Dushyant rushed to the hospital completely panic stricken, as he looked here and there in utter confusion for ishita. He rushed to the receptionist of the hospital, as he looked distraught.
"excuse me...meri beti..uhmm jia...uhmm...meri biwi ishita..woh laayi thi usse..." a flabbergasted dushyant was barely able to form a sentence, as the receptionist signaled him to calm down.
"yes sir, i know...aap first floor pe jayenge right side pe joh emergency room hai, wahi hai..." replied the receptionist, as calmly as possible, but dushyant left in a jiffy.
He took a flight of stairs that he ran through to reach the first floor. It seemed like he reached there when he had let out only a single breath.
His dreaded steps approached the emergency room, as he was quick to find ishita in front of his sight, who sat on a set of chairs placed nearby, looking inconsolable, weeping unstoppably.
He somehow found himself in front of her, and when she looked up to find him, she rushed to embrace him in a bone crushing hug, burying her head into his chest.
He was frozen where he stood for a second, as after taking a moment, he ended up wrapping his arms around her back.
"dushyant, pata nahi kya hogaya usse...mujhe-mujhe kuch samajh nahi aa raha hai...doctor itni der se andar hai...." mumbled ishita in the hug, looking completely frightened.
"ishita..." called dushyant softly, as she went mum, her head no longer buried in his chest but instead lifted up to look upto him. He cupped her face, brushing off the tears, as she looked slightly calmer looking at him.
"kya hua tha?" asked dushyant calmly, his voice still shaky, as ishita took a deep sigh, her head bowed down.
"woh...main nalha rahi thi...jia ko...woh tub mein khel rahi thi, main uske shampoo lagane waali thi...phir mujhe dekha woh kahtam hogaya hai...maine kuch hi second ke liye nazar hataiye hogi, jab main bathroom cabinet se naya shampoo nikal rahi thi...phir dekha usne apna sarr paani ke adnar dobeya hua hai...aur jab bahar nikala usse...toh woh saans nahi le paa rahi thi...main bahaut ghabra gayi...phir usse towel se saaf kar usmein hi lapet kar le aayi auto se hospital...mujhe kuch aur samajh hi nahi aaya..." narrated ishita as she seemed to be still shaking, as dushyant only scoffed.
"uske lungs kamzor haina...saans lene mein toh dikkat rehti hi hai...tum kuch kar bhi nahi sakti thi...yeh nahi toh kuch aur hona hi tha uske saath..." stated dushyant morosely, as he let go of the embrace, and seperated from her, taking a few steps back, facing away from her.
"bas itna jaldi nahi chahta tha..." uttered dushyant in a whisper, as he couldn't help but feel heavy in his chest.
Ishita placed her hand on his shoulder, making him turn back.
"dushyant...aap aisi baat toh na karein...aapko aise dekh kar mera bhi dil baith raha hai..." confessed ishita achingly, as dushyant turned back to face her again.
"sach hai ishita...agar usse bachna hota, bach chuki hoti...aisa incident pehli baar toh hua nahi jia ke saath...hamesha toh nahi bacha sakta usse...bhale hi mera mann kabhi nahi maana par...jaana usse apni maa ke paas hi tha..." responded dushyant with moist eyes and a forced, tight-lipped smile, before he went ahead and sat on those chairs, an uneasy acceptance was seen in his eyes of what he was so sure of happening ahead.
Ishita didn't even have the time to react, as the doctor came out of the emergency room with a sorrow face, telling everything without any words needing to be exchanged.
"i'm sorry...hum nahi bacha paaye usse...she had almost drowned, the water completely blocked her breath...lungs ki zyaada capacity thi nahi, isliye woh paani zyada na hote hue bhi, uske liye dikkat kar gaya..." explained the doctor, as ishita was left completely broken, collapsing to the floor on her knees in shock, while dushyant who just sat there in a completely shattered state before, got up to check on her.
"ishita...ishita....sambhalo khudh ko..." attempted dushyant to make her feel better, but she didn't seem to come out of the shock at all, but he kept on shaking her by the shoulders hoping for it to work.
Ishita felt an aching, deep wound open up inside of her physically, excruciating her with pain. the loss left her completely broken, making it seem like there was no way out.
