Confession and forgiving
Author's PoV
Devyani slowly entered the room.
Her steps were hesitant and weak, as if even walking felt difficult for her now.
The hospital environment itself always scared her. The smell, the silence, the cold walls. But today, it felt much worse.
Because he was here.
Lying on the bed.
Still.
Unmoving.
Her eyes fell on him and she froze.
Machines were attached to his body. The soft beeping sound of the monitor echoed in the quiet room. Wires, bandages, everything around him made the situation feel too real.
Too serious.
Too frightening.
A fear settled deep inside her.
Not loud.
But heavy.
She had never seen him like this.
So weak.
So vulnerable.
It didn't feel right.
She slowly walked closer and sat on the chair beside the bed.
Quietly.
Without making any sound.
As if she was afraid that even her presence might disturb him.
Her eyes stayed on his face.
Searching.
Trying to find the same man she knew.
But all she saw was pain.
Her hands started trembling.
Slowly, very slowly, she lifted her hand.
Trying to reach his.
But just when her fingers were about to touch him, she stopped.
Her hand froze in the air.
A sudden thought scared her.
What if she hurts him?
What if even her touch causes him pain?
What if he wakes up and suffers more because of her?
Her fingers slowly curled back.
She pulled her hand away.
Unable to gather the courage.
So she just sat there.
Quiet.
Still.
Watching him.
Her heart filled with fear.
Her eyes filled with unshed tears.
And her hands resting in her lap, trembling softly.
Devyani sat beside him quietly.
Her eyes fixed on his face.
She wanted to call him.
To say his name.
To shake him slightly and ask him to wake up.
But she didn't.
She was scared.
Scared that her voice might disturb him.
Scared that she might hurt him again.
So she waited.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
Time kept moving.
But he didn't.
He didn't wake up.
He didn't respond.
Slowly, her lips started trembling.
Her eyes filled again.
And this time
She couldn't stop herself.
Tears rolled down freely.
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Broken.
Full of guilt.
She slowly rested her hand near his.
Not touching.
Just close enough to feel like she was near him.
Her fingers trembling.
Tears falling one after another.
She repeated again.
Softer this time.
Her voice cracked badly.
Her chest tightened.
She looked at him, her eyes filled with pain and fear.
Her lips quivered.
Her crying increased.
Her breathing uneven again.
She spoke like a child making promises.
She sniffed softly, trying to speak through her sobs.
She couldn't even understand her own words anymore.
They came out mixed.
Confused.
Broken.
She cried harder now.
Completely helpless.
Her nose turned red.
Her cheeks flushed pink from constant crying.
Her eyes swollen.
Filled with pain.
Filled with innocence.
She just sat there beside him.
Apologizing.
Begging.
Promising things she didn't even fully understand.
Like a child trying to fix something that was never in her control.
She kept talking.
Endlessly.
Like if she stopped, something worse might happen.
Her words were broken, scattered, innocent.
She sniffed, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
Her voice trembled with every sentence.
"I won't go outside also..."
"I won't ask for chocolates..."
"I won't trouble anyone..."
Her breath hitched again.
Tears streamed down continuously.
"I promise..."
Her voice turned into a whisper.
"But please..."
Her shoulders shook as she cried harder.
"Please... wake up..."
She lowered her head.
Completely breaking down.
Crying like a child who didn't understand the world anymore.
Who only knew one thing
She was losing something important.
And she didn't want to.
Her sobs filled the silent room.
Soft.
Painful.
Continuous.
And then
A voice.
Weak.
Barely audible.
But real.
She froze.
Her sobs stopped midway.
Her body stiffened.
Slowly
Very slowly
She lifted her head.
Her swollen eyes widened.
Because that voice
That voice
Was his.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Shock.
Relief.
Disbelief.
All at once.
Her voice trembled.
Tears still falling.
Rivan looked at her.
Weak.
Pale.
But there was a faint smile on his lips.
His voice was low.
Fragile.
But enough.
Enough for her to hear.
Enough for her to break again.
Her tears increased.
Even more than before.
She cried, her voice shaking badly.
Her lips trembled uncontrollably.
That question
So simple.
So innocent.
But filled with so much pain.
She moved closer to him.
Her hands trembling again.
This time she didn't stop herself.
