Beyond Destiny ~ A Saga Of Timeless Love

48 ~ Echoes Of Heartache

"If you remember me, then I don't care if everyone else forgets."

Ruhanika

Someone was tapping my face, their touch insistent and unrelenting, as murmurs filled the air around me. Their voices were faint, blending with the dull hum of the surrounding environment, but I couldn’t make out the words.

I struggled to open my eyes, only to be greeted by an overwhelming brightness that stung my vision. My eyelids fluttered closed again as the sharp discomfort forced me to retreat into the darkness. The sterile, acrid scent of disinfectant assaulted my senses, and a rhythmic beeping sound echoed faintly in my ears. Each beep seemed to mock the silence within me.

A low, throbbing ache began to pulse in my skull, spreading like a slow tide down my neck and shoulders, making every muscle scream in protest. I winced, my body weak, but I forced myself to focus. My voice was hoarse, barely a whisper as I called out, "Dev." His name was instinctive, a lifeline tethering me to hope.

I tried again, this time with more desperation. "Devvv..." A faint smile touched my lips as I clung to the thought of him, his warm, radiant smile greeting me as he always did in the mornings. I imagined his arms around me, his presence a comfort I was so used to waking up to.

But something was wrong. As I peeled my eyes open again, ignoring the searing brightness, I was met with an unfamiliar sight. Panic began to churn in my chest. Where was Dev?

"Devvv, where is my Dev?" My voice cracked as I called for him louder, frantic now. My gaze darted around, taking in the sterile, monochromatic white walls and the medical equipment surrounding me. The faint hum of machines seemed to mock my growing dread. Nurses in crisp white uniforms hovered nearby, their eyes wide with concern, but none of them were the face I longed to see.

My heart thundered in my chest, and fear crept up my spine like icy fingers. Where am I? The realization hit me like a blow. The beeping, the disinfectant, the bright lights—it all pointed to one horrifying conclusion: I was in a hospital.

"You’re awake," someone said softly, stepping into the room. Their voice was filled with urgency as they turned and called for a doctor.

I barely registered their words. My heart clenched painfully as the suffocating weight of reality settled in. My eyes dropped to my hand, where an IV line was taped securely, the saline solution steadily dripping into my veins. The sight made my stomach churn.

"No, nooo, nooo!" My voice trembled as I muttered the words to myself, shaking my head violently. "Where is my Dev?" The panic surged, relentless, consuming. With a desperate tug, I yanked the IV out of my hand, the needle tearing my skin and drawing blood.

The pain barely registered. I swung my legs over the side of the bed, ignoring the sharp throb in my head and the weakness in my limbs. I stumbled as I tried to stand, my body betraying me, but I had only one thought in my mind: I had to find Dev.

"I need to see my Dev!" I cried, staggering towards the door. But before I could reach it, people rushed in—nurses, doctors—all grabbing at me, holding me back.

"Let me go!" I screamed, thrashing against their hands. My nails dug into the arms of the nurse holding me, and I clawed at her desperately. "Leave me! I have to find him! Dev needs me!"

Images of him flashed in my mind like a cruel film reel: his lifeless body lying in my lap, blood staining his beautiful face, the warmth of his skin fading as I held him. The memory was so vivid, so haunting, that it left me gasping for air.

"Devvv!" I screamed again, my voice raw with anguish. My strength waned, but I fought with everything I had, kicking and struggling against the hands that restrained me. My chest heaved with sobs, and my vision blurred with tears.