Married to you ✔

28• There for you

"Ma-nik." I could feel my hand tremble as I looked at the message. It was from my mum.

"Daadi has had a cardiac attack and we are rushing her to the Regional Hospital."

"My work is almost- Nandini what happened?" He placed his laptop on the bedside table. I could hear it.

He glanced at my phone message. "Nandini let's go to the hospital." He said after reading the message. He plopped out of the bed and I sat there frozen.

"Nandini let's go." He said it yet again and that broke my trance. After locking the main gate we both rushed to the hospital in the car.

I sat in the car, silently praying to god. Although she was strict and narrow minded but she had always been caring and sweet. Moreover I would never had gotten married to Manik, if Daadi wouldn't have forced me.

I could feel a knot form in my chest, thinking all this. Right then I felt his warm hand on mine. I looked at him and he squeezed my hand a bit. "Everything will be okay." He said, softly.

"Manik I am scared." I said in an inaudible tone, gulping the lump that had formed on my throat.

"Nandini it's okay to be scared. But just remember that you are not alone. I will always be there for you." He said as he lightly caressed my knuckles.

And this somehow gave me strength. I nodded my head gently. He kept on holding my hand with his one hand while his other hand was fixed to the steering wheel.

"Manik I am okay." I said, gulping the lump on my throat. "You can leave my hand. It must be uncomfortable to drive like this."

He continued to caress my knuckles. "I won't leave your hand even if you tell me to." He said with his eyes fixed to the road. "And don't worry it's not uncomfortable."

How did I get so lucky to get him in my life? I looked at him and even in situations like this just by looking at him, it gave me strength to endure all of this.

In the hospital,

I saw mum and dad sitting outside the operation theatre. My dad looked defeated. There he was, bent over and his face buried into his palm. While mum had been seated close to dad, patting his back gently. I knew she was at the verge of breaking too. After all she considered Daadi as her own mother.

God! I hated to see them this way; sad and defeated. It hurt.

"Mom. Dad." It took all my willpower to call them without breaking down.

They looked up at me. "What did the doctor say?" I asked, softly.

"The doctor said that the chances are very low but I know she will make it. She won't leave us this easily and I know that." Dad said but it sounded as though he was trying to convince himself.

This made me even more tensed and the feeling of losing someone dear to me gripped my heart. But I had to stay strong for my dad and my mum.

"Everything will be okay." I said, softly.

We sat over the benches in the corridor, waiting and wishing for the operation to get successful. I myself being a cardiologist, I knew it very well that she had very less chances of survival.

But still I hoped for the operation door to fling open and the doctors to emerge, beaming to declare,"She made it." But no such things happened. The red light continued to glow red overhead and the door remained close.

Later, a nurse hurried out of the operation theatre, probably to bring the doses that the surgeon had asked for.

"How's her condition?" My dad asked in a haste as soon as he saw the nurse.

"I can't say anything right now." The nurse said before she hurried out. This probably meant she wasn't in a good condition. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes but I forcefully blocked it.

Everything will be okay.

All those four freaking hours, Manik sat beside me holding my hand tightly. If it wouldn't have been for him, I would have long broken down.

Finally the doctor appeared. We all stood up from our seat, anxiety killing us. By seeing the doctor's expression, I knew it very well that she couldn't make it. But still I hoped for that to be wrong. My heartbeat tripled and I felt weak my knees.

"She couldn't make it. We are sorry." The doctor said and unknowingly a lone tear escaped my eyes. I could feel my knees wobble but before I could slump down on the floor. He held me by my shoulder, supporting me.

Dad leaned against the wall. His back had been facing me and yet I knew he was crying. I could hear his silent sobs.
Mom leaned against dad's shoulder and I could hear her sobs too.

It hurt even more and my vision got blurry. I didn't even realize when I dropped on my knees and hiding my face into my hand, I sobbed.

Everything just felt like a nightmare but it was the reality.

Right then I was pulled into his warm embrace. I rested my head on his chest and sobbed. He didn't say anything. He just held me tightly and lend me his shoulder to cry.

He had caged me in his arm and held me tightly as I sobbed into his chest. He frequently rubbed my back and even dropped a few kisses on my hair. And I was grateful.