Chapter 35
Kavya
Pounding. All I can hear is the relentless thud of my heart as I stare down at my mobile and read the message.
Unknown: I warned you to stop digging, but you didn’t heed my words. It appears one accident wasn’t sufficient to teach you a lesson. Nevertheless, another awaits you. I’m confident this one will jolt you to your senses and underscore the consequences of crossing me.
The hair on the back of my neck prickles as I read the message over and over again, trying to make sense of what he means. What accident is he talking about? Something inside me screams that I am in for a shock that will shatter my world all over again, perhaps even more drastically than the last time. My heart races and panic grips me, making it hard to breathe.
I squeeze my eyes shut, and immediately, Reyansh’s face flashes before me. I need him now—I have to call him. Opening my eyes, I am about to dial his number when my office door bursts open with a loud bang, making me jump and drop my phone. I let out a small shriek.
“Goodness, Akash, you scared me to death,” I chide, placing my hand over my heart.
“Kavya,” he softly whispers as he hurriedly enters and stands next to me. “I need you to listen to me.” He kneels down and gently cups my face in his hands. The fear reflected in his eyes twists my stomach into knots. I can’t shake the feeling that whatever it is, it’s going to be bad. Maybe even worse.
“Is… is it my sister?” My voice comes out in a shaky whisper, bracing for the worst.
He shakes his head. “It’s not about your sister.”
My heart pounds harder, and my hands instinctively clutch my stomach. I feel nauseous, praying desperately, ‘Oh God, no, please, no.’
“Wh… what is it?” My lips quiver.
Akash swallows hard, giving me a torn look. “It’s Reyansh. I just received a call about him being in a car accident. He’s been admitted to City Hospital.”
Reyansh. Car accident. The message. The warning. It all hits me like a blow, and black spots swim before my eyes. I feel like I am about to pass out.
“Kavya, are you okay?” Akash’s grip tightens as he steadies me, concern evident on his face.
“I... Reyansh... Akash... He... I...” I stammer, the words tangled in my throat, unable to think straight, let alone speak properly.
“Kavya, he’s okay. I don’t know the exact details, but I can tell you that nothing will happen to him. Your love is too strong for anything to truly harm him ,” he tries to assure me, but I know better than to believe those words.
“I want to go to him,” I say, my heart pounding painfully in my chest. Tears well up in my eyes as I attempt to stand, but Akash’s firm hold keeps me in place. I frown at him, frustrated that he’s stopping me when he knows how much I need to be with Reyansh right now.
“Why don’t you take a few minutes to calm down first,” he replies gently, “and then we’ll go to him together?”
I shake my head. “No, I need to see him now, Akash! I won’t be able to rest until I know he’s okay. I need to get to him... now!”
He lets out a huff. “Fine, but I’m driving you to the hospital.”
I nod, rising to my feet quickly as we head out of the office. Just as we reach his car, Karan steps in front of me, blocking my path.
“Ma’am, I’ve been given strict instructions not to let you go to the hospital until I get the green signal.”
I take a step towards him, jabbing my finger into his chest. “I don’t care about your orders. Let me make one thing clear—you are not keeping me from seeing Reyansh,” I hiss, tears streaming down my face. All I need now is to go to Reyansh, hold him tight, and make sure he’s alive.
“But ma’am...” Karan begins, his voice uncertain, but I hold up my hand.
“I am going. You can follow me if you want, but don’t even think about getting in my way ,” I say firmly, brushing past him and slipping into the passenger seat of Akash’s car.
A minute later, Akash gets behind the wheel and pulls the car onto the road without a word.
“Akash, please get there fast,” I whisper.
Akash nods, his focus on the road ahead as he gently squeezes my hand. “I’ll get us there as quickly as possible.”
I close my eyes and rest my head against the seat , my thoughts spiralling out of control . What if something happens to Reyansh? What if I lose him? What if he doesn’t get to see his baby? My hand instinctively moves to my stomach, clutching it as if I can protect both of them by sheer will . I feel like I can’t breathe.
Amidst all this, another fear grips me and comes to the surface, shedding light on the message I received earlier from the unknown number. The message... the warning... it’s all my fault. Reyansh is in the hospital because of me . I shouldn’t have gotten him involved in this mess. I dragged him into it , and now, he’s paying the price. Please God, let him be okay! Please don’t let him suffer because of my mistakes. Please don’t take him away from me. Please...
After what felt like an eternity, Akash finally pulls into the hospital’s emergency parking lot. Without wasting a second, we rush inside. At the reception, Akash asks for the room number, keeping a steadying grip on me as my legs threaten to give out. We make our way to the elevator and ride up in tense silence. When the doors open, we quickly turn right and hurry down the corridor until we reach his room. Outside, Reyansh’s parents stand by the door, their eyes red and filled with tears.
“How is he, Aunty?” I ask, r ushing to Reyansh’s mom and grabbing her hands, my own tears falling freely now.
“He’s fine. The doctors assure us there’s nothing to worry about,” she says, pulling me into a tight hug. We both break down in tears, our emotions spilling over in that moment of relief.
“Is he really okay?” I ask, pulling away from the hug , needing to hear those words again .
“Yes, he’s fine, just a few cuts and bruises. Fortunately, the car was hit on the front side near the tyre, not the door,” Reyansh’s dad reassures us. “The doctor mentioned a mild concussion, but he’s stable. Nothing serious. It could have been much worse,” he adds, pulling Reyansh’s mom closer to him, comforting her in his embrace.
“I still can’t thank God enough for watching over my son ,” Reyansh’s mom says, leaning into her husband’s arms . I look at her and see her weakness and vulnerability. Guilt hits me harder than ever. I can’t do this to them. I can’t bear to see them suffer because their son fell in love with me — the one who is responsible for all this. They don’t deserve this pain.
