You Are My Obsession Till Eternity

Chapter-49

Author's POV,

Pihu found herself caught in a swirling vortex of emotions. The man before her, stripped bare by his confession, was a far cry from the cold, calculating mafia king she'd known. Here was a boy, a grieving child burdened by loss, a stark contrast to the monster he described becoming.

A single tear escaped her eye, tracing a path down her cheek to mingle with the tear Rudra had left on her hand. This shared tear, a bridge between their realities, held a complex mix of sorrow, anger, and a flicker of ... understanding. Was it pity? Empathy?"A child lost, a monster born," she thought, the weight of his story settling on her chest, a pressure that mirrored the rhythmic beeping of the nearby heart monitor.

Her grip on the bedsheet tightened subconsciously as Rudra spoke of his loss. The vulnerability etched on his face was a stark contrast to the steely facade he usually wore, chipping away at the walls she'd built around her heart.

Rudra watched her intently, a sliver of hope flickering in his eyes. But still he saw no forgiveness, no acceptance. Yet, something shifted in her gaze. A recognition of his pain, his past perhaps?His posture seemed to slump slightly, the usual steely glint in his eyes replaced by a desperate plea.

He squeezed her hand gently, a silent plea for a connection, any connection, in the chasm that had opened between them.

"Pihu," he began, his voice rough, "I understand if you can't forgive me. The darkness I became... it stained everything it touched."

She remained silent, her gaze drifting towards the sliver of grey sky visible between the sterile white walls.

He continued, his voice barely a whisper. "But if there's even a sliver of you that doesn't entirely hate me... I would like a chance to prove myself worthy of your trust again. To be the man you deserve, not the monster I've been."

The words hung heavy in the air. Pihu didn't respond, but a single tear escaped her eye, tracing a glistening path down her cheek. It wasn't a tear of forgiveness, but a tear that acknowledged the weight of his broken soul which turned dark.

A small sigh escaped Rudra's lips. He knew change wouldn't be easy. The darkness wouldn't vanish overnight. But for the first time in a long time, a flicker of hope ignited within him. The hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a path to redemption, a path he could walk alongside Pihu, even if they walked in silence.

.

.

.

.

.

The first few days were the hardest. The enforced stillness was a torture in itself. Pihu, a woman of action, felt caged, her spirit chafing against the confines of the starched sheets. The silence was broken only by the rhythmic beeping of the monitor and the occasional murmur of the nurses as they checked on her vitals. Rudra, a constant presence by her bedside, seemed to anticipate her every need. He fetched cool water for her parched lips, adjusted the pillows for her comfort, and even helped her with meals.

One week had passed since Rudra's confession, and a fragile truce had settled between him and Pihu. The sterile white room, once a symbol of her captivity, now felt like an unwelcome cocoon. The world outside beckoned, but venturing out was out of the question. Not until she recovered from the ordeal that had brought her here.

A sliver of pink had returned to Pihu's cheeks, chasing away the pallor that had clung to her for weeks. The weakness, too, had lessened, replaced by a dull ache that throbbed whenever she tried to move on her own. The bullet wound near her spine, the doctor had explained with a grim smile, necessitated absolute rest.