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Chapter Five

Days had turned into weeks and weeks into months.

After that ill-fated day, Vansh rarely found himself at the VR Mansion. Instead of being in the horrid place that had taken everything from him, he chose to spend every moment he could spare with one of the few people who actually cared about him.

Wringing out the excess water, Vansh gently patted Riddhima's face with the washcloth.

Three months had passed and she still hadn't woken up. There had been a few times when there was a spike in her brain activity. The first time it occurred, it had worried the doctors and they had to operate on her to remove the blood clots that had formed. The spikes that had occurred after that were more hopeful as Riddhima showed small responses to various administered stimuli. Still, it wasn't enough to definitively declare she was on an upwards path of recovery.

Vansh ran the back of his finger against her cheek, and mentally repeated her last request to him, Please come back home.

There was no one there for him. As he had ordered, Aryan and his parents were exiled from the mansion. Ishani had left out of her own volition and had soon sent Aangre the divorce papers. His grandmother and little sister had left as well and were staying at one of their farmhouses.

Them leaving the mansion hadn't been enough for Vansh. Their reaction to the truth about his mother's murder had been so callous and cold, Vansh had to question whether they even held a beating heart. Whatever modicum of hope he had about having a blood family came through Siya and the phone calls she made while sneaking away from their grandmother. He could still feel the midnight cool air hitting his skin as he listened to his sister cry over the phone. He had wanted to wrap her in his warm embrace and reassure her that she wasn't alone in this heartbreak. But that would have been a lie and he had just about enough of those in his life.

Vansh was dipping the washcloth into the bowl of water when he heard a small groaning from his side. He turned his attention to it and saw Riddhima pinch her face as she made an effort to wake up. He dropped the washcloth and leaned over her. His face was split into the widest smile he had ever worn and his eyes had watered instantaneously.

He moved his hands around in various positions unsure of which one would be okay for her given her condition.

After much difficulty, he pushed through the lump in his throat and forced himself to speak her name. Her eyelids fluttered but when she tried to open them fully, she couldn't. The bright fluorescent light happened to be too harsh for her eyes.

Vansh ran towards the light switch and quickly shut them all off. Hurrying back to her side, he held her hand close to his chest.

"Riddhima." He spoke earnestly. With great courage, he ran his hand over her hair. "Riddhima, please aankhein kholo."

Slowly, she opened them and stared ahead. Pressing his lips to the back of her hand, he cried. It had been so long since he saw those beautiful doe eyes. He got frightened when she began to close her eyelids again.

"Nahi Riddhima, meri taraf dekho." He urged.

She slid her eyes towards him and his heart beat fast against his ribcage. Her eyes widened from seeing him and the erratic beeping of the heart monitors indicated her heart had also started to beat fast.

"Vansh?" She spoke in a rough, scratchy voice.

"Haan." He cupped the side of her face and pressed his forehead against hers. He kissed the hand he held and weeped along with her.

"Vansh." She weakly moved her arms to hug him. "Vansh tum aa gaye. Mein jaanti thi tum aao ge."

He cried and returned the embrace.

Sniffling, she slightly pulled away from him, "Vansh tumhe pata hai mein bahut cheeki but meri help karne koi nahi aaya. Meine tumse kaha tha mujhe aise akela chod kar mat jao. Tum please phir se aise mat chod na."

He furiously shook his head and cupped her face. "Nahi Riddhima, bilkul nahi. Mein tumhe phir kabhi nahi chodunga. I promise."

He hugged her again and soaked in the warmth she provided. All the love, and comfort of a home that he wanted was seemingly all right there in her arms. He turned his head and softly pressed a kiss against her cheek. He slowly pulled away from her to see if she had been okay with it. She had her eyes closed and she sniffled, but made no other indication that she didn't like his advancement.

Vansh had opened his mouth to speak when he was interrupted by the lead doctor and a nurse. He pulled away from Riddhima so that they could assess her but she grabbed his forearm, refusing to part ways with him.

"Riddhima, I'm right here." He quietly reassured her.

Noticing her suspicious eyes on the doctors, he explained who they were and allowed them to take over to explain what had happened to her in the past few months. She slowly nodded her head and performed the necessary tests.

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Given the disuse of her limbs for so many months, Riddhima had difficulties walking and doing some basic movements. While it had worried him immensely, she had reassured him that with the appropriate exercises and time she would recuperate just fine. Vansh knew he should trust her judgment with this matter given her job as a physiotherapist, but part of him still worried.

"Kya hua?" Riddhima quietly asked, resting her hand over his.

He gave her a tight smile to allay her worry. She pulled her hand back and lowered her head.

"Vansh," She spoke heavily, "I-I'm sorry. Mujhe tum par aise shaq nahi karna chahiye tha."

Vansh placed his hand against her cheek and shook his head. "Woh sab ab purani baatein hai Riddhima. Bhool jao."

"Nahi bhool sakti Vansh aur tumhe bhi bhool na nahi chahiye. Meine tumhare saath bahut bura kiya hai."

"Aur meine bhi." When she began shaking her head, he spoke in firmer words, "Meine bhi tumhe bahut tang kiya hai Riddhima." Interlocking their fingers together, he held her hand against his chest. But tumne phir bhi mera saath nahi choda. Even though I was so mad with you, you risked your life to give me the truth. You have no idea how much that means to me." He kissed their clasped hands.

"You're not mad at me anymore?" She asked weakly.

Vansh shook his head. "No, not at all." Holding her cheeks, he leaned forward to kiss her on the forehead. With his head lowered, he asked her, "Do you still hate me?"

She shook her head. "Nahi."

He wanted to ask her if she loved him, but stopped himself from doing so. She wanted a good man for a husband, and Vansh was anything but that. He stared at their intertwined hands and wished he never had to fear losing her. Through no less than miraculous means he was able to get her back from the hands of Death. But if she chose to leave him herself? The last time she had dared to do so, he had gotten her to stay back through the forceful bond of marriage. What excuse could he use this time? If he gave the sake of their marriage, of the love that he was actively stopping himself from feeling so deeply for her, would she stay?

He kissed their clasped hands once, twice, three times before he felt the strong urge to kiss her on the lips. Nudging their noses, and breathing slowly, he had dared himself to do just that when they heard someone clearing their throat.

Startled, Riddhima pulled herself back while Vansh looked over his shoulder. It was a nurse standing with a clipboard.

"Mr. Raisinghania, Mrs. Raisinghania is free to go. You just need to sign these few papers." She informed, handing the clipboard and a pen to Vansh.

Vansh took them and signed on the appropriate places. From the corner of his eye, he saw the heavy blush on Riddhima's, and her averted gaze. He smiled, thinking about the effect he had on her.

He gave the clipboard back and the nurse left wishing them both a pleasant goodbye.

Pocketing his hands, Vansh turned towards Riddhima. "Are you ready?"

"For?"

"To go home?"

Pursing her lips, she nodded.

Vansh wondered if she would have been happier had he released her from the marriage.