The life of a withering flower [COMPLETED ✔️]

Chapter 18

That day felt strange.

Amidst the shadows of light, sleak figures, my eyes searched for her bright eyes. My eyes searched for her contradictory voice and lit up personality.

But, she wasn't there, yet.

I decided to wait. Maybe she is late. I said to myself. But, she didn't show up.

The strings around my heart formed a knot, clenching and unclenching. It leapt in an unknown emotion.

I asked Vardhman sir about her.

He pursed his lips tight and furrowed his brows.

"She is my niece", he breathed out "She was hospitalized last night because her health conditions seemed to have deteriorated."

That thing, that sentence, that word. All of that sent a trickle through my spine. Surprise, astonishment and agony rose from my feet and flared into my heart. I had an urge to scream out, unreasonably.

Instead, I jumped out of my seat, grabbed my bag and ran down the school corridor.

Maybe, it's the last time I might see her.

"Hey Darshan!", Shivank called me from behind. I stopped in my traca facing him.

"Need a lift?", he beamed at me showing his scooty keys and twirling them on his fingers. Tears had begun creeping up my eyes. I nodded my head as I wiped them off before they trickled down my face.

He took his bag out, and ran down the corridor with me. Is this what feels like to have a companion? The teachers were calling out for us, but neither of us paid heed to them.

"Don't you fear being caught?", I asked him while turning around the corner.

"What are you saying? This is not the first time I have bunked school", he answered as we got out of the school building and to the parking lot.

He recognized his white activa and brought it to life.

"Let's hurry", he said and I sat behind him. The atmosphere was humid. As much humid as monsoon would usually allow to.

What if... She is no more! What if... I am late?

No, think positive!

Again, why was I doing this? It wasn't like I was forced to. It wasn't like she was dragging me towards her or with her. It was like, everything that she and I had was dragging me towards her. And that is... Memories. Sweet ones. Sour ones. Emotional ones. Lovely ones.

The scooty parked in front of the hospital and I jumped out.

"Aren't you going to come in?", I asked the guy, while I was already on my heels to dart off any moment.

"Nay. I am fine. And if I know her properly, she must be breakdancing even now", he chuckled and I didn't know what to say.

I turned around and picked up my pace. To the reception. I asked the receptionist about the room. Room no. 205, she said.

She is like snow white.

She is like Ariel.

She is like everyone I know.

Without bothering to knock, panting for breath, I flung open the door. She was standing by the window, pushing her left leg forward, then right leg, followed by her left hand and then right. She was dancing?

She turned her head back with the noise of the opening door.

In an instant her face flushed pink with embarrassment.

"W-- what are you doing here?", she asked hiding behind the curtains.

I slapped my forehead in disdain. "Good grief! Now I regret getting worried and getting that Shivank guy into trouble with me", I said shaking my head.

"You got worried?", she asked, her voice sounding lost.

For a moment, there was a gripping silence rising from my heart to the atmosphere, impregnating it with an untamed emotion. The wind thrushed in through the window as if whispering a secret to the curtains.

Her red-brown eyes melted into the whiteness surrounding them and her rosy lips curled upwards into a smile. The peach coloured hoodie, did nothing to hide her heart.

"Come here", she called out for me as she seated herself in the bed and made him sit on the chair beside her.

"I didn't think you would come", she said hugging her knees looking out the window.

"I kind of didn't know too", I replied and her eyes widened a fraction as they normalized again.

"You aren't worried that the teachers might call your mom. You might be grounded and might even get suspended", she said still looking out. The short pants she wore showed her long, smooth legs. I eyed them for a moment before diving in to get my answers.

Am I worried? Honestly, no.

"What happened?", I asked her.

"It's nothing. I just felt a bit weak and couldn't eat. So, my parents went a bit overboard and hospitlized me. It's nothing serious", she said, smiling.

"Several ignored conditions lead to something serious. So, I don't think they did anything wrong", I said curling my hand into a fist.

"I won't say that they did anything wrong. They did everything out of love and greed for me. Even if they know it, they don't want it to happen. I understand that. It's just that, I don't want them to be sad when I am gone", she said burying her face into her knees. Her eyes saddening.

I kept quiet, not knowing what to say. There was nothing I could do, and it stabbed my heart like the steely knife that cuts through the toughest of vegetables.

"Hey, I have something for you", she said letting go of her knees and heading to the header of her bed. From under the pillow, she brought out a crisp white paper which looked softened due to the moisture in the atmosphere.

"I don't know how to put it. But, once I am gone, can you hand it over to didi?", she asked handing out the paper. My eyebrows furrowed at the non-living.

"I am not as good as you think", I said looking towards the sides.

"Of course, a boy who is straining the already built tension in his family, pushes people away who want to be his' and doesn't even try to get hold of the world he is in, is not a good boy. But, you are someone who is good enough to be trusted", she said placing a smile on her face as she handed out the paper towards me.

"Why am I being trusted so much?", I asked.

"Because, you are the only one", she said, instead of giving a flippant answer. I took the paper from her.

Before I could say anything, the door flung open, showing Kaavya.

"What are you doing here?", she shrieked at me.

She rose from her bed and squished her sister in a hug and ranted to her and motioned me to get out. With the, crisp, soft letter in my hand and a sober, drunk heart, I headed out.

"Where do you want to go?", the guy asked while sitting on his scooty with a Lay's packet.

"School"

// I hope you guys like it... Only... 4-5 chapters more to go. I hope you guys love it like every other story... 🤗🤗🤗🤗//