Shadows Of The Stumps

Chapter 22

As soon as the car pulled into the driveway of the safe house, the air was charged with a mixture of relief and tension. The late evening sun cast a warm glow over the scene, illuminating the faces of the families who had faced such peril. The wives rushed out, their expressions a blend of worry and affection as they enveloped their husbands in tight embraces, grateful to see them back safe and sound.

"Virat!" Anushka cried, her voice trembling slightly. She threw her arms around him, holding him tightly as if she never wanted to let go. "You're okay!"

"I'm fine," he assured her, his voice steady despite the turmoil they had all endured. "But we need to talk about what happened."

Rohit hugged Ritika close, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry I put you through this," he murmured, the weight of his recent experiences evident in his tone.

"It's not just you," Ritika replied, pulling back to look into his eyes. "We all faced this together. I just want to know everyone is safe now."

Athiya stepped forward, intertwining her fingers with Rahul's as they entered the house. "What a nightmare," she said softly, glancing back at the others. "I'm just relieved we made it out in one piece."

"Where are the kids?" Virat asked suddenly, breaking the momentary silence as they entered the house.

"They're sleeping," Anushka replied, her eyes softening at the thought of their little ones resting peacefully. "They had a long day."

As they settled into the living room, the mood shifted abruptly when Meera stepped in, her presence met with a wave of tension. The room fell silent, the atmosphere thick with unspoken words.

Ritika was the first to speak, her eyes narrowed. "So, this is how it's going to be, huh? We don't hear from you for weeks, you ignore our calls, and then you just show up?"

Meera opened her mouth to respond, but no words came out. Anushka stepped forward, shaking her head. "You think we wouldn't find out what happened? That you'd end up on oxygen support, and we wouldn't hear about it?"

"I didn't want to worry you," Meera mumbled, feeling a wave of guilt wash over her.

Athiya scoffed. "You didn't want to worry us? You didn't even give us the chance to worry! You cut us off completely, Meera. We had no idea what was happening with you."

Meera bit her lip, unsure of what to say. She hadn't expected this level of anger, but now that she was facing it, she couldn't blame them. They had every right to be upset. She had shut them out, left them in the dark while she tried to navigate her own pain.

"I'm sorry," she finally managed to say, her voice small. "I didn't mean to..."

"Didn't mean to what?" Ritika interrupted, her voice rising. "Didn't mean to push us away? Didn't mean to go through all of this without telling us? We're your family, Meera. Why didn't you let us in?"

The words stung, but they were true. Meera had no defence. She had been so focused on handling everything herself that she hadn't stopped to think about how much she was hurting the people who cared about her.

"I just didn't know how to deal with it," Meera admitted, her voice breaking. "Everything was too much, and I didn't want to burden any of you."

"Burden?" Anushka's voice softened slightly, but the frustration was still there. "We're not just here for the fun times, Meera. We're here for all of it. You don't have to carry everything on your own."

Athiya stepped forward, her expression softening. "You could have told us. We would've been there, no matter what."

Meera felt her chest tighten with emotion. She had been so wrong, so afraid of being vulnerable, that she had lost sight of what friendship really meant. The silence hung heavy between them for a moment until a voice broke through.