“Relax, honey. You heard the doctor. It’s a minor accident, and he will be fine,” Reyansh’s dad says, gently wiping her tears away.
“Uncle, did you find out how this happened?” Akash asks beside me.
“It was a hit-and-run case. They’re still looking for the driver,” Reyansh’s dad answers.
‘No, it’s not an accident,’ my mind screams, but I keep it to myself. Instead, I ask.
“Can I see him?” My voice comes out pleading.
“You can go see him, but you won’t be able to talk to him right now because he’s unconscious due to the medication the doctor gave him,” Reyansh’s dad says, looking into my eyes. “We’ll wait outside.”
I nod in response.
With my heart in my throat, I approach Reyansh’s room and gently push the door open. As I step inside , my world seems to freeze the moment my eyes land on him . He lies there, so still in the hospital bed, wrapped in the sterile hospital gown. I inhale sharply as I take in his appearance. His head is wrapped in bandages, and faint bruises mar his cheek. His right hand is connected to an IV drip, the quiet beeping of machines filling the room .
I sink into the chair beside him, clutching his left hand in mine. Tears spill freely down my cheeks as I lean closer to him.
“Reyansh, please come back to me,” I pause, my voice trembling as I stare at him. “Please wake up. Our baby needs you. I need you.” My hand gently squeezes his, desperate for any response, but he remains still.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself to say the words I never thought I would utter. “I have to let you go, Reyansh,” I whisper to his motionless form. “ It’s breaking my heart, but I can’t keep risking your safety by being a part of your life, ” I let out a sob and rest my head against his shoulder. “I don’t want to let go of what we’ve built, but I can’t be selfish. I have to end this and break your heart.” I rest my hand over his heart, feeling trapped between a rock and a hard place . “I am so sorry. I know this will hurt you… but I can’t risk being the reason you don’t wake up.”
I lift my head and kiss his stubbled cheek, my lips lingering against his skin. “My heart will always belong to you, even if I can’t be with you,” I murmur shakily, gently resting my palm on his cheek. “And our child will carry our love, always reminding me of what we shared.”
“I love you, Reyansh,” I whisper, tears streaming down my face as I kiss him one last time, my lips trembling against his still ones . With my heart breaking, I pull away, slipping the ring off my finger and placing it on the table next to the bed. I then rise to my feet and head for the door, not daring to look back. Turning the knob, I leave, tears streaming down my cheeks.
The moment I step out of the room, I find his parents and Akash waiting in the same spot. Their eyes meet mine, full of concern . I take a moment to gather myself, feeling their silent support before speaking.
“I… I need to go,” I say softly, my voice wavering. “But I’ll be back later.”
Reyansh’s dad nods solemnly. “Take your time, dear.”
Reyansh’s mom cups my cheeks with one hand. “You look exhausted . You need to go home and rest,” she says gently.
I nod, unable to form any words, and watch as they enter Reyansh’s room . I continue to stand there for a moment, my emotions still raw, as I try to compose myself. Akash offers to take me home, but I shake my head , explaining that Karan is waiting outside to drive me home. He gives me a hesitant nod, and I quickly walk past him, needing to distance myself from the hospital, and more importantly, from Reyansh.
Just as I walk down the corridor, my feet halt in their tracks when I hear Karan’s voice coming from an empty waiting room.
“Kavya ma’am doesn’t know anything yet,” I hear him say, and my heart skips a beat.
Quietly, I take a hesitant step closer, peeking around the doorframe to see Karan standing with his back to me, deep in conversation on the phone.
“I tried to stop Kavya ma’am, but she wouldn’t listen.” There is a pause before he continues, “We’re still at the hospital, and Reyansh sir is still unconscious.” Another pause follows. “Don’t worry, I will handle it.”
A strange unease begins to settle in my chest, my mind racing with questions. Who is he talking to? And what is it he’s trying to hide?
“I’ll go see what’s happening and take Kavya ma’am home,” he says.
I am about to barge in and demand to know what’s going on and who he is talking to when his next words stop me cold. “Sidharth sir, trust me, Kavya ma’am won’t find out about Suman… that she was found dead.” He lets out a heavy breath. “I understand it’s bad, and Kavya ma’am can’t handle this with Reyansh sir in the hospital.”
Suddenly, the ground feels like it’s slipping away from beneath me. My breath catches and my heart pounding in my chest as I lean against the wall for support. Everything around me spins as I try to process what I’ve just heard.
As if sensing my presence, Karan turns around, his eyes widening in shock when he sees me standing there.
“Sir, I will call you back,” he says, ending the call abruptly before approaching me.
“Suman. Dead?” I whisper aloud.
“I am sorry, ma’am,” Karan stammers, his face full of regret.
I look at him with teary eyes, struggling to comprehend the news. My chest tightens, making it feel as if a heavy weight is pressing down on my lungs, leaving me gasping for breath.
“Ma’am,” he says quietly, but I shake my head, feeling the pain intensify like a vise tightening around my heart.
“No...” I whisper, my voice barely audible. The world spins, and I lose my balance, but Karan quickly catches me before I hit the ground.
“Ma’am, let’s get you home,” he says gently.
As if on autopilot, I let him guide me away from the hospital and help me into the car. I sink into the seat, my mind numb with anxiety. With one last look of concern, he pulls the car away.
I close my eyes, leaning my head against the headrest while clutching my stomach. Struggling against the crushing pain around my heart, I attempt to pull myself together, but the shock, grief, and fear prove too overwhelming, drowning out all other thoughts except for one. I need to let go of Reyansh. I have to cut ties with him before it’s too late.