Hi everyone,
Since the ending of Naagin 5, there has been one light that has made the toughness of dealing with the end of seeing my favorite Vani and Sharbhi a bit easier, and that is AliChase's incredible FF The Phoenix. The way the characters are so on point and have such deep and thoughtful background stories, the way these characters and different facets of them are explored so well, the story and plot of Naagin 5 should've been this!! Show main toh nahin mil sakha aur humare Vani ke saath insaaf nahin hua, but The Phoenix has been such a blessing giving some of us the story we'd been craving, but even better and even more than that, I say. Seriously, hats off to AliChase's imagination, creativity, and all efforts in putting this FF together. Really I'm floored by it every time I read and eagerly await for more as so many of us do. ❤️
So in that waiting, I created a one shot story of my own. Kya karun? The characters and story have captivated my mind so much they are the best part of my weeks and days! 😳 I love the Vani scenes so much, but I've also been majorly invested in Sam and Vanshika who AliChase has created, and so brilliantly! So, I wrote an OS which is continuation of the latest part 85 when Sam is in the hospital, and picks up in the scene outside the hospital with Veer, Vanshika, Bani, and Meera.
Again, full credit to AliChase for creating the beautiful stories and the brilliant characters of Sam and Vanshika. Hope this story does them justice and that I haven't completely butchered it! Also, please excuse any spelling errors! I don't write Hindi much, so hoping it's not too bad! 😆 It's been maybe 10 years since I use to write an FF on this site, so it's been a while! I've been wanting to create a Vani OS when the show was on but didn't get the chance to. But then I read AliChase's work and it sparked some inspiration and I couldn't resist writing!
Also, not sure if I can post in this story in this forum, but if not, happy to post elsewhere if needed.
Ok now here you go, Happy Reading! 😎
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Vanshika was outside the hospital, being held by Meera, sitting next to a crying Veeranshu who was being held by Bani. Feeling Veer cry beside her made no sense to her. The scene she was simultaneously watching as if from a third eye and living made no sense to her. Sam being in the hospital for days on end, not moving, not opening his eyes, not looking at her the way he does that makes her heart beat faster, made no sense to her. The tears on her face, the constricting of her throat as she tried to manage her panic that she will lose the person she’s loved, made no sense to her. How did she get here? How did Sam get here? How did Veer get here? Feeling the wetness of his tears beside her made this situation all the more daunting. If there was anyone who kept up optimism, pushed for things to be fine and held everyone together through tough times, it was always Veer. But now…he himself was crying which was a sight she thought she’d never see. A slight part of her wondered what happened to him these past few days that changed him like this, but a greater part of her was too scared, too on the verge of panicking that she couldn’t focus on anyone else but the person she had given her heart to a long time ago, whether or not she’d ever admitted it out loud.
Vanshika couldn’t hold her panic in any longer and a loud sob escaped her as she tried to catch her breath. She needed to see him. She had to tell him. She couldn’t let him go without telling him. She knew he knew, but he had always waited for her to tell him. But she had to say it. A part of her hoped he’d come back. But she wasn’t sure what to believe except for the urge to see him right that minute. Vanshika broke free of Meera’s hold and sprinted back inside the hospital, leaving Meera shocked and Veer surprised. Internally, Bani prayed to Bholenaath for Sam, but also for Vanshika. She’d seen the pain in her eyes and had lived the panicked moments of realizing her soulmate was about to be stolen from her. She knew how it felt. She held her Veeranshu, looking into his eyes and consoling him, and in her heart praying for strength for Vanshika, and a miracle for her favorite brother-in-law that was more her own brother than anyone had ever been.
Vanshika burst through the doors of the room that held Sam hostage in a maze of wires from machines. Her hair was crazy and unkempt, her eyes were red and puffy, her face tear stained as she rushed to his bedside and pulled the chair there closer to his bed as she sat down.
