CHAPTER49 [BATTLE BETWEEN HEART &MIND]
Another month passed.
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Nothing changed.
At least that's what both of them kept telling themselves.
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But the truth?
Everything had changed.
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Vihaan was no longer living.
He was merely existing.
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The mansion that once felt alive now felt empty.
Cold.
Silent.
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Every morning Anjali would force him to eat something.
Every evening Karan would try to drag him outside.
Every night someone checked whether he had taken his medicines or not.
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Because nobody trusted him anymore.
Not after what had happened.
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One morning Karan entered Vihaan's room and froze.
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The curtains were closed.
The room was dark.
Coffee cups were scattered everywhere.
And Vihaan was sitting on the floor beside the bed.
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Holding a photograph.
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Aarohi's photograph.
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"Yaar, tu khud ko maarna chahta hai kya?"
(Bro, are you trying to kill yourself?)
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Vihaan slowly looked up.
His eyes were bloodshot.
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"Kash itna aasan hota."
(I wish it were that easy.)
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Karan's expression changed instantly.
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"Bhai..."
(Bro...)
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Vihaan laughed weakly.
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"Dar mat."
(Don't worry.)
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"Marunga nahi."
(I won't die.)
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"Usne intezar karne ko nahi kaha..."
(She didn't ask me to wait...)
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"Par maine khud se wada kiya hai."
(But I promised myself.)
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"Jab tak saans chal rahi hai..."
(As long as I'm breathing...)
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"Main uska intezar karunga."
(I'll wait for her.)
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Karan had never seen Vihaan like this.
Never.
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Because this wasn't love anymore.
This was punishment.
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The punishment Vihaan had chosen for himself.
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Meanwhile...
London.
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Aarohi was standing inside the operating room.
A difficult surgery had just ended.
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"Good job, doctor."
(Excellent work, doctor.)
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One of the senior surgeons smiled.
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But Aarohi only nodded.
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Because no achievement made her happy anymore.
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No success felt complete.
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No victory felt worth celebrating.
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That evening she returned to her apartment completely exhausted.
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She opened the door.
Walked inside.
And immediately froze.
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The apartment was silent.
Just like every day.
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And suddenly-
for the first time-
she hated that silence.
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She hated coming back to an empty home.
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Because somewhere deep down-
she had gotten used to someone.
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Someone who annoyed her.
Argued with her.
Made her angry.
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And somehow-
made her feel less alone.
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Aarohi immediately shook her head.
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"No."
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She walked towards the kitchen.
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"Stop thinking about him."
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But then her phone rang.
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Sana.
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Aarohi answered.
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"Hello?"
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For a few seconds-
Sana remained silent.
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"Aarohi..."
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Something in her voice felt wrong.
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Very wrong.
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Aarohi's heartbeat immediately sped up.
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"Kya hua?"
(What happened?)
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Sana hesitated.
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Then finally spoke.
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"Vihaan ki tabiyat theek nahi hai."
(Vihaan isn't well.)
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Aarohi froze.
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The glass in her hand slipped and shattered on the floor.
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For a moment-
she forgot how to breathe.
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"Matlab?"
(What do you mean?)
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Her voice came out weaker than she expected.
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Sana sighed.
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"Khud ka dhyan nahi rakhta."
(He doesn't take care of himself.)
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"Khana nahi khata."
(He doesn't eat.)
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"Sota nahi."
(He doesn't sleep.)
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"Dawai time pe nahi leta."
(He doesn't take his medicines on time.)
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Aarohi clenched her fists.
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Anger.
Fear.
Pain.
Everything hit her at once.
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"Toh mujhe kyu bata rahi hai?"
(Then why are you telling me this?)
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There was silence.
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Then Sana answered softly.
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"Kyuki tumhare alawa kisi ki baat nahi sunta."
(Because he listens to no one except you.)
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Aarohi immediately closed her eyes.
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That hurt.
Much more than she wanted to admit.
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Because even after everything-
a part of her heart still cared.
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And that scared her more than anything.
After the call with Sana-
Aarohi sat frozen on the couch.
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The apartment was completely silent.
But her mind wasn't.
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Every word Sana had said kept echoing inside her head.
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"He doesn't eat."
"He doesn't sleep."
"He doesn't take his medicines."
"He listens to no one except you."
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Aarohi immediately stood up.
Frustrated.
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"No."
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She shook her head.
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"Why should I care?"
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"Uski jo bhi halat hai uska zimmedar wo khud hai."
(Whatever condition he's in, he himself is responsible for it.)
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"Maine use aisa karne ko nahi kaha."
(I never asked him to do this.)
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She tried convincing herself.
Again.
And again.
And again.
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But her heart refused to listen.
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For the next two days-
she fought a battle against herself.
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Her mind said:
"Stay away."
"Don't go back."
"You've suffered enough."
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But her heart whispered:
"What if he's really not okay?"
"What if something happens to him?"
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And that thought terrified her.
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She couldn't focus properly.
Couldn't sleep.
Couldn't even complete her work without getting distracted.
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Finally...
On the third night...
She gave up.
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With trembling fingers-
she opened her contacts.
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And pressed his name.
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Vihaan.
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The phone started ringing.
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Meanwhile...
India.
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Vihaan was lying on his bed.
Motionless.
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The room was dark.
The curtains remained closed.
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He hadn't eaten properly the entire day.
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At this point-
even his family was scared.
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Because he looked lifeless.
As if his soul had already left him.
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Sometimes he saw Aarohi everywhere.
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Near the balcony.
Near the mirror.
Sitting on the couch.
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He knew those weren't real.
Yet he couldn't stop seeing her.
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Slowly he closed his eyes again.
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And then-
his phone rang.
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At first he ignored it.
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But then his eyes accidentally landed on the screen.
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And suddenly-
he sat upright.
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His heartbeat stopped.
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Because flashing on the screen was only one name.
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AAROHI CALLING...
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For a second-
he thought he was hallucinating again.
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Then the phone rang again.
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And this time-
he immediately answered.
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"Hello..."
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His voice was barely a whisper.
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For a moment-
neither of them spoke.
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Then Aarohi finally said softly:
"Hello."
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And that was enough.
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Just one word.
One simple word.
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But for Vihaan-
it felt like life itself had returned.
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As if someone had breathed life back into a dead body.
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As if all the medicines in the world had failed-
but her voice succeeded.
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His eyes immediately filled with tears.
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He hadn't realized how desperately he missed hearing her.
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"Aarohi..."
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His voice cracked.
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But Aarohi didn't let him continue.
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"Mere liye khud ko pareshan mat karo."
(Don't destroy yourself because of me.)
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Vihaan closed his eyes.
Listening carefully.
As if he was afraid this moment would disappear.
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"Apni zindagi jiyo."
(Live your life.)
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"Aur apna khayal rakho."
(And take care of yourself.)
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Silence.
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A painful silence.
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Vihaan wanted to say so much.
Wanted to tell her he missed her.
Wanted to tell her he was sorry.
Wanted to tell her he loved her.
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But before he could say anything-
the call disconnected.
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Aarohi had already cut the phone.
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The room became silent again.
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But this time-
Wait for next part.......