" Abhinav Ji, I need some time alone " Akshara requested as she entered her room trying to grasp the recent information.
Abhinav silently stood outside the room honoring her wish but kept an eye on her through the door.
She walked back and forth as she tried to recollect her memory again and again but it kept on reseting on Mimi's birthday. But it only seemed to increased her headache and the more she thought, the more her brain strated becoming hazy.
Atlast, giving up she plopped down on the bed covering her face with her hands as the tears rolled from her eyes.
Before the tears could touch the ground, Abhinav was before her kneeling on the ground.
She sensed his presence without even taking her hands off her eyes.
" Abhinav Ji... mei jitna bhi sochun, mujhe kuch yaad nahi aarahi hai.... mei soch soch ke thak gaya hun.. par Mimi ke birthday ke baad mere dimaag mei kuch bhi nahi hai..Abhinav Ji ye sab saach hai?...ya koi mujhpe maazak toh nahi kar raha hai? Ya ye kuch bura sapna toh nahi hai.. " She asked as tears kept on flowing continuously from her eyes. She took off her hand and looked at him for an answer.
Abhinav's heart broke seeing her in this condition. Her tears made him emotional as his eyes became watery . Unable to form a sentence, he just shook his head in a no conforming that her memory loss is not a nightmare or someone's trick.
She closed her eyes trying to accept the reality. He controlled his emotions. He had to be strong for her too.
" Akshara..." he called out instinctually as his emotions came to forefront .
He bit his tounge realizing his action.
"I mean...Akshara ji...aap ith.." he started speaking when Akshara interfered . Her tears have stopped as she accepted the truth .
" Akshara , haina?" She asked opening her eyes .
" Huh?" He averted his gaze from her.
" I may have lost my memory Abhinav ji but not my observation skill... I have been noticing for the past week, you have been struggling to call me as Akshara ji.. especially when something emotional comes up ,you call me as Akshara instinctively then add ji after a pause realizing your folly.
All this while I thought it was an accidental slip of the tounge or my broken mind playing games on my hearing. But now knowing this truth , it is becoming clear that Akshara wasn't a slip of tounge but a force of habit.
Somewhere in this 6 months , I have evolved into Akshara from Akshara ji for you, right?" She questioned him with her logic.
He looked at her eyes which were daring him to defy her and knowing she will catch if he lied he just silently nodded in an yes.
A moment of silence passed.
" Kab hua? Wajha kya tha?" She asked softly excited to hear the back story.
The first of the many incidents she is going to learn which got erased from her memory.
" wahja?..wajha toh mujhe bhi nahi pata .. aap Mimi ke birthday ke do din ke baad achanak mere paas aayi aur baatya ki aaj ke baad hum dono humare naam ke aage se ji hata dethe. Isliye hata diya" he briefed the incident truthfully.
" But that incident really made us close" he said looking lost in distance .
" I mean close friends " he corrected before she caught on this folly too.
So we went from being friends to close friends?
" Chaliye.. kahaani time over for today. Doctor has advised to take it slow. Akshara ji, ye lijiye tablet, ye khake chup chaap so lijiye" he said diverting her attention from the topic.
" Akshara.. please Abhinav ji keep on calling me Akshara.. Akshara ji seems so distant and weird nowadays " Akshara requested him.
Smiling a little, he nodded his head agreeing to her. He passed the water to her.
" Abhinav ... Akshara mujhe Abhinav kehkar bulati thi..." he said as she too nodded in acceptance.
**************************************
Akshara kept on staring at the door of the psychologist's room. Abhinav stood with her in silence giving her space to take her own time.
She took a look at him as he blinked his eyes in assurance , she slowly opened the door and walked in.
" Hello Mrs. Sharma, come in, how are you feeling today?" Dr. Anjali welcomed her
" Very well doctor! It took me sometime to accept the truth, but once it started sinking in , it became easier." Akshara confessed truthfully.
" Ok good. Mrs. Sharma, it's important that we continue at your pace. Whenever some details disturbs you or you feel like stopping you can say so, we can proceed later . Always remember Mrs. Sharma this is your safe space and your health takes top priority. " the doctor tried to keep Akshara at ease.
She smiled nodding as the doctor nodded her head at Abhinav to continue.
" Akshara, as you already we are now in November month, another important thing you have to know is , ye Udaipur nahi hai. Hum ab Jaipur mei hai" Abhinav told and paused for her reaction.
" Jaipur...?" Akshara questioned looking around as the doctor nodded in a yes showing her the hospital's address card.
" Hum Jaipur mei kya kar rahe the , Abhinav?" Akshara questioned after taking a minute to calm herself down.
" Aapki ek rishtedaar ki shaadi ke liye hum yaahan aaye the sab gharwaalon ke saath. " Abhinav replied
" Gharwaalon ke saath? Wo sab kahan hai Abhinav? Teek hai na sab" she asked terrified
" Sab teek hai Akshara.. wo sab ab Udaipur mei hai.. Abhir bhi unke saath wahaan hai. " Abhinav answered immediately to put her mind at ease.
She nodded her head understandingly.
" Abhinav, Phir kya hua? Ye haadsa? Kya hua uss shaadi mein?" Akshara questioned looking at him curiously.
Abhinav slightly shifted in his seat and looked at the doctor for permission to which she nodded in a yes.
He replayed the incident in his mind and closed his eyes for a second in pain. He couldn't tell her the whole truth, for that will need to bring out all other truths. He readied himself to lie to her.
Abhinav caught his hand with the other one ,which were itching to clutch his ears out of habit
" Wo.. shaadi ke baad aap uss wedding hall ka seediyon se neeche gir gayi aur aapki sar pe chot lagi" Abhinav told trying very hard to maintain eye contact .
