Author pov....

Rahul placed his helmet inside the house and, without wasting a second, walked straight toward Ishani’s home.

“Hey, where are you going, Rahul?” Rani called out from behind.

But Rahul didn’t stop. He didn’t even turn around. His mind was already racing ahead of him.

As he stepped inside, Malini noticed him. She smiled warmly and said, “Oh, Rahul beta! Ishani’s marriage has been fixed. Did you hear the news?”

Rahul forced a small nod. “Hmm…

Aunty, I just wanted to meet Divya di for a moment.”

Malini gestured toward the hallway. “Yes, of course. She’s in Ishani’s room.”

Rahul nodded again and walked toward the room.

Inside, Divya was laughing while talking to Ishani.

“I was honestly so scared of Vaibhav’s anger,” Divya said with a grin. “But the way Abhay jiju convinced him… that was amazing! He loves you so much, Ishani.”

Ishani blushed softly.

Watching this from the doorway, Rahul felt a wave of anger rise inside him. His fists clenched.

“Didi,” he interrupted coldly, “Malini aunty is calling you.”

Divya turned, surprised to see him. “Oh, Rahul? What are you doing here?”

Ishani didn’t even look at him. She simply ignored his presence.

“Malini aunty is calling you,” Rahul repeated. “You should go.”

“Alright,” Divya said casually and walked out of the room.

The moment she left, Rahul stepped inside and quietly shut the door behind him.

Ishani turned toward him, shocked.

“What kind of behavior is this, Rahul?” she said sharply. “Who enters someone’s room like this without permission?”

Rahul looked at her, his eyes restless and desperate.

“When you refuse to listen to me,” he said, his voice was heavy, “I have to do something to make you listen.”

Ishani frowned. “What nonsense have you come here to say? Just leave. I don’t want to talk to you.”

But Rahul didn’t leave.

Instead, he walked straight toward her and suddenly fell at her feet, holding them tightly as tears streamed down his face.

Ishani stared at him in shock, immediately trying to pull her feet away.

“Rahul! What are you doing? Let go!”

But Rahul held on, his voice breaking with every word.“Please, Ishani… just give me one chance. I love you so much. No one will ever love you the way I do. I’ve loved you since childhood… even before I understood what love really meant.”

She tried to pull her feet away, but his grip tightened.

“Please… just once.”He looked up at her, his eyes red, desperate.“Say no to this marriage.”

Ishani froze.

Rahul continued, words rushing out like they had been trapped inside him for years.

“Just refuse it… please,” he said. “I’m not asking for anything else. Just… wait for me a little while.”

His hands trembled.“I’ll find a job. A good one. I’ll work day and night if I have to. I’ll prove that I’m worthy of you.”

His voice softened, fragile.“And then… when I can stand in front of your family without shame… we’ll get married.”

He looked at her as if she was the only truth in his life.

“No one will ever love you the way I do,” he said. “Please… don’t belong to someone else.”

For a moment, the room was completely silent.

Then Ishani’s expression slowly hardened.

She pulled her foot away from his hands.“Have you lost your mind, Rahul?” she said angrily.

Rahul looked up at her, stunned.

“Do you even understand what you’re saying?”She stepped back, putting distance between them.

“You’re only thinking about your feelings,” she continued, her voice shaking with frustration. “But have you thought about what people will say about me?”

Rahul’s chest tightened.

Rahul looked up at her helplessly.

“Ishani… please—”

“Stop it!” she snapped.

Her voice cut through the room like a blade.

“What is this disgusting drama you’re creating?” she continued, her eyes blazing with anger. “Holding my feet, crying like this… do you have any shame?”

Rahul’s face went pale.

“I thought you were at least sensible,”

she said bitterly. “But today you’re behaving like a complete fool.”

Rahul shook his head weakly. “I’m not doing drama… I just love you—”

“Love?” Ishani laughed coldly.

“Don’t call this love.”

Her words were sharp and merciless.