She held his hand.
Tightly.
As if he might disappear again.
Her voice broke.
Tears rolled endlessly down her cheeks.
A sob escaped her.
Her crying turned softer.
But deeper.
More painful.
It wasn't anger.
It wasn't blame.
It was just
A pure, innocent hurt.
Of someone who only wanted one person
And didn't find him.
The door opened softly.
Doctors walked inside.
They moved toward Rivan quickly, checking the monitors, adjusting a few things, asking him questions in low, professional tones.
Rivan answered slowly.
His voice weak.
But steady enough to respond.
Devyani just sat there.
Quiet.
Her big doe eyes fixed on him.
Blinking slowly.
Confused.
Because she didn't understand anything.
Their words.
Their language.
Everything sounded complicated.
Far from her world.
She only looked at one thing.
Him.
Alive.
Talking.
Looking at her.
Slowly, the door opened again.
Reyansh, Yashodha, and Virendra entered the room.
Their eyes immediately went to Rivan.
Relief washed over them.
But it didn't stay soft for long.
Reyansh stepped forward.
His eyes locked with Rivan's.
Sharp.
Angry.
Burning.
A silent warning.
Rivan saw it.
Understood it.
But ignored it completely.
Like it didn't matter right now.
Because right now
Nothing mattered more than her.
His gaze shifted back to Devyani.
Softening instantly.
All his attention.
All his focus
Between all the machines, tension, and unspoken anger
There was something strangely pure.
A wife upset at her husband.
For not being there.
And a husband
Who only cared about making her okay again.
One by one
Everyone slowly left the room.
Giving them space.
Giving them silence.
Before leaving, Reyansh leaned slightly toward Rivan.
And whispered something in his ear.
Something serious.
Something heavy.
For a second
Rivan's eyes widened.
A flicker of shock passed through them.
But just as quickly
He controlled himself.
Calmed his expression.
Like nothing happened.
Devyani was watching him the whole time.
Her eyes didn't leave his face.
Observing.
Trying to understand.
But failing.
After a moment, she spoke.
Her tone soft.
But serious.
Rivan looked at her.
A faint smile forming despite his weakness.
She crossed her arms slightly.
Childishly.
A small pause.
Rivan's smile widened a little.
Weak.
But real.
He said softly.
Devyani rolled her eyes.
Clearly not impressed.
Rivan looked at her again.
His voice low.
Fragile.
But teasing.
He paused slightly, catching his breath.
His gaze softened.
Devyani tried to stay serious.
Tried to hold her anger.
But something in her expression softened.
Just a little.
Because no matter how broken things were
Between truth, pain, and confusion
Their small moments still found a way to exist.
Rivan looked at her for a moment.
His expression slowly turning serious.
His voice was weak.
But steady.
The moment she heard that
She panicked.
Instantly.
She shook her head quickly.
Her eyes filled with fear again.
Her voice trembled.
She moved slightly closer to him.
Almost like she was trying to stop the words from coming out.
Rivan looked at her.
Something inside him softened.
But he still tried
She immediately cut him off again.
Her words came out quickly.
Almost rushed.
Her lips trembled.
That desperation
It was clear.
Loud.
Painfully visible.
Something shifted.
Devyani's eyes slowly filled with tears again.
Not loud.
Not panicked like before.
But soft.
Deep.
Emotional.
She lifted her hand.
Gently.
And held his face.
Carefully.
Like he was something fragile.
Something precious.
Rivan looked at her.
A little surprised.
A little confused.
She took a small breath.
Her voice trembling.
She tried to smile.
A weak, innocent smile.
"Haa?"
"Please..."
Rivan's throat tightened.
"But still—"
She quickly shook her head.
"No... no 'but still'..."
Her fingers softly pressed against his cheek.
Stopping him.
"And about my mother..."
Her voice softened even more.
"I never saw her..."
"Never met her..."
Another tear slipped down.
"But..."
She paused.
Looking at him like he was her entire world.
Her lips trembled.
She hesitated.
For a second.
Then whispered
The words came out pure.
Untouched.
Without calculation.
Without fear.
Just honest.
Tears fell from her eyes as she said it.
But this time
They weren't just of pain.
They carried love.
Trust.
And something so innocent
That it made the moment even more heavy.
