REGRETS: An Unspoken Longings

I AM WITH YOU.

Veer's Point of view-:

The fluorescent lights of the hospital room were harsh and unforgiving as I slowly regained consciousness. The beeping of the heart monitor was rhythmic but jarring, pulling me fully awake. My head felt heavy, my body numb and weak. As my vision cleared, I saw a room full of familiar faces—Arjun, Saanvi, Nandini, Vivaan, and Suhani—each one etched with worry and exhaustion.

I tried to sit up, but my body protested. The beeping of the monitor quickened as I moved, and I noticed Arjun was the first to react. His face turned red with anger as he saw me wake.

“Veer!” Arjun’s voice cut through the silence, his tone sharp and accusing. “What the hell were you thinking? Why would you do this to yourself?”

I tried to muster a response, but my throat felt parched, and all I could manage was a hoarse whisper. “I… I just… couldn’t sleep…”

“Couldn’t sleep?” Arjun’s voice was rising, filled with frustration. “That’s your excuse? You nearly killed yourself, Veer! We were all scared out of our minds!”

I swallowed hard, trying to focus on his angry face. “I didn’t mean to… I took more pills than I should have. I was desperate. I thought it would help me sleep.”

Arjun’s expression twisted into a mix of disbelief and rage. “Desperate? That’s your reason? You’ve been pushing everyone away, hiding everything, and now look at what you’ve done! You need help, Veer. More than we can give you.”

I glanced around the room, seeing the other faces watching with varying degrees of concern. Suhani’s eyes were fixed on me, but there was something different about her expression—hurt, confusion, and a hint of betrayal.

My heart sank as I met her gaze, but I quickly looked away. I wasn’t ready to deal with the disappointment and pain I saw in her eyes. I had pushed her away, and now, seeing her here, waiting for me, only made me feel more ashamed.

As Arjun continued to yell, the words seemed to blend together, becoming a blur of anger and worry. I could barely focus on what he was saying, the weight of my actions pressing heavily on me.

Suhani stepped forward, her voice trembling as she spoke. “Veer… can we talk? Just for a minute?”

I looked up at her, and the intensity of her gaze hit me like a physical blow. I felt a pang of guilt and a surge of anger, a complicated mess of emotions I couldn’t untangle. I shook my head, trying to push her away with my words.

“Not now, Suhani,” I said curtly, my voice harsh and unfeeling. “Just… leave me alone.”

Her face fell, and I saw the hurt flash across her features. She tried to step closer, but I couldn’t handle it. The guilt was overwhelming, and I was too exhausted to deal with the emotional fallout of everything I had done.

“Veer, please,” she begged, her voice breaking. “I need to understand why… why you did this.”

I felt the anger rise inside me, not at her, but at myself. I was lashing out because I couldn’t handle the intensity of her emotions or my own. “I said, stay away from me!” I yelled, my voice echoing off the sterile walls. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

The words seemed to cut through her, and she recoiled, her eyes filling with tears. I watched as she turned and fled from the room, her sobs echoing down the hallway. The sight of her leaving, her shoulders shaking with every step, pierced my heart, but I couldn’t bring myself to stop her.

Arjun’s anger seemed to dissipate as he saw Suhani leave. He looked back at me, his face a mixture of sadness and frustration. “You’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Veer. To everyone. But most importantly, to yourself.”