“Calm down, tiger. I know you wanted to meet Mumma but first you have to finish your milk,” Abhimanyu said to super excited Abheer who is wiggling in his arms and making protesting noises.
But as his eyes fell on his milk bottle, he raised his little hands to grab it. Abhi placed the bottle on his lips making him grab the nibble between his pouty lips and started sulking it hungrily.
Abhimanyu smiles, seeing him quietly enjoying his treat. His big eyes staring at him innocently making his heart filled with love and adoration for his little soul.
After he finished his milk, Abhimanyu made him burp and clean his mouth and chin with a wet paper towel.
“Is this tiny tummy full now, hmm?” Abheer giggles as Abhi rubs his tummy. A smile formed on Abhi’s face seeing him giggling so cutely.
While they were playing, Ashika came there and watched them with adoration in her eyes. She entered the room and smiled seeing Abheer laughing his heart out as Abhimanyu was talking to him in a baby voice.
“My baby is in a happy mood today,” Abhi looks up hearing her and smiles slightly before he turns his gaze back at Abheer.
“Abhi, Dad is calling you in his office,” she informed him. He nodded and stood up from the bed but suddenly Abheer started yelling as if he knew his father was going.
Ashika chuckled lightly and took him in her arms. She kissed his cheeks lovingly.
“Let you Dadda go, bachcha. While we will go and spend some time with Abheer's Mumma, what say?” She said to Abheer who still has his eyes fixed on Abhimanyu.
“Don't you want to play with Mumma, hm?” Abhi asked him but he just looked at him with longing eyes making him sigh.
“Daddy is coming in a while, baby. Go with Dadi. And don't trouble Mumma much, okay?” Saying he kisses his head and walk out of the room leaving confused Abheer as he stare at the door then move his eyes to Ashika who couldn't help but chuckle at his cuteness.
“Let’s go, Mumma must be waiting for her baby Abheer,” she said excitedly, making him squeal.
Ashika entered the room quietly and saw a nurse changing her drip. Her smile turned sad seeing her Aaravi in deep slumber. It's been almost a month since she has been like this.
After a week since she fell into a coma, Abhimanyu decided to shift her in their house. Ishaan also agreed with him.
But she didn't show any sign of movement. It is heart-wrenching for everyone to see her like this but they pray for her and believe she will open her eyes soon.
Ashika sat beside her sleeping figure and caressed her hand softly.
“Wake up Meri Jaan. How much are you going to sleep like this, bachcha. We all are waiting for you, Aaravi,” she said to her and smiled.
Suddenly Abheer let out a cry and started moving in her arms restlessly. Ashika patted his back and kissed his temple before making him look at Aaravi.
“See, Mumma. Say hello to Mumma, Abheer,” she said to him, taking him near her face.
Abheer touches her cheeks with his soft little palm and squeals in happiness as he recognizes her.
Ashika is watching Abheer playing with Aaravi’s fingers with her affectionate eyes after she places him beside Aaravi on the bed.
Her attention went toward the door hearing it opening. She saw Abhi coming inside. He looked at Aaravi and a smile formed on his face seeing Abheer playing with Aaravi’s fingers.
He sat beside Ashika on the couch and sigh tiredly. Ashika looks at him and places her hand on his shoulder making him look at her. She smiles and caresses his shoulder, consoling him silently.
Abhimanyu lay down on the couch, placed his head on her lap and closed his eyes feeling mentally and emotionally exhausted.
“It's hard, Mumma,”he murmurs in a defeated tone, making Ashika’s heart squeeze in pain.
She brush his hair gently with her fingers and kiss his forehead,
“I know, Abhi but you can't give up so soon, bachcha. Be strong, for Aaravi…for Abheer,” she told him softly.
He didn't say anything, just kept looking at Aaravi’s face with his longing eyes.
Going through a few papers, Abhi is busy with his work. It is almost midnight but he couldn't sleep so here he is doing some work for the upcoming campaigns.
He glances at the bed in between to see Abheer who is sleeping peacefully beside Aaravi. He again looked down to continue his work.
After a minute, he hears a whimper and instantly looks up to see Abheer’s body moving as he is waking up. He quickly stood up and walked to him. He saw his lips forming a pout and his chin trembling slightly, indicating the upcoming storm.
