Chapter 3: The Darkest Night
"In order to know True Love,you must know Deep Pain."
Swayam reached the hospital and rushed to the ICU.He peeped in through the hole.The sight of his sister lying attached to all sorts of machines with doctors surrounding her shattered his soul into pieces.Tears escaped his eyes.
He couldn't cope with the fact that his cutely weird Taani was now relying on machines to keep her alive!Swayam collapsed on the hospital chair,sobbing.
The D3 team arrived.Sharon ran to Swayam while the rest peeped through the hole only to be shocked.
"Swayam!!" cried Sharon holding him by his arms.
"Sha..Sharon meri behen waha.."Swayam stuttered unable to even speak.
Sharon went toward the ICU door.She couldn't help but cry.After all Taani had been a part of their lives.
The D3 team stood silently,their minds recollecting their memories with Taani.None knew what she had gone through.Yet everyone prayed for her recovery.Sharon sat beside Swayam who had covered his face with his palms in despair.
But Kria was looking for Rey.His phone was switched off as well.She wondered why he hadn't turned up and where he was.
"Sharon?Rey kaha gaye honge.Unka phone bhi switched off aa raha hai."she said.
"Kria..uske gharpe try karo.And if he is there ask him to come here."said Sharon.
"NO."said Swayam making everyone look at him in surprise.
"Woh meri behen ke aaju baaju nahi rahega.Uski yaha koi zarurat nahi hai.Jaha hai wahi rehne ko kaho."he said sternly.
"Yeh aap kya keh rahe ho Swayam?"enquired a shocked Kria.
"Main joh keh raha hun woh maanlo.Agar woh yaha aaya toh main uski kya haalat karunga yeh main bhi nahi jaanta."said Swayam his eyes portraying pure anger.
"SWAYAM!!Kya bakwaas kar rahe ho?"asked an equally angry Sharon not liking the way Swayam was talking about Rey.
"Sach hi keh raha hun.Agar apne best friend ko sahi salamat dekhna chahti ho na,toh usey kaho ki yaha na aaye.Meri behen ne uske wajahse bohot seh liya.Ab aur nahi."growled Swayam wiping his tears.
Everyone stood silent,staring at Swayam.Sharon realized she was looking at a brother.And not Rey's best friend.
"Swayam.."she said a bit calmly,"Hum ab tak yeh bhi nahi jaante ki Taani ko kya hua hai.Aur Rey ki apni ek zindagi hai.Agar woh aage badh chuka hai toh ismein uski kya galti??"she questioned an already enraged Swayam.
"Sharon.Mujhse aise sawaal na hi karo toh acha hai.Main Rey ko yaha nahi dekhna chahta.Apni best friend ki bhalaai chahti ho toh meri baat maanlo."warned Swayam.
Both Swayam and Sharon stared at each other in anger,oblivious to the actual reality.
"Swayam.."began an angry and surprised Kria when she was interrupted.
"Swayam beta!!"an anguished Tauji cried.
He rushed straight toward the ICU.Looking at his child in this condition his heart wrenched in pain.A father's pain when he looks at his daughter lying lifeless,fighting to live can never be described.Even the toughest man breaks down in such a situation.😭
Tauji was no different.Though he wasn't her biological father,their relationship had always been like that of a father-daughter.He couldn't believe the sight he beheld.
He broke down in Swayam's arms.
"Swayam meri bacchi.."he sobbed. Swayam who himself was broken hugged his father tight.
Taani was extremely dear to both the men..she was their sunshine.
All through this Kria was still worried about Rey,mainly because she couldn't propose to him today.
Just then the Rakesh Singhania-Rey's uncle and the Commssioner of Police arrived with 2 Inspectors.
"Mr Rishi Shekawat?"he asked.
The father-son duo seperated and wiped their tears.
"Rakesh!Meri beti ko kya hua hai??"inquired Tauji pained.What had happened to his child that she was in this condition?
"Rishi..woh"he stammered.He had been through informing people about rapes and murders,etc throughout his career.
But this was totally different!Gang rapes always added to his boiling anger against the weak laws in India and the rapists.On top of that Rishi was a close friend as well.
"Boliye na uncle please?Kya hua hai Taani ko?"urged Swayam.
"She has been gang-raped."he stated controlling his personal emotions.
But two worlds had completely shattered beyond repair.The D3 team including Kria were totally shocked.Sharon couldn't believe her ears!
She turned to look at Swayam who stood like a statue,unable to even move an inch.He felt as if someone had just snatched away his life from him.For those few moments everything else ceased to exist,only Rakesh's words echoed in his mind.
The pain that coursed through every cell of his body seemed to threaten his very existence.
The rains raging outside was akin to the storm that was raging within the very depths of Swayam's soul.
Tauji could not even stand.His legs failed to support him.Unkown to him tears flowed continuously from his eyes.Sharon ran to support him as he collapsed on the chair.
He had not yet come to terms that Taani was in the ICU..now the fact that she had been gang-raped??Not even raped..gang-raped!!He felt as if sudden unending darkness had enveloped his existence.
Worst of all he hadn't been able to protect his daughter from this nightmare.He wished he could die right then.
He clutched his face in despair and completely broke down.
