What If? (An AbhiRa FF)

Chapter 6 : Truth Bombs

A. N. - I'm kind of disappointed that none of you could guess what clues I left behind in the last chapter but I'm also kind of glad because that is going to make this chapter even more appealing as I reveal the truth🙈 Happy Reading🕺🏼

The next three days went by as Akshara kept moving in and out of consciousness. Two weeks of sleep had made it difficult for her brain to adjust to the wakefulness. She was still in the critical care unit and while the doctors were positive that she was out of danger, they wanted to be precautious. The Goenkas were finally allowed to meet their daughter, one by one, at given time intervals but they still hadn't had the pleasure of making her acquaintance while she was awake. They sat there, talked to her while she was under the influence of heavy sedatives, hoping she would open her eyes and just give them a smile but it hadn't happened with any of them. The only person to have that privilege was Abhimanyu. After the night Akshara had attempted to hold his hand, indicating her responsiveness to external stimuli, Abhimanyu hadn't been able to stay away, no matter how much he tried to. Every night, he found himself right outside her room, his head and his heart at a fierce battle. And just as his heart had its victory, he would walk into the only place that provided him with a tinge of peace from the chaos of his mind. He would sit by her bed, take her hand in his and talk to her about his patients and surgeries while she slept peacefully. And every time Abhimanyu's voice cracked as emotions clogged up his throat, she would give his hand a feeble squeeze that would help Abhimanyu survive another day until Akshara finally decided to rouse. Her gesture was almost incomprehensible but he felt it every single time and it would put a smile on his face as happiness flickered in his sternum. That was a major reason he came back every night, to find the joy he didn't think he deserved anymore. Because Akshara was capable of making him feel emotions in a way no one else could. What he didn't know yet was that this was going to be the last night he experienced that.

"Tumhe koi idea nahi hai ki iss chote se gesture ki meri life mei iss waqt kya jagah hai," he murmured as tears lined his eyes and a smile stayed pasted on his face. "I know mei selfish ho raha hu. Apni khushi dhundhne har roz yaha aa jaata hu," he continued as remorse started to push away the contentment he felt moments ago. "Par mei kya karu Akshu?" He brushed his lips across her knuckles as a few tears streamed down his cheeks. "Mei dur nahi reh paa raha hu," his voice cracked. "Mei jaanta hu ki maine jis tarah se tumhare saath behave kia tha, jis tarah se tumhe hurt kia tha, uske baad mei tumhare aas-paas rehna deserve nahi karta hu aur mei har roz try karta hu Akshu. I swear," he admitted and hastily wiped off the tear trails. "Par mei nahi kar paa raha hu. I can't stay away," he professed emotionally as his eyelids fluttered close and another string of tears flowed down his face. And this time, Akshara didn't give him the squeeze of reassurance that she always did when Abhimanyu felt low. Because this time, a line of tears flowed down Akshara's eye, the one that Abhimanyu couldn't see. But when Abhimanyu opened his eyes, a certain determination covered his features. And without thinking of how Akshara would feel about his next words, he just poured them out, thinking she was still under the influence of medicines. "But I promise Akshu, jis din tum iss unconsciousness se bahar aa jaogi, mei tumhe bother karna bandh kar dunga. Apni shakal bhi tumhe nahi dikhaunga. Aur hamesha ke liye tumse dur chala jaaunga," he swore solemnly. "Because you deserve so much better than me," he added before he left the room, fearful of changing his mind, without a second glance toward Akshara who lay there with her eyes stuck to his form, the reminiscence of every word cutting her heart like a shard of glass.

Morning had arrived without a single movement from Akshara's body as her eyes stayed glued to the ceiling, just the way it had since Abhimanyu left. She had wanted to fall back into the pit of unconsciousness that had been her friend for more than a fortnight now after Abhimanyu's vow, but even that had betrayed her. It had left her in her misery like every other person in her life. She had lay awake in the same position all night as Abhimanyu's statements, the ones she had heard, played on loop in her mind and twisted her heart around itself in a string of painful knots. She hadn't expected a welcome back party but the way she had been greeted upon gaining consciousness was something that made her wish to go back to sleep and never wake up again because that way, Abhimanyu would at least keep visiting her. So, when Dr. Anand had arrived in the morning and practically rushed to her on finding her conscious, Akshara hadn't realized any of it, her brain too occupied to send signals to any of her senses. He checked the machines that surrounded her to get a glance at her vitals while she stayed immobile and unaware. When he looked back at her, he found her lost but he thought it was just her adjusting to the environment.