Have you heard of Palampur? It's awesome little village nestled between the hills and valleys.
The atmosphere there is so tranquil that it really makes you contemplate life. In this village, there's this fiery short- tempered Jiya, who lives with h...
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The sun rose, casting its first rays through the hospital window, but the warmth of the new day didn't reach me. It couldn't. My world was still frozen in the cold, suffocating darkness that had descended when Tanishk was brought into the hospital, unconscious and bleeding.
I hadn't moved from his side, not even for a moment. My body was numb from the hard chair, my eyes dry and aching from lack of sleep. Every sound...the beeping of the machines, the soft murmur of the nurses, the distant hum of hospital life...felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. But I didn't care. None of it mattered. The only thing that mattered was Tanishk, lying motionless in that bed, his face pale, his body too still.
The doctors had tried to convince me to go home, to get some rest, but I refused. Every time someone came close, tried to talk to me, tried to pull me away, I shut them down with a single look. There was no way I was leaving him. How could I? I couldn't even blink without the fear that something might change, that he might need me, that he might wake up and I wouldn't be there. I wouldn't risk it. Not for anything.
"Jiya, please," Maa's voice was soft, broken, as she stood beside me, her hand resting gently on my shoulder.
"You need to rest, beta. You've been here all night. You're not doing yourself any good like this," I shook my head.
"I'm not leaving," I whispered, my voice hoarse from exhaustion and crying.
"I'm not going anywhere until he wakes up."
"Jiya," Papa tried, his voice heavy with concern.
"He wouldn't want you to wear yourself out like this. You need to take care of yourself too. For him."
"I'll take care of myself when he opens his eyes," I said motionless, my voice sharper than I intended. The fear and frustration were clawing at me from the inside, making it impossible to think straight. I heard Siya di behind me, her voice gentle but firm.
"Let her stay, Maa. She needs to be here. Just like we all do."
I could hear the pain in their voices, feel the tension in the air, but all I could focus on was Tanishk. His chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm, but it wasn't enough to soothe the panic that had taken hold of my heart. I needed him to wake up, to look at me with those deep, soulful eyes that always made me feel like everything was going to be okay. But he didn't. He just lay there, unconscious, trapped somewhere I couldn't reach.
The door to the room opened, and one of the doctors entered, his expression grave. I stiffened, every muscle in my body tensing as he approached. I didn't want to hear what he had to say. I wasn't ready for more bad news. But there was no escaping it.
"How is he?" I asked, my voice trembling with barely contained fear. The doctor hesitated, glancing at Maa and Papa before looking back at me.
"Tanishk has a serious injury to the back of his head," he began, his tone careful, as if he were afraid the words might shatter me.
