Her Nightmare | 18+

|| Chapter 16 ||

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PARINIDHI

With the first rays of morning light, my eyes opened, and I felt a sense of peace as I gazed out the window.

But how long would this peace last, I didn't know. It had been a week since Devansh hadn't returned home after that night, and seeing Devansh was the last thing on my mind. However, his absence was no less daunting.

I hurriedly showered and slipped into my uniform, then began dusting the living room when Reshma rushed in. "Ma'am, sir called," she said, her tone urgent. "He's sending a car to pick you up." With that, she left, absorbed in her tasks.

My heart plummeted, and my legs turned to jelly. I grasped the nearby wall for support as a torrent of questions flooded my mind. "Why did Devansh call me now? What did he want? Was this going to be another ordeal? Was he going to revisit the horrors of that night?"

In my room, I found the sarees and accessories meticulously laid out on the bed, as if anticipating my presence.

With a mechanical precision, I slipped into one of the sarees and settled in front of the mirror. The act of applying sindoor to my forehead and kajal to my eyes felt automatic, devoid of any real intent or thought.

Stepping out of my room, I adjusted my saree, striving to maintain a composed demeanor. Yet, behind the facade of calmness, a profound emptiness gnawed at my soul, overshadowing every step I took.

Upon arriving in the living room, I found the driver already waiting for me. Upon noticing me, he remarked, "Ma'am, Devansh Sir has sent me to pick you up."

Nodding silently, I trailed behind him as he led me to the car. He graciously opened the back door, allowing me to enter. As the car began to move, I lowered the window and leaned my face against the cool glass, relishing a brief respite from the turmoil of my existence.

I had been in the car for over an hour, enjoying the fresh air and the sights of the outside world after so many days. But my peace was disturbed when the car came to a stop. I glanced at the driver for confirmation, and he nodded.

As I stepped out of the car, a wave of apprehension washed over me as I noticed we were parked in front of a hospital.

Why had Devansh called me to a hospital? Was it to meet his sister, or was there another reason? Did something happen to him? Could that be the reason why he hasn't been home for the past seven days?

Lost in my thoughts, I snapped back to reality as the PA emerged from the hospital. He approached me with a smile and greeted me, "Good afternoon, ma'am. It's nice to see you again."

Recalling the embarrassing incident from the party night, I couldn't help but feel self-conscious. With a faint smile, I responded, "Good afternoon, sir."

"Mam, please call me Arnav," he said, but before he could finish, Devansh's footsteps interrupted him.

The PA quickly stepped aside, revealing Devansh standing behind him. Devansh glanced at me with a softness in his eyes that I never expected from him, and I hesitantly lowered mine.

With a mix of fear and hesitation, I instinctively took a few steps back. As I retreated, I couldn't ignore the hurt in Devansh's eyes, a response to my sudden movement.

He stepped forward, reaching out his hand towards me. Confused by his gesture, I paused for a moment before looking at him. With a gentle touch, he clasped my hand in his, silently guiding me towards the hospital entrance.

As we made our way, the PA followed close behind, and I felt my palms growing sweaty with nervousness. Struggling to keep up with Devansh's pace, my saree occasionally snagged on my feet.

Sensing my difficulty, Devansh squeezed my hand gently, and I glanced at him, puzzled. Understanding my plight, he slowed down to match my stride, and we walked together.

As we walked down the corridor, my eyes couldn't help but fixate on the door ahead, where two guards stood vigilantly.

The closer we got to the ward, the tighter Devansh's grip became on my hand, and his steps slowed, almost as if he was reluctant to proceed.

When I glanced up at him, his facade of calmness belied the unease simmering beneath the surface, evident in the furrow of his brow and the slight tension in his demeanor.

As we reached the entrance of the ward, Devansh took a deep breath, his expression betraying a hint of apprehension. The guard opened the door, and we stepped inside. The moment we entered, my heart sank.

My eyes immediately welled up with tears at the sight before me—a young girl lay on the hospital bed, her face devoid of any vitality, surrounded by medical equipment and tubes attached to her fragile body. She looked like a mere shell of her former self, lying there motionless. I blinked repeatedly, trying to hold back the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

Devansh guided me to a chair beside the bed and sat down opposite me. My gaze remained fixed on the girl, and a wave of despair washed over me as I grappled with the cruel reality of her condition.

How could anyone commit such a heinous act against an innocent girl, bringing her to the brink of death? The thought gnawed at my insides, leaving me feeling helpless and distraught.

"Look, Ansh, who's come to meet you?" Devansh said in a soft voice, a tone I had never heard before, causing my eyes to widen in surprise.

Devansh then gently ran his hand through the girl's hair and looked at me, saying, "This is Anshika."

"Anshika," I whispered unknowingly.

Devansh continued to lovingly stroke Anshika's hair and said, "Ansh, your bhabhi has come to see you." A small smile appeared on Devansh's face, I was taken aback by the side of him that I had never seen before.

Devansh's hand gently caressed Anshika's hair, while his other hand gripped the bed railing tightly.

He seemed to be trying to contain the storm raging inside him, evident by the tightness of his grip on the railing. But more than that, what was truly alarming was his calm expression, which concealed the pain and suffering he must have been enduring.

His eyes drifted towards me, and my heart plummeted as I saw the tears welling up. "I am sorry," he whispered, his voice scarcely more than a murmur, thick with emotion. The unexpected apology left me speechless, my shock rendering me mute.

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