Pain shot through my entire body, but I didn't care. I could barely see, barely breathe, but none of it mattered. All I could focus on was Krutiâlimp, cold, bleeding in my arms.
I had to keep moving.
The weight of her felt heavier with every step, my legs threatening to give out. The street ahead was nothing but a blur, dark and endless. My breath came in ragged gasps, my heartbeat pounding so loud I could barely hear anything else.
"Kruti, please," I whispered, my voice breaking. "Just stay with me. Just a little longer."
She didn't respond.
My vision swam, my grip tightening around her fragile frame. No. I wasn't going to let her slip away. Not her. Not the only person who had somehow managed to break through my walls, who had made me feel things I swore I never would.
A flash of light. Headlights. A car was coming toward us. I squinted against the brightness, my knees nearly buckling under the weight of exhaustion and pain.
The car skidded to a stop in front of me.
"Professor?!"
The voice was distant, but familiar. I barely had time to register who it was before the driver's side door flew open, and someone rushed toward me.
"Sir, what happened? Oh my God, is thatâ?"
I blinked, trying to place the face in front of me. It took me a second, but then I recognized him. Krishna. One of my students.
"Iâsheâ" I tried to speak, but my throat was raw, my head spinning.
Krishna took one look at Kruti in my arms and paled. "Get in the car! We need to get to the hospital now!"
I didn't hesitate. My legs barely functioned, but I managed to get to the passenger seat, still holding Kruti against me. Krishna ran around, jumped into the driver's seat, and slammed the accelerator.
The car sped through the empty streets, tires screeching.
"Sir, what happened?" Krishna asked, panic in his voice.
"Accident," I rasped, my gaze never leaving Kruti's face. "Sheâshe's not waking up."
Krishna swallowed hard, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "We're almost there, sir. Just hold on."
I didn't realize I was shaking until I saw my own hands. They were covered in blood. Her blood. My breath caught in my throat, my chest tightening.
I clenched my jaw, looking down at Kruti's pale face. My fingers trembled as I brushed a strand of blood-matted hair from her cheek.
"Come on," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "You're strong, right? You always fight me about everything... don't stop fighting now."
Her lips parted slightly, but no sound came out.
I leaned closer, pressing my forehead against hers. "I'll never call you useless again," I murmured. "I swear. I'll do anything... justâjust open your eyes."
The car hit a bump, jolting us. I immediately wrapped my arms around her tighter, shielding her.
"She's going to be okay, right?" Krishna 's voice was barely above a whisper.
"She has to be," I said through gritted teeth.
We reached the hospital in record time. Krishna slammed the brakes, barely putting the car in park before jumping out. The hospital doors burst open as nurses rushed toward us.
I stumbled out, still holding Kruti. "Help her," I choked out. "Please."
The nurses grabbed a stretcher, gently taking her from my arms. The second she left my grip, an unbearable emptiness settled in my chest.
"Sir, we need you to come inside," one of the doctors said, but I barely heard him. My body swayed, exhaustion finally hitting me like a freight train.
"Professor, you're bleeding!" Krishna shouted, gripping my arm.
I looked down. My shirt was soaked in blood. Some of it was mine, but most of itâmost of it was Kruti's.
I exhaled sharply, forcing myself to stay upright. "I need to be with her."
The doctor shook his head. "You need medical attention too."
"I don't care," I snapped, my voice sharper than I intended. "She's the one whoâ"
The doors to the emergency room swung shut.
She was gone. Behind those doors. And I couldn't follow.
Something inside me cracked.
I took a shaky step back, then another. The hallway spun. My legs buckled.
The last thing I heard before everything went black was Krishna calling my name.
Pain. That was the first thing I felt. A sharp, unbearable ache coursing through my body, making it impossible to move.
My eyes fluttered open, the brightness of the hospital room piercing through my skull, worsening the throbbing in my head. The beeping of machines, the muffled voices outside, the sterile smell of antisepticsâit all hit me at once.
For a moment, everything was a blur. The accident, the wreckage, the blood, the fear. Then, reality crashed over me like a tidal wave.
Kruti.
My heart clenched as I turned my head to the side, ignoring the protest of my muscles. And there she was.
Kruti lay on the bed beside mine, her face pale, her body wrapped in bandages, an IV attached to her wrist. But she was breathing. Alive.