She moved a little closer.
Resting her forehead lightly against his.
Her voice turned soft.
Almost like a secret.
A small sniff.
She looked into his eyes again.
Completely vulnerable.
Completely hers.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
Soft.
Warm.
Certain.
And in that moment
It wasn't a grand confession.
It wasn't perfect words.
But it was real.
Pure.
And deeply enough
To reach straight into his soul.
Rivan was frozen.
Completely.
Her words echoed in his mind again and again.
I love you...
His heartbeat increased.
Fast.
Uncontrollable.
Something warm spread through his chest.
Something he wasn't used to feeling.
His ears turned slightly red.
A rare reaction.
One he couldn't hide.
He looked at her.
At her teary eyes.
At her innocent face.
At the way she trusted him even after knowing everything.
And for a moment
He didn't know what to say.
The words were there.
Right at the edge of his lips.
I love you too...
But
He stopped himself.
Held it back.
Buried it.
Instead, he took a slow breath.
And spoke in a low voice.
A pause.
His eyes softened.
His voice dropped further.
Filled with something unspoken.
That was his way.
Not perfect.
Not direct.
But real.
Because in those words
There was guilt.
There was care.
There was love.
Even if he didn't say it.
He looked at her quietly.
That urge still there.
Strong.
To just say it.
To tell her everything.
But he didn't.
Devyani nodded softly.
"Okay..."
Her voice was calm now.
Gentle.
"I accept your apology..."
A small pause.
Then she added with that same innocent certainty
For her
It was simple.
Past was past.
Pain was pain.
But once forgiven
It ended there.
And Rivan just looked at her.
Realizing once again
How differently she loved.
How simply she healed.
And how deeply
She had already become his.
Rivan went quiet.
Completely.
Because he understood.
She was not ready.
Not now.
Maybe not anytime soon.
So he didn't force her.
Didn't say anything more.
Just looked at her.
Silently.
After a while
They started talking about small things.
Random things.
Nothing heavy.
Nothing painful.
Just enough to keep the silence away.
Slowly
The medicines started affecting him.
His eyelids became heavy.
His voice slowed down.
Devyani noticed it.
And without thinking
She gently lowered her head near him.
Resting beside him.
Close enough to feel his presence.
Her own eyes started closing too.
Exhaustion taking over her.
Within minutes
He fell asleep.
And so did she.
Still close to him.
Like she needed that assurance
That he was there.
And this time
He wouldn't disappear.
.
.
.
Virendra and Yashodha stood quietly outside the room.
The door was slightly open.
Just enough for them to see inside.
Rivan and Devyani were sleeping.
Close.
Peacefully.
In each other's presence.
After everything they had gone through.
The pain.
The truth.
The breakdown.
And yet...
They were here.
Together.
Virendra's eyes softened.
A deep breath escaped his lips.
His voice carried relief.
A kind of relief he hadn't felt in years.
Yashodha looked at him and smiled gently.
Her eyes still slightly wet.
She said softly.
They both stepped a little closer.
And hugged each other.
Tightly.
Not just as husband and wife.
But as two people who had carried too much for too long.
Inside the room.
Their children were finally smiling.
Healing.
Confessing.
Finding each other.
Virendra pulled back slightly.
His eyes still fixed on them.
Yashodha nodded with quiet confidence.
"Yes... don't worry."
Not far away
Samar and Rekha also stood.
Watching from a distance.
Silent.
But relieved.
Jinal was safe.
Rivan was safe.
Devyani knew the truth now.
No more hiding.
No more fear of secrets coming out.
For the first time in a long while
They all felt something they had almost forgotten.
Relief.
Because now
There was nothing left to hide.
Nothing left to fear.
Only healing ahead.
And maybe
A chance at happiness.
Reyansh quietly entered Jinal's room.
She was sitting on the bed.
Trying to adjust herself properly.
Her face looked tired.
But more than that
She looked annoyed.
He walked a little closer.
"Want help?" he asked casually.
Jinal didn't even look at him.
"No."
Short.
Cold.
Right at that moment
Her stomach growled.
Loud enough.
Reyansh raised his eyebrow slightly.
A faint smirk appeared on his face.
"I see..."
Without saying anything more, he picked up the soup kept nearby.
Sat beside her.
