Chapter 46: 39. 𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓰𝓲𝓷𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰

"There's nothing to worry

It went through his arm. We have stitched it.

There are some scratches on his face and hands which will heal given enough time and rest. "

The doctor explained to Veer , Dhwani and Rehan whose tension subsided the tiniest bit.

They could see Dhruv sleeping in the hospital bed peacefully due to the sedatives.

"What happened? " Mahi asked coming in with Arya right behind her.

Mahika couldn't hide the worry from her face even if she tried.

"It's okay. He's okay. "Dhwani replied and gave her a comforting hug.

"What's with your husband and ending up in the hospital" Arya asked sarcastically. She was grateful to Dhruv but he did feel like the person who loves to hangout by the Emergency room and ICUs.

"I really don't know" she replied exhaling a tired breath.

"You should go home jiji. " Mahika said noticing the exhausted demeanour of Dhwani.

"No no it's okay" she tried objecting.

"She's right Dhwani you should be resting too " Veer said softly.

"Are you sure that I should go?" Dhwani asked Mahika one more time.

Mahika nodded in answer.

"Rehan you take her home. I'll stay back Mahika. " Arya said to Rehan who nodded and exited with Dhwani.

"Mahika do you want to see him?"

Veer asked her sympathetically.

"It's okay bhaiya. I'm fine. " She replied with a sigh.

Veer understood her situation and decided to give the girls some privacy.

"Are you not going in to see him Mahi?" Arya questioned making her look at her.

"No . I don't want to live through some memories again " she replied truthfully.

"Why were you with that guy in the first place"

In the little time she had known the two women Arya became very protective of them.

"I was too in love. A person should never be too in love. " The wisdom and truth in her words sent chills down her spine.

The hospital smell and the beeping sounds were making Mahika nauseous. They were bringing back memories she didn't want to go through.

"Arya can you take me home?" She asked her voice frail.

"Why are you sick ? are you okay?" Arya asked the gentle woman worriedly. She looked pale.

"I'm okay it's just.."

"Dhruv would like it better if I didn't see him"

*

In the car an awkward silence ensued between Rehan and Dhwani.

Rehan decided to break the ice and asked

"Are you okay bhabhi?"

"Hmm" she nodded giving him a weak smile

"This changes everything right? We now know the actual truth. You don't have to leave anymore "

"This changes nothing Rehan" she replied looking outside the window at the trees travelling back words.

Ironic isn't it? When time and you move forward things in the background tend to move backwards.

"Why Bhabhi. We know you didn't do anything and also that they created this misunderstanding. That means there's nothing left right. "  He asked confused by her statement.

"I knew it was a misunderstanding all along but that was not what hurt me Rehan. What hurt me was that your brother believed that. What hurt was that I lost my child because of it.  What hurts is that maybe I won't ever be able to be a mother again. "

"Let it be Dhwani Singhania or Dhwani Taneja I will never change my decision. "

"It applies to this too. "

Rehan mentally bowed to the strength of the woman in front of him. His brother was the most luckiest and unluckiest person according to him.

"He loves you a lot Bhabhi"

"So do I Rehan. More that anything. More than my life but not more than my respect. " Her face was pulled into a melancholic smile.

*

Dhwani was going to leave this place, the land of kings and queens, the land that gave her solace, tomorrow.

Before that she had some people to thank and say goodbye to.

She was grateful to everyone in her life. The good ones , bad ones and the grey ones. Every person gives us a lesson each and they give a contribution greater than anything else.

Memories.

It was week since the incidents and now a days  Dhwani slept so little that her dark circles looked like sun glasses.

Sleep refused to find her and nightmares were leaving rent free in there.

Right now Dhwani was driving to the orphanage.

She didn't know why but she had to see that child with deep blue eyes one last time. It was yearning she was having from some days. He felt too precious to her heart to leave without saying a goodbye.

Dhwani greeted the warden and told her the purpose of her visit.

"He's having a high fever ma'am are you sure you want to see him.  "

"It's okay. I'll still see him. This is important " to me she completed in her mind.

Ladoo was sleeping when she entered the room. He was covered by an old blanket and a wet cloth was kept in his forehead to cool him down.

Dhwani placed the sweets shehad brought for the boy on the counter and seated herself beside him on the bed.

