Chapter 3
Nisha
“Everything looks good,” Dr. Sia says with a reassuring smile, jotting something down in my file before glancing up.
“I’ll go ahead and sign your discharge papers now.
But you’ll need to continue physiotherapy for a while, and come in for a follow-up visit next week.
Of course, if you feel unwell or notice anything unusual before that, don’t hesitate to come in sooner. ”
“I will do that,” I agree quietly.
Right then, the door creaks open, and my breath catches the moment I see Kavya.
I knew that seeing my sister again would stir up a wave of emotion, but this.
.. this feels different. Sure, I’d caught a glimpse of her when I first opened my eyes at the house, but back then, the fear, the sheer terror of Prakash being in the same room was so overwhelming that I couldn’t even fully register her presence.
But now that I’m actually in a clearer state of mind, there’s something heartbreakingly emotional about seeing her.
She walks in slowly, as if she’s afraid I might disappear if she moves too fast. Her tear-rimmed eyes stay locked on mine.
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Dr. Sia offers a kind smile before quietly slipping out of the room.
Kavya freezes a few feet from my bed, saying nothing. She just stares at me. And before I can even find the words to speak, she closes the distance between us and throws her arms around me.
“I still can’t believe you’ve opened your eyes,” she chokes out, her voice cracking. “I… I can’t tell you how long I’ve been waiting for this day.”
My arms move on instinct, weakly wrapping around her, and I feel her warm, desperate tears soak through my hospital gown.
“I missed you so much,” I whisper, a lump forming in my throat.
She pulls back just enough to look at me, cupping my face in both hands just the same way she used to when we were little and I would be upset over broken crayons and playground fights.
“You scared me,” she says with a watery smile. “You scared the hell out of me.”
She sits carefully on the edge of my bed, her eyes never leaving mine.
“I lost count of how many times I sat by your side just talking to you, even when you couldn’t respond.
I would tell you everything about my day, every silly little thing, hoping you’d hear me.
” Her voice wavers, cracking slightly. “I begged you to come back, Nisha. Over and over again.”
She pauses, swallowing hard. “Some days, I truly believed you could hear me. But on others…” her words falter as she looks down, her lashes wet with tears, “it felt like I was losing you, bit by bit.”
“I did,” I whisper. “I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, but sometimes I could feel your hand in mine. I could hear your voice. It kept me going.”
Her eyes meet mine, and her face crumples as fresh tears spill down. She pulls me into another hug, tighter this time, clinging like she needs to feel I’m really here.
“Congratulations, Mommy,” I murmur softly, trying to lighten the mood, a small smile tugging at my lips.
Kavya pulls back, her eyes widening a little in surprise. “You know?”
I nod. “Sunita Aunty told me, and I can’t tell you how happy I’m. I really needed something good to hear, and your news… it gave me that.”
Her expression melts, and for the first time since she walked in, her smile reaches her eyes. She reaches for my hand and squeezes it gently. “I wanted to tell you myself, but the doctors wouldn’t let me see you sooner.”
“I get it. And it doesn’t matter who gave me the news,” I say, my fingers gently brushing hers. “The happiness is still the same.”
Kavya’s eyes well up again, but this time it’s different, softer, lighter. “You have no idea how much it means to hear you say that. And now, knowing you’re here, seeing that you’re okay… it feels like everything’s finally going to be alright.”
“We lost Mom and Dad,” the words tremble out of me as my throat tightens with guilt.
I want to tell her everything. I want to just say it, the whole truth about Prakash.
About what I let into my life. About how it all spiralled out of control, how it got ugly, and how it shattered everything we once had.
But I don’t. Maybe it’s the shame. Maybe it’s the fear of seeing disappointment in her eyes when she hears what I’ve done. Or maybe it’s the excuse I keep giving myself that she’s pregnant and doesn’t deserve to carry this weight too. So I whisper the closest thing to the truth I can manage.
“It’s because of me,” I breathe out, my voice barely audible. “What happened… it’s my fault. Prakash wanted to get back at me. And Mom and Dad… they just got caught in the crossfire.”
“Stop it,” Kavya cuts in with a quiet fierceness that leaves no room for argument.
She reaches out, her palm warm against my cheek, and wipes away a tear I hadn’t even realised had fallen.
