Shattered (Book #1 In Heart Series)✔️

Chapter 12: Kritika to stay

As everyone else retreated upstairs, Aditya remained seated on the couch, deep in thought, contemplating Kritika's words.

Kartik, noticing Aditya's reflective mood, sat beside him, ready to offer his perspective.

Karthik: "Bro, you know you were in the wrong there, right? You shouldn't have spoken to her like that."

Aditya let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration, "Yeah, I know. It's just... I was frustrated, but she really gave me an earful."

Karthik couldn't help but chuckle at Aditya's admission, "Well, let's put that behind us now. Come on, let's go check on Daadi."

Aditya nodded in agreement, appreciating the chance to redirect his focus. With Kartik's encouragement, he rose from the couch, ready to move forward from the confrontation with Kritika.

Kritika sat on the couch outside Daadi's room, muttering curses under her breath.Kritika: "How dare he! He doesn't even know who I am. I'll strangle him with my bare hands," she shook her head, "No, Kritika, control yourself. You don't want to end up in jail before you meet your dream guy."

Ahana, who had followed Kritika, watched her friend talking to herself. With a sigh, she approached and sat down beside her.

"Kritika, are you okay?" Ahana asked.

Kritika glared at her.

"No, I'm not okay, thanks to your beloved brother. What does he think of himself, huh? The president of India? Every time I see him, I want to fry him raw, chop him into pieces, and make biryani out of him. Then, I'll throw a party for all the stray dogs in India. But I'm sure they'd all die from that tasteless food." She laughed maniacally, "Ha ha ha, imagine that! It would be hilarious."

Ahana's eyes widened in shock at her best friend's gruesome fantasy. "Kritika, you're scaring me."

Unbeknownst to them, the rest of the family had gathered nearby, having overheard Kritika's rant. They stood frozen in horror, except for Kartik, who struggled to suppress his laughter. Aditya, on the other hand, looked like he was ready to explode.

Finally, Kartik couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. Aditya shot him a murderous look, which only made Kartik laugh harder.

The rest of the family, seeing Kartik's reaction, began to laugh as well, albeit nervously. Kritika gulped, realizing they had been overheard, and got up from her seat, feeling embarrassed.

Aditya's angry voice cut through the laughter, "SHUT UP!" Everyone fell silent instantly.

Kritika flinched at his tone. Desperate to change the subject, she spoke up.

"Guys, I need to share something important about Daadi."Aditya's anger shifted to concern as he rushed over, "What happened? Is she okay?"

The others looked at Kritika anxiously.

"Relax, I'll explain, but let's sit down first."They all moved to a room adjacent to Maheshwati's.

"It's 2:00 PM now. She should wake up by 2:30. I got the test results. Daadi has a less concentration of sodium in her body, which has weakened her cells and impaired her brain function, causing her erratic behavior. First, she needs to become familiar with me, and for that, I'll need Abhimanyu's help."

Abhimanyu nodded. Kritika continued. 

"Second, we need to introduce new medications. Over the next month, her body will adapt. Third, she needs meditation and occasional outings to refresh her mind."

"What the hell? You can't just take Daadi out. There are security concerns. We have too many enemies." Aditya yelled at her. 

Kritika took a deep breath, struggling to stay calm. "I'm not taking her shopping, Mr. Singhania. She just needs fresh air and a change of scenery. She's been confined to that room for two years. We'll use the garden here. And remember, I'm a doctor. I've handled cases like this before."

They locked eyes in a tense standoff until Kartik cleared his throat, breaking the spell. Both looked away, feeling the intensity of the moment.

"I need to check on Daadi now." The family nodded, and Kritika requested that only Ahana and Abhimanyu stay with her.

In Daadi's room, Ahana injected the medicine Kritika had prepared. Kritika donned her coat and stethoscope. Abhimanyu raised an eyebrow.

Kritika smiled, "I need to introduce myself as a doctor."

Five minutes later, Maheshwari began to stir.

 Abhimanyu leaned in, "Daadi, it's me, your Abhi. Wake up." Her eyes fluttered open, and Abhimanyu smiled.

"Daadi, are you okay?" She nodded, smiling weakly at Abhimanyu. Kritika stepped forward to introduce herself. 

 "Daadi," she called gently. Maheshwari turned to see a stranger smiling at her and instinctively moved closer to Abhi.

 Kritika reached out, but Daadi pushed her hand away.Kritika: "Daadi, I'm Abhimanyu's friend and a doctor. I'm here to help you." Daadi grew more agitated.

Kritika then did something unexpected—she hugged Daadi, stunning both her and Abhimanyu. Maheshwati tried to pull away, but Kritika held her firmly.Kritika: "Daadi, calm down. You're safe. You're okay. Relax."

 Slowly, Maheshwati relaxed in her arms, tears forming in her eyes.Kritika cupped her face, "Daadi, I know you're okay. Some foolish people think otherwise, but we'll prove them wrong. We'll show them you're perfectly fine."Maheshwati nodded, reassured.

 Kritika helped her lie back down patting her head until she fell asleep. Abhimanyu moved to tears, watched quietly.

"Bhai, are you okay?"Abhimanyu wiped his eyes,

"I'm just happy. It's been so long since she behaved like this. But how?"

"Remember the injection I gave her before she woke up? It was to calm her nerves and stimulate her emotions." Kritika answered. Abhimanyu gave her a grateful smile.

"Let's go down. The others are waiting." Kritika grabbed her bag, and they headed downstairs. The family rushed to meet them.

"How is she?" Gautam asked. 

Abhimanyu smiled, "She is responding to our actions dad." 

Aditya, in disbelief: "What? Tell us everything."

Abhimanyu recounted the events, leaving everyone grateful to Kritika.

Swetha approached her, caressing her face, "Thank you, beta, for everything."

Kritika smiled. "Don't thank me. It's your prayers that were answered. Now, if you'll excuse me, I should go. I'll be back tomorrow."

Ahana quickly interjected, "Wait, Kritika." She turned, frowning.

"Ma, Pa, it'll be difficult for Kritika to travel back and forth every day. I think she should stay with us until Daadi recovers."

Aditya and Kritika both exclaimed, "WHAT?"