Swayam's mind had gone totally blank.He wasn't even aware of the tears that refused to stop flowing.He felt completely numb.
"Taa..Taani gang-raped?"were the only words that escaped his lips.
Meanwhile with Rey in the adjacent Ward,
The nurses had finished bandaging his wounds.He now lay on his bed unconscious.Blurred images of Taani passed through his unconscious mind.Her name escaped Rey's lips.
With the rest,
"Reyaansh kaha hai?"enquired Rakesh making everyone especially Kria look at him in surprise.
"Ji,aap unke baare mein kyu puch rahe hai?"Kria asked.
"Usine mujhe call karke inform kiya that Taani has been gang-raped.Rey hi usey yaha lekar aaya tha.Hence I need to start my inquiry with him."Rakesh stated shocking everyone,especially Kria,Sharon and Swayam.
"Gang-rape?"enquired a shocked voice from behind.
Ranveer Vaghela looked as if someone had snatched away his everything from him.The same emotions that Swayam and Tauji were going through,now took hold of Ranveer.
His Tannu?Gang-raped?He ran toward Rakesh singhania.
"Sir yeh aap kya keh rahe?Taani..."?he trailed off.
"Yes, Mr Vaghela."
Tears escaped Ranveer's eyes.When Tauji had called him up telling him that Taani had been admitted to the hospital, asking him to come quickly to the hospital,he hadn't even imagined THIS would be the Reason!😭
He clutched his forehead in helplessness unable to cope up with the commissioner's words.
"Excuse me?Iss patient ko joh ladka yaha lekar aaya tha woh kahan hai?"Rakesh asked a nurse.
"Ji woh baaju waale ward mein hai.Unhe chot lagi thi isliye unhe bhi admit karna pada."replied the nurse and went inside the ICU.
"Kya??Rey ko chot lagi hai?"cried a shocked Kria.She immediately rushed to his ward.
A shocked D3 team,Ranveer,Swayam,Tauji and Rakesh followed.The two Inspectors stayed back.
Rey was regaining consciousness when Kria rushed to his side.
"Rey.."she cried.
Everyone was shocked to find Rey's forehead and arms bandaged.His face too was covered with wounds that had been dressed on his cheeks and near his lips.
Swayam especially couldn't understand anything.
Ranveer and Sharon immediately rushed to Rey's side.
Rey slowly opened his eyes.He found Kria,Ranveer and everyone else looking at him with pain and shock evident on their faces.
"Rey..aapko kuch nahi hoga."Said Kria caressing his hairs.
In that delirious state,Rey could only see and hear Taani.
"Taani..taani.."he kept repeating.
He closed his eyes,all the painful events of the past hours coming back to his conscious mind...Taani being raped,the wicked laughter of those men,her losing consciousness,her abused figure..everything.
"Taani!!!"he cried jerking awake.He tried to get up.Kria and Sharon stopped him.
"Rey rukhiye!Aapko chot lagi hai!"Kria said.
"Taani..mujhe Taani ke paas jaana hai."Rey said anguished.
"Rey.."Ranveer said making Rey look at him.
"Bh..Bhaiya.."whispered Rey.One look at Rey's eyes was enough to convey to Ranveer,that Rey had probably witnessed what he shouldn't have.
Ranveer hugged him because he knew what would follow.Rey did not react initially.His reddened swollen eyes stared blankly ahead.His mind recollected every painful image vividly now.
The first few tears flowed..her form with all the marks of abuse and blood covering it floated in front of his eyes.
And he broke down..the same way he had when Taani had gone away from him. (Sunn raha hai sequence guys)
But this time his trauma was even more intense.
Undescribable. He cried and cried in Ranveer's arms who did not try to stop him.His entire body shivered in pain.
Taani lay there battling for her life,but her pain was felt by him.
Every broken piece of his crushed soul,screamed in unending agony.
"Tere liye hi jiya main..khudko joh yun de diya hai.
Teri wafa ne mujhko sambhala..saare ghamon ko dil se nikala.
Main joh mit bhi gaya toh wajood mera sada tujhmein rahe zinda."
Ranveer could feel Rey's body shaking against his.He patted Rey's back trying to console him,himself crying silently.
He could not bear to see Rey like this.
Everyone in the D3 team were stunned.
Kria could not understand what was going on,neither could Swayam.
Tauji looked on in utter shock.
Rey clutched harder at Ranveer's jacket.
Conflicting memories of Taani's happy smiling face and her exhausted blood-stained face wrecked more havoc within his heart.
"Kyunki tum hi ho..ab tum hi ho..zindagi ab tum hi ho.
Chain bhi..mera dard bhi..meri aashiqui ab tum hi ho."
"Bh..bhaiya..Me..meri Taani.."he managed to speak before he shut his eyes crying harder.
The rains raged on outside,plunging everything into complete darkness..which signified the darkest night of Rey,Taani and Swayam's lives.💔
Phew!Again an emotionally tiring update.This chapter is entirely based on the trauma a rape victim's loved ones undergo.
Rey's trauma is much more because not only does he love Taani but he also witnessed what no other lover would ever want to.
Tamatar aur chappal padne se pehle main chali!Tata!😆
Real Estate
35