“It’s not on you. Don’t you dare blame yourself, Nisha.
Don’t you dare carry the weight of what that monster did. ”
I look into her eyes, but she doesn’t flinch. Not even for a second.
“We know what he did to Suman,” she says softly, her voice cracking just a little at the name.
“And I know… I know you were only trying to bring justice to your friend. You were trying to do the right thing.” She swallows, her eyes glistening.
“You are not responsible for Mom and Dad’s death.
You have nothing to blame yourself for. The blame belongs to him. Only him.”
My lips tremble as I try to speak, but no words come out.
It’s just the sound of my own breathing.
God, she doesn’t know. She has no idea that Suman wasn’t the only reason he came after me.
That whatever existed between Prakash and me…
it ran deeper. Twisted in ways I still can’t bring myself to admit.
“You did it for Suman,” she adds, her voice now just a whisper. “You were the only one who had the courage to stand up for her when everyone else stayed silent. And if Mom and Dad were here, they’d be proud of you. So proud.”
And with that, I finally break. She pulls me into her arms again and holds me close.
“We lost them, yes. But I couldn’t lose you too, Nisha. I couldn’t survive that.” Her voice trembles with pain.
I clutch her tightly. “I’m so very sorry you had to go through all this alone.”
“But I have you now, and that’s all that matters,” Kavya says softly, before pulling back.
“You held everything together. You handled the funeral, the police, everything, while I just lay there.” I meet her eyes. “That strength… it’s something I’ve always admired in you.”
She shakes her head slowly. “You think I was strong? Not even close.” Her voice quivers. “I used to sit next to you and cry like a child. I’d talk to you, yell at you for leaving me alone, and then beg you to give me some kind of sign. Just something.”
I bite my trembling lip. “You gave me so much strength. Even when I couldn’t move or speak, I held on because some part of me knew you weren’t letting go.”
She reaches up and gently brushes a strand of hair away from my forehead. “Giving up on you would’ve meant losing everything. And I wasn’t ready for that. Never would be.”
“Thank you,” I say, from the depths of my soul. “For not giving up on me. For holding on when I couldn’t.”
She blinks fast, trying not to cry again. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do it for you. I did it because you’re the part of me I can’t live without. You’re my happiness, Nisha. And I’d face those nightmares a thousand times over if I had to, but I won’t ever let anyone take you away from me.”
I manage a faint, wobbly smile, my throat too tight for words. But before I can say anything, a knock breaks the moment. The door opens and Sunita Aunty walks in, carrying a bag in one hand. Her ever-comforting smile lights up the entire room.
“So, the inevitable sister bonding is happening,” she says with a fond look in her eyes, glancing between the two of us.
Kavya brushes the tears from her cheeks and smiles back at her, her fingers still wrapped tightly around mine.
“It is,” she agrees.
“I heard the good news,” Sunita Aunty says, placing the bag on the chair. “That you’re being discharged today. So I brought you a change of clothes.”
I smile, my mind still a tangle of emotions. “Thank you, Aunty.”
She waves it off like it’s nothing, then looks at both of us with a knowing smile. “You two can finally catch up properly at home. I bet you both must have loads to share.”
I look at Kavya and smile. “Yes! I still have to get all the stories about Reyansh and how you managed to break things off with that jerk Deepak.”
“Trust me, it’s worth listening. Especially when you hear about how possessive Reyansh is,” Sunita Aunty chuckles. “Honestly, I don’t know how Kavya managed to send that boy home. He’s been glued to her side ever since she was brought to the hospital, refusing to leave her even for a minute.”
Kavya rolls her eyes, though the smile on her lips is impossible to hide. “He knew how much I needed this sister time,” she says, squeezing my hand. “I told him if he didn’t go home and shower, I’d never speak to him again.”
Sunita Aunty lets out a laugh and settles into the chair. “That poor boy looked like a kicked puppy when he left. But I must say, I’ve never seen someone care for someone else’s family the way he does. You’re lucky, Kavya.”
“I know,” she murmurs, glancing down at her lap before looking at me. “But today, more than anything, I’m just grateful to be sitting here with my sister.”
My throat tightens again, but this time, it’s not from sadness but from the warmth of old bonds. And just like that, the heaviness in my chest begins to lift, if only a little.