“Aakhen kolo Samrat,” she pleaded, tears brimming her eyes, using his full name. He was always just Sam to her and would always be. But she was serious. She was helpless. She’d do anything to make him know she’s serious. Anything.
“Please,” she whispered, as the tears in her eyes fell and she let go of the sobs she’d been holding. Sam’s face was expressionless as it had been for days. There were wires surrounding his head, IV through his arm, as well as different machines connected in all different places throughout his upper body. Vanshika thought of how she could never picture Sam like this. Instead she thought of him coming back from his morning exercise routine, drenched in sweat, breathing hard, his muscles showing through his tank, a smirk on his face as he’d caught Vanshika staring. His eyes though, his eyes would always hold a kind of softness…for her.
Vanshika cried. “Samrat, please uttho. Kabse keh rahi hoon, kuch sun nahin rahe ho tum. Please uttho. Please baat karo mujhse. Please wapas aajao Samrat, please.”
Vanshika took Sam’s hand that was lying still on the hospital bed and clasped it in both of her own, bringing her head down and letting the tears touch his fingers.
“Main…Main tumhare bina nahin jeena chathi apni zindagi. Jaan thi hoon maine kabhi kuch nahin kaha. Yeh bhi realize kiya hai maine, ke nahin bol ke maine kitni badi galti ki hai. Suna tha agar tum kisi ke liye kuch feel karte ho, toh kehdo. But humara rishta hi kuch aisa hai ke….”
Vanshika thought of the times when she had dated someone else to get Sam jealous, and Sam had dated someone else to get Vanshika jealous, and then there was the time he left entirely to the mountains, and when he came back….she was just trying not to fall for him, constantly keeping in mind all the times he’d hurt her, even though his eyes spoke differently when he looked at her, the nearness of his body every time they were in the same room spoke differently, the speeding of her heart beat every time he was near, every time she heard his name, spoke differently.
“Maine apne aap ko tumse door rehne ki koshish ki, isiliye nahin kyunki mujhe tumhare liye koi feelings nahin hai, but isiliye kyunki…” Vanshika stared at Sam’s closed eyes, his expressionless face showing him to be far away, anywhere other than where his body was currently lying. But beyond what Vanshika knew, he was listening, hanging on her every word, yearning for her to put the feelings he had always felt for her into words of her own. He wanted to hear it from her. His body was still, but his soul was very much there, and his heart had only her name engraved on it.
“…kyunki main tumse pyaar karti hoon, “she whispered. “Pyaar karti hoon tumse, Sam,” Vanshika admitted louder, the lifeless walls and the running machines witnesses to the confession she’d held back so long. “Humesha kiya hai. Jabse kiya jab pyaar ka matlab bhi samajh main nahin aata tha. Pyaar kya hota hai woh pata hi nahin tha. Humesha kiya hai…aur humesha karungi. Tum mera pela pyaar ho, Samrat. Na toh tumse pehle koi tha, na hi tumhare baad jab tum mountains pe chale gaye the. Kabhi kisi aur ko us nazar se dekha hi nahin, jaisa tumhe dekha. Kisi aur ke saath yeh dil kabhi aisa nahin dhadak tha, jaise tumhare saath, tumhari nazdeeki se, tumhari nazron se dhadak tha hai,” Vanshika spilled, her mind picturing her past memories with Sam, and landing on just several nights ago when he’d shown up in her room drunk, his shirt off, the tattoo of the viper half showing near his pelvis, a tattoo they had gotten together, hers an eagle.
The way Sam’s eyes have always found her in every party, and never moved away from her. Even if he danced with another girl, his eyes would be on her, always. Challenging her. Coaxing her to take him, to take what’s already hers. To say what she felt. To close the physical distance between them and give their emotions a clearer path. The way he stayed near her when she drank, knowing she could hold her own, but just in case…just in case, he’d be there. The way his body felt as if it radiated heat anytime she was near him, every nerve cell in her body wanted to curl up into him and she’d do just the opposite, turning away, walking further, denying the truth.
