LIES

49. I AM HERE

After coming home from a very difficult drive, aarohi is unable to get out of the car by herself, as she messaged vansh and Kairav Bhaiya about how she is coming with Neil, her whole family came out to take Neil inside, now aarohi is still unable to come out of the car, processing what just happened and how

Aarohi sat inside her car, her heart racing and her breath growing shallow. Tears welled up in her eyes, threatening to spill over, as silence suffocated her. It was inexplicable, the way her mind had become a battleground, torturing her with invisible claws. She desperately clutched at her chest, trying to calm the rush of panic coursing through her veins. The weight of what happened and how she responded to that, it's not world pressed down on her shoulders, she could have avoided that but seeing Neil like that shook her to the core, each heavy breath becoming a painful reminder of her fragility, how she gave up again after all those promises to Neil and herself. The walls closed in around her, trapping her in a whirlpool of suffocating thoughts and emotions. A primal scream of anguish bubbled up within her, but she couldn't find her voice. She yearned for someone to lend a gentle ear, but she knew that she doesn't deserve that, not in the moment as Neil is like that but maybe not ever. Yet, in the labyrinth of her silence, she felt lost and alone. Her inner demons danced with sinister glee, mocking her weakness, as she fought to stay afloat. It was in this silent battle, away from prying eyes, that Aarohi became a loser again, giving up without much battle, she lost this battle way before the day she put those pills in her bag in disguise with other medicine but today the realization hit her, now her pain is something like a silent symphony that played only for her. She understands this is not the moment to crib about, not when her Neil is going to be much worse, her heart is paining for him that it affecting her physically too, and the worst part is she has to hide it from everyone.

As Vansh approached the parked car, his heart sank as he peered through the window and caught sight of his little sister, Aarohi. His eyes widened as he noticed her trembling form, perched in the driver's seat. It was like something holding her to that seat, he can see from far how her body is shivering causing her to freeze in raw, silent panic. A whirlwind of emotions gripped Vansh, ranging from helplessness to desperation. He yearned to reach out and embrace her, to provide the comfort she so desperately needed. A flood of worry washed over him he was keep on repeating "aaru talk to me " or "it's going to be ok", but looking at her, he is getting at that she is unable to hear him at that moment. he longed to be her shield in this moment of vulnerability. Every fiber of his being ached, for he knew that in this car, sitting alone, she was battling her demons silently. Tears welled up in his eyes as he desperately wished he could take away her pain, her anxiety, or Neil's who is silently sitting inside but going through the same as her right now.

After what felt like an hour but in reality, was five minutes of horror aarohi able to hear Vansh's words but it was kinda irrelevant, it was all lie nothing is going better, but again she can't tell that to anyone so again chain of lies for her.

"bhaiya I am okay now relax," said aarohi finally acknowledging vansh
"you are not ok aaru, it was scary for me to watch I can't fathom how you were handling that," said vansh still very scared and worried
"I don't know what to tell you right now, how to say so you feel better about this, but the truth is it's not me we should be worried about right now," said aarohi still trying to calm her breaths
"I know who you referring to but I can't just ignore this," said vansh
"bhaiya he was about to fall into a ditch," said aarohi a little bit sucking ok air
"if I was not there on time he would have fallen into it, the ditch.... " said aarohi feeling tightening against her chest again
"the ditch was deep and when I confront him about that"
"he said why not let him fall into it, "said aarohi feeling like her windpipe is swelling
"like it doesn't even matter, he could have been seriously injured or worse," said aarohi taking deep breaths
"Neil said that  you know him na bhaiya he never says things like that in his sane mind, he is so hurt bhaiya and I can't help him," said aarohi did not realize the tears made their way
Vansh at this point only hears aarohi, thinking how worse it could be if aaru didn't see Neil there aur how triggering it could be for his little sister that she is having a panic attack, and how traumatic it could have been.