Posted:
Hey everyone, I'm back with another OS. This one is especially close to my heart, as it is something that many people deal with. I dedicate this to my elder sister Sanju Di (desigirl_VD) who may not be active on IF anymore, but is the strongest person I know and who helped me be a support system for my best friend. I know this topic is fragile to many people, but I want people to realize that they are not alone and that support of family and friends is extremely important.
With that being said I'd also like to apologize for not responding to the comments on my last OS, I am really sorry but I was busy with an emergency. Thank you all for your wonderful comments and I really, really hope ya'll like this OS.
Abhi:
Abhi sat sulking in his car. He had followed Pragya from her mom's house needing to know where she was going. Now that he knew he couldn't help but feel taken aback, there was something wrong. It had been two weeks since Pragya had left. After he found out the truth things had definitely been awkward between the two, but he was trying to work it out. Usually Pragya just ignored him, every time he asked a question, every time he tried to talk to her she would just give him a one word response and leave. Of course he knew he deserved it, but this time she had taken off her mangalsutra and stormed out of the house and he really didn't know why. All he did was...god he didn't even want to go back to that day. That was the day she left.
Flashback
Abhi was silently coming down the stairs. He was walking as quietly as possible. For the first time since the truth came out he had heard Pragya actually laughing and he knew that the second she would see him her laughter would stop. He didn't want to interrupt her conversation with Daadi, he was just enjoying seeing her smile.
For the past few weeks he had been noticing a difference in Pragya. She had lost alot of weight. She seemed tired all the time. Of course then he didn't want to care because he was hating her. But when he saw the bloody tissues in the bathroom he couldn't help but question her. Questioning Pragya was equivalent to fighting against a bull, he asked her and she shut him up telling him to mind his own business. Of course then she had said if he wasn't going to act like her husband he didn't have the right to question her. And he obviously stormed out telling her to go to hell. But now, things were worse. She couldn't even make it up half the stairs before becoming breathless.
Abhi was brought back to reality when he saw Pragya turn and see him. In that one second her smile vanished and she turned back to Daadi with cold eyes. Daadi had seen Abhi and had left the room making an excuse to give the two the chance to speak.
Abhi looked at Pragya worried, seeing how exhausted she looked. "Pragya, maybe you should go rest. You don't look too good."
Pragya rolled her eyes and sarcastically said, "I never look good to you do I."
"Pragya, just. You look like you are going to pass out, just go get some rest." Abhi told her.
"It's none of your business of what I do and when I do it." Pragya retorted.
"Pragya," Abhi tried to talk but Pragya just walked past him towards the stairs. She couldn't get up more than 10 steps without heaving and Abhi just scooped her up into his arms and brought her upstairs. He saw her nose bleeding and gave her his handkerchief.
"What is your problem!" Pragya asked him as soon as he placed her on the bed.
"You couldn't make it up the stairs I was just trying to help!" Abhi said back.
"Well don't! I didn't need your help before, and I definitely don't need it now." Pragya told him.
"Why, why won't you let me help you!" Abhi said.
"Why do you want to!" Pragya asked him.
"BECAUSE i love you!" Abhi yelled unable to continue on with his sentence
Pragya looked at Abhi in disbelief, "Unbelievable. I'm done I can't deal with this anymore." And with that Pragya took off her mangalsutra threw it on Abhi's table and stormed off. And Abhi couldn't do anything but watch as she walked away.
End of Flashback
Abhi had followed her home and followed her out to see where she was going. She was looking worse after those two weeks. He knew something was wrong when he saw her standing outside the hospital. Discretely following her in he saw her sit in the doctors cabin and decided to wait outside to hear what was going on.
"Look Pragya, are you sure you don't want any family here with you before you hear the diagnosis." The doctor asked Pragya. Abhi confused listened on.
"No doctor, it's just me."
"Pragya, your blood tests showed that you have an abnormal high count of white blood cells." The doctor told her.
"Okay, but what does that mean?" Pragya asked him.