She caressed his curls and smiled to herself looking at the cute pout he had. He was the most beautiful child she had ever come accross.

Dhwani rested her palm on his face but took it back immediately.

He was alarmingly hot. She checked his temperature by keeping her hands on his neck and it was heating up fast.

She called for the caretakers and when she turned back towards him she noticed a white foam like structure forming and dripping out of his mouth. He went placid and blue making  Dhwani alarmed at the sight.

She rushed him to the hospital with the help of the people at the orphanage as fast as she could.

Ladoo was taken into the children's ICU immediately and as Dhwani waited for the doctor in the hallway shivering and scared she did the only thing that came to her mind.

She called Veer

"Hello Dhwani?" Veer answered surprised at the usual call.

He did not get any legible response other that sobs from her.

"Love are you okay?"

Veer was getting worried at her silence.

"I'm sending you a location. Please come here if you are free. "

"I'll be there" Veer replied determined.

He called in his assistant.

"Cancel the meeting and arrange my car now. And I mean NOW. "

The location was showing a hospital and this scared him more. The said hospital was nearer to Rehan's University. So Veer called him and told him to go their as soon as he could.

Rehan entered the lobby to see the sight of a completely broken Dhwani.

"Bhabhi what happened?" He asked sitting beside her.

Dhwani hugged him without any other thoughts. She was glad to have someone familiar.

The image of the white foam coming out of his soft lips , the rolled back ocean eyes , blue pale skin and lolling tongue refused to leave her mind.

She didn't know the boy other than the two times she met him. Yet she felt this bond to him that she have never felt before. And now seeing him like that was tearing apart her heart , piece by piece.

Rehan didn't ask anymore questions. He just held the broken woman close giving her a sence of security only a brother could.

Veer hurried in and asked

"What happened? Is everyone okay?"

At veer's voice Dhwani stood up and fell into his arms snuffling her sobs in his chest.

"What happened Love?" He inquired gently.

He cupped her face and brushed aside the lose hair.

"What happened?"

"I was at the orphanage to meet ladoo... *Sob* ... and he got fits."

Dhwani explained what happened as much as she could through her sobs.

Veer made her sit and went towards the children's ICU where ladoo was currently.

Seeing the energetic little boy he knew looking so frail connected to all the wires and tubes broke Veer's heart. He would do anything to see him with that 100 watt smile again.

The doctor , an old man with grey hairs  and  the nurse, a middle aged Muslim lady  in duty came outside and on noticing the expectant looks of Dhwani and Veer, answered.

"He might have epilepsy. It is pretty common among children of this age and seeing his past medical history this was bound to happen. But there's nothing to worry about.

Most children outgrow the disease. With proper care he will be completely fine in a week or so. Just see this as another viral fever for now" the doctor said softly in a comforting tone. "

Dhwani sighed in relief

"Thank you doctor" Veer gave the doctor a grateful look.

The nurse came near Dhwani and gave her a comforting smile.

"Alhamdulillah.  Your son is beautiful. Nothing will happen to him.  "

To which the couple nodded without another thought.

Once they were alone again Rehan chuckled.

"What?" Veer questioned.

"Nothing. It's just both if you don't realise how much you rely on each other. How much you need each other and how much your thoughts are related that you both see that boy as your son. "

"Rehan.."veer said with a warning glare for him to stop.

"I know how much he loves you Bhabhi. I saw it the day you were kidnapped. How he behaved like a mad man that day. I saw his sigh of relief seeing you fine and I heard his cries that night when he knew you were not coming back to his life. "

Dhwani bowed her head refusing to look at both the men.

"I know how in love you are with Bhai that whenever you stumble you reach for his hands. It might have started as respect but now it's just pure ego. "

"Rehan ..." Veer stressed warning him one last time.

" I am done. If both of you don't want to be together even after loving each other so much then it is your choice. Only one request, don't bring a child into your life if you are planning to seperate. "

With that Rehan stormed out if the lobby without looking back.

Dhwani sat herself down on one of the chairs slowly.

"What he said was true. Wasnt it?"

Dhwani chuckled sadly.

"How did we reach here Veer. How?"

Veer sat on the chair beside hers.