And slowly started feeding her.
Jinal stayed quiet.
She didn't argue.
Didn't resist.
Even though she was angry at him.
Because he didn't inform her about Rivan.
That anger was still there.
But right now
Her hunger was stronger.
She silently drank the soup.
Looking anywhere but at him.
Reyansh shook his head lightly.
(You're sitting there all angry... of course you'll feel hungry.)
Jinal immediately replied, still not looking at him
(Why do you care? Just feed me quietly and leave.)
Reyansh let out a small amused breath.
(Wow... I have to feed you and listen to your attitude too... nice, madam.)
Despite the irritation in her tone
There was something normal in this moment.
Something familiar.
Like everything wasn't completely broken.
And Reyansh didn't stop.
He kept feeding her quietly.
Because he knew
This anger...
Was also her way of caring.
Reyansh was calmly feeding her.
Trying to ignore her attitude.
Trying to act normal.
And suddenly
She grabbed his hand.
And bit him.
Hard.
Very hard.
"JINALLLLL...!" he screamed, jerking slightly.
His eyes widened in shock.
But before he could even react properly
She bit him again.
Even harder this time.
"AHHHH...!" he hissed.
"You mad woman!"
Jinal glared at him.
Her eyes still filled with anger.
Frustration.
All the emotions she had been holding inside.
"You deserve it!" she snapped.
Still holding his hand tightly.
Reyansh shook his head in disbelief.
Trying to pull his hand back.
"Pagal ho gayi ho kya...?"
(Have you gone mad or what?)
But deep down
He wasn't really angry.
Not even close.
Because he knew this.
He understood this.
Whenever her anger increased
She bit things.
And unfortunately
Her favorite target...
Was always him.
A small smile tugged at his lips despite the pain.
(Am I the only one you find to bite?)
Jinal didn't reply.
She just looked away.
Still annoyed.
Still hurt.
But slightly calmer now.
And Reyansh just sighed.
Shaking his head.
Accepting his fate once again.
Because if she was biting him
At least she was okay enough to fight.
And for him
That was enough.
Reyansh adjusted himself after surviving her bites.
Still shaking his head slightly.
Then he looked at her.
His expression turning a little serious.
Jinal froze.
Her eyes widened instantly.
Her voice filled with shock.
Reyansh nodded.
For a second
She just stared at him.
Processing.
Understanding.
And then
Her face lit up.
Completely.
"Reallyyyyyy?"
Before he could react
She grabbed his collar with one hand and pulled him closer.
And hugged him tightly.
Carefully because of her condition
But still full of excitement.
"Really... is this true?" she asked again.
Her voice filled with relief.
With joy.
She said softly.
Reyansh looked at her.
A small, genuine smile forming on his face.
He gently adjusted her, making sure she didn't strain herself.
And for the first time in a long while
It felt like things were finally settling.
Like the storm had passed.
And what remained
Was peace.
Slowly finding its way back.
Aditya was sitting on one of the hospital benches.
Leaning back slightly.
For the first time in days
There was a sense of relief on his face.
Everything was slowly getting better.
The chaos was settling.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
Exhaling deeply.
Trying to let that peace sink in.
And then
His phone rang.
He frowned slightly.
Took it out casually.
But the moment his eyes fell on the screen
He froze.
Completely.
That number.
A call he had been waiting for...
For months.
His fingers trembled slightly.
Heartbeat picking up pace.
Faster.
Louder.
Uncontrollable.
He stared at the screen for a few seconds.
Like he couldn't believe it.
Like if he blinked
It might disappear.
Then slowly
He answered the call.
His voice came out low.
Careful.
Almost scared.
And the moment he heard the voice from the other side
His heart skipped.
His entire body went still.
Frozen at his place.
Eyes widening slightly.
Breath getting stuck.
Because that voice
It wasn't just familiar.
It was something he never thought he would hear again.
There was silence for a moment.
Heavy.
Breathing.
Aditya didn't move.
Didn't blink.
His grip on the phone tightened slightly.
His heartbeat echoing loudly in his ears.
And then
Very softly
Almost like a whisper meant only for himself
He said,
A pause.
His throat tightened.
His eyes slowly closed.
Every second of that wait
Every moment of silence
Every day without that voice
Counted.
Felt.
Remembered.