Chapter 7
Kavya
My eyes flutter open, and a dull ache pulses through my head. Glancing around, I realise I am in a hospital room, and there’s a thin tube connected to my hand. I take a deep breath as memories of the woman I saved flood my mind just before everything went dark. Despite the pain I am experiencing, there’s a sense of peace knowing I was able to help someone who reminded me of my mom. Closing my eyes briefly, I think to myself that by saving her, I’ve also managed to confront some of my own inner struggles and demons that have haunted me since losing my parents .
The sound of the door opening startles me, and my eyes snap open. Turning my head, I see Akash entering the room, followed closely by Reyansh. My heart skips a beat at the sight of him . Ignoring my foolish heart, I stare at them, noticing their slightly dishevelled appearance. My attention is immediately drawn to Reyansh’s tattered shirt, and my stomach churns at the sight of bloodstains on his once-white shirt. A flurry of questions swarm my mind: Is that my blood? Did he bring me here? What is he doing here?
“Hey, princess, you’re awake,” Akash says softly as he approaches my bed.
“How are you feeling?” Reyansh stands next to him, his eyes filled with concern as he looks at me.
I force a smile, doing my best to conceal how much his presence is impacting me. “My head hurts a little,” I admit.
“The doctors said you’ll experience pain for a few days due to the bad fall you had. They have prescribed painkillers to help,” Reyaansh says with a pained expression. I nod slightly, but his next words catch me off guard. “Thank you,” he adds , his expression softening.
I blink, feeling puzzled as to why he is thanking me. “Thank you?” I ask.
“That was my mom you saved. I don’t know if I can ever thank you enough for it,” he explains , placing his hand gently on top of mine and giving it a squeeze .
Oh, that was his mom. Now I understand why he’s here. He must have felt obligated to bring me to the hospital because I saved his mom. Silly me, thinking he’s here for me.
“You don’t have to thank me,” I reply with a smile. “I am just glad I could help.”
A small smile tugs at his lips, “I still owe you.”
I shake my head, flinching slightly at the pain, but I continue to speak anyway. “No, you don’t owe me anything. I simply did what anyone would have done in my place.” He opens his mouth to argue, but I cut him off . “I think you should go home. I have Akash here with me.”
“I’m not leaving until you’re discharged,” he states firmly, giving me a determined look that shows he won’t budge on this decision.
“Please, you… you need to go and change,” I stammer, nodding towards his bloodstained shirt. “It’s making me feel uncomfortable,” I whisper, feeling a wave of unease. Ever since my parents’ accident, seeing blood triggers a deep-seated discomfort in my stomach, bringing back memories of seeing their bodies and clothes covered in blood.
“Reyansh, why don’t you head home while I stay with Kavya and complete the formalities? I’ll give you a call once we’re home,” Akash suggests, sensing my anguish.
Reyansh lets go of my hand and looks down at his bloodstained shirt, then shifts his gaze back to me with a sympathetic expression. A moment of silence hangs between us before he finally speaks . “I hate to leave you, but if it’s okay with you, can I go home, change, and come back?”
“You don’t have to,” I insist. “Akash will make sure I get home safely.”
Just then, there’s a knock at the door, and I see Reyansh’s mom enter the room, followed by a man who bears a striking resemblance to Reyansh , likely his dad.
“How are you feeling?” Reyansh’s mom asks as they come closer and stand on the other side of the bed.
“ I am feeling better ,” I reply, glancing between the two of them.
“Thank you for saving my wife,” Reyansh’s dad says , his voice filled with gratitude.
Before I can respond, Reyansh’s mom leans down and kisses my forehead.
“I am sure you have wonderful parents, and they’re lucky to have you. But from now on, consider us as your second family. You’re like our daughter,” she says softly as she leans back to look at me. My throat tightens, and a flood of emotions I can’t even name rises up, blurring my vision with tears . I can sense Reyansh’s gaze on me, but I can’t bring myself to look in his direction. My emotions have me completely engulfed.
“Tha… thank you,” I manage to murmur. I keep to myself how much those words mean to me, and choose not to share the fact that my parents are no longer with me. The kindness and love shining in their eyes is too much for me to handle; I just can’t bring myself to accept their sympathy right now.