He quickly picks him up and cuddles him to his chest. And soon the room filled with his cry. He looked around for his bottle but couldn't find it anywhere.
“Shh…I am here, bachcha. It's okay ... .don't cry, champ,” he murmured rubbing his back making him calm down.
“I am coming in a moment with you milk, okay? Wait for Daddy, …” Abhi said, kissing his flushed chubby cheeks.
Abheer blink his teary eyes as Abhi places him on the bed and arranges pillows around him so he won't roll down from the bed.
“Don't cry, okay?” he whispered to him before leaving the room in hurry.
Abheer stays silent for a minute as his curious eyes stay fixed on the door from where Abhimanyu left. He looked around searching for familiar faces that surrounds all day long but couldn't find any.
His chin started shaking and his lower lip jotted out before his high-pitched cry echoed in the room. Tears are streaming down his tightly closed eyes as he is crying his lungs out with his legs and arms moving frantically in the air.
Abhimanyu, who is climbing stairs in a hurry, increases his speed after hearing his crying. He ran inside the room holding a milk bottle in his hand. He picks up the crying Abheer without wasting any second and holds him close to his heart.
“Now enough, champ. I am here. Shh…Dadda is here, baby,” he murmured sweetly while pacing around the round to calm him down.
While Abhimanyu was busy consoling and calming crying Abheer, a teardrop fell from the corner of Aaravi’s eye unknown to him. Her fingers twitched slightly as Abheer’s heart-wrenching cry reached her ears.
After a few minutes finally Abheer stopped crying and started drinking milk from his bottle. While Abhi is pacing around the room slowly, holding a milk bottle in a place for Abheer.
“My baby tiger was hungry, huh?” Abhi asked lovingly, giving a smile to Abheer who smiled cutely in return while sulking milk from the bottle.
His heart melted seeing his adorable face with his cute smile. His baby is beautiful, no less than any angel.
Sitting beside his sleeping beauty, Abhi is admiring her face with a smile on his face. His thumb caresses her cheek lovingly.
“I love you, Jaan,” he whispered and leaned toward her, placing a loving kiss on her forehead.
“It feels so lonely without you Aaravi. I don't like it at all. For how long are you going to sleep like this, huh?” his voice became a little dull as he asked. His gloomy eyes longed to stare back into her beautiful brown orbs.
“I am tired now. I don't have the strength to act like I am okay when you are lying lifeless. I can't pretend anymore that I am strong. I can't fake my smile…it's enough now. Stop torturing me already, yaar,” he said with tears glistening in his eyes.
He closes his eyes and holds her hand between his palms near his lips and kisses her fingers.
“Your silence is killing me,” he muttered and again kissed her knuckle lovingly.
He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, feeling his heart bursting in pain.
Suddenly the room bursting with loud and furious heart monitor sound made Abhimanyu jerk up and look at Aaravi in panic. He looks at her heart monitor to see her heart beating furious, making his heart drop in stomach in fear.
“Aaravi.. Nurse!!! Nurs-” he yells loudly and cup Aaravi’s face seeing her body jerking up.
Tears roll down his eyes not knowing what is happening to his Aaravi,
“Help!!! NURSE!! Aaravi Jaan, calm down please. I am here, you Manyu. Don't leave me love, please… Where is everyone?!!! ” he cried out loudly. His hand started trembling badly as rub her palm but her condition is getting worse.
Abhimanyu looked at the door again and again and cried for help calling the Nurse but no one listened to him.
Suddenly the furious sound coming from the heart monitor turned into a dreadful beeping tone.
Abhimanyu’s hand stopped rubbing her cold hand as he felt his eyes burning.
“Aarav..i, Aaravi..” he whispered softly, seeing Aaravi's calm and relaxed body.
Her face is looking peaceful, too peaceful to be real. Abhi hesitately touch her cheek and blink his red teary eyes in gaze as he stare at face.
“You can't do this to me…” he murmured, breathing heavily.
“Stop playing around now, okay? Aaravi..” he stopped as he heard footsteps behind him.
“Abhi, what happened?” He heard Ashika’s soft voice.
