Marriage In Echo

17

Chapter 17

As Karan sat outside the emergency room, his heart heavy with anguish, tears streamed down his face in an unrelenting cascade. His trembling hands fumbled for his phone, and with shaking fingers, he dialled his mother's number.

"Maa... Maaa," he choked out between sobs, his voice raw with pain. "Tiya... she is dying," he whispered brokenly, the weight of the words crushing him as he struggled to hold back his tears.

On the other end of the line, Karan's mother was shocked into silence, her heart breaking at the news of Tiya's deteriorating condition. Though not well herself, she summoned every ounce of strength she had, her eyes watering with sorrow as she tried to steady her voice.

"I will be there," she promised, her words a solemn vow of support and love in the face of tragedy.

But Karan could hardly hear her reassurances over the roar of his own grief. "Maa..." he sobbed, his voice breaking with emotion. "I have so much to say to her," he confessed, the weight of his unspoken words pressing down on him like a crushing weight.

And as he sat there, waiting for news of Tiya's fate, Karan felt a sense of helplessness engulf him, the realisation of all the words left unsaid threatening to suffocate him with regret.

After six long hours of agonising waiting, the doctor finally emerged from the emergency room, delivering the news that Tiya was now stable, albeit still in critical condition. With a sense of relief washing over him, Karan was allowed to enter her room.

There she lay, pale and lifeless, surrounded by the hum of machines and the sterile scent of the hospital. Tubes and wires snaked from her body, tethering her to the machines that kept her alive. She was sedated, her breathing shallow and unsteady.

Karan sat beside her bed, his heart heavy with fear and desperation. "Tiya... Tiya, can you hear me?" he pleaded, his voice breaking with emotion. "Please, don't leave me. Please, Tiya," he begged, his hand clutching hers tightly as if willing her to wake up.

But she remained unresponsive, her stillness a stark reminder of the fragility of life. Karan felt as though someone were literally hammering his heart, each beat echoing with the pain of his helplessness.

"I will die, Tiya, if you leave me. Please, I am begging you," he cried, his voice filled with anguish as tears streamed down his cheeks, mingling with the sterile scent of the hospital room.

Hours passed in agonizing silence, until finally, Tiya began to stir. Karan looked up in surprise and relief, tears of gratitude filling his eyes as he saw her slowly returning to consciousness.

"You... you haven't left yet," she managed to speak weakly, her voice barely above a whisper. Karan's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice, his hand trembling as he held hers tightly.

"You are awake," he exclaimed, his eyes widening with relief and disbelief. He was about to get up to call for the doctor when he felt her fingers curl around his own.

"Leave... I don't want you here," she said, her words cutting through the air like a knife. Karan's heart sank at her rejection, his eyes welling up with tears once more as he struggled to comprehend her words.

"Please, Tiya," Karan pleaded, his voice trembling with desperation. "You aren't thinking properly."

But Tiya shook her head resolutely, refusing to meet his gaze. "Chale jao," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I have come alone. I will leave alone."

Her words struck Karan like a blow to the chest, his heart aching with the weight of her rejection. Unable to bear the pain of her words any longer, he bowed his head in defeat, his shoulders slumped with resignation.

With a heavy heart, he turned and left the room, the sound of his footsteps echoing in the empty corridor. As he walked away, the emptiness in his soul mirrored the emptiness of the hospital room he left behind, a stark reminder of the pure love he had lost and the pain that would haunt him forever.

Karan sat outside the hospital on a cold cemented slab, his mind consumed by a whirlwind of emotions. His heart felt heavy with sorrow and uncertainty, his thoughts weighed down by the fear of losing Tiya. The chill in the air mirrored the emptiness he felt inside, the silence of the night broken only by the distant sounds of passing cars.

His phone buzzed, interrupting his thoughts, and he saw a call from his mother. With a trembling hand, he answered, his voice hoarse with emotion as he spoke to her. "Maa," he said softly, the word catching in his throat. "Have you landed?"

His mother's voice came through the line, filled with concern and love. "Yes, beta. Meera and I are on our way to the hospital now. We'll be there soon," she assured him, her words offering a glimmer of hope in the darkness that surrounded him. He hoped they could convince her.

As Karan sat on the cemented slab outside the hospital, lost in his own anguish, a car pulled up in front of him. He looked up to see his mother stepping out, followed by his heavily pregnant sister, Meera. Their presence brought a glimmer of comfort to his shattered soul.

Meera rushed towards him, her arms open wide, and enveloped him in a tight embrace. Karan's defenses crumbled as he buried his face in her shoulder, his tears flowing freely now, mingling with hers.

"Bhabhi will be fine, bhaiya. I know," Meera said softly, her voice filled with reassurance and love. "Hold on to yourself. She needs you at this time of need."

But Karan shook his head, his heart heavy with self-doubt and despair. "No... she hates me, Meeru," he whispered, his voice choked with emotion. "She can't bear the sight of me."

Meera held him tighter, her own heart breaking at the pain in her brother's voice. She knew how deeply he loved Tiya, how he would move heaven and earth to save her. But she also knew that sometimes, love alone was not enough to heal the wounds that ran so deep.

"Tiya needs you, bhaiya," Meera insisted, her voice firm but gentle. "She may be hurting, but she still loves you. And you are the one person who can bring her back from the brink. Don't give up on her, bhaiya. Don't give up on love.”

As Rekha entered the room, her heart shattered at the sight of Tiya lying lifelessly, her gaze fixed on the ceiling. Her face was pale, mirroring the colour of the white bed sheets beneath her. Rekha had watched Tiya grow up, and seeing her in such a state filled her with profound sadness. Life truly was cruel.

"Tiya..." Rekha called out softly, prompting Tiya to turn her head in her direction. Rekha leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss on Tiya's forehead.

"Tum chali aayi beta hume chor ke? Hmm? Ek pal me itna paraya kar diya tumne?" Rekha asked, her voice choked with tears.

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Hare Krishna