Vanshika’s eyes were closed, a tear slipped down her cheek to her lips that were tilted up ever so slightly as she let herself fully feel all the feelings she has ever felt when Sam was near her. Her heart racing, her breaths becoming shorter and quicker, a sense of euphoria and an urge to live in the moment and give in, give in to the fire that crackled between them, the chemistry that took away her peace and had her clutching tightly to anything, anything for support as the emotions would consumer her so intensely. She’d always heard that visualizing what you want, helps you manifest your goal, your dream, faster. So she visualized. She visualized Sam, healthy and well, teasing her, challenging her, touching her, his face against her face, backed into a corner, his chest against hers, his hand on her waist, and his lips oh so close to hers….
Vanshika let herself imagine. She opened her eyes, and seeing her Sam lying so lifelessly in bed had her tears emerge again. She took a deep breath, and pulled his hand up to her chest, placing it right on her racing heart.
“Yeh karte ho tum mujhe,” she said. “Every time. Humesha. Jaise tumhari aahat mehsoos hoti hai, toh mera dil bhi bolta hai. Jab tum kareeb aate ho, toh chahe main kuch bhi pretend karun bahar, andarse yeh hota hai. Jab tum mujhe dekhte ho, toh shabd ki zaroorat hi nahin parti. Dil aisi tehzi se bhaag tha hai, jaise koi marathon run kiya ho. Sirf tumhari nazar se, Sam. Sirf tumhari aahat se. Tumhare naam se bhi. Jab koi bhi tumhara naam leta hai, Veer, Bani, mom, koi bhi, toh mera dil…” she pressed Sam’s hand harder against her chest, “aise hi bhaag tha hai…jaise keh who tumhara he. Kabse…woh tumhara ho chuka hai, aur humesha se tumhara hi rahenga. Yeh…” Vanshika let out a breath, knowing the impact of what she was about to say, and choosing to say it anyway because she knew what she felt and she was not going to deny it any longer. She wasn’t going to make the same errors any longer. She was going to face herself, her feelings, her truth. Y”eh mera vada hai tumse, Samrat Singhania. Yeh dil tumhara tha, tumhara hai, or tumhara hi rahenga. Humesha.”
Watching Sam continue to look so lifeless as she promised her forever to him, the fear that she’d lose him any minute started building up inside of her again. Panic had her throat constricting. She took Sam’s hand off her chest and held it in between hers, sobbing again. She closed her eyes and prayed internally “Main jaanti hoon Bholenaath, ke main Bani nahin hoon, aur naahi Bani ki jaisi hoon, par tumse phir bhi maang rahi hoon. Apna pyaar maang rahi hoon. Sam maang rahi hoon. Apni khushi, apni zindagi maang rahi hoon. Please, please Bholenaath, please meri prathna sunlo, please mere Sam ko pehle jaisa teekh kardo. Please. Humari galtiyon ki saza, humari zindagi cheen ke mat do. Please Bholenaath, please. Please mere pyaar ko lautado Bholenaath, please.” Vanshika cried, pleading internally.
She opened her eyes looking at Sam. From the corner of her eyes, she saw slight movement. Quickly she rubbed her eyes, trying to wipe away the tears, blinking to unblur her vision. There, on the other side of the bed, Sam’s pointer finger moved. Ever so slightly. But it moved.
“Mom!” She screamed. “MOM!!!!” Vanshika jabbed the button to call the nurse into the room. “MOM!!!” She yelled again, not wanting to take any steps away from Sam lest he stop moving. As if, keeping close to him was his lifeline. As if, it was hers too.
A nurse rushed into the room. “Kya hua?”
“Sam…Sam ne apna finger move kiya! Maine dekha! Khud apni aakhon se dekha, usne abhi uska finger move kiya!!”
The nurse took in Vanshika’s appearance. Her hair messy, her eyes puffy and wild with what she thought was a new discovery, and a part of her maybe hopeful that the man she loved would come back to her.