***
Ishita sat completely mum on the couch, as nimrat sat adjacent to her, trying to console her, by rubbing her back for comfort. Every other place on in the living and the dinning table nearby was occupied by people who were way more in number than what could be seated there.
dushyant had a stoic demeanor with an expressionless face, as he just stood by the door, greeting people as they come and go with their condolences.
"bechari bachi...abhi toh janam lia tha...bhagwan bhi, kya kardeta hai kabhi-kabhi..." expressed one of the ladies sitting there to grieve.
"acha khasa ghar tha, hasta-khelta parivaar....pata nahi kiski nazar lag gayi hai...kayamat pe kayamat aayi jaa rahi hai..." remarked another one, as everyone kept their faces down, couldn't help but agree.
Nimrat looked helplessly at her brother, who just couldn't find it in him to look into her eyes and able to hide his pain. Then her glance fell on ishita, who was filled with agony only. There seemed only grief and sorrow in the air.
***
Ishita stood by the window, looking out with lost eyes and a face that was as dead and lifeless as of a corpse. She suddenly found a plate of food being presented in front of her, and looked upto find that dushyant was the one holding it.
"khaana khaalo..." suggested dushyant politely, as ishita just shook her head in no.
"gale se nahi uttar raha...mujhe samajh nahi aa raha..ek itni choti bachi, nanhi si jaan, usse itna kam samay diya zindagi jeene ko bhagwaan ne, usmein bhi itni takleef...aur maut bhi, bas dard se bhari....kaise karsakta aisa..." expressed ishita her bleak thoughts into words, while dushyant kept the food aside, before he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her look at him.
"ishita, zindagi asaan hoti hi nahi hai...dard bhara hota hi hai ismein...khushi bhi mil jaati hai kabhi-kabhi, par sach mein, marna bahaut asaan hota hai aur jeena bahaut mushkil...bhagwaan bhi iska kuch nahi kar sakta..." responded dushyant firmly, attempting to ground her with a perspective on reality.
"aap...aap...theek hai? nahi, matlab, kitna hi hosakte hai..." attempted ishita to ask about him, as dushyant scoffed, distancing from her.
"theek hone ki koshish kar raha hoon...uske jaane ka khayal toh mere zehen mein usse pehli baar jab ghar laaya tha tabse hai...jiss din woh aayi thi, uss hi din maine apni biwi ka antim sanskar bhi kiya tha...meri badi behen ke alawa meri koi parivaar tha nahi, mere maa-baap jaldi guzar gaye, woh umeed thi mere ki parivar ki mere liye...ab aisa lagta hai, kuch bacha hi nahi khone ko..." confessed dushyant of what he felt deep down, as ishita couldn't help but feel it too.
"pata hai, mujhe lagta tha shayad jia meri woh beti hai jisse main bacha nahi paayi par shayad woh kisi tarah dobara janam lekar aayi hai...usse bhi khona bahaut mushkil hogaya isliye..." admitted ishita of her feelings too, as dushyant couldn't help but smile, but he found his eyes looking down.
"ishita, i'm sorry...joh maine kaha subha...tum bahaut achi ladki ho...mujhe nahi lagta main tumhe woh sab khushiyaan de sakta hoon, joh tumhe milni chahiye..." apologised dushyant, before he looked her in the eye again, as ishita scoffed.
"saath de sakte hai? bas wahi chahiye mujhe..." replied ishita, a smile on her face, which dushyant reciprocated, as he nodded in agreement.
Ishita held onto his hand tightly in a clasp, smiling wide, as dushyant took one careful look of her, before he embraced her in his arms for a hug. His eyes were closed, his hands wrapped around her waist, while she found her palms on his chest, closing her eyes to bury her head in his chest. She felt him bury his head onto her shoulder, an oddly different feeling taking over her this time. It was something she didn't understand but didn't mind either.
YOU ARE READING
secrets woven in moonlight
Fanfiction*kavi and ishyant* cid fanfiction: When circumstances are unfavourable, two lovers are separated and forced into marriages with people they have nothing to offer except for indifference. But empty marriages pave a way closer to a second, more powerf...