"That doesn't matter. What matters is what we do to make it right. You are my other half love and if you go way , know that you are taking half of me with you. "

"I don't want to leave you too Veer but you deserve a family. You always wanted a family. I might never be able to give you that. I might as well be barren.

You deserve the happiness of playing with you children and watching them grow. I can't give you that. "

She said tears streaming down her beautiful face.

"I don't care about any of that. If you are with me by my side everyday that's enough for me. And one doesn't need to have biological children to experience the beauty of parenthood. Let's adopt Ladoo. We both know that we love that boy. Let's do it. We will have each other and him. We can build a family again. We won't need anybody else. "

He got down from the chair and sat near her feet holding her knees.

"Please don't go" his voice broke.

Dhwani couldn't hold herself any longer.

"I won't. I won't. " She whispered hugging him to her chest.

He was right. They would build a family of their own.

*

"Are you not going to meet her before she goes?" Arya said coming into the study where Dhruv was busy rechecking their new software project.

"I don't know Arya. I don't know if I should. " He replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"And why is that are you too good for that or are you afraid of confrontations with your mistakes?" She said accusing him.

He shut his laptop and turned towards her.

"Well ouch. " He said with a mock glare.

"Mahi haven't come to see me or even texted me after the whole fiasco. I don't want to make it awkward for her by being there. I'm happy for her I don't want to ruin that. "

"Have you ever thought that maybe she is waiting for you to make the first move this time or are you too full of yourself?"

"Why would she do that?" Dhruv decided to ignore her jabs and focused only on her rational points.

Dhruv and Arya had struck a peculiar bond in the time they were together. When others found sass in her words he found honesty and even if he won't accept it even with a knife to his throat , he liked her. She was a friend he could tell anything to without a second thought and she would blatantly give him either her advice or scolding. All of this happening during a game of chess.

"Maybe because she is tiered of running behind you " she was saying these in a manner one would teach a child alphabets.

"Arya you don't know anything about me. I lost the most important women in my life in a matter of years. Those scars don't heal.  "

"Oh I know everything about you. Do you think that you are the only one who lost a mother that day. Well news flash both your brothers did too and I don't see them holding back in their life because of that. "

"What if I lose her like..." Before he could complete she interjected.

"Oh shut it. You lecture everyone about your pain but trust me bhaiya you are just afraid. Afraid to take that leap of faith. I know you are elder but trust me I won't mind slapping some sense into you for that girl because from her perspective she have endured enough. "

"One more thing I thought you didn't love her then why do you care if you lose her. Why do you care if she go away from you , get married be happy or just die? "

The last sentence made his heart skip a beat.

"Arya know your limits. Don't talk about things that you don't know" his rising anger was directly proportional to his sound.

"What do I don't know? That you love her. We all see the way you look at her. How your cold eyes soften even if for a second. You are the only one left to realise that. "

"I said stop. " He yelled

"I won't because that's my sister that's hurting and if you become the reason for her tears ever again Dhruv Singhania I will ruin your life. So either bring her back or let her go. Don't make her stuck in somewhere in between because of how much of a coward you are. "

"What is happening here?" Rehan asked coming into the room oblivious to all that just went between his wife and brother.  It was only one day since Veer and Dhwani's reconciliation.

The tension was so hard that one could cut it with a knife.

"Nothing much. I thought it was time I called out your brother on how he was treating my sister. You know like an asshole. "

Rehan stopped the laugh that was about to come out of him at the glare his brother was giving him.

"You are losing her right now by the way. "

With that she stormed out of the room.

Arya's words hit deep. It was like salt on his healing wounds.

Did he really love Mahika that much? He didn't know. He didn't want to. Arya was right he was scared of the mere thought and if he was honest he was afraid of losing her too.

"Bhai? What happened?"

"Nothing"

"Do you love Arya Rehan? "

"With everything I have. "

"How did you know?"

"Love is not something you know Bhai. It's something you feel and understands. It is that person who steals a part of you without even knowing they did. "

He did love Mahika. But was it enough. Didn't she deserve someone better?

Maybe his heart was holding him back due to all the pain it had gone through before or maybe he was just using that as an excuse because of his fear.

"Are you free?"

"Yeah kind of"

"Can you take me to Mahi?'

In the car he noticed a brown cover peaking through the front compartment. He opened it to find the  bangles he had bought for Mahika that night.

