WAJHA TUM HO

18. || Torn Between Realities ||

Ananya was devastated upon realizing that he was not her Dev. She became lost in his face, as it reminded her so much of the one she had loved. She was to be discharged the next day, so he left with tears in his eyes. Overwhelmed by the high dose of medication, Ananya fell into a restless sleep.

The next evening, Dev arranged the discharge papers and entered Ananya's cabin, where she was getting ready, no longer wearing hospital clothes. He announced, "Ana... I mean, Mrs. Joshi, your discharge papers are ready. I'll drop you off at your address since it seems you have no one here..."

Ananya looked at him, her eyes filling with tears as she lost herself in his face. He repeated his request for her to come with him, but she remained silent, staring at him with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

With a heavy sigh, Dev took her hand and led her to the parking lot. She followed him like a lifeless body, her eyes never leaving his face. Once she was seated in the car, he asked for her address, but she was still lost in thought. Snapping his fingers to bring her back to reality, she finally gave him the hotel address. He dropped her off and left, tears welling up in his eyes.

Ananya entered her room, locked the door, and headed to the washroom. She turned on the shower, leaning against the wall and gripping the shower knob. Her tears mixed with the water as she lamented, "Why, Dev? Why won't you let me live or die in peace? Your memories haunt me, and seeing that face every day feels like torture. I can't endure this pain anymore. Why did I do all that? Why did I ruin myself?"

Meanwhile, Dev was tormented by his memories of her. He whispered to himself, "Why are you so precious to me that my heart loves you with all its might, yet my mind despises you just as intensely? I thought I'd be at peace seeing you suffer, but my soul finds no solace."

Ananya was equally shattered, lost in memories of Dev. Her tears pleaded for mercy, wishing her heart would stop, yet his name echoed with every beat of her heart.

As night fell, Ananya stood by the window, staring at the moon and thinking of Dev. Suddenly, she heard her name, "Ananya." She turned around but saw no one, shivering with fear. "Wh...who's there?" she stammered, but no one answered. She checked the room, found no one, and returned to the window. The sound of music filled the air, making her heart skip a beat.

"Wh...where is this music coming from?" Ananya wondered, stepping out of her room to follow the sound. She felt his presence in the music, her heart and soul surrendering to it. She ran through the dark, chilly night, reaching an abandoned place surrounded by eerie trees. Snow was falling, and the music continued to play.

She wandered around, desperate to see him, feel his presence. With tears streaming down her face, Ananya cried out, "Dev, where are you? I know you're here, close to me, in my breath, in every beat of my heart. Please, come to me, Dev."

The music drove her to madness, her tears flowing freely. Suddenly, Dev grabbed her hand. She smiled, feeling warmth instead of fear. Turning around, she saw Dev. He looked like her Dev, not Debu. Her smile grew as Dev twirled her, and the song "Wajah Tum Ho" began playing in the background.

While twirling her, he hugged her from behind and started dancing. She smiled through her tears, moving to the rhythm. When the song ended, Ananya hugged him tightly and murmured against his chest, "You won't leave me again, will you, Debu?"

Dev hugged her back, closing his eyes as he lost himself in the warmth he had longed for. But soon, anger filled his eyes as he remembered her betrayal. He took out an anesthesia injection and injected it into her neck. Ananya winced in pain before falling unconscious in his arms.

Caressing her face and kissing her forehead, Dev whispered with a strange passion, "This night will haunt your dreams, but your reality will be with Debu. This meeting might be real, but for you, it will feel like a dream, a dream that won't let you live. I was madly in love with you, but now, my madness is because of you."