Shadowed Secrets

7- Bleeding Emotions

When Akaansh arrived home, a battle raged within him. His heart urged him to let go of the past and embrace his child, while his mind resisted, fueling doubt and uncertainty.

As Akaansh stood there, lost in his thoughts, Vidya noticed his inner turmoil and approached him with gentle concern. She spoke in a soft tone, "Kya hua, Akaansh? Kya soch rahe hain aap?" Her eyes held a warmth and understanding that reached beyond mere words.

Startled by Vidya's presence, Akaansh stammered, "Huh... Nahi, kuch nahi... Woh..." His sentence trailed off, unable to find its completion. But Vidya, who knew him better than anyone else, comprehended the unspoken depths of his emotions.

Calmly, Vidya responded, her voice a soothing balm, "Ansh bilkul theek hai. He's sleeping. Avi hai uske saath. You have nothing to worry about." She left from there silently.

Akaansh couldn't help but look away, his gaze shifting elsewhere. How was it that Vidya always seemed to fathom the intricacies of his thoughts and emotions? In that moment, he felt a mixture of gratitude and frustration, grateful for her understanding yet frustrated by his own internal conflicts.

After Vidya left the room, Akaansh couldn't resist the pull of memories any longer. He opened a drawer and retrieved a photograph-the picture that had been etched into his soul. It captured a moment frozen in time: Akaansh holding a one-month-old Ansh in his arms, surrounded by joyful faces. The sight of that photograph brought a smile to his lips, evoking the warmth of those beautiful times.

Yet, despite his longing to see his son, Akaansh found himself paralyzed, unable to act on his desire to check on Ansh. A whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions stormed within him.

In the midst of his internal struggle, a blood-curdling scream shattered the tranquility of the mansion. Its reverberations sent chills racing down Akaansh's spine, instantly jolting him into action. Instinctively, he knew the scream had originated from Ansh's room, and panic surged through his veins.

Without a moment's hesitation, Akaansh raced towards his child's room, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and urgency. The weight of his doubts and hesitations momentarily forgotten, all that mattered now was the well-being of his child.

entered the room to find Avinash trying to calm Ansh down, but Ansh was pushing him away, fear evident in his eyes. Ansh cowered, covering himself with his hands, pleading desperately, "I'm sorry, dobara nahi hoga, please please mat mariye mujhe, bohut dard ho raha hai, please mat mariye." Akaansh and Avinash's hearts sank, horrified by the words coming from ansh's mouth. What had Ansh been through?

Akaansh approached Ansh with firm determination, gently holding him in his arms. Ansh's terrified gaze met Akaansh's, but he was still trapped in the nightmare, unable to distinguish reality from the distorted images in his mind.

Ansh's sobs intensified, his breath hitching with every desperate plea. "I will be a good boy. Main... main aapki saari baatein manunga, please, please, I'm sorry," he cried, his voice trembling with a mix of anguish and fear.

Akaansh shook Ansh gently, his voice filled with both urgency and tenderness, "Anshu, come out of it, bacha. Koi nahi marega tujhe. See, it's just me here. No one is here to hurt you." His words carried the weight of a promise, an unyielding vow to protect his child.

Vidya, tears streaming down her face, stood at a distance, her heart breaking at the sight before her. Ansh wouldn't even let her touch him. In that painful moment, the doubts that had lingered in her mind were confirmed. She was right. Ansh had endured abuse, and the signs of his suffering were all too clear.

Akaansh held Ansh tightly against his chest, his arms a shield of comfort, while he whispered soothing words in his ear. "Come out of it, bacha. Koi nahi hai yahan. You are safe. I'm here." He gently released his embrace, cupping Ansh's cheeks, and guided his gaze to meet his own eyes.