AKSHAT SINGHANIA - A literature professor in Singania Institute of Arts and Commerce. He is soft and caring person
with a tough exterior, who doesn't believe in love or marriage because of his parent's broken relationship and his ex wife's betrayal...
Akshat closed his eyes for a brief moment, trying to center himself. The air around him felt thick,too heavy to breathe properly. The paper in his hand felt like it was burning. He wanted to disappear. Or scream. Or just stop time. But instead, he opened his eyes slowly, and his gaze landed on his mother,still crouched on the floor, trembling, shattered.
He knelt back down beside her.
"Maa..." he said softly, almost pleading, "please. Please calm down first. Aap aise mat,"
His voice broke for a second.
Amrit, heart pounding, rushed beside Akshat and gently placed her hand on Vishakha's back. "Maa... please, come... sit here." Her voice cracked with worry.
Between them, they gently helped Vishakha up from the floor. She wasn't resisting,just dazed. Her steps were slow, disoriented, almost mechanical, like her body was moving but her mind had completely shut down.
They helped her onto the sofa, Amrit adjusting the cushion behind her back while Akshat quickly fetched a glass of water. He knelt before her again and offered it.
Vishakha took it with shaky hands, but the glass rattled lightly against her fingers. Some of the water spilled. She looked at it blankly, and then at Akshat,her eyes wide and vacant. "What... what is this?" she whispered, her voice hollow, filled with disbelief. Her gaze dropped again to the paper she still held with trembling hands.
"Vishakha, kya hai is paper mein?" Rakshit asked, growing more and more concerned. His brows were furrowed, voice rising with tension. "Tum kuch bol kyun nahi rahi ho?"
When she didn't respond,her eyes just glued to the document, lips barely moving,Rakshit grew impatient. He stepped forward and gently pried the paper from her fingers.
Everyone turned to him as he looked down at the file.
Silence stretched.
His eyes scanned the top of the document... confusion etched on his face. Slowly, line by line, his expression changed. His lips parted slightly. He blinked rapidly. His hand gripped the edge of the paper tighter.
He read further.
He suddenly felt the floor tilt under him.
His throat dried up.
His eyes lifted from the page and looked at Akshat,who was still kneeling beside Vishakha, watching him like a child waiting to be scolded. Waiting to be seen... understood.
Rakshit's lips trembled. He couldn't read further.
With a sudden rush of disbelief and helpless fury, he flung the report onto the table. The paper fluttered once before landing harshly, as if even it felt the weight of what it carried.