“You are just a kid who got obsessed with someone older than him.”

Rahul felt the ground slipping beneath him.

“I have never seen you that way,” she continued firmly. “Not even once.”

Her eyes hardened.“For me, you were always just a younger brother.”

Those words hit Rahul harder than anything.

“A little boy who used to run around me since childhood,” she said. “Someone I had to look after… not someone I would ever love.”

Rahul’s chest tightened painfully.

“And now listen carefully,” she said coldly. “I love Abhay.”

Rahul froze.

“Yes,” she continued without hesitation. “I love him, and he loves me too. This marriage is happening because we both want it.”

Rahul’s hands slowly fell to the floor.

The tears kept running down his face, but he didn’t even try to wipe them now.

“And what are you doing right now?” Ishani said with irritation. “Begging me like this?”

She shook her head.

“It’s embarrassing.”

Rahul’s heart shattered a little more.

“Do you even realize what people will say if someone sees this?” she continued. “They’ll say I trapped you… that a girl six years older fooled a younger boy.”

Her voice grew sharper.They’ll call me characterless because of you.”

Rahul tried to speak, but no words came out.

“So stop this nonsense right now,” she said firmly. “Stand up and leave.”

Rahul slowly lifted his eyes to look at her.

The girl he had loved all his life stood there like a stranger.

“Please… Ishani,” he whispered one last time.

But Ishani turned her face away.

“I said leave.”

Rahul’s hands trembled as he slowly pushed himself up from the floor.

It felt like his entire body had lost its strength.

He wiped his face with shaking hands, trying to hide the tears that wouldn’t stop.

For a moment he looked at her hoping, maybe foolishly, that she might stop him.

But Ishani didn’t even look back.

Then he turned toward the door.

Each step felt heavier than the last,

like he was dragging the pieces of his shattered heart with him.

As Rahul pulled the door open, he froze.

Divya was standing right there, her eyes wide with shock as she stared at his tear-stained face.

Her breath hitched, but Rahul didn’t say a word.

He didn't even acknowledge her presence. He simply pushed past her, his movements cold and mechanical.

Terrified by his silence, Divya scrambled to follow him. "Rahul! Rahul, wait!" her voice trembling.

He didn't stop. He didn't even flinch.

Just then, Malini’s voice echoed from the other room. "Divya, beta? Could you come here for a moment?"

Divya hesitated, her eyes darting between Rahul’s retreating back and the hallway. "Coming, Maa!" she called back. With one last worried glance at Rahul, she hurried toward Malini.

The moment he was alone, the world seemed to cave in. Rahul felt a crushing weight on his chest it was as if the very air had turned to lead. He couldn't breathe.

He finally reached the safety of his house and bolted straight for his room.

He slammed the door shut, the click of the lock sounding like a final goodbye.

The panic attack hit him in full force.

Ishani’s words began to loop in his mind every sentence felt like a physical blow, a sharp, searing pain radiating through his chest.

When the agony became unbearable, his hands shaking uncontrollably, he reached for a blade.

With a haunting, broken smile, he dragged it across his wrist.

The physical pain was a welcome distraction from the mental torture.

"I love you, Ishani," he whispered, his voice faint as he felt the life begin to drain out of him. "But I can't do this. I can't face a future where you aren't mine. I don't want a life... where you aren't by my side."

The blood continued to pool around his wrist, staining the floor a deep, morbid crimson.

Yet, for Rahul, there was no pain only a terrifying sense of peace.

It felt as if every problem, every suffocating memory, was finally draining away.

A faint, haunting smile played on his lips as he closed his eyes, Ishani’s face appearing behind his eyelids like a beautiful ghost.

The silence of the room was shattered when Divya burst in.

Her eyes landed on his limp hand, and a blood-curdling scream tore from her throat.

"Rahul! Rahul, what have you done?!"

She collapsed beside him, sobbing hysterically as she called out for help.

