on his shoulders, the way he pulled her to him and she snuggled a bit closer, even a place as small as the one they were laying in seemed so comfortable to share. He chuckled when he heard her muffled sound, and pressed a kiss over her head. She slept again, the effect of the medicine must have kicked in, he thought. He closed his eyes, he was tired, and exhausted too, but sleep had eluded him. Making a mental note to call Inspector Awasthi the next morning and enquire about Sahil's arrest, he closed his eyes, letting sleep engulf him finally.
*******************
Hello! Mai aayi! 🌝🌝
Press the star icon and vote for the story if you like it. Even if you don't, kardena phir bhi 💀Comment ur views, I love reading them 🥺🤝
Also, check out my other story if you haven't yet. Though it will still take time for me to write the next chapters! 🥲
Love, love, looovveeeeee yall!
Zavi💅🏻