Madness and Magic...❤️

44

Trigger Warning:
This chapter has scenes of self-harm and a lot of heartbreak. Please prioritize your mental well-being,if it feels too much, it is completely okay to skip.
If you want to skip these 2 chapters ( chapter 43. & Chapter 44)but still want to follow the story, just message me. I’ll share a summary and put it at the start of the next update. ❤️

The world returned to her consciousness in fragments... first a white ceiling then the hum of machines. And finally Maya's face, pale and strained, hovering just above.

And then the memory surged through her...Reema’s words.... the shattering truth, and then…Sidharth’s voice.She thought all of that was a bad dream..so is this.She looked at the clock,the time was 4:30 pm.

Maya quickly took out  her phone.
Sidharth...She is stirring." Shr told him over the phone.Within seconds, the door opened and
he came in breathless.

She saw exhaustion on his face and a strange stillness, he was torn between two realities: there were responsibilities and then there was His wife. His broken girl.There was no rest for him , no moment to grieve. As the son-in-law, and the closest available family member, the world expected him to keep moving.

The children had woken up. There was still no way to explain to them where their father had gone. Everything had collapsed, and they were floating in it. Till now Reema had no clues about it, Her operation was yet to perform.
There were formalities and rituals.

"Baby ,are you feeling better?" He asked.
She pushed herself up slowly and felt something on her hand and without looking at it,she yanked at the cannula in her arm and blood spurted in an arc.

"Shehnaaz!" Sidharth ran forward and held her hand ,The tape had torn, and the catheter came loose. He pressed his hand to her wrist, trying to stop the bleeding and she was still.

Maya had already darted out of the room to call the doctor.He held her close to him.

"Shehnaaz... Calm down"He said.

"Dad... aagaye wapas? Is he back from the OT?" She asked.Sidharth closed his eyes,He didn’t answer ,he had no answer.By the time the doctor and nurses arrived, she had slacked in his arms.She was absolutely Silent and tearless.

The nurse moved  Sidharth aside and began cleaning the blood and then a doctor checked her vitals.

"I am very sorry for your loss."The doctor  looked at Shehnaaz and offered condolences.

"Your blood pressure had dropped,it's better now but you need to eat something or else will have to remain you on IV fluid.... better hai kuch kha lijie"The doc said,She didn’t respond.

"Doctor.... Is she..." Sidharth asked him when he just nodded.

"Some paperwork needs to be completed...And... arrangements, for the... for Mr. Saini.... Please come with me." the doctor told him,Sidharth gave a small nod.

"Ok"he said,looked back at Shehnaaz once,before following the doctor out.

Maya remained behind.She on a stool by Shehnaaz’s bed as the nurse did her bandage..Maya's eyes welled up when she noticed her blank face.The world outside kept turning, but for her… time had frozen.The nurse finished dressing her wounds and paused at the door.

"Inko yeah nikalne mat dena."she reminded Maya,gesturing toward the bandage,before stepping out of the room.

Maya moved closer, sat beside Shehnaaz on the bed,and held her in a warm hug. Shehnaaz neither resisted nor leaned in. She just sat there, lifeless.

"Beta,you are the strongest person I have ever met. What you have lost... it can’t be undone. But what’s left behind... needs you now. Reema ji. The kids. You have to take care of them." Maya whispered, caressing her hair but Maya’s voice sounded like a distant echo to her, Like it was reaching her through a tunnel. Shehnaaz coudnt think of strength. She couldn't think of anything as Reema’s voice still rang inside her like an aftershock "He is not your real father… you could never be his daughter... You are the reason behind this accident....." But surprisingly . She couldn’t feel its depth anymore.She wasn't feeling anything.She pinched her wrist sneakily.....Felt Nothing...No sting. No reaction.She then pinched the wound she had inflected on herself,it had a bandage on now,she pushed her finger inside the bandages and scrapped the skin...yet no pain...No confirmation that she was still alive.