He turned around to look at her with tears in his eyes, making everyone worried.
“Abhi..what-”
“Her pulse stopped. She is no mo-…” they heard a nurse who whispered in shock and sadness.
Abhimanyu jerks his head toward her and glares at her, making her flinch seeing his red eyes. While everyone was shocked and grasped in shock. Ashika fell on the ground with tears flowing down her eyes. Aaruhi covers her mouth and sobs. Arjun held Aashik while he himself cried as his eyes went to the peaceful face of Aaravi.
“Stop your nonsense. Nothing happened to her, okay. She is absolutely fine. My Aaravi won't leave me, you hear me. And Mumma, Di, why are you crying? Nothing happens to her. She is here with us. Stop crying, please… ” he told them while crying silently. He held her hand tightly.
“Abhi, she is no more…” Arjun said with heaviness in his voice as he felt his throat burning with pain.
“NOOO!!!”
Abhi jerked up from his sleep with heavy breaths and sweat glistening on his forehead. His whole body is in panic mode.
He looks around anxiously. His eyes fell on Aaravi lying unconsciously on the bed while he was on the couch as he slept on it last night while doing his work.
Tears of frustration and fears left from his eyes as he remembered the nightmare that made him woke up.
He leaned down covering his face with his palm feeling his heart still thudding loudly inside his chest.
He let out a groan feeling suffocated and furious. Not able to hold himself, he threw everything on the floor from the table and yelled. Abheer is with Ashika who took him to her bedroom last night after he slept.
“Just stop your drama. You hear me, stop it already! Here I am dying every second but you…you just- don't you feel pity on me, huh? Why are you being so cruel to me? Why?!!” he shouts looking at her and crying silently as he breaks down, not able to control his overwhelming feelings.
“You are enjoying seeing me so messed up, right? You are loving it, na. But I am not. I AM NOT!!! You hear me, I am not liking your drama so you better open your eyes, understand?!!” he said in a stern tone while looking at Aaravi as his heart was silently begging her to end his suffering now.
“Abhi, ..” He heard a low voice coming from behind, making him close his eyes.
He felt a hand on his shoulder making him weak as he let his tears flow freely.
“Dadu…ask her to wake up now?” he said turning to Jaiveer who is looking at his grandson feeling pity at his condition.
“It's getting difficult to live without her. I wanted to die-” a slap landed on his left cheek making him bite his lips hard and cry.
Jaiveer glared at him for uttering nonsense before gathering him in his embrace. Feeling the warmth of his Dadu, Abhimanyu let go of the emotions that he was holding inside him.
“Why did she come into my life? Why did I fall for her? I hate her for making me love her so much that it’s difficult to imagine my life without her. I can't let go of her, I can't, Dadu. Do something but bring her back to me, …” he murmured to Jaiveer like a kid making Jaiveer’s eyes teary.
Other family members, who are standing near the door, have tears in their eyes witnessing their always tough and strong Abhimanyu so weak and vulnerable.
“She made me so weak, Dadu…” He whispered to which Jaiveer patted his back.
Ashika sniffed and looked at Arjun who shook his head at her telling her to hold herself. Priya crying covering her mouth. Aaruhi silently watched her little brother suffering and felt useless as she couldn't even console him and lessen his pain.
Aaruhi’s eyes went to Aaravi but a grasp left from her mouth making everyone look at her instantly.
“Aaravi….” Aaruhi turns to Abhi who is already looking at her with a scared expression.
“She is crying, Abhi…” she said and sniffed before again looking at Aaravi. She looks at the trail of tears flowing from the corner of her eyes and then gets soaked by the white bandage covering her head.
Abhi froze in his place hearing Aaruhi as he couldn't believe what he heard. He slowly walked near the bed and as he got near Aaravi and saw her face, a painful lump formed in his throat looking at a trail of fresh tears rolling down from his wife’s eyes.
He fell on his knees near her on the floor. Taking her soft hand in his palm, he softly kissed her palm then kissed the back of her palm. He intertwined their fingers together.
“You can hear me right?” he asked softly as his thumb lightly cared for her knuckle lightly.
He smiles through his tears and closes his eyes. Everyone present in the room was looking at the scene with smiles and tears.
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