Dono Jud Ke Judaa (Slow Updates)

Alvida

That’s part of what I like about the book in some ways. It portrays death truthfully. You die in the middle of your life, in the middle of a sentence. ~ John Green, The Fault In Our Stars.

Song of the chapter : Bhare Naina by Nandini Srikar.

***

The next moments pass in a blur and then Ekansh is placed on a stretcher as the doctors hurry inside.

"Ekansh please aankhe kholo. Tum darro mat ha. Abhi bass tum thik ho jaaoge" I cry holding his hand tightly.

His face is so badly bruised that all I can see is blood. The blood is not stopping and I am on the verge of getting a panic attack.

They take him inside the operation theatre and the nurse closes the door on my face.

I place my head on the closed doors as my legs threaten to give up underneath me.

Let him be okay.. please..

"Bahot blood loss hua hai unka. Teen haddiyaan toot gayi hai aur skull me bhi swelling hai. I don't think he'll make it but we'll try our best" the doctor says and goes inside.

I go and slump down on a chair and look at my shaking hands that are now red.

Khoon. Ekansh ka khoon. Because of me. Ye tune kya kar diya, Avni?

Bile rises in my throat and I run towards the washroom and throw up all the contents of my stomach.

Kyu gayi mai vo raste pe? Kyu maine aaju baju nahi dekha? Kyu maine phone uthaya? Kyu kyu kyu?!

I wash my hands vigorously, like I'm trying to rip off my own skin and cry. Meri galti ki saza Ekansh ko. Kyu?

I somehow stumble outside and see that there are now more people outside the operation theatre.

Ekansh ki family.

I've never met anyone before but Ekansh se bahot sunaa hai inke baare me. He stays in a joint family. Teen saal se itni baate sunn ke I can recognise them very well.

The old man and old lady sitting in a corner are his dada dadi and the little girl beside them is his youngest cousin, Chanchal.

His mom is crying on his dad's shoulder and tears roll down my cheeks. There is another elder couple who I assume to be his chacha chachi and their elder daughter, Devika are talking about something.

I slowly walk forward and his mom is the first one to look at me.

Her eyes light up with fire once she sees me. Just by her expression I know that she knows. She dashes towards me and slaps me right across my face. Hard.

I'm about to fall when two strong hands hold my shoulders and jerk me up. I look up to see Hriday glaring down at me in rage.

"Stop it Mugdha!" His dad comes towards us and pulls her away from me. "I'm sorry beta" he says as my hands move towards my face and I cry in them.

"Dad aap sorry mat bolo. Issi ke wajah se Ekansh ki ye haalat hai. Issi ne-"

"Bass karo Hriday!" a gentle hand settles on my shoulder and I look up to see his dadaji looking at me in concern.

"Jo bhi hua vo bass ek haadsa tha. Aur vo Ekansh ka faisla tha. Ye wakt pe ek dusre ko doshi tehraane se achha hai ke ek hum ek dusre ke saath rahe" his daadi says and I wipe my tears.