Chapter 45
🌷Adithi POV
"You really want to start this early in the morning?" I ask Karthik as I clutch my face, It's been like five months since we started being together and the fights have just started. This is madness.
"When do you want me to say it?" Karthik tries to answer in a calm manner but fails to control his frown.
"Any time but this," I answer keeping my voice low.
"You say that always! Do you understand that?" He started losing his normals.
"You are making a fuss out of nothing," I tell him standing up from my seat.
"Out of nothing? You wanna buy a car when we already have three," he stresses his point once again, but why doesn't he understand my plea.
"It's always been my dream to own something of mine and a car is something I can own," I tell him again.
"But what am trying to say is- if you wanna own something of yours buy something like gold, platinum, or diamond, investing in a car will be a waste of money," he says in a cool and calm tone, but I am adamant to buy a car. Who is he? my dad?
"But that's not what I want!" I tell him irritated.
"This is a matter of money Adithi, I just want you to spend it wisely," he whines and I think it is a wise choice to buy a car.
"But it's about the car I want, it's my money I want to spend not yours right!" I deadpan towards him, Why does he want to say for my wishes?
"Am not denying it's your money! But it's about the right freaking choice and I care because I want the best for you." He tells me. But my ego tells me to stand on my own choice.
"Just leave it here, I don't care anymore," I say turning around feeling overwhelmed by the whole conversation.
"You can't back out like that." He mutters but gets silent once again.
As the atmosphere was cooling of Karthik's phone rings. I peek from the sidelines to know what is going on. I see his face morph into a smile which indicated the call is either from his mother, father, or brother, and by the way he addressed the call it was Aryan.
Now I totally turn towards him, but suddenly his face lost the smile it had and the phone slides down his hand and falls on the floor.
Oh no, It's no good news. I rush towards Karthik, I don't know what is happening he just turned into a stone with zero emotion, zero movements, I shake him for a few seconds I don't even get an answer from him.
The call was still going on I took the phone and the caller ID was sure Aryan.
"Hey What happened?" I asked him through the phone confused and scared.
"Dad had a ruptured bladder, he is now in the ICU," Aryan says his words stuttering every second.
"No, no no! This can't be happening. Is it really? How is he?" Isay more to myself. The news is so devastating for me, I can't imagine what Karthik is going through.
"We are coming," I tell ending the call with tears flowing down my face. This can't be happening.
I pull Karthik with my hands he is too spaced out to make out anything, nothing is coming out of his mouth and my anxiety is peeking up. But my instincts are working fine, my first call was to call the driver, we both are in no state drive.
I and Karthik sit in the back while the driver starts the car. Karthik's consciousness comes back and he just about started weeping. He is crying and I get why he is. He started spending time with his dad recently and he for the first time started experiencing his father's love. Uncle was never by his side always taking care of the hospital and as a child, he understood that but the child part of him never liked it.
I try to hold him but he yanks my hands away, I take this as an indication to mind my own business.
We reach the hospital and all the staff was waiting outside to guide Karthik in. A doctor comes towards us as we reach the ICU.
"Mr. Rajveer ruptured his gall bladder and was admitted for that, but a huge heart clot was found in his left coronary artery that is restricting blood flow to the left muscles of the heart and am afraid it could induce a sudden onset of heart attack if not acted upon faster."
🌷Rajveer POV
I shouldn't have neglected my health, maybe the saying- "A good doctor is a bad patient." holds a lot true. I pushed away all the symptoms I had to come to this? Maybe, just maybe this is my end, an end for everything.
Breathing through this ventilator is tough and tiring, now I understand why my patients didn't enjoy it. As my thoughts were flowing, she enters the room. The person whom I swore mine forever with. She takes hold of my hand and holds it tight her eyes blood red from crying.
"It's ok Namratha, everything has an end," I say taking off my ventilator mask.
"Don't you dare say that." she frowns her voice breaking every second.
"I love you so much," I tell her as always. I have a fear, a fear that I would die without saying these words to her." You sacrificed a lot for me, gave me two beautiful children, married them to good people, because of my work you had to become a mother and father for them, you raised them to be someone to be proud of. Am very thankful for that." I tell her.
"You did as much as you can, you provided our children with good education, imparted them with values no one could, supported Karthik for his start-up and I clearly remember how you fought with your parents Just for me to keep my own surname after marriage." She tells.
"You wanted to keep your surname even after marriage. That's why I did it for you." I answer her genuinely. I still remember the day I tied the knot with her, I promised myself to get her everything she asked me for.
"You did everything for me," she says taking my hand to place on her cheek.
"But I was never able to give you a daughter you always wanted," I tell her truthfully
"It's not in our hands Raj, it never is, and please don't start off with your biology bullshit, it works in biology, not in life," she says as if she is scolding but gives a little smile at the end. The small smile turns into laughter and we share a kiss, a kiss I might never experience again.