"Mummy! Papa! Please, come quickly!" Her hands shook as she grabbed a piece of cloth, desperately tying it around his wrist to staunch the flow.

She patted his cheeks, crying his name over and over, but Rahul remained motionless, his eyes locked in his private dream.

In seconds, the room was crowded.

Devnath, Rani, Nirmala, and Dadi rushed in, frozen in horror at the sight of the blood-soaked floor.

"Rahul! My son, what did you do?" Rani wailed, her heart breaking at the sight of her unresponsive child.

Devnath sprang into action, lifting Rahul’s limp body. "Divya, go get Vaibhav! Now! We have to get him to the hospital!"

Divya didn't wait. She sprinted toward her in-laws' house, her screams echoing through the hallway. "Vaibhav! Vaibhav, come quickly!"

The entire household Malini, Ishani, and Vaibhav rushed out, startled by her frantic cries.

"Divya, what’s wrong? Why are you crying like this?" Vaibhav asked, grabbing her shoulders.

"Vaibhav... Rahul... he slit his wrists! Please, we have to save him!"

The color drained from Vaibhav’s face. "What?!"

By the time they reached the car, Devnath was already carrying Rahul out, his clothes stained with his son's blood.

The atmosphere was thick with the sound of sobbing and frantic prayers. "Vaibhav, get the car started! Hurry!" Devnath barked.

Vaibhav scrambled into the driver's seat as they loaded Rahul into the back.

Rani was inconsolable, her cries filling the air as they sped toward the hospital.

Amidst the chaos, Ishani stood frozen.

She didn't move, didn't cry, didn't speak. She just stood there, staring at the trail of Rahul's blood on the pavement, her eyes wide with pure, unadulterated horror.

Vaibhav drove like a man fighting time itself.

The car cut through the dark roads, its engine roaring as he pressed harder on the accelerator.

“Vaibhav, faster!” Devnath said from the back seat, his voice shaking.

“I’m trying!” Vaibhav replied, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

In the back seat, the scene was heartbreaking.

Rahul lay weak and half-conscious, his head resting in Rani’s lap.

His face had turned pale, almost lifeless. His breathing was shallow.

“Rahul… beta… open your eyes,” Rani cried, stroking his hair with trembling hands.

Tears streamed down her cheeks as she rocked slightly, like a mother trying to wake a child from a nightmare.“Please look at me once… say something.”

But Rahul didn’t respond.

Divya sat beside him, pressing a cloth tightly against his wrist. Her hands

were shaking uncontrollably.

“Rahul… please… don’t do this,” she whispered through her tears. “You’re scaring us.”

The cloth in her hands slowly turned darker.

Seeing that, her heart sank even deeper.

“Vaibhav… hurry!” she cried helplessly.

“I’m almost there!” Vaibhav said, his voice breaking.

Finally the hospital building appeared ahead.

The car screeched to a stop at the emergency entrance.

Before the car had even fully stopped,

Vaibhav jumped out and shouted,

“Doctor! Somebody help! Emergency!”

Nurses and ward boys rushed toward them with a stretcher.

They carefully lifted Rahul from the car. His body felt frighteningly limp.

“Please save him…” Rani cried as she walked beside the stretcher, her voice breaking again and again.

They rushed Rahul into the emergency room. The doors shut behind the doctors.

And suddenly the corridor outside became unbearably silent.

Rani collapsed onto a nearby chair, her hands folded in prayer.

“God… please save my son… please…”

Divya stood beside her, crying quietly, unable to stop looking at the closed doors.

Devnath stood still, his face pale with worry.

Vaibhav paced back and forth restlessly, running his hand through his hair again and again.

Every second felt like an hour.

After what felt like forever, the emergency room door finally opened.

A doctor stepped out, removing his gloves. His expression was serious.

Everyone rushed toward him at once.

“Doctor… how is he?” Devnath asked desperately.

The doctor looked at them carefully before speaking."He has lost a lot of blood.”