He smiled at the thought of how she would've liked it but things didn't go as planned that day. It feels like nothing goes as planned with them.

"Do you think I deserve Mahi Rehan?"

"No but that is her choice. "

Dhruv didn't waste any time to rush into her house once they reached their.

"Aunty where is Mahika ?" He asked Sreedevi Rai who was busy scolding her young son.

"She's in her room beta" she replied shocked to see her son in law there asking about her daughter.

If it was a few years ago she would never have been shocked.

"Jiju.." Anil yelled giving him a hug.

"Hey champ. "

"Are you here to play with me?"

"I'll play with you after talking to your sister. Okay?"

"Rehan what happened to him?" A still shocked Sreedevi asked him.

"I hope nothing. Is it kheer that I'm smelling mausi? " With that he distracted the lady.

"Mahi can I come in ?" Dhruv asked knocking at her door.

Is that Dhruv. Mahika thought.

Was she dreaming. She went near the door but didn't dare to open it.

"No" she replied gathering all her courage.

"Mahi please I need to talk to you"

"Then talk" she replied sassily. Being with Arya was surely paying off.

"Woh...."

He didn't now how or where to start. Dhruv was speechless.

"You didn't come to say goodbye" he said starting the conversation.

They were talking facing each other  with a mere wooden door seperation.

"I thought you wouldn't need it"

"You didn't visit me in the hospital"he argued again.

"You wouldn't have it. my care is fake remeber"

"You didn't tell me how you loved me through all the things I made you go through"

" You never asked. "

"Mahi I know we don't have much time but hear me out once for one last time. "

"When I was facing death again,  for the first time in years I wanted to live and in that life I didn't want to be alone. I want to live with you by my side. I know I was not the best husband to you in a long way but  now I want to be all the bests you deserve.

"Don't try to break my heart again Dhruv it's already broken" Mahika retorted sternly. She was not ready to fall for his tricks again.

"You got me wrong. I want to heal the scars I made myself. I want to heal them with the care and love I stole from you all these years. I want to give all that back twice the amount. " His words oozed honesty and genuine ty.

"You said this marriage was a sham. "

"Then let's forget it and remarry. Let's start over. " He replied with a sureness in his voice that he rarely found now a days.

That was it.

Mahi opened her door and pulled him into a hug putting her hands around his neck and hiding herself in his chest

He breathed in her familiar scent. How did he never notice how familiar her flowery fragrance was.

"I am hoping that's a yes " he questioned with a chuckle.

"Maybe maybe not " she replied pulling back , her hands still interlocked behind his neck. She was standing on tip toes to reach his height.

For a second they got lost in each other.

Their trance was broken by Mahika's mother calling them both downstairs

"I am going Dhruv. I can't miss this opportunity. " Her decision was unwavering. This was her dream and dreams are supposed to be lived.

"And I'm not stopping you. You deserve to this. I just wanted to let you know that I will be here waiting if you let me. " His smile and gaze was filled with an emotion Mahika had never seen on him before.

"What do you really want? I can't get my heart broken again. "

"I want to Start fresh. I want to give US a chance. "

"Are you sure Dhruv because..." Mahika was stopped by a finger on her lips.

"I have never been more sure of anything else "

"Okay then" she replied giddily

"Promise? " He asked raising an eyebrow

She pressed her lips into his.

"Promise " she answered , her cheeks rose red at her own boldness.

"But don't you dare think I'm going to go easy on you this time. I'm going to be mean and cruel and I will pester you I will annoy you and you can't scold me or stop me. "

"I don't care. All I need is my bestfriend as my better half. "

"Toh chale shortie?"

"After you dumbass"

With smiles , red cheeks and holding hands Dhruv Singhania and Mahika Rai went down the stairs.

The Full Moon shone in the bright night sky and the stars seemed to dance along as the moment marked the beginning of a second chance they long awaited and one star shined brighter than everyone else.

∆

3600+ words✨

I'm sad that it ended and happy that it did.

It's an exhilarating feeling.

I could've easily made this two chapters but my silly ass wanted he total no. Of chapters to be 50 and 39 is a mathematically great number. It pleases my inner nerd very much.

3 epilogues and one bonus chapter to go. ❤️

With Gratitude and a love filled heart

Aswa_maya