Mahir's pov-
I couldnât breathe. My hands were trembling, my mind racing faster than the car speeding down the road. The sight of Siara in my arms, lifeless and pale, sent a wave of panic coursing through me. Every breath she took felt like a fragile thread hanging by a needleâs edge.
Reyansh was driving, his eyes fixed on the road with an intensity that matched my own. The car's engine roared in the silence, breaking the tension that suffocated the air. I cradled Siara in my arms, rewinding the last few moments in my mind.
The flashing lights of the ambulance weâd passed earlier seemed like a distant memory now, but I didnât have time to process it. I was too focused on the woman in my arms. Siara. Her face, always so composed, now looked fragile. I didnât know what was going through her mind when she fell... but it didnât matter.
The phone in my pocket buzzedâMomâs name flashing on the screen. I took a deep breath before answering.
âWhere are you? What happened to Siara and avya? Are they fine?â Her voice was laced with panic.
"Avya is unharmed maa and siara is injured. We are on our way to the hospital. She'll be fine" The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth.
âOh God siara....we are reachingâ The line went dead, and I could already hear the tension in my mother's voice.
I turned to look down at Siara, her face pale and expressionless, and my heart sank. My pulse quickened as the familiar anxiety crept up on me, but I pushed it down.
Reyansh swerved the car into the hospital parking lot, and I barely waited for him to stop before opening the door. My legs felt like lead as I picked Siara up in my arms, moving as quickly as I could. My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and worry, but I pushed them aside. Focused only on getting her the care she needed.
The sterile smell of the hospital filled the air, thick with the sense of dread that had wrapped itself around me the moment we entered. The ER doors swung open, and I walked in with Siaraâs limp body cradled in my arms. The weight of the situation settled like a boulder on my chest, but I didnât dare show it.
The moment we entered, every single person in the waiting areaâthe families, the doctors, the staffâstopped what they were doing. Eyes turned to us. And then... the whispers began.
âIs that Dr. Siara?â someone muttered, voice filled with disbelief.
âOh my god, w-what happened to mamâ Another voice broke in, higher than the first, full of shock.
I didnât have to look up to know what they were seeing. The infamous, untouchable Dr. Siara Malhotraâthe woman who never showed weaknessâwas now collapsed in my arms, pale and unconscious, her clothes torn and stained.
"Mam..mam w-what happened to mam?â A nurse murmured, her voice tinged with disbelief as she saw the injuries on Siaraâs face.
Just then sid, siara's assistant came running,"STOP WHISPERING AND SHIFT HER INSIDE" he said while glaring at the nurses.
Behind me, I heard the shuffle of footsteps. Reyansh was the first to enter. His expression flickered between anger and concern as he quickly moved toward us.
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Author's pov-
The soft hum of the hospital room seemed to wrap itself around the space like a blanketâheavy, quiet, and suffocating. The sterile white walls, the beeping of the machines monitoring Siaraâs vitals, all served as a reminder of what had happened, but the most striking presence in the room was Siara herself.
As everyone gathered in Siaraâs room, the atmosphere felt thick with concern, mixed with an odd sense of normalcy. The large, plush room, now filled with the low murmur of family voices, felt strangely quiet despite the crowd. The dim light from the lamps made the space feel warmer than it had all day. Siara lay in her bed, eyes closed, as the sounds of family chatter swirled around her.
Siara had always been an enigma to everyone around her. A stoic, cold, woman who never showed weakness. And even in this moment, lying in a hospital bed, her presence commanded the room in a way that only she could. But as the minutes ticked by, the silence grew unbearable, thick with unspoken words and unexpressed concerns.
Siara's brothers had claimed spots around the room. Reyansh was sitting on the edge of the armchair, his fingers tapping nervously against the armrest, but his eyes were fixed on Siara. Ekansh, typically the more reserved one, stood near the window, gazing out at the night sky, seemingly deep in thought. The others, though silent, wore the same expressionsâconcern mixed with something deeper. They didnât know how to break through the cold silence that their sister always maintained.
The sehgal family seated around is Waiting for siara to wake up. Especially the younger clan, they are waiting for their bhabhi, their Ice-Queen to wake up. Silence was heavy in the room.
The only sound that broke it was the soft sigh of her father, Aarav Malhotra, as he sat by her bedside. His large, steady hand clasped around Siaraâs smaller one, as if trying to anchor himself to her. And then, almost as if on cue, her eyelids fluttered. It was a slow, deliberate movement, like her body was waking up on its own terms.
Aarav's face lit up, but his expression was a mixture of relief and hesitation. He watched her for a moment, like he was expecting her to shatter the silence with a sharp retort or sarcastic comment, but instead, Siaraâs cold eyes met his.
She didnât speak, not right away. She didnât smile either. It was as if everything was still frozen in time. And in that moment, it was clearâSiara Malhotra, the woman who had never allowed herself to be vulnerable, was still the same. The ice queen had not melted.
"You're awake," Aarav said softly, the relief in his voice obvious, but also tinged with concern. His grip on her hand tightened just a fraction.
Siara blinked slowly and then, as if the weight of everything around her hadnât quite settled, she simply nodded. Her expression remained unchanged, neutral. The walls that had always surrounded her were still firmly in place.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice as cold and detached as ever. She didnât offer any reassurance, no sign of vulnerabilityâjust the matter-of-fact statement that she was okay.
Aarav stared at her for a moment longer, his mind racing, unsure of what he should say or do. But before he could say anything her mother rushed beside her. Her face was streaked with tears, but even in the midst of her obvious distress, she didnât say anything immediately. She just stood there for a moment, looking at her daughter, her heart breaking for the woman who had always seemed so invincible.
Siara glanced at her mother, but she didnât give the kind of emotional reaction anyone might expect. Adhiraâs trembling hands reached out, but Siara simply held her gaze and said, "Iâm fine"
It wasnât unkind. It wasnât harsh. But it was the same Siara. Cold, composed.
Her brothers looked concerned, vulnerable. They couldn't gather the courage to break the thick walls the siblings have created around themselves.
Kabir, ever the mischievous one, leaned casually against siara's bed with his trademark smirk. His arms crossed, and his eyes glinted with mischief,"Guess what bhabhi?"
Well everyone thought she would just gave him a blank look like always but today she asked raising an eyebrow, while giving him her full attention,"what kabir?"
A single tear fell from Kabir's eye,"I missed you bhabhi." He forgot his teasing comment which he was about to pass when siara replied him back.
"Ice-Queen stays unmelted, part-- which part kabir? By the way flash mob was disaster, just work a little more on your moves, you'll rock. Shivay, I suggest you to drop your Event management course. Myra, don't arrange a date for someone in future. Divya, don't dance again." Siara said while trying to maintain her damenour.
Every eye in the room widened. The younger clan was happy to see her talking to them even though her face was blank. But Do they mind? No, why? Because they like their Ice-Queen the way she is.
Well siara was not finished yet,"and yes shivay, your bhabhi has Abs"
The very first time, for a little moment, her lips were ever so slightly twitched.