A shuddering exhale left my lips as my vision blurred. I had been so sureâso terrifiedâthat I was going to lose her. Seeing her like this, fragile yet still here, still with me, made something inside me crumble.
Ignoring the pain that radiates through my body, I forced myself to sit up. The IV in my arm tugged, the wound on my forehead stung, but I didn't care. I needed to be close to her.
Slowly, I swung my legs off the bed, groaning at the sharp ache in my ribs, but I refused to stop. I dragged the IV stand along, taking slow, careful steps toward her. My knees nearly buckled as I reached her side, but I caught myself on the edge of her bed.
She looked so small, so still.
I hesitated before reaching out, my fingers trembling as I brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
"Hey," I whispered, my voice hoarse, broken. "You're here. You're okay."
She didn't respond. Her breathing was steady, but she was still unconscious. I clenched my jaw, swallowing the lump in my throat.
"You scared me," I admitted softly. "I thoughtâ" My voice cracked, and I exhaled shakily. "I thought I lost you."
The words felt foreign, like something I had never allowed myself to say before. But they were true. The moment I saw her bleeding in that car, the moment I carried her in my arms, every part of me shattered.
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "You're always so stubborn. Even when you're lying unconscious, you refuse to give me a break."
Silence.
I bit my lip, gripping the sheets beside her. My body screamed at me to lie back down, to rest, but I couldn't. I wouldn't. Not when she was like this.
"Do you know what you mean to me, Kruti?" My voice was barely above a whisper, the words slipping out before I could stop them. "You're the most annoying, stubborn, frustrating woman I've ever met. You drive me insane every single day."
I exhaled deeply, my throat tightening.
"But I can'tâ" My voice faltered, and I clenched my fists. "I can't imagine my life without you."
My chest ached, but it wasn't from my injuries. It was something deeper, something raw.
Slowly, I leaned forward, resting my forehead gently against her hand. "I need you, Kruti," I admitted, my voice barely audible. "More than I ever realized."
A soft sigh escaped her lips, and I froze. My heart pounded as I lifted my head, staring at her face. Her fingers twitched slightly.
Was she waking up?
I sat up straighter, my eyes scanning her features desperately.
"Kruti?" My voice trembled as I whispered her name, hoping, praying.
And then, her eyelashes fluttered.
A sharp inhale left my lips as her eyes slowly opened, blinking against the light. Confusion flickered across her face before her gaze landed on me.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then, a small, tired smile curved her lips.
"Dev?" Her voice was hoarse, weak, but it was the most beautiful thing I had ever heard.
A choked breath escaped me, and before I knew it, I was breaking. Completely, utterly breaking.
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead to her chest as a sob wracked my body. My fingers curled around the fabric of her hospital gown as I trembled against her, unable to hold back the overwhelming relief, the sheer, raw emotion.
Her small hand lifted, threading through my hair, her fingers soft, soothing.
"It's okay," she whispered, her voice still weak. "I'm here."
I couldn't respond. My throat was too tight, my breaths uneven. I had spent the past few hours thinking I'd never hear her voice again, never see her smile, never get to argue with her over something ridiculous.
And now she was here, comforting me when it should have been the other way around.
"You're such a drama queen," she teased lightly, her fingers continuing to caress my hair. "Crying like this. What would your students say?"
A watery laugh escaped me, and I shook my head against her chest. "Shut up," I muttered, my voice still unsteady.
She chuckled softly, but I could feel how weak she was.
I pulled back slightly, lifting my head to look at her. Her eyes, though tired, held a softness I wasn't used to seeing.
"You idiot," she murmured, brushing a tear off my cheek. "You scared me too."
I swallowed, my jaw tightening. "Don't ever do that again," I said, my voice firm despite the emotion still thick in my throat.
She smirked weakly. "No promises."
I let out a breathless laugh, shaking my head. "You're impossible."
Her eyes softened. "And you're my impossible grump."
Something inside me shifted at those words. I had spent so much time fighting what I felt for her, denying it, pushing it away. But at this moment, as I looked at her, alive, breathing, smiling at me despite everythingâI couldn't deny it anymore.
I reached for her hand, intertwining our fingers gently.
"I mean it, Kruti," I murmured, my thumb brushing against her skin.