Arnav halted outside, in the hospital parking lot. Gulping in fresh air. As the doctor's words that had been echoing inside his head finally began to sink in. I'm sorry Mr Raizada, there is nothing more we can do. It is up to God now. Only time will determine whether Anjali gets better or not. The electric shock was of great voltage, and she lost a lot of blood. It is miracle that we managed to deliver her baby, your nephew on time. Otherwise you would have lost him too.
Look I know it sounds like hollow words right now, but you have to keep faith, and pray that Anjali manages to survive this. Keep good hopes that she manages to pull herself out of it and recovers. But as of now I don't want to give you false reports, she is in a critical state and can go either way, me and my team have done the best we could, the rest is up to God.
He had wanted to punch the doctor, when he uttered those words, and probably would have if Khushi's comforting hand on his shoulder had not restrained him. The thought of his Di, his precious, fragile, sweet Di fighting for her life, and losing in it, had began to constrict his wind pipe. He felt suffocated, in that hospital corridor, outside the Intensive Care Unit, in which his Di lay, lifeless. Khushi and Dadi had gone inside, to try and revive Anjali, try and get some sort of reaction out her, tell her, plead her to fight, and come back. While Arnav had stayed in the corridor, unable to move, to breathe. The walls of the corridor seemed to enclose on him, everything darkened and he swooned as the doctor's words hit home. The feeling of entrapment knawed at him, and so he began running. Running away from the enclosing walls, from the doctor's words, from Di's comatosed form. To the harsh embrace of the gallowing winds outside the hospital, where he hungrily gulped at the air that thrashed about him.
Despondent, he looked up at the sky, in hope to appeal to his dead parents to help him out his misery, to help his Di, their daughter. But gave a bitter laugh, when he saw the cloud cover, Of course why would you care today, when you didn't then!! You left us then, you are nowhere today...why would you be...if you had cared you never would have left!!
He was still laughing when Khushi found him. She was mortified, seeing him in this state. She had expected him to be broken, but never thought that he would actually lose his senses. His laughter, made the very hair on the back of her neck stand. She was petrified at seeing him so unlike himself, so drowned in misery that his brain had gone into total shutdown, causing him to laugh during the most horrific situation in his life. Her insides screamed in anguish at seeing him completely at a loss. She didn't know how to soothe him, calm him, especially with the news she had for him. The doctor had informed them that Anjali had slipped into a coma, and that is when she had left Anjali's side to go find Arnav and tell him the update, which would be a source of more discomfort than comfort.
She clasped her hands together and uttered a silent prayer to the Almighty above to give her strength and courage to help her bring her Arnav ji back from the depths of disparity. Mustering up all the courage she had, she wiped away her tears, straightened her face, and closed the distance between them in two strides.
'Arnav ji...' she put her hand on his shoulder. He stopped laughing as he felt her and turned to face her, wiping the tears from his eyes that had flowed during his fit of laughter. He gave a wry smile, trying to tell her that he was fine. 'Arnav ji,' she gulped, 'Arnav ji, Di has slipped into a coma.'
This new piece of information, was hard slap on Arnav's face. A slap of reality. Bringing him back from his momentary insanity. She saw his face turn to stone, as all emotion left it. The truth that his Di was speedily slipping away, was breaking him bit by bit. She couldn't bear his pain, and so she did the only thing she could. She took him into her arms, resting her head on his chest, telling his limp body that he wasn't alone. That she was here, and they would live through this nightmare together. She pressed into him, tugging at his clothes, trying to get a reaction out of him, but he was like statue, inert, cold. She caressed his face and called out his name, but he didn't move or utter a single word. Tears flowed continually from eyes and she hugged him again, locking him in her embrace, not ready to lose him. She held onto him for dear life.
'Arnav ji...Arnav ji...please say something' she cried, but he was still a solid lump of ice. 'Arnav ji, I'm scared...'
That broke the ice. 'It's his fault, my Dad's fault. He ruined us.'
'Hunh?' shocked, and confused she stepped back to look at him. There was a hint of emotion in his face, very controlled but a hint nevertheless.
'My Father destroyed our family.'
'Arnav ji?' after the initial happiness at him showing life again, she started feeling anxious again, at hearing what he was saying. Was he slipping into insanity again. Why was he talking about his Dad, at this moment, and why was he blaming him for Di's condition?
'I never told you, why my mom commited suicide, did I? It was Di's wedding day, there was laughter all around, the Groomside were about to arrive any minute. I left Di to go fine Mom and Dad. I wished I hadn't. They were on the terrace, fighting when I got there. Dad was having an affair and Mom had found out. She couldn't take it, him cheating on her, on his family and she committed suicide. Dad not being able to bear seeing her dead, killed himself too. On Di's wedding day, we cremated our parents. Instead lifting her Doli, I lifted their Arthi. How twisted is that?!!' spat Arnav.
Khush was too shocked to show any expression on her face let alone utter any words of solace. And what could one even say after hearing a past so horrific. No wonder he was so bottled-up, who wouldn't be after having such a traumatising past.