The doctor sighed and said, "After you came with the bloody nose, and the overt tiredness I did another test. I'm so sorry, you have leukemia." Abhi nearly lost his balance as he heard those words. He looked in and saw Pragya looking like the air was knocked out of her body.
"Cancer." Pragya whispered.
"Yes, the good news is we caught onto it. We'll have to run a few more tests before I know exactly how the cancer is spreading and what stage you are on. But until then you need to be careful and you need to take care of yourself." The doctor said.
"How is this possible." Pragya questioned.
"Its an unfair thing that happens. My advice to you is to tell your family tonight. I'm am scheduling a biopsy for you three days from now so that gives you time to tell them. Generally with my younger patients I involve their family in the biopsy, it helps them cope. I'm telling you as your doctor, you will need a support system." The doctor told her.
Abhi looked at Pragya who was unable to do anything listening to this huge news. "I'm giving you some medicines that should help with the symptoms but you need to take a lot of rest." The doctor said.
"Thank you doctor." Pragya said with tears in her eyes.
"I'll give you a minute." The doctor said leaving Pragya in the room to recompose herself.
Once Pragya left Abhi went into the cabin and waited for the doctor. When the doctor came in Abhi shook his hand, and they talked about what to do.
Three days had gone by painfully slow for both Abhi and Pragya. Abhi had forcefully pushed himself into staying with the Aurora's who didn't know what was going on. He needed to make sure Pragya was okay, and he needed to make sure that she was taking her medicines and sleeping enough. It was the first night where Pragya was with her family, but not mentally with them. He saw the shock, the anger, and the hopelessness in her eyes. But every time one of them spoke to her she would snap out of it and fake a smile that pained his heart to see. That night in their room, Abhi made her sleep on the bed. Both of them were unable to fall asleep, and it was then when he heard her tears, when he heard her finally understand and confront what happened.
The next day Pragya had enough of Abhi laundering around her constantly asking her if she was okay or if she needed anything. She blatantly asked him to leave and not wanting to cause her any stress Abhi did just that. He left but stayed in his car watching to make sure nothing happened. He couldn't tell her that he knew, he couldn't just drop that bombshell on her and create more stress.
Now standing outside the hospital Abhi took a deep breath and went in after her.
Pragya:
It was finally that day, she was going for her biopsy. Terrified didn't even explain how she felt. She had given some excuse to her family and caught a taxi and found herself at the hospital.
Once she was inside the doctor had greeted her and asked her to change into the hospital gown so they could begin the biopsy.
"Pragya, are we waiting for someone in your family?" The doctor asked her once he got her to lay on her side.
"No, I just want to get this over with." Pragya told him.
"Okay," the doctor said holding out a long pointed needle, "First I'm going to numb this area, you will feel a slight sting and burn." The doctor said placing the needle in Pragya's back as she closed her eyes tight to not scream in pain.
Just then the door opened and Abhi came in. Pragya couldn't see Abhi from where she was laying. She didn't realize he was there until Abhi asked, "Am I too late?"
"No you're right on time." the doctor said as Abhi went and sat beside Pragya. No words needed to be spoken as Pragya looked into Abhi's eyes. Abhi took her hand and gave it a tight squeeze and a light kiss.
"We will begin the process now." The doctor said placing the next needle in her back. "You're going to feel this." He told her.
Pragya let our a few tears but smiled up at Abhi who was by her side supporting her holding her hand, letting her squeeze as tightly as possible. And for the first time Pragya felt some sort of hope from the past three days. She felt some sort of reassurance of security. Looking up at Abhi Pragya felt the hope of a better future, and the hope of a great recovery.
~The End~
Hey everyone I really hope you enjoyed this OS. This OS I will not be making into an SS/FF because I feel the beauty of the situation is described with the first biopsy. My work partner was diagnosed with leukemia two weeks ago, and although it has been a hard process for all of us being supportive and knowing that there are loved ones there for her has helped her a lot. So I want to dedicate this OS to anyone who has dealt with cancer. Stay strong and don't lose hope.
-Shakti
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