“You don’t have to thank us,” Reyansh’s mom says warmly. “You’re a true blessing from God, who saved me just in time. It’s all thanks to you that I am standing here without a scratch,” she adds, her eyes softening. “But it also pains me to see you lying in a hospital bed because of me.”
“Aunty, it’s just a minor injury . I’ll be fine soon, I promise. Please don’t feel guilty about it,” I whisper, my voice choked with emotion.
“My dear, even the smallest injuries pain a mother’s heart. I’ll pray and do everything to make sure you heal quickly.” Tears well up in her eyes as she replies, and I feel my own tears slipping down my cheeks.
Reyansh’s dad smiles warmly as he places his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “Sweetheart, I think we should let her rest,” he suggests gently. Reyansh’s mom nods in agreement and then turns back to me.
“We’ll leave now, but I’ll send you breakfast tomorrow. Make sure you eat it all,” she says lovingly.
I give her a teary smile. “I will.”
“That’s my baby,” she says, her voice brimming with love, then turns to Reyansh. “Are you coming home with us?”
Finally, I force myself to look in his direction and see a small smile on his face as he looks at his mom.
“I am, Mom,” he says to her, then looks down at me. “I’ll come and visit you tomorrow.”
I nod, a lump forming in my throat as I watch them leave .
“You need to talk to Sunita Aunty; she’s bombarding my phone with calls and messages,” Akash’s voice breaks the silence, drawing my attention as he settles into the chair beside me.
“You told her about the accident?” I ask, groaning.
“Of course, I did. You know I couldn’t keep this from her — she would have been furious if I did. Besides, since you got hurt on my watch , I am already in for a lecture from her. You should consider yourself lucky I managed to keep her from coming to the hospital.”
I take a moment, closing my eyes for a few seconds before speaking. “I think you should call the doctor and get my discharge papers ready. Knowing Aunty, she must be worried sick about me.”
“I’ll go get the doctor,” he says, rising to his feet before stepping out of the room.
Once alone in the room, I reflect on how, despite losing my parents, I’ve been incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such wonderful people who care for me . This kind of luck is rare, and I will never take it for granted. I’ve often heard that when God takes one thing away, he gives something else in return. I feel deeply grateful for the love and support I have found, even after losing my parents. I just hope that I never lose any of them because if I do, this time, I won’t be able to pull myself together. I will be completely shattered.
???
I feel a gentle hand stroke my hair, and my eyes slowly flutter open. Sunita Aunty is sitting on the edge of the bed with a worried expression. Last night, when Akash brought me home from the hospital, he spent a few minutes apologising to her for not taking better care of me. Aunty quickly assured him that it wasn’t his fault. Once he left, she never left my side, fussing over me with endless care. I kept telling her I was fine, but she just wouldn’t listen.
“ Good morning, dear. Is your head still hurting?” she asks with a concerned look in her eyes.
“The pain medicine is helping. It’s much better today,” I reply, offering her a reassuring smile as I sit up with my back against the headboard.
“That’s good to hear,” she says with a warm smile. “I’ve made your favourite poha for breakfast. Let me get it for you. You also need to take your morning dose of medicine,” she reminds me.
“Aunty, could you please get the breakfast in a bit? I’d like to shower first,” I request . I haven’t had a chance to freshen up since I got back from the hospital, and I am really craving a good shower.
Aunty frowns, “Did the doctor give you permission for that? You still have the bandage on your head.”
“He did, as long as I don’t wet my hair and the bandage,” I reassure her.
“Do you need any help?” she asks, her tone reflecting her disbelief that I can manage on my own. Sometimes, her worry drives me crazy, but I know it comes from a place of love and concern.
“Aunty, I’ve got it, I promise. I’ll give you a shout if I need help,” I say gently, understanding her concern but also wanting to reassure her that I can manage.
“You do that if you need any help,” she says with a nod, standing up from the bed and turning to leave.
Once she leaves, I make my way to the bathroom and carefully shower without getting my bandage wet . After I am done, I put on my track pants and a loose t-shirt. Stepping out of the room, I find Aunty sitting on the bed with my breakfast plate on her lap. With a smile, I walk up to her and settle down beside her. I reach out to take the plate, but she shakes her head.
“I am going to feed you,” she says.
“I have to admit, I am really enjoying this special treatment and pampering. The perks of being sick,” I chuckle , and we both laugh as she begins feeding me while engaging in small talk.