'Our world crumbled that day Khushi, it smashed into pieces. All because my Dad was unable to keep his trouser zipped-up!! He devastated our lives, and we are still suffering for his actions today. If he had controlled himself, been faithful to his wife and family, then Di would have been happily married, instead of breaking down and then letting a scoundrel like Shyam enter her life only to ruin it again. I promised her Khushi, I promised Di that day that I would take care of her, that I would never let anything wrong or bad happen with her, and I failed Khushi. I failed...' he collapsed on the floor, drowning in misery, pain and tears.
Khushi's heart bled seeing him defeated. She sat down next to him and nestled him into her chest. Cradling his head, while rocking him. 'Sshh...sshh Arnav ji. You haven't failed. You haven't...listen to me. Di will be ok, she will be. She has to be because you are with her. How can anything happen when you are there as her strength, as her pillar, as her family.' His sobbing stopped, but he was still shaking in her embrace. 'Arnav ji, look at me...' she took his face into her hands and made him look into her face. When he finally faced her, with all the nerve she could gather, and in the most steady voice she could muster up, with her grieving heart, she continued, 'Arnav ji, everything will be ok. All you have to do is come inside. Come inside and sit beside Di, talk to her, tell her that you, her Chotey is here with her, and that she has to fight and come back for you, for her, for her son.'
'Khushi...Khushi I can't...'
'Yes you can. And you will. I promise you I will be right by your side, and you will be able to talk to Di.'
'Khushi...'
'Do you trust me?' Arnav stared at her, 'do you?' she asked with sincerity.
He finally nodded. Making her smile a little. 'Then give me your hand, and we will go together...come on...' she held out her hand. He hesitated, glance at her face, which emitted deep love and warmth. Keeping his eyes plastered on her face he let his hands move on their own accord into her. Once in hers' she locked them in an iron grasp, took his arm lovingly with her other hand and led him back into the hospital.
They had just reached Anjali's corridor when they bumped into the Dadi.
After an initial jolt at finding them so quickly, she returned to her usual impassive expression, and spoke to Arnav, 'I was just coming to look for you.'
Fearing the worst, both Arnav and Khushi uttered together, 'Is Di ok? What happened? What did the doctor say?' throwing a look of disgust at Khushi, for speaking in her presence, she silenced them both with the raise of her hand, and said to Arnav, 'Calm down. Anjali is fine, I came to speak to you on another matter.'
Seeing Anjali slipping into coma, her resolve of bringing calling Shyam became more clear. He being her husband and the father of her child had every right to be here. But Arnav in his immaturity and stubbornness was hindering Anjali's recovery. It was clear to her that the only person who could wake Anjali from her coma and give her the strength to fight her situation and become healthy again was Shyam. And Arnav, due to that moraless, petty girl couldn't see the plain truth. That his decision to separate Anjali from Shyam was the cause of her deteriorating health. But enough is enough now, I have to put my foot down, and talk some sense into Arnav. Anjali's life is at risk, and I can't see my Arnav make the same mistake he had before in his inability to think coherently when emotional. His mistake had led to her losing her son, and him and Anjali losing his father, and now what if it led them to losing Anjali. No. I cannot not have that. She was going to have to make Arnav see reason. With this resolve, she turned to look at Arnav astutely, and said in a stern voice,
'Arnav it is high-time that you stop being immature and call Shyam to the hospital. Anjali needs him.'
Realising his Dadi's train of thought, Arnav stiffened. He could not believe his ear, how adamant was this woman. How many times were they going to have the same argument. He didn't have it in him to re-hatch this topic, and so ignoring what she said he tugged at Khushi to come with him to see Anjali.
However, this move of Arnav's infuriated Dadi even more, 'Arnav, how dare you walk away when I'm talking to you, have you forgotten how one treats their elders?!!'
'No Dadi, I have not forgotten, and it is because I have not forgotten I'm walking away before your unreasonable demands cause me to utter indecencies at you. So please, let me just go to Di.' Saying that he turned once again towards Anjali's room, with a horrified Khushi on his tail.
Dadi was fuming at Arnav's rude behaviour, and blaming Khushi for the change in her polite grandson, she burst, 'Arnav I said I was talking to you. Who gave you the permission to walk away without hearing what I have to say?'
Arnav halted, irritated that she was going to make them have this conversation again. He turned to face her, this time telling himself to stay calm through her outburst and not say anything impolite to his Dadi.
'What? What can you possibly reveal to me this time that you think will make me change my mind and allow that scoundrel to visit Di.' Uttered Arnav in his most controlled voice possible.
'Arnav, I know you have grave misunderstandings regarding Shyam, and I know who is responsible for them,' her eyes lingered on Khushi, as her hands clenched into a fist, trying to control her anger at the lewd girl who had caused a wedge in her family, 'but I am not going to waste time trying to sort them out right now, when we can do that later. Right now time is of the essence and we need Shyam here to help revive Anjali, his love-'
'IS A LIE!! He cheated Di, and has no right over her or her child. And Di is better off without him. It's not Shyam who Di needs, its' her family, and I am her family, and I am here for her!'
'Shyam is also her family, he is her husband!! And what do you even know of their Love? His love for Anjali is pure, what right do you have to throw him out of the house, just because of some petty--".
"Dadiji!" Khushi cut in with a louder tone than she intended.
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