Kyon Nahi ✓ || (neirohi)

23. blood and scars

23. blood and scars

Blood, red and thick, gooey and painful, red blood, and its red stains and its disturbing smell.

His breathing now ran a race, and he was panting, his heart beating fast and his mind back to this childhood where he was lying in a pool of blood. He held his chest, rubbing it in sheer attempt to provide comfort to himself and try and remember that he was not the ten year old anymore, in fact, he was more brave than he was credited.

Neil shut his eyes, holding his head and kept breathing heavily.

He had held his fear when he had treated Aarohi's bruise, but now that he was away from her, and alone, he could not help but let his phobia take over his senses and he felt restless. Panic had now enveloped him and he was trying his best to keep the attack at par, but he just could not help but remember the blood and then Aarohi's pained expressions by that bastard who held her.

For any human, blood would mean concern, maybe even an alarming state, but to Neil, blood meant death, and that the person was going to die and this was what he heard when he supposedly unconscious with his head cracked open. His subconscious mind somehow remembered the doctors telling his family that he was going to die because of the bleeding but somehow, miraculously he did not.

But ever since, blood always reminds him of accidents, and death and seeing Aarohi bleeding again, he felt restless, breathlessness and scared that she would die even when it was just a minor injury.

Neil gasped, loudly as he sat on the chair behind the venue, this place was isolated and silent and no one would notice him here. He cried, as he panted for breath, looking up at the night sky and hoping to calm down soo but he was not getting the proper chain of thought and hence he gripped the chair itself, trying his best to get back to the present.

And then, just suddenly he felt the smell of a soothing scent enter his senses and a beautiful soothing comfort hugged him, "Breathe," She said, her sweet voice made him shut his eyes, "Breathe Devar-ji," Akshara said, hugging Neil and rubbing his back, "hold for four and exhale for four." She instructed and Neil followed her and wrapped his hands around her stomach.

Akshara was searching for Aarohi and had come across a very disturbed and heavily panting Neil and the first thing that ran in her mind was her panic attacks which was the worst. She quickly enveloped him in his arms and did what Aarohi and Abhi did to her when she was this anxious or near to panic attacks. Once Neil was breathing better, she knelt down, not minding the wet grass or dirt, she just knelt and faced Neil who was in tears and had held her hands tightly.

"You are doing so good," She comforted him, caressing his hand with her thumb and the circles of comfort brought Neil more towards the reality than the past and slowly he opened his eyes. Akshara's tilted head and heavenly smile made him feel better and the first thing he did was made her sit on the chair besides him, "breathe, Neil, don't worry about me."

Neil nodded, still holding Akshara's hand and let the tears roll down his cheeks.

"Sab theek hai," Akshara chanted words of assurance to the man, "Neil Birla, is attending Akshara Goenka's engagement," she reminded him softly, helping him ease, "everything is perfectly splendid."

Neil felt better and he met Akshara's happy eyes, "nahi bhabhi, Neil Birla..." He took another breath, this time a soft one, "is attending Akshara soon-to-be Birla's engagement and she is perfectly splendid." He said and Akshara wiped his tears, and he kissed her palm. "Thank you."

"Devar-ji, aapki soon-to-be bhabhi hu," She said, interlinking her arm with his, "aur maine suna hai ki bhabhi maa jaisi hoti hai."

"Meri wali hai," He said and they smiled.