Tangled Beliefs

Chapter-24: Buried Blame

I thought I was protecting myself by standing my ground, but now it feels like I was only hurting them.

Manik's POV,

The stillness of the night was interrupted by a sharp knock on my door. Stirring awake, I groggily reached for my phone to check the time-2:30 a.m. Confused, I rubbed my eyes and stumbled out of bed, wondering who would need me at this hour. I opened the door to find Mom standing there, her face pale and panicked.

"Mom? What happened?" I asked, my heart was already racing.

"It's your dad," she said, her voice trembling. "He's not well. We need to take him to the hospital. Now."

Those words jolted me awake like a bucket of cold water. "What?" I asked, but I didn't wait for her to answer. "Don't worry, Mom. Let's go."

Without wasting another second, I called out for the butlers and helped get Dad to the car. His face was pale, his breathing shallow. It was terrifying to see him like this. Mom sat in the backseat, holding Dad's hand tightly, tears streaming down her face. I drove, my hands gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turned white.

"It's going to be okay, Mom," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. I couldn't let her see how scared I was. "We'll get him to the hospital in no time."

She nodded but said nothing, her focus entirely on Dad. I reached for my phone, dialing Cabir's number while keeping my eyes on the road.

"Cabir," I said, my voice urgent. "Come to City Hospital right now. Dad's not well. I'll explain when you get here."

"I'm on my way," Cabir said without hesitation.

By the time we reached the hospital, a team of nurses and a stretcher were waiting for us. I parked haphazardly, rushing to help transfer Dad. They wheeled him straight to the ICU, leaving us outside with nothing but anxiety and forms to fill out.

I stood at the reception, staring at the clipboard in my hands. My mind was a mess, but I forced myself to focus, answering their questions and signing where needed. Just as I finished, I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to see Cabir, with Mukti, Alya, and Dhruv right behind him.

Cabir pulled me into a quick hug. "Manik, don't take tension. Uncle will be fine," he said, his voice firm.

Mukti and Alya looked worried. "Where's Aunty?" Mukti asked.

"She's outside the ICU," I said, pointing in that direction.

Without a word, they rushed off to find her. Cabir stayed with me, his presence grounding me, while Dhruv stood silently, his concern evident on his face. Once the forms were done, we headed to the ICU. The sight that greeted me was enough to make my chest ache.

Mom was sitting on a chair, her face buried in her hands, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. Mukti and Alya sat beside her, trying to console her, but she looked inconsolable. I couldn't stand to see her like that.

"Mom," I said softly, kneeling in front of her. She looked up, her eyes red and swollen. "Don't cry, Mom. Nothing will happen to Dad. He'll be fine. I promise."

She nodded weakly, but her tears didn't stop. I placed my hand over hers, hoping to give her some strength, even though I felt like I had none left to offer.

Moments later, the doctor stepped out of the ICU, and we all surged toward him.

"What happened to him? Is he okay?" I asked, my words tumbling out in a rush.

The doctor raised a hand to calm us. "It was a minor heart attack," he explained. "Nothing too serious, but you need to take care of him. He's been under a lot of stress, and that's what triggered this. Keep him away from anything that could strain him further."