Desperation | ✓

04.

Om couldn't believe how could he have let that happen. He and Rudra had promised to each other that they would save him from any more harm.

How could he missed the signs. They were right in front of him. Shivaay's disinterest in everything. His negligence to his own self. His sudden detachment from the family members. The symptoms were clear as a crystal to him.

He too was surrounded in such clouds once. He could not find his escape from there. Nobody understood how he had been feeling during those parts of his life. Only Shivaay did. After all he had been the one to pull him out of those.

He was so oblivious. He couldn't understand when Shivaay was surrounded by the same ones, possibly even darker.

The moment he saw Shivaay lying all bloodied in Rudra's arm. He felt his own life seeping away. The moment emerged from the darkest of his nightmares.

Anika was distraught when she arrived the hospital.

She stepped into mansion. It was dark and gloomy. There was no one.

"Om? Rudra?" Nobody answered. Something was not right. She could feel it. Her feet took her to his room on their own. The door was open. She stepped in and her eyes widened. The dark spot. It was blood.

She called Rudra not knowing what to make of it. He didn't answer. She tried Om's. And he answered but her world crumbled soon hearing the news awaiting her.

"Jiji." Gauri placed a hand on her shoulder. She was holding a glass of water in her hand. But she refused. Nothing would go past until he woke up.

Anika sighed. She looked past the glass where he was. He was connected to different sorts of machines needed for him to keep him breathing. Why life never gave them a break? Why is he lying there when the mistake had been hers.

They both needed only one thing. They needed their Shivaay back.

Dadi sat on one of the metallic chairs lined up in front of the operation theatre. She never knew that she'll live up to seeing a day like this. Her tears had dried up now. It has been three days. And there was no sign of him improving.

Jhanvi was sitting on the chair shaken up. Though Shivaay wasn't her son, it didn't affect the fact that she loved him any less than her own sons. Pinky wiped her tears, her son needed her she couldn't fall weak now. She couldn't comprehend Shivaay was capable of such thing. Just let him wake up, he'll suffer her wrath. How dare he put this against her. A mother can tolerate everything but her child's pain.

Two days have passed since the operation. The doctors have removed the bullet. But his condition didn't improve. It was still as critical as before.

"I'm sorry. But it is as if he had stopped fighting for his life. We can't help the patient when he himself has lost the will to live." Was what they had said. Om and Rudra vividly remember the words mentioned in the letter. I can't do this anymore. I am tired.

It was their Shivaay. How could he?

Days passed, soon months but his condition only deterred further. At one point even the doctors gave up. But they didn't. They wouldn't give up so easily then how did Shivaay give up? Anika didn't. If she was alive then how could he-

Did he not believe his brothers when they had promised him that they will return everything back to normal? That they will be the shield to him he once was to the family.

And finally he opened his eyes. But it was not their brother who had returned it was entirely someone else. The defeated look on his face scared them. He didn't respond to the surroundings. No matter who was beside him. He couldn't hear their words. He was trapped in his own thoughts.

Finally it was Anika who pulled him out of that. Tears sprung in their eyes as soon as they saw each other. Different reasons but the emotions were the same.