I finish the last bite of my breakfast and take my pain medication. Just then, the doorbell rings.
“I’ll go get it. It must be Akash; he said he would drop by in the morning,” she grins as she walks out of the room.
A few minutes later, Akash appears in the doorway, holding a bouquet of pink roses in his hands.
“How’s my princess doing today?” he asks with a concerned smile, walking over to the bed and setting the bouquet on the side table before taking a seat on the edge of the bed.
“Feeling much better,” I reply with a smile, glancing over his shoulder at the flowers. “I see you’ve got me flowers. Someone’s going all soft on me.”
“Well, the flowers are from Amaya. She wanted to come and see you, but she had to leave for a last-minute work trip to Singapore .”
“I must say, you have a caring girlfriend. You’d better value her and stop giving her a hard time before she leaves you for good,” I tease.
He grins at me. “Oh, she’ll never leave me. But I’ll definitely take your advice. I can’t let you be the only one holding me accountable, right?”
I shake my head at his cockiness and ask, “When is she coming back?”
“It’s a year-long project,” he says, making a face.
“Ouch, that’s awfully long,” I say.
“Yeah, it is. But she’s thrilled about the opportunity, and we’ll make it work. Also, it’ll give me plenty of time to figure out how to be a better boyfriend.”
“Wow, happy to hear that,” I reply with a smile.
Just then, Reyansh walks in, with Aunty close behind . I suddenly feel my heart racing in my chest, just like it does every time I see him. God! His unexpected appearance in my life has thrown me completely off balance.
“Are you feeling okay?” Reyansh asks, standing beside my bed with his hands tucked into his jeans pockets .
“Yeah, I’m,” I assure him.
“Kavya, you didn’t tell me about your special friend,” Aunty complains with a playful smirk, standing next to Reyansh. I roll my eyes, knowing exactly what’s going on in her mind.
“Aunty, we just met yesterday, so we still don’t qualify as friends for me to fill you in,” I clarify, noticing everyone looking at me as if they don’t believe a word I am saying.
“Is that so?” Aunty asks with a mischievous grin.
“You didn’t even tell me about him, Kavya. I thought we were friends,” Akash adds to the banter.
Reyansh raises his eyebrows. “Seriously, Kavya, that’s not good keeping me a hidden secret,” he teases.
I throw my hands up in exasperation . “Seriously? I’ve just gotten out of the hospital , and you all are having fun at my expense. That’s so not fair,” I huff, folding my arms over my chest.
“Sorry, but you know how much we like fooling around with you,” Akash says as he bends to kiss my cheek. Out of the corner of my eye , I see Reyansh shooting daggers at him.
Aunty then pulls out two chairs for herself and Reyansh , setting them next to my bed . We all settle into an easy conversation, and a few minutes later, I let out a small yawn.
“Sorry, I think the medicines are kicking in,” I say sleepily as they all stand up, nodding in understanding.
“You need to rest. We shall leave now. Just give me a call if you need anything,” Akash says.
“I will,” I reply with a grateful smile.
“Kavya, Mom sent carrot pudding for you. Aunty has put it in the fridge,” Reyansh says.
I nod, a lump forming in my throat. “Thank you for coming, and please let your mom know that I’ll definitely enjoy the pudding.”
“See you soon,” Reyansh says softly. He then reaches down, takes my mobile from the side table, types on it, and drops the mobile in my lap, squeezing my hand gently. “I’ve saved my number. Call me if you need me,” he adds.
I nod, my heart fluttering with butterflies, making it hard to find the words. This man is evoking feelings in me that I am trying so hard to avoid.
With a gulp, I watch as Reyansh and Akash make their way out of my room.
“So, Reyansh, huh?” Aunty’s voice pulls my attention back to her.
“Aunty, I’m really sleepy,” I say, avoiding the conversation as I slip back under the blankets.
Aunty chuckles softly. “I’ll let you off the hook for now, but we are definitely going to have this conversation later,” she says, kissing my cheek before walking out of the room.
I sigh, feeling Reyansh stir up emotions that I’ve kept hidden in my heart. I close my eyes, hoping to drift into sleep, but my mind refuses to rest as it swirls with these newfound feelings. No, I can’t give in to this temptation; I need to stay strong and avoid getting swept away in this sea of emotions.