Fanaa

1.20 Come back to me

The next few days passed by quickly and before they knew it, the day for Akshara's surgery had arrived.

Abhimanyu sat infront of his Mahadev with his hands folded whispering a prayer, Akshara's doctor's words echoing in his mind, "The surgery is her best hope, if it is successful, she will be cured, but the surgery is highly risky as well, there's a chance we could loose her on the table."

He had to be strong, hold onto his faith, his Akshu was going to be alright.

"Papa?" A voice flitted through his ears, and he turned to see Aaira, his daughter who's shoulders hung with grief, eyes filled with tears. He felt his chest ache, God it hurt to see his child to have to go through this agony, he couldn't even imagine the pain she must going through, to having to face the possibility of loosing her mother, he knew that anyone could see how attached Aaira was to Akshara, her mother was her whole world, her safe place, her best friend.

"Come here my love" He gently held wrapped his arms around her, placing her in his lap. Aaira cuddled into his neck, and he could feel his daughter holding back her tears. "I don't want Mumma to leave us" she whispered. He raised her chin, "I know bacha, we have to keep faith, Mumma needs us to be strong for her, and my Aaira is the strongest girl I know na" Aaira nodded, before raising her hands and wiping the tears off his cheeks, tears he hadn't even realised had fallen. She gazed at him, her eyes suddenly seeming wiser beyond her years,"We'll be okay Papa" she assured him, as if she could sense that he was barely holding it together. He felt the knot in his chest loosen, making it easier to breathe.

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Akshara gazed at her family, if this was going to be her last moments with them, she wanted them to be etched into her memories.

"I love you all so much, I need you guys to know that." She hoarsely said, her throat clogged with tears.

Nanu was the first one to hug her, and before she knew it, she was surrounded by her family, enveloped in their love and warmth. If these were to be her last moments, she couldn't think of a better one, her life might have been short, but she had loved and she had lived.

"I'll take you to the prepping room" Abhimanyu said and she pressed a kiss to Aaira's forehead, squeezing her daughter in her arms and whispered in her ears "Your mother loves you Aaira". Those had been the first words she had whispered in her daughter's ears when she had been born, it seemed poetic for it to be her last too.

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Akshara watched as Abhimanyu flittered around the room, helping her prep for the surgery. She couldn't stop the avalanche of emotions and memories overwhelming her, she loved him despite everything she will always love him, and now facing uncertain death, it all seemed so minuscule, all the time they had lost, all the time they had wasted.

"A-Abhi" it's like she couldn't stop the words coming out of her mouth, she needed to let it out, she needed to hear it ring in the air, her biggest truth and her greatest ruin.

"Don't" Abhimanyu turned to her, his eyes rimmed red but steadfast, he knew what she was going to say, knew that expression on her face, he felt his heart start pounding against his chest seeing her eyes filled with love, love for him.

"Not like this" He continued, walking towards her before cupping her cheeks, "I want those three words, but I want to earn them, I want you to say those three words to me when Aaira and I drive you crazy, I want you to say those three words to me when you wake up in my arms, I want you to say those three words to me when we are old and in wheelchairs."

He pressed his forehead against hers, "Come back to us, come back to me please baby". Time around him stopped for a minute and before he knew it, she was kissing him. Abhimanyu froze for a minute, before tugging her closer and wrapping his arms around her waist. His hands tangled itself in her hair, he had missed this, he had missed her. Her vanilla and lavender scent engulfed his senses, her lips soft and pillowy against his. He felt her arms encircle his neck, her fingers tugging at his hair.

They broke apart panting heavily only for Abhi to rain kisses down her face, he gently pressed his lips to her fluttering eyes, her nose, the corner of her mouth before he captured her in a soft and passionate kiss.

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"Sir, we'll take her from here" The nurse said before wheeling Akshara's stretcher towards the O.T. He nodded before squeezing Akshara's hands and smiled trying to reassure her. "I'll be right outside, we'll all be right outside. It's going to be okay."

And before he knew it, the doors of the OT slammed shut and he was standing in the empty hallway, waiting for her, he would wait forever for her.

A/N : Phew there we have it, the last chapter - now just an epilogue left

Ngl I had the biggest writers block and struggled to finish this chapter, the show continues to make me feel so detached yet I can't seem to quit it 😂😭 but thank you to everyone who voted 💜

Do comment, would love to read your thoughts

Lots of love <3