The Lines of Fate

21: See it as a gift

T/W: Some parts of this chapter may be slightly triggering. However, it's necessary for the plot.

Guilt...It was the only thing that Radhika felt at that time. She was standing on the left side of the corridor on the hospital's fifth floor looking at her hands.

The memories of the day before yesterday didn't leave her. Though her hands were clean now she still couldn't forget her blood-stained hands.

Flashback...

She found Keshav stabbed in the stomach when she reached his apartment. Vaarsh, realizing he stroke with someone suspicious in the corridor ran after the guy along with Dhruv.

She and Ansh brought Keshav to the hospital. She stood in front of the operation theatre looking at Keshav as he was being taken in. Her sight slowly moved from there to her trembling hands.

Blood dripped onto the floor from her fingers. She still couldn't believe what just happened. Never had she been frightened like this before. She didn't even realize it when Rishav came and started calling her.

"Rai...Rai" Rishav called her name but there was no reply. Tears were falling from her eyes but she was not moving at all. Rishav was far more afraid of seeing her like that...she was in the same condition she was when she saw her father's dead body.

"RAI!!!!!" Rishav leaned down and cupped her face, shaking her gently, hoping to release her from her trance.

"Don't be like that...Rai...Rai..." He kept on shaking her, getting more frightened with every second. He can't let her become like that; he can't let her go in the same condition due to which she had to take mental counseling. "Don't cry, hm?

"Quiet," Radhika muttered, her voice shaking, and she was reminded of the topic she brought when they were in the café, "I told you all it had been too quiet!"

"I-I couldn't p-protect him...." Radhika muttered, her voice so soft, that it looked like her lips didn't move at all. "I-I couldn't protect baba, it's all my fault..."

"NO!!" Rishav yelled making Ansh flinch from the side. "Rai...it's not your fault. The killer did this...you don't need to feel like this."

"DADA!!!" Radhika jerked out of Rishav's grip. "Can't you see the situation? Keshav is in the operation theatre. Due to me, he got hurt. What if something happens to him? I will never be able to forgive myself."

"Rai! It's not for you." Rishav said taking a few steps closer. "Due to you, we were able to bring him to the hospital today, or else we would never find out so quickly. Don't blame yourself. Don't feel guilty."

Flashback end.

Rishav told her not to feel guilty but she still couldn't stop herself. Every time she remembered how lifeless Keshav looked, made her feel guilty even more.

Keshav was stable after undergoing an operation. He was going to be discharged two days later but Radhika still couldn't go and meet him.

She was not able to protect him or even find any clue of who did that. She felt ashamed of herself. Did she join the police for this?? Not being able to find a killer. Every time he or she escaped without any trace.

She saw how everyone around her was frustrated. Rishav said he had never seen Dhruv so disturbed before. He never suffered so much in solving any case. Further, there was pressure from the upper hands to close the case as fast as possible. The victims were all big figures.