HER SAFE PLACE

Scared

This chapter is unedited so there might be mistakes and comments fast to get the next chapter by tomorrow morning.

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"Frustrated because Arun said that shi—" I was starting to explain when it suddenly dawned on me that Arun had been lying. He had claimed that Shivangi was married to an older man for money, but that wasn’t true at all—she is actually married to Rudra. I couldn’t understand why Arun would fabricate such a story. My mind was racing with these thoughts when the officer interrupted and asked, “Who is Arun, and what did he say that made you so frustrated?”

I clarified, “Arun is a mutual friend of both Shivangi and me. He was with me that morning.” The officer then inquired, “So, you’re saying Arun was present at the time of the attack?”

"I couldn’t pinpoint the exact time of the attack. However, I remember that on that particular morning, I met Shivangi before heading to a restaurant. After our meeting, I returned home. It was only-" I was saying when the officer interrupted me and asked, ''You met Shivangi? Why and when?''

To clarify, I explained that I had encountered Shivangi earlier that morning as I was on my way to the restaurant. After this brief meeting with her, I went back home, and Arun showed up not long after.

The officer asked, "You saw her but didn’t talk to her or approach her?" I clarified, "No, I did talk to her." The officer then inquired, "What did you discuss?" I explained, "I asked her why she married Rudra." The officer seemed puzzled and asked, "Why did you ask that?" I responded, "Because Shivangi didn't like Rudra."

I elaborated that Shivangi and Rudra had been engaged earlier, but their engagement ended because Rudra made her uncomfortable. Despite this, Shivangi is now married to Rudra. The officer then asked, "So, are you saying her parents forced her to marry him?" I confirmed, "Yes, that appears to be the case."

The officer said, "But it still doesn’t change the fact that the DNA tests are positive." I responded, "Reports can be altered or even faked." The officer asked, "Why would a doctor do that?" I replied, "For money." I then suggested, "You should have the test done again to get a clear answer."

As we were discussing the situation, a constable arrived and informed us that Shivangi had regained consciousness. The officer was getting ready to leave for the hospital to check on her. I immediately requested to accompany him, hoping to be there when she woke up.

The officer, however, initially refused, stating that since I was considered a victim in this case, it would be better for me to stay behind. I tried to explain that if Shivangi felt even a hint of discomfort or distress, I was prepared to surrender myself if needed. I emphasized that I wanted to be there to support her and address any concerns she might have.

After considerable effort and repeated requests, the officer finally agreed to take me with him. Relieved, I followed him to the hospital, hoping that my presence might provide some reassurance to Shivangi.

We arrived at the hospital, and without a moment’s hesitation, I sprinted towards Shivangi’s ward, my heart pounding with worry. Despite the officer’s voice calling my name from behind, I chose to ignore it, my focus solely on reaching her. When I finally burst into the ward, and the scene infront of me filled me with an overwhelming sense of anger and frustration.

Shivangi's Pov

My eyes were tightly shut, and I could hear distant, muffled sounds that I couldn’t quite make out. Everything around me was enveloped in darkness. I tried repeatedly to open my eyes, but each attempt felt futile as if my eyelids were weighted down. Finally, with a great effort, I managed to open them just a crack. The sudden influx of light was startling and intense, causing me to squint. For a moment, the brightness was overwhelming, and I wondered if I had somehow ended up in heaven, given the pure, white radiance surrounding me.