Shanaya closely watched as Ahail’s chest slowly rose and fell. Her eyes shifted to his relaxed face. Her brother looked calm and almost too still. He’s breathing, she reminded herself. He’s alright now. She shook her head, realizing she had been doing it again. Her eyes would flicker to Ahail every few minutes, as if he were going to die if she did not look at him. He was not going to wake up for several hours. The doctor had administered sedatives and put him to sleep. Sighing, Shanaya leaned her head against the headrest of the couch placed beside the hospital bed. Her hand brushed over the velvet surface. She had been lying down on it for a while but despite its comfort, she could not bring herself to get any sleep. She looked across the room at Harish who was soundly sleeping on a chair. She had assured him she would be fine and if she needed anything she would call him but in spite of telling her uncle to leave several times, he had insisted on staying back with her in the h
Shanaya had no clue how much she had wanted that. How much she needed a hug. For a moment all she could really do was stand still, trying to get herself to accept that this was really happening. Then she eased into Dhruv’s arms, letting—even if briefly—for all the worry to dissipate from her mind. She hugged him back with all the strength she could muster. She feared she would crush him, but she heard him sigh loudly and then his grip on her waist tightened. She closed her eyes, losing herself in the moment. She could hear Dhruv’s heart beating rapidly in his chest and felt his breath on her ears. When she opened her eyes again, tears streamed down her cheeks. “I don’t want to let go,” she mumbled weakly. It wasn't long before she was sobbing. She did her best to be quiet but her breath was ragged. And her chest felt empty as if her heart had been ripped out of it. Dhruv eased his arms around her. “You don’t have to.”Shanaya protested, “Don’t leave me just yet. Don’t, please.”
Shanaya felt her palms go slick with sweat. She walked in front of her Dhruv, guiding him to where Ahail was. The hesitation in her feet to walk there was not unnoticeable. Dhruv asked her if she was okay and she looked at him, halting briefly to mumble a ‘yes’.When they finally reached the room, she sucked in a deep breath before turning the knob on the door. Harish was not sleeping anymore. His phone was glued to his ear and he was pacing impatiently back and forth across the room. When he finally noticed her and Dhruv standing at the door, a look crossed his face. Shanaya could not decipher it.“I’ve been calling you,” Harish complained in a whisper, walking to her. His eyes darted to Dhruv who stood silently. Shanaya could not see the look on Dhruv’s face as he stood behind her. But the look on Harish’s face made her feel uneasy. She shook her head, her eyes going to the couch where she had left her phone. Her uncle followed her gaze and a disappointed sigh left his mouth. She
Silence lingered in the air. A minute passed, then another. Then a few more. All they did was stare at each other from across the room. Dhruv appeared to be looking for words, perhaps to explain his absence, but he had nothing to say. Then he shook his head, his eyes lowering to his shoes. He licked his lips and then looked directly into his eyes. “I was scared,” he confessed, taking slow steps toward her.Shanaya’s anger dissolved in a moment. It was as if she had woken up from a dream. The look on Dhruv’s face made her feel guilty for saying those words to him. When he was right in front of her, he knelt down. He took her hands in his, running his thumb across the back of her palm. Suddenly Shanaya felt aware of everything around her. His unblinking eyes were intently fixed on her. “Shan, I wish I could go back and fix everything. Trust me, if I could I would.”She could no longer hold his gaze. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what he meant. Pulling her hands away from his,
“You said you weren’t hungry,” Dhruv said all of a sudden, breaking the stretched period of silence between them. Shanaya paused chewing the food in her mouth, and glared at him. Dhruv let out a chuckle, feeling amused at his successful attempt to annoy her. He went back to eating his own food leisurely, looking way too comfortable sitting in that hospital canteen. Wearing a plain gray t-shirt over black joggers, she could not understand how he managed to look just out of bed and effortlessly handsome at the same time.Shanaya’s stomach had rumbled suddenly when she sensed the smell of hot food, and the weakness in her knees had become evident. She knew she could not go long without eating and starving herself was something she had promised her mother she would never do. Shanaya's eyes darted around the room. She said, “I’ve never stayed a night at a hospital before. I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t this.” Even at 2AM, there were still people here in the canteen for foo
Dhruv's expression softened as he gazed at her, his eyes filled with an unspoken regret. "I know I messed up, Shan. I was foolish, and I hurt you. But please believe me when I say that I never stopped thinking about you all these years. You were always in my thoughts, and I never forgot the way you were there for me when I needed you the most." Shanaya felt a strange mix of emotions bubbling inside her chest, and she couldn't help but feel torn between the past and the present. Dhruv had been her closest friend for years, and she had shared everything with him. He had become a lot more to her, but when he had suddenly pushed her out of his life without any explanation, she had been left heartbroken and confused. What he was doing to her—whatever it was that he was saying to her at that moment was unfair. She felt rage course through her veins along with a sharp pain in her chest. How could Dhruv make her feel comfortable in one moment and angry in the next? How could she still let
A moment passed before Shanaya approached the bed, noticing the IV drip and other medical equipment that surrounded Ahail. She couldn't bear to see her brother like this. As she stood by his bedside, tears began to well up in her eyes. She couldn't believe that the person she loved so much was going through this. She knew she had to be strong for him and for her family, but she felt helpless. Suddenly, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see her uncle standing there with a concerned expression on his face. He looked at her and said, "I'm sorry you had to see him like this, but he's going to be okay. The doctors are doing everything they can to help him." Shanaya felt ashamed, having been found in the state she was in. She nodded, trying to keep her composure. She knew Harish was right, but seeing Ahail like this made her feel so powerless. When she glanced at Harish, she found tears in her eyes too. He began in a voice that was too painful to her ears, “I’m to be
When Shanaya walked out of the hospital room that morning, she found Dhruv sleeping on one of the metal chairs placed outside in the hallway. The back of his head rested against the smooth tiled wall behind, his hands clasped together in his lap. Her shoulders tensed when she saw the way he was sitting—his back arched, one leg crossed over the other, making for a bad posture. When she walked to him, his eyes fluttered open. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you up,” she apologised softly, wondering what he was still doing there. His tongue flickered over his bottom lip as he folded his arms. “That’s too bad, Shanaya. I was having the best dream.”She did not fail to grasp the sarcasm in his voice; just like her, he had got no sleep the previous night. “What did you dream about?” she still asked. Dhruv sat up straight in his chair, finally fixing his posture. Her shoulders relaxed as she watched him come up with a response. “I’ll tell you while we’re having breakfast,” he finall