Shivaay blinked his eyes a few times.
Whatever he was expecting, was definitely not this.
No, he had not even imagined it in his dreams. Not the nightmares.
Seeing his wife all bruised. He took small baby steps towards her. She had cuts all over her hands, some fresh while some were drying . Blood covered her skin. Her skin was pale except the the blood stains. And her shirt, it was soaked in blood.
It broke everything in him.
He stumbled and then sat down on the stool beside her. She looked miserable. The once smiling face was gone.
It was just too much to take in. His mind was numb. It wasn’t functioning.
He felt something wet on his cheek, then realized it was his tears. What could have happened in these six months? What made her condition like this?
His trend of thoughts were broken by a gasp.
“Bhabi?” Rudra breathed out. His once beautiful and cheerful bhabi looked miserable. Tears sprung his eyes. What had happened?
He composed himself a bit and immediately went to escort the doctor. After a few minutes, he rushed in with the doctor.
The doctor immediately asked to Rudra to take his brother Shivaay outside. Following the doctor’s instructions, he ushered his elder brother outside.
All this while, Shivaay’s mind was numb. His brain wasn’t registering anything. Nothing at all.
Shivaay sat on the bench, trying to contemplate whatever ghat had happened in the last twenty-four hours. First the mysterious note, one more note and now Anika coming back — in a situation he hadn’t imagined.
Things swivelled in his head.
Seeing her once again, Shivaay’s head whirled with memories. It was as if someone had hammered his memory back that all the memories rushed back to him.
“Shivaay” Anika’s voice was soothing and calm. Shivaay’s head snapped up and he saw Anika sit beside him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking his hair.
“Babe, I’m not going to whisper those sweet nothings to you. I just want you to know that he’s in there fighting for his life and you can’t give up. You have to fight too. Fight against the negative and uncertain feelings in your heart. The terrible thoughts that are lurking in your mind. He is going to come back. For you, for Rudra, for Gauri and for all of us. He has something to come back for, so he will…he has people who love him so he’s fighting for them” she whispered. Her demeanor was calm and collected and Shivaay wondered how.
He lifted his head and looked her into the eye.
She was strong or she was trying to be, Shivaay didn’t know that but he was certain that a tear had rolled down her cheek when he wasn’t looking. She was breaking too, it was hurting her too yet she was here trying to help him gather himself.
“Shush…don’t say anything ” he chocked. “You can cry” he said before pressing his lips to her.
So she did. She let her heart out, letting what had been crushing her in that one kiss.
He knew if she didn’t let her heart out, it would get to her sooner or later.
He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not never.
Reality dawned upon him. Hitting him right in the gut. His once numb mind started functioning again. All he could think about was her. Was she going to be okay? What if she isn’t?
He shook his head violently at the latter thought. She was going to be okay. She had to. He was going to make sure she was okay. That she came back.
Shivaay stood up and saw the doctor coming out from the ward. He liked weary and very tired. There were bags under his eyes.
The doctor let out a sigh and faced Shivaay. “The injury on her head is internal and we are pretty sure that it has done severe damage but we don’t have any particular idea as to what damage is done—” the doctor was cut short by Shivaay, who was waiting to know if Anika was okay.
“Is she okay?” He asked, a little too rudely.
“Yes, she is” those were the last words that Shivaay paid heed to. She was okay. His wife was okay. And she was going to come back in his life.
He didn’t care what the doctor said; as long as Anika was okay, everything was.
His chain of thoughts were broken by the doctor snapping his fingers in front of him to get his attention.
“You can go in there”
———
Anika was never just his bhabhi. She was like a big sister to him. A mother. She would tease him, scold him, whine with him and defend him against all his brothers.
She was beautiful. Not just on outside but inside. Her soul was pure. So raw. That even the worst couldn’t stain it.
She was a sweetheart and she was the best. Her antics made her the cutest. She was like a child. Something Rudy adored about his bhabhi because she was so alike him. The same childishness, same antics, same stupidity. And the obsession for the TV serials.
She, Rudra’s bhabhi, played Xbox with him and where do you find a girl who plays Xbox? Not really.
“Rudra” Anika called out to her brother-in-law. Favorite you might add.
She noticed that he was slumped against the wall,crying his eyes out. She took cautious steps towards him and placed a hand over his shoulder. He immediately looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and tears were streaming down his face.
She hated seeing him like that.
It broke her.
“The doctor said he’s okay” that caught Rudra’s attention almost instantly.
“Really?” He asked, feeling hopeful.
“You know I don’t lie” she joked a bit. “No go and wash your face or otherwise when Om wakes up he’s gonna tease you about being a crybaby”
Anika, for sure knew how to cheer Rudra up because after hearing her he had started babbling about how he hated that his brothers always called him a cry baby.
His bhabhi was the best.
And he was going to protect her now.
Always.