Akshara scrunched her face and grimaced in pain . The doctor was quick to catch her reaction.
" I think we have made good progress today and let's leave it here. We will proceed tomorrow " she said passing a smile to Akshara .
**************************************
Akshara was sitting on her bed looking worried when Abhinav enetred the room carrying a cup of tea for her.
" Akshara kya hua?" Abhinav questioned looking at her face.
" Abhinav Ji, agar sab yaahan tha mere accident ke samay, Phir wo sab log Udaipur kyun chale gaye? I mean hum dono ko iss halat mei chodkar?" Akshara asked concerned.
Abhinav understood her apprehensive feelings. Doctors had already warned him that her mind may try to fill the gap with negative situations and conclusions based on the available knowledge .
" Akshara.." he called out taking a seat near her on the bed.
" After the accident doctor advised that it's best that we keep you away from reality for some days, until you heal. Agar wo sab yaahan hospital mei rahenge toh, kuch na kuch baatien saamne aa jayenge jis ki wahajase aapki health par asar pad sakte hain. Isliye meine sab ko compell kiya Udaipur waapas jaane ke liye." Abhinav recalled the event.
" oh okay!" She admonished herself for thinking so much .
" Abhinav, mei aapse bahut yakeen karti hu, par ma ka dil hai, Abhir ka janam ke baad mei kabhi usse alag nahi hua, ab 10 din se uska awaaz tak nahi suni toh bahut ajeeb lag rahi hai " Akshara looked at him with sad eyes.
" Theek hai Akshara, aap Chai peelijiye.. mein Abhir ko speaker pe call karta hun... par ek request hai Akshara, aap please baat mat kijiyega.. he is already without both of us, I had to force him to go to Udaipur, so if he hears your voice, then he will start crying..." Abhinav requested as Akshara nodded her head in acceptance .
Abhinav took out his phone and called Abhir.
" Nikke ji" Abhinav called as soon as the phone connected.
" Papa... kaise hai aap....mumma kaisa hai? " Abhir too enthusiastically asked from the other side.
Hearing her son's voice after so long bought tears to Akshara's eyes.
" Mumma bilkul teek hai Abhir.. tu bata tu kaisa hai.. tera padai kaisa chal raha hai? Tere school ke Online classes
regularly attend kar raha hai na?" Abhinav enquired Abhir.
" Mei theek hu papa.. aur padai toh mast chal raha hai... ab agle mahine mujhe half yearly exams bhi aaraha hai.. " Abhir replied.
" Teek hai betu, kuch doubt hai toh maasi se pooch ke clear karo...tumhara dhyan rakhna ...mei phone raktha hun" Abhinav cut the call to see Akshara's eyes filled with tears.
" Akshara sirf kuch hi din.. aapki discharge hogayi toh seedha Udaipur abhir se milne.. okay?" He asked as she smiled between her tears and nodded.
**************************************
Abhinav was preparing the attender's bed for the night after making sure Akshara is comfortable.
" Abhinav.. " she called out
" Hmm... " he asked concentrating on the task at hand.
" Maasi ?.. Aap Aarohi ki baat kar rahe the Abhir ke saath phone pe?" Akshara asked curiously.
He realized his slip of his tounge and how it hadn't even struck him until she pointed out.
" Haan" he tried to keep his answer short.
" Wo.. I remember meeting her at Mimi's party after 6 years . She also introduced her beti Ruhi to me.. as you already know after that I don't remember anything .. how is our relationship now? Aur Abhir aur Ruhi wo dono close hai kya?" She questioned him eagerly.
Abhinav turned around and observed her.
She looked comfortable, just wanting an answer. Not anxious like before.
" Aap aur saali ji toh iss 6 mahine mei bahut close hogayi... bilkul normal sisters ki tarah baatien karte hain, ek dono ko tease karte hain , aur bahut saara pyaar bhi karte hain ek dusre ko...aur Abhir aur Ruhi ko toh poochiye mat... wo dono bhai behen toh ek dusre ke bina nahi reh sakte.... kasauli jaane ke baad bhi abhir din mei ek baar hi toh Ruhi ko call karta rahega" Abhinav told as Akshara smile widened. Her heart filled with happiness and she drifted off into deep sleep.
**************************************
A couple of days passed, Akshara had gained knowledge of two more important events of her life.
The first day she learnt of Muskaan now being her bhabi, her joy knew no bounds hearing the news. Muskaan, her sworn sister now her sister in law , she was so happy for her brother too who had moved on in his life after his terrible past.
She had learnt from Abhinav that her relationship with her brother had also mended . She was elated that all the relationships in her life that she missed in the 6 years was now closer to her . But felt a little sad that she remembers nothing of how they got close.
The next day was dreadful as Abhinav told her about Abhir's heart condition and the surgery. Akshara tried to make it through but the news was too much to take in a day . Her betu had got through so much but she had no recollection. She tried to think of anything related to it only to have a blank output.
Sensing Akshara's condition, Doctor had put an end to the day's session.
**************************************
Abhinav peeped in through the glass door . Akshara was sitting on her bed lost in deep thoughts.
He could guess that Abhir was the current topic in her mind.
They had to leave for her today's psychologist session in an hour . He could see how yesterday's session was still taking a toll on her.
He had told her about Abhir's illness yesterday. Eventhough , he had tried to be cautious, that news had impacted her deeply . He had only revealed that Abhir had a hole in his heart and he had an corrective surgery done in Udaipur .
There was one major piece of news that he hadn't still revealed to her - About who did the surgery .
' Will she able to handle it? What will be her reaction ?First of all, Will I be able to handle it? Should I tell her about how Abhir's truth is now in open ? ' Thousand questions swarmed his mind as he closed his eyes getting ready for another day of battle.
**************************************
Leave your love for the story in comments and votes guys ❤️