An Aesthete - A triangle love story

Chapter 9

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Hey lovelies,

It's double update so continue to read with the Chapter 10

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Hridhay

Why the fuck is she like this?

I look around the burning space searching for the stupid who ran inside. A glass breaks from a painting frame a little away from me and I bend to avoid the shreds falling on me. The fire eats the painting piece in front of my eyes.

Though I hated him and his art for taking away my mother from me, I never wished this to happen.

My heart thuds with a weird emotion and my eyes blur with the smoke around me. I hear a feminine cough and run in that direction in search of Darshana. I take my handkerchief out and tie it around my face to avoid the smoke but the vision in front of me almost kills me.

The strong, shoulders held high girl is now standing like a crazy woman without caring about the fire around her, watching the one painting which is unaffected by the fire yet. But the fire is burning around the cardboard wall on which the painting has hung.

She takes a step front and back trying to save the painting but afraid of the fire at the same time.

"Darshi, come let's go," I pull her hand but she stands still. I forcely turn her towards me but she turns her neck and keeps looking at the image. Every second standing inside the building is dangerous for us but this girl is so crazy.

I try to lift her in my arms but she pushes me against my chest. The fire engulfs the painting and she tries to release her from my hold to run towards it. Though I shouldn't raise a hand against a woman which I have never done before, I do it without finding any other way.

Darshi comes out of her frenzy state and finally looks at me. "Ellame poochu, Hridhay," she lets out a loud cry that turns into a rigorous cough. (Everything is gone, Hridhay.)

"Let's go," I pull her and she falls against my chest crying and coughing before she faints. "Darshi, look at me," I try to wake her up but her face drops and my heart almost stops.

I get on one knee, holding her against me, I remove my coat to cover her and keep her safe from the fire before lifting her in my arms. The water oozes on us from the main entrance and windows around the gallery but she doesn't wake up.

"Darshi," I shake her but I don't get any response from her. Escaping the force of the water and fire around us, I walk halfway through the entrance when I feel something poke against my back.

I grit my teeth but continue to carry her. Before we could reach the entrance two firemen ran toward us and took us out safely.

"Hridhay." "Darshi." The brothers run towards us and I lay Darshana down on the stretcher of the waiting ambulance. The paramedics check her and say something to me.

But my ears and vision blurs before everything goes dark.

Darshana

My peace, my solace, everything is gone in a single spark of fire.

I wake up in a strange room and I try to sit up only to feel a pain in my hand and face. A nebulizer is fixed to my face, an IV is injected in my left arm for the saline and a pulse oximetry sensor is clamped on my right index finger. I'm changed into a cotton patient gown and a duvet is covering me until my chest. I let out a mild groan as I searched for the calling button to call a nurse and Ashok Anna peeks over the curtain.