Bepannaah: Against All Odds || COMPLETED

20. Consequences

Zoya stood outside the ICU door, her tear filled eyes fixed at the man lying inside. Even In her wildest dreams she hadn't expected him to give up, after all he was a fighter who had taught her to fight. Pushing open the door, she walked in, her cheeks strained with tears as she managed to sit by his bedside. Her sobs had reduched to soft hiccups, but watching him up close, and that too so lifeless brought back all those tears. Zoya had no recollection of how many hours had passed, how much she had cried but to her, if it didn't bring back Aditya, it wasn't worth it.

"You can't do this to me Aditya. Aap humse wadakhilafi nhi kar sakte. You promised me you won't leave me ever!", she pleaded, her voice breaking at every other instant as she held his warm hand in between hers, and leaned to kiss it.

Aditya lay motionless, various tubes and wires attached to him, his eyes closed. For the first time in days, he looked at peace to her, like he was glad it was over. And it scared her. It scared her to think that life had exhausted him a bit too much for him to even consider returning.

Pooja's diary lay beside him on the bedside table, and Zoya cried harder looking at it. Picking it up yet again, she walked a few step back and slided down the wall, holding the diary to her chest.

Months ago, this brown diary had broken Aditya's already broken heart by giving him a different perspective about his best friend, Pooja. It was that night that he had learnt so many things Pooja always kept to herself, including her miseries and her agonies until she decided to break free. But that diary, that solemn night had clasped Aditya in its tight hold, those engraved words ran like poisoned blood in his system, making him cross check every decision henceforth, snatching his carefree attitude and robbing him of himself.

Months later, that same diary was in Zoya's hand, and she kept on reading and re reading Aditya's entry, that he had penned down moments before he gave up and slit his both wrists, in an attempt to give her some solace and a request to move on, but that had an opposite effect on her. She felt devastated to learn what those 8 hours changed in his life, and it only made her want to wallow in regret and pain.

The door opened again and a limping Sakshi entered, clad in a hospital gown but her eyes filled with unshed tears for her child that lay on the bed, defenseless, wounded and pitiful.

Her eyes fell on Zoya who was still weeping into her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly as she tried not to make any sounds.