Meant To Be

Kalank: Part 5

An overwhelming smell of disinfectant, distant hushed voices and a familiar sense of warmth wrapped around her hands.

"Chal, Kabir. Aapki ammi ko hum aaram karne dete hain."
And, Vashma felt the little fingers unwrapping from her hand. She tried to move her fingers in a way to stop them, but their distant footsteps stated otherwise.

Her eyes fluttered, scrunching close at the bright light. She could not move her hand, her head or her body as much as she tried to. She felt weak and exhausted.
Her eyelids slowly opened, allowing the blinding light to slowly subside as she squinted at the blurry silhouettes around her. She glanced at the dull ambience of the room, a regular beep beep chiming from the machine beside her. A hospital.

But, how long had she been here?
She shut her eyes again, nauseous from focusing too hard as the pain jolted throughout her body. Her head hurt.

All the memories hit her like a sudden giant wave and she immediately opened her eyes, making her way down to look at the man beside her.
Having protectively held her hand in his, he rested his head on the bed, seeming to have fallen asleep while muttering his 'adventures' of the day to her.

She blinked rapidly to prevent spilling out the beads of tears forming at the brink of her eyelids, her lips twitching in a way to speak, though no words made their way out.
She clutched his hand tight, trying to get up with much effort but the wires around her got in her way.

Uday felt the firm grip on his hand, and opened his eyes clumsily, still half asleep and looked around confused.
His eyes widened in realization as Vashma was struggling to sit up straight, her eyes closed tight.
"Vash-Vashma!" He immediately dashed in front of her, holding her back.
"Uthte hi kya bahaduri dikha rahi hai", he chastised, holding her hand gently in his and helping her up. Sliding a pillow behind her, he finally withdrew himself, looking at her once he was done.

They kept looking, never once had they had such silence around them. But today, it seemed peaceful. Finally, at comfort.
"Oye, tu thik hai?" He asked softly, breaking the reverie, as he cupped her face in his hands, gently brushing the little beads of moisture rolling down her cheeks, tears threatening to spill over his own.
Unable to form any words, Vashma threw her arms around his neck the next moment, burying her face in his chest, her whole body racked with sobs, scared that he might disappear the next moment.
He stumbled back from the sudden foray, resting his arms on her back as he found his balance– the balance of his life. The light to his dark, the chaos to his calm. Overwhelmed tears swimming in his dark brown orbs, he had a content smile etched across his face as he planted featherlight kisses on her forehead, caressing her hair like a precious glass doll that'd break from the lightest touch and rubbed her back in soothing circles.

She buried her face deeper as all the memories played in her head like a filmroll that didn't seem to stop. As much as she wanted to hide from 'them', they seemed to lurk closer to her. All she wanted at the moment, was him to hold her close and tell her that everything was okay.
He seemed to have sensed her turmoil as he uttered softly, pulling her closer to himself and pressing his lips to her forehead, "Dekh, main hoon na yaha, kuch nahi hoga tujhe." He put his hand on her head, stroking it gently as Vashma nodded against his chest.

He parted from the hug just enough to look at her, she still clutching onto his shirt.
Before he could even form words, overwhelmed from everything that happened in the past few minutes, she muttered through her hiccups, "Tune mujhe bacha liya", and looked down.
"Oye oye Vashma", he held her face in his hands almost immediately, causing her to look up, "Oye maine tujhe nahi bachaya. Tune to khudko bachaya hai", and smiled.
"Meri Vashma to is jahaan ki sabse bahadur kudi hai... hai na?" He asked brushing her cheeks gently, and she nodded, "Haan", the softness in his voice causing a faint smile to appear on her face.

The brave facade that he'd been holding up for her, shattered like a card house at her frail voice and he wrapped his arms around her petite frame, sniffling quietly, nudging his head in the crook of her neck, "Oye main kya karta yaar tere bina? Teri baatein sune bina na har pal jaise saalon ki tarah lagta tha. Tujhe pata nahi hai maine ye do din kaise kaate hain."
Putting her own arms around him, she rubbed his back slowly whilst also easing the loud palpitations against her own chest.
"Har cheez mein hi mujhe teri baatein nazar aati thi, Vashma... Agar Vashma yaha hoti to aisa karti-waisa karti. Abhi daanti, abhi bulati", he sniffled, nudging closer.

“Kaash main apni baaki ki sari zindagi tere seene se lag ke guzaar du.”
“Bas mauka mile, teri baahon mein zindagi guzaarne ka.”

Wrapped up in the safe embrace of each other's arms, they were finally at home. At peace.

Uday pulled back after a while, pressing his lips onto her temple and brushing away the few unruly tresses falling on her face.
"Oye tu mujhse waada kar, mujhe chhod ke kabhi nahi jaegi."

As much as she wanted to smile, a fragile one appeared on her face. Pressing her forehead to his, she held his hand, intertwining their fingers and whispered softly, only enough for him to hear, "Kabhi nahi."

They sat, foreheads pressed against one another, basking in the serenity until it lasted, before Uday pulled back, "Ab tujhe bilkul koi pareshan hone ki zaroorat nahi hai, thik hai? Hum sab hai yaha-".

"Ammi jaag gayi!" Sounded an excited voice from the door, as Kabir rushed inside, and threw his arms around her.
"Humne aapko bahut zyada yaad kiya", he muttered, burying his head onto her lap.
Uday looked at Vashma, as she blinked at him in assurance.
Making him sit up beside her, she popped a brow at him, "Oye, fir tune hamari gair-haziri mein to sari barfiyaan safachat kar di hongi, hai na?"
The moisture swimming in his eyes turned to a sheepish grin in no time to which Vashma shook her head dramatically, "Shaitaan!"

"Ab hum ammi ko kahi nahi jane denge, hai na Kabir?" Uday asked, tickling his feet as the little kid nodded through his giggles with much effort, his laughter filling up the room.
"Accha? Fir mithaiyaan to nahi milegi." Vashma stated strictly.
He pouted in an innocent frown, snuggling closer to her and whispered in her ears as a hushed secret loud enough for anyone to hear, "Ammi, hum aapse mithaiyon se bhi zyada pyaar karte hain", and squealed gleefully.
Before any of them had even registered his baby words, he stood up on the bed, throwing his arms around both of them, as they both pecked his cheek, whilst entwining their own fingers, the twilight descending on their smiling faces.

–and, this was how they were meant to be. ✨

| the end |

A/N: AHA, here it ends! Do drop your reviews. 🤍
Honestly, I loved writing this so much. And each one of the comments and reviews will always be so precious to me. Thank you for taking your time out to give this a read!
Might be back with a new storyline soon, till then, signing off!

xoxo,
Aditi.