Marriage In Echo

14

Chapter 14

As Karan stared out the window at the moon, tears streamed down his face, mingling with the shadows of the night. In the past week, he had become a constant presence in the house, making excuses whenever Tiya asked him to leave. But despite his efforts, Tiya remained distant, hardly speaking to him.

The weight of his emotions bore down on him, suffocating him with anxiety and fear. He couldn't bear the thought of living without his wife, his heart aching at the mere idea of waking up to a morning without her by his side. The realisation of his vulnerability consumed him, and he cried out to the universe, begging for mercy, begging for a chance to keep Tiya by his side.

In the darkness of the night, with only the moon as his witness, Karan surrendered to his tears, allowing himself to feel the pain, the regret, and the overwhelming love he held for his wife. He had never cried when Sanjana walked away from their relationship, but now, facing the prospect of losing Tiya, he cried like there was no tomorrow.

As Karan entered Tiya's room, his heart skipped a beat at the sight of her lying almost motionless on the bed. Panic gripped him momentarily until he noticed the gentle rise and fall of her chest. Relief flooded him as he approached her cautiously.

Gently, he lay down beside her, pulling her frail body close to his chest. He pressed a tender kiss to her temple, feeling her warmth against him. It had been eight agonising months since he last held her like this, and the realisation of their time slipping away weighed heavily on him.

A voice in his head reminded him of the cruel reality – they only had four months left together. Tears welled up in his eyes once again as he held her tightly, showering her head with kisses, cherishing every moment they had left together.

As Tiya stirred awake, her eyes fell upon the familiar sight of a fresh bouquet of roses placed delicately on her bedside table. With a sigh, she reached out to retrieve the flowers, noticing the attached note as she did so.

"The first day I saw you in a temple, in a beautiful blue kurti and white flared jeans. I couldn't take my eyes off you. You are the most beautiful woman I have seen. Your eyes are a reflection of the infinite kindness of your soul," the note read.

It was a confession, as it had been every day for the past week. Karan never failed to leave her roses accompanied by heartfelt words expressing his love and admiration for her. Yet, Tiya, steeling her heart against the surge of emotions, chose to ignore it as she did every day.

Tiya walked out of the room, her steps unsteady as she leaned against the wall for support. Feeling extremely weak, she made her way to the kitchen where Karan was. "When will you leave?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Suddenly, Karan started coughing, and Tiya's concern briefly overshadowed her exhaustion. "I have caught a cold. I can't travel right now," he lied, his voice strained.

Tiya wanted to argue, to insist that he leave, but the exhaustion weighed heavily on her, and she found herself unable to muster the energy. Instead, she sighed softly and retreated back to her room, leaving Karan alone in the kitchen.

It was raining heavily outside as Karan entered the room with a food tray in his hand. Tiya was sitting on the bed with her back to him, lost in the images of the USG scans of their unborn child. Tears silently rolled down her cheeks as she stared at the images.

Karan's heart sank at the sight. He approached her slowly and stood in front of her, feeling the weight of her sorrow. "God took away the child because he knew I won't live long enough to raise my child," Tiya said, her voice barely above a whisper. "He didn't want a child to grow up motherless. I will meet my baby in heaven if my karma is good enough to be rewarded with heaven. There's no one here for me now."

Her words felt like daggers to Karan's heart. "Tiya..." he whispered, his voice filled with pain.

"There's no one for me in this world. I am all alone," Tiya continued softly, her words heavy with sadness.

"Tiya, please..." Karan whispered, his voice choked with emotion, unable to find the right words to comfort her.

In the afternoon, Karan left for the hospital to meet Tiya's oncologist. He waited patiently until he was called into the cabin. As he entered, the doctor looked up and smiled.

"Mr. Shekhawat. Nice meeting you after so long," the doctor greeted.

Karan looked at the doctor, confused. "Sorry, have we met before?" he asked.

"Dude, it's me, Rishabh. We were classmates in 10th standard," the doctor revealed with a smile.

Karan's eyes widened in recognition. "I have seen you in the news and magazines many times," Rishabh added.

They hugged warmly before Rishabh asked, "What brings you here, busy man?"

"My wife, Tiya Shekhawat. She is your patient. She has leukaemia," Karan replied, forwarding the medical documents.

As Rishabh went through the documents, his expression turned sombre. "Yes, she was here two months ago," he began. "She went through four cycles of chemotherapy, but her body wasn't responding well. She lost hope when she started losing hair after the chemo. I suggested radiation therapy, but she seemed to have made up her mind."

Karan listened intently, his heart sinking with each word.

"She asked me how much time she had left if left untreated," Rishabh continued. "I told her seven months. Then, one day, she donated seven lakhs to our cancer relief fund and never came back for further treatment.”

Karan's voice trembled as he spoke, his heart heavy with despair. "What are her chances of survival?" he asked, almost dreading the answer.

"25-35 percent," Rishabh replied, his tone reflecting the grim reality.

Karan felt as though the world was crumbling around him. Driving back, tears streamed down his face uncontrollably. He dialled his mother, seeking solace in her presence.

"Maa... I'm losing her," he choked out between sobs. "She only has a 25-35 percent chance of survival, and she's stopped her treatment. She doesn't want to live, maa. She wants to leave me. She wants to punish me."

Rekha, who was herself struggling with the news of Tiya's condition while admitted in the hospital, remained silent on the other end of the line. Her heart ached for Tiya, the girl she had come to love as her own daughter. Tiya had always been a resilient and kind soul, despite the challenges life had thrown at her.

As Karan poured out his anguish, Rekha could only weep silently, feeling utterly helpless. All she wanted was to fly to Dehradun and be by Tiya's side, to offer whatever comfort she could to the girl who had endured so much in her short life.

"Karan, my dear," Rekha finally spoke, her voice trembling with emotion. "We can't lose hope. Tiya is strong, and she's fought battles her whole life. We have to support her, no matter what."

Karan wiped his tears, trying to compose himself. "But Maa, she doesn't want to fight anymore. She's given up," he said, his voice breaking.

Rekha's heart ached at her son's anguish. "I know, beta. But we have to try. We have to be there for her, even if she pushes us away. She needs us now more than ever.”

Karan nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope amidst the despair. "I'll do everything I can, Maa. I won't give up on her," he vowed.

Rekha could hear the determination in her son's voice, and it gave her strength. "We'll get through this together, beta. We'll bring our Tiya back," she said, her voice filled with hope.

At that moment Karan made the sole purpose of his life to give the best memories of her life and convince her to restart her treatment.

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Hare Krishna