"Please be strong, for our sons and daughters, they still need you. I don't have any more energy left." I tell her looking into her deep black eyes as she shares into mine. I tenderly kiss her forehead.
" I already told you to stop that," she mutters but she totally understood that I have no interest to continue living anymore. But she respects my decision, we don't need words to confirm it.
"Where are our sons?" I ask her after a moment of comfortable silence.
"I will call them," she murmurs standing up to go call them
" Dad!" Aryan comes in shout while Karthik is very quiet, they are followed by Sneha and Adithi.
I put my hand on both my son's heads for a second each, " You both made me a proud dad, never troubled your mom, good at studies and also good at having fun. You guys made me really proud." They both were crying nodding their head.
"Aryan, you played the role of my elder son perfectly, you helped Karthik in every way possible. You became a dad for him in my place. You even married a beautiful woman and gave us a perfect granddaughter. For everything you have done, be brave and strong for our family, make sure Sara grows up to be the beautiful person she already is. Make her pursue her dream and always remind her that she is grandpa's favorite granddaughter."
"Dad!" is all he could muster holding my hand. I slowly turn towards Karthik his eyes are in tears. Looking at him broke my tears as well.
"Karthik you will always be my favorite son, you never complained about me not being around, you worked really hard and stood up on your feet, I saw me in you, the zeal, the passion for something you love, keep working hard like that. Take care of Adithi and never ever hurt her. I might not be there to see my other grandchild from you, but be sure to raise them well, most of all keep them happy, I was a bad example for a dad to you, don't be like me." I tell him the truth, he deserved a happy childhood, which I didn't give him. I know he will never want that for his child. "Also be by Sharath's side, he might say he doesn't need people around, but deep inside he needs them the most."
"Dad! Don't say that, please, please you will be here, even if we don't have grandchildren. Sharath will also be fine." He cries out loud, but things can't be changed. I nod towards him and turn towards my daughters, I signal them to come towards me. They are crying as well.
"Please send me off with a smile, I don't want to remember your crying faces in heaven," I tell them laughing.
" Dad! Please, you are important to us." Sneha says, controlling her tears.
"You are the first girl that set foot in our house, the best wife I could ever ask for my son, the best mother for my Granddaughter, the best daughter for us, be by my son please, become his strength, he loves you so very much. He needs you more than ever." I tell her my voice breaking in between.
"Dad, Thank you for everything you have done for me, you were the one who talked to my parents about my start-up, you helped me build my dream, I will never ever forget that. You are not going anywhere, dad. You belong with us." She says holding my hand. I free my hand from her and pat her head. I slowly turn towards Adithi my shaking hands reaching towards hers.
"Adithi I don't know where to start, I always saw you as the daughter I never had, so cheerful and so bright, I used to feel so happy seeing you every day after work, you were part of our family from the start. You struggled a lot because of your father, I could never talk him out of the pressure he was putting on you. Still, you stood strong and became the woman you are now, you made me proud. But he took the right decision by marrying you off to my son. Karthik will take care of you for sure, your love for each other is what brought you till here. Promise me Adithi you will always stay happy, you deserve to be happy." I tell her my voice already become strained and frail.
She nods her head up and down holding my hands as tightly as she could.
"Nana!" I hear my Sara come in running with her small little feet. " I told you to not bring her into the hospital setting." I tried to shout but it came out slow. I don't want her to fall sick.
"Sorry, sir! She threw a tantrum, cried, shouted, and broke all the vases in the house to see you." The caretaker replied I couldn't shout at him.
Crying Sara came running towards me and climbed up the bed.
"Nana! Nana! Please tell your booboo to go, we can go home and play ." she cried her lips pouting, but I can't stay here, everything I wanted I have achieved there is no point in me staying.
"Sara" I continue lightly patting my head. "Smile for me, please, all are crying which I don't like, Smile for Nana, it will make me happy," I tell her.
"Will you come if I smile?" she asked, her eyes huge with anticipation. I might not be present physically but I will always be by her side so I nod.
She nods her head and gives me a toothy smile that makes me really very happy. Now I can remember it forever.
"I will wait outside," Sara says walking out. I give them all a smile. My last wish was to die happily and it came true.
The EKG line went flat.
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A long chapter, but a hard one to read. I will be posting the next chapter soon. I never wanted anyone to die in the story, but it's not my story to tell. Characters are the ones that decide what happens am a mere storyteller who carries it towards you. Hope you accept it as fate, next chapter will be out in some time, stay tuned for that.
Death affects everyone a lot, hope it moves away faster for our protagonists. I feel bad that Sharath didn't get to meet him at the end. But he would be more heartbroken to see the person he cherishes the most die in front of him.
The chapter will be out soon.
~Author