Chapter Thirty-Six

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The sterile smell of the hospital lingered in the air, a constant reminder of the heavy reality we were facing

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The sterile smell of the hospital lingered in the air, a constant reminder of the heavy reality we were facing. We were already in the hospital, Aisha and I, waiting for the surgery to begin. She sat beside me, her fingers twined with mine, but there was an undeniable tension in her grip. I knew she was scared, even though she tried to hide it. And so was I.

The doctors had explained everything in detail. Aisha's kidney problem had reached a point where surgery was the only option. There were risks, and they were unavoidable, but this was the only chance we had to fix things. Aisha's health, her future-it all rested on the outcome of this procedure.

I had barely slept the night before, my mind racing with all the possibilities. What if something went wrong? What if I lost her? The thought of never seeing her smile again, never hearing her voice, felt like a weight pressing down on my chest. I tried to keep my thoughts together, but the fear was overwhelming.

"Aisha," I said, my voice breaking through the silence, "everything is going to be fine. The doctor knows what he's doing. You're strong. You'll pull through."

She smiled faintly at me, but I could see the worry behind her eyes. "I know. But I just..." She trailed off, unable to voice what was on her mind. I could feel it too-the fear of the unknown.

The moment arrived when they were ready to take her in for the surgery. The nurses came to prep her, and I stayed by her side, not wanting to leave for even a second. She squeezed my hand, looking up at me as the anesthesia started to kick in.

"I love you," she whispered, her voice soft but clear. "I'll be fine. Promise me you'll be okay too."

"I love you too," I said, my voice rough with emotion. "I'll be right here when you wake up. I promise."

They wheeled her into the operating room, and I stood there, helpless, watching her disappear through the doors. It felt like a part of me was leaving too, and all I could do was wait.

I couldn't sit still. My legs moved restlessly as I paced the hospital corridor. I kept glancing at the clock, watching every minute tick by, each one feeling longer than the last. The silence in the waiting room was suffocating. My mother, Yashraj, Viraj, and Alia had already arrived, all of them trying their best to reassure me, but nothing seemed to calm the storm inside me.

My mother was the first to speak up, her voice soft yet filled with confidence. "Yuvraj, she'll be okay. The doctor assured us that everything will go smoothly. Aisha is strong, and you need to be too. You're her strength right now."

I nodded, but the doubt still lingered. I couldn't push the thought away-what if this didn't work? What if this was the beginning of a different kind of future for us?

Yashraj, sensing my unease, placed a hand on my shoulder. "We're all here for you, Yuvraj. You're not alone in this."

Viraj, usually the more lighthearted of the bunch, was quieter than usual, his expression somber. "We've got this, bro. She's got this. Just hold on a little longer."

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