“Mam, yeh possible nahin hai—"
“Hai! Hai possible maine abhi abhi dekha!!! “Vanshika yelled, frustrated the nurse wasn’t listening to her. What part of Sam moved couldn’t she understand?? Time was running short.
Aishwarya walked through the door. “Vanshika, kya hua?”
“Mom!” Vanshika rushed over to her, grabbing her hand. “Maine abhi abhi dekha, Sam ne apna finger move kiya. Apna pointer finger move kiya. Abhi! Yahan!” She shouted, taking her mom closer to Sam and to the hand that she’d seen move. “Maine abhi dekha tha!”
“Ho sakta hai itni raaton se neend nahin puri hui toh kuch galat fami ho gayi ho….” The nurse offered.
Vanshika gave her a death glare. She didn’t care what anyone thought of her or their stupid assumptions. All she cared about was saving Sam’s life, and at this moment the nurse’s stupid assumption was keeping him from getting the care and attention she knew he needed.
Just then, Veer burst into the room, his brothers, Pawan, and Balwant behind him. “Kya hua??”
“Veer!” Vanshika ran to Veer. “Veer, Sam ne move kiya. Maine dekha. Usne abhi abhi apni finger move ki!” Vanshika explained frantically, pointing a finger in Sam’s direction and watching Veer’s face for his reaction.
“K..k..kya? Matlab…” Veer dared to hope, tears rimming his eyes.
Aishwarya turned around towards the family, her stethoscope in her ears as she had just finished checking Sam.
“Tum sabko yeh room se bahar nikalna hoga, abhi. Mujhe abhi tests karwane hoge, isi waqt.”
“But mom—"
“Nahin Vanshika, tumhe bhi jaana hoga.”
Aishwarya started yelling directions at the nurse, calling for more backup. The nurse started herding everyone out of the room.
“Mom!”
“Vanshika, please samjho. Main apni poori koshish karungi bacchi, poori koshish.” Aishwarya knew how her daughter felt about Sam, knew her heart was breaking. She believed Vanshika and felt for herself that something was happening. Maybe, just maybe, Vanshika would get the miracle she prayed for. Maybe, the entire Singhania family may get the miracle they’ve been holding out for for days.
Aishwarya prayed. “Bholenaat please, please Sam ko teekh kardo. Usse phirse zindagi jeene ka mauka dedo. Pata hai maine kabhi kisi cheel ke liye prathna nahin ki. Par Sam ki zindagi cheel naagin sabse barkar hai. Please use bacha lijiye. Mujhe batayein, main use kaise bachaon? Please Bholenaath, mujh mein woh abilities de dijiye, jise mein Sam ko bacha paon. Please…”Aishwarya prayed deeply.
The hospital staff she asked for started coming in, bringing in the equipment needed. The additional doctor she wanted came in. Aishwarya exhaled, and got to work.
Veer paced the outside of Sam’s hospital room, not knowing what else to do. He was tensed and stressed. Bani’s eyes followed him from where she was standing, not knowing what she could do to help in this moment. She saw his pain at his brother’s condition etched on his face, mixed with hope that he might be ok, mixed with fear that he might lose him forever. A battle between life and death.
Vanshika had stationed herself in front of the mandir area there in the hospital, on her knees, her hands clasped in front of her, her eyes squinted shut and praying hard internally. “Main yahan se nahin uttungi jab tak tum mere Sam ko teekh nahin kar dete. Nahin uttungi. Agar din bhi lag jaye toh mujhe koi farak nahin padta. Main na yahan se hiloongi, aur nahi kuch khaongi, jab tak tum Sam ko nahin teekh kardete.
Vanshika had never demanded anything in her life the way she demanded for Samrat to have his life back again.
“VANSHIKA!” She heard a distant voice. “Vanshika!”
Vanshika opened her eyes from the meditative state she slipped into. She saw Meera running towards her.
“Sam ko hosh aagaya, Vanshika! Usse hosh aagaya!”
“Kya??!!” It was like an explosion of emotions inside of V, she didn’t know how to handle, she didn’t know what to do. She quickly got up and started towards Meera, halting for a second, looking back to the idol of bhagwan, tears rimming her eyes, “Thank you” she expressed, joining her hands for a quick moment of heartfelt gratitude before she darted off towards Meera and both ran to Sam’s room.
The family was outside the room, the Singhania brothers hugging each other, happiness bounding off the walls of the hospital wing that had seen nothing but sadness for days.
Vanshika weaved her way past everyone to the door to Sam’s room. A nurse stationed outside stopped her.
“Abhi aap andar nahin jaa sakti. Kisi ko bhi ijazat nahin hai,” the nurse said, putting her hand over Vanshika’s outstretched hand on the door knob.
“Kya matlab hai andar nahin jaa sakti. Sam uthgaya na? Mujhe use milna hai.” She tried to push past the nurse. Vanshika felt a hand on her shoulder, she turned towards it seeing Bani, tear stains on her face, a big smile on her lips.
“V abhi nahin. Main jaanti hoon tum usse milna chati ho, but abhi rukh jao. Bua aayengi aur ijazat degi toh hum andar jaayenge. Bas, yeh samjho ke Sam teek hai. Humara Sam teekh hai.”
Bani touched V’s cheek, knowing the pain she’d gone through. “Tumhara Sam teekh hai.”
V looked at Bani then, as if really seeing her, and fell into her embrace, letting out a relieved sob and the heaviness she’d been carrying in her for days. Vanshika didn’t have many words left in her, out of everything she went through. She didn’t even know how to begin to express what she felt, so she squeezed Bani back tightly, hoping her sister would understand. Bani hugged her back tightly in response, holding her together, soothing her, letting her know that it was going to be okay.
Aishwarya came out of the room, a smile of absolute relief on her face. Pawan, Balwant, and the boys all hounded her, asking about their brother, son, nephew. She told them to calm down and wait a bit. Sam would be okay, and they’ll be able to go in soon. Aishwarya’s eyes sought Vanshika. She wanted more than anything to put her out of her devastation the past few days.
“Vanshika, Sam teekh hai. He’s okay. He won’t go into coma. Main nahin jaanti yeh sab kaise hua. Iska sirf ek hi jawab hai mere paas.” She looked at Bani, who said “Shivji.”
Aishwarya nodded. She looked at her daughter, who’d refused to take a step away from the hospital all these days. She was in the same clothes she was in days ago when Sam was brought in and she’d barely eaten these past few days.
“Vanshika, abh who teek hai. Please ghar jao, aur fresh ho kar aao. Hum sab hai yahan.”
“No mom, itna wait kiya hai, aur bhi karlungi, I don’t care. Mujhe sirf Sam ko dekhna hai.”
“Please meri bacchi, samjho baat.”
“No!” V folded her arms and stood there stubborn.
“Aunty, chaiye toh main Vanshika ke kapde le aaun ghar se, aur woh yahan fresh ho sakti hai,” Meera offered.
“Thank you, Meera,” Aishwarya accepted gratefully, knowing her daughter wasn’t going to budge.
In an hour, Meera returned with V’s clothes, having taken them from her apartment. She had blue jeans, a fitted black sleeveless top, and a black jacket to go on top.
Vanshika took her clothes gratefully, saying thanks to Meera and going into her mom’s office for some privacy.
In the meanwhile, the Singhanias received the green light to go see Sam, and they eagerly moved into the room, surrounding Sam’s bed in seconds.
Sam opened his eyes to see his family surrounding him. Wires were still attached to him, and he would still be under observation, but the worst was over, and he was awake again.
“Aise kyun dekh rahe ho jaise koi margaya,” he whispered hoarsely, coughing due to his dry throat and the fact that he hadn’t spoken in days.
“Chup!” Pawan reprimanded. “Pata bhi hai kya bol raha hai? It’s not funny!” Pawan felt so relieved. He always had a softer spot for Sam and these past few days had been nothing short of hell for him. He had a hard time accepting his son would go away forever. He had a hard time accepting his son had left for a while previously…accepting that he’d never return? It would take everything in him to come back from trauma like that.
A nurse gave Sam some sips of water, instructing him to drink slowly.
“Joke tha, chill yaar,” Sam smiled slightly, wiping his lips and being helped up by the nurse who helped prop him up a bit on the bed so he wasn’t straining his neck so much to see everyone at the end of the bed.
“Hey Sam is back!” Veer yelled loudly, throwing his hands up and head back, smiling wide and forgetting his own physical pain and giving everyone a glimmer of the favorite sanki Veer. He walked up to Sam and bent down towards him, “Tujhe main kuch hone bhi nahin deta saale. Kabhi marne ki baat wapas mat karna,” he said warningly pointing a finger in Sam’s direction. Sam was exhausted, and still trying to work himself out of a haze, and nodded softly. Sorry Veer bhai, maine tumhe bahaut sataya. Help karne aaya tha, but…” he waved his hand over his body, indicating the damage done. Tum yahan ho uska matlab tumne us…us Farishte ko maardiya? Sam inquired, wondering what had happened these past few days.
Bani cut in before Veer could say anything. “Sam, tumhe abhi abhi hosh aaya hai, yeh sab baatein badme bhi ho sakti hai” she explained, not wanting to tell him anything about Veer yet lest he worry more for his brother and tearing down farishta then focusing on his own recovery.
Vanshika walked down the hall towards Sam’s room and noticed the hall empty. She looked inside through the window and realized everyone had gone in without her. She saw Sam’s face through the window. He was propped up on pillows talking to Veer who was kneeling beside his bed, and Bani standing next to Veer. A sense of peaceful relief washed over her. She saw the weakness and exhaustion on Sam’s face, showing the battle he’d been fighting all these days. All of a sudden, she felt a bit uneasy about going in. Could he have heard anything she said to him these past few days? Was he listening? Did he know what she confessed just hours before? How could she face him having her feelings out there in the open like that?
“Pehle andar jaane ki zidd kar rahi thi aur abh yahan kari ho?” Aishwarya asked, eyebrows raised. “Chalo andar,” Aishwarya pushed open the door taking Vanshika’s hand and pulling her inside. Aishwarya made her way to Sam’s bed while Vanshika hung back, staying behind Meera where she wouldn’t be noticed.
“Sam, tumne sab ko dara hi diya tha. Yeh kaisi harkat hai?” Aishwarya said, putting on her stethoscope to check him, her lips tilted into a playful smile.
“Singhania family mein koi bhi din ordinary nahin hota,” Sam chuckled, coughing.
Aishwarya was here now, but that’s not who Sam was looking for. His eyes travelled from person to person. Vanshika could see him searching. Something inside of her knew what he was seeking. Looking towards the door, he saw her standing behind Meera. Sam held her intently in his gaze, from the top of her head, her hair that looked like it hadn’t been properly brushed, to her eyes staring intently back at him, dark circles underneath. Her cheeks looked sunken and she looked more frail than he remembered seeing her. His mind went back to feeling the wetness of her tears on his hand and for a second, he picked up his left hand that she’d been holding just hours earlier, and stared at it.
Vanshika couldn’t take her eyes off him. A part of her wanted to sink back further towards the door and maybe even run from the room, another part of her felt cemented into the ground, anxious about whether or not he heard her earlier, not wanting to stray far from him regardless. She could watch an awake Sam for days if it meant taking away the horrific images of him lying almost lifeless the past few days. She saw Sam break his gaze for a moment and stare at his left hand, the same hand she’d held. He looked back up at her. Vanshika sharply sucked in a breath, her heartbeat started to quicken. Shit, he heard.
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