Heyy Baby

Part 28

Karu let out a sharp, high-pitched scream as her tiny body tumbled down, her arm twisting unnaturally as she landed. Her forehead hit the metal bars on the ground with a sickening crack.

A moment of silence.

Then—

A blood-curdling, heart-wrenching scream tore through the park.

Her small body curled into itself as she wailed in pure agony, tiny fingers clawing at the sand, her fractured arm limp and useless. Blood poured from her forehead, staining her dress.

Naina, frozen for a second, panicked. What if she got caught? Her wide eyes darted around before she made a split-second decision. Jumping down carefully, she let herself scrape against the rough surface, wincing slightly as her knees and arms got scratched. Then she burst into tears, making sure her cries were loud enough.

Hearing the screams, Amar and Cheetah dropped their ice creams and ran towards the jungle gym.

"NAINA!" Amar shouted, his heart stopping at the sight of her bleeding arms.

He rushed forward, scooping her up. "Bacchi, kya ho gaya?"

Naina sobbed dramatically, clinging to him. "K-Karu... u-usne mujhe dhakka de diya!"

Cheetah turned towards Karu, his breath hitching at the sight of her small, trembling body curled up in unbearable pain. He rushed to her side, his heart shattering.

"Arre, beta... Karu..." His voice broke as he reached out to touch her, but the second his fingers brushed her, she let out another scream, flinching violently.

His heart squeezed painfully.

And then he saw it.

For the first time in his life, he saw something in her eyes that hurt more than anything—loneliness. That same haunting fear of being abandoned.

She had seen it.

She had seen how Amar first ran to Naina. She had seen how everyone surrounded Naina first. She had seen how no one came for her immediately.

And it hurt more than the fracture in her tiny arm.

Cheetah quickly gathered her into his arms, guilt gnawing at his insides. "Chotu, hum hai na... kuch nahi hoga..." His voice wavered as he held her close, her small body trembling violently in his embrace.

And with that, they rushed to the hospital.

The moment they arrived, chaos broke out.

"Naina! Karu" Haseena's panicked voice rang through the hospital as she ran towards the emergency ward. "Mere bacche! Kahan hai?!"

Shivani, breathless, hurried to the reception. "Bacche kahan hai?"

Dr. Ankit emerged from the emergency area, holding up a hand. "Relax, everyone. Naina ko sirf chhoti-moti scrapes hain. Koi serious chot nahi hai."

A collective sigh of relief.

"Thank god," Amar muttered.

"Humein Naina se milne diya ja sakta hai?" Sheetal asked urgently, worry evident in her tone.

"Of course," Dr. Ankit nodded. "Woh theek hai, bas thodi emotional hai."

Without a second thought, everyone rushed towards Naina's room, leaving Karu behind.

Cheetah didn't follow them.

He couldn't.

His legs felt heavy, his heart hammering in his chest. He had seen Karu's injuries. He had felt her body shaking violently against his own.