His Dusk, Her Dawn

Ayush's POV (iv)

The moment I opened my eyes slightly, all of the events that had occurred from the moment I had made Sandhya think of herself as a villain in her friends' lives to the moment she protected me, seemed like a memory from long ago.

Yesterday's encounter with my assaulter was still fresh in my mind, but unlike earlier, I didn't feel any kind of anger or frustration. Instead, I felt peace.

For a moment I doubted if I had died, but Ved's touch on my shoulder assured me that I was still alive.

The gloomy white hospital room with matching furniture and equipments was not strange to me. Not to forget the guilty looks on my parents' faces, who just like past, had nothing else to say other than 'sorry'.

My grandpa brushed my hair soothingly and accompanied my parents out of the room after I had completely woken up. It had become a routine for him.

My parents were alive, but I did not want to have any connections with them. My grandpa was enough for me.

"Can we talk to him, Doctor?" I heard a deep voice that belonged to a police officer standing in my hospital room's door.

The doctor nodded, and I glanced at Ved. He was stoic. He gave me a small smile, but instead of assuring me, that smile made a bad feeling rise in me.

"Is she dead?!" I shouted.

Was Sandhya dead? Was the police here to announce the bad news? Where was she?

"She is not dead, Ayush," Ved said.

If she wasn't dead, then why did he sound so sad? Was he trying to hide the truth from me?

"She is... dead... because of me..., isn't she?" I cried, my body trembling as I tried to sit up.

"Ayush, Sandhya is alive. She is resting in another room, so please calm down," Grandpa told me as he entred the room after sending off my parents.

Before I could accuse him of lying, he shook his head and gestured the police officer to continue with his investigation. It was only after the police officer ended his investigation that I 99% believed that Sandhya was alive.

Knock! Knock!

"Come in," Ved said.

Slowly, the door opened. When Sandhya's bright face came into view, I breathed in relief.

"You are alive," I mumbled.

I was confident that I wouldn't cry, but my tears made their way down on my face, synchronising with Sandhya's slow steps towards me. Her smile faded when she saw me bawling my eyes out. She sat down lightly beside me.

"As long as the Red Ranger is here, what do you have to fear?" Sandhya joked.

She wiped my tears and ruffled my hair like she did when we were kids.

My best friend was alive and she wasn't angry with me.

"It is all my fault," I said. "You wouldn't have been in that situation if it wasn't for me. First Ved, and now you. I am really an omen."

Sandhya tightly clutched my hand. "No, Ayush, don't blame yourself. I protected you because I wanted to."

She turned to Ved, and he nodded. "Yes, you are not at fault, bro, I am."

Sandhya's smile vanished when Ved blamed himself. She opened her mouth to say something, but I beat her to that.

"No, bro, how can you say that? You have always protected me, but what have I ever done for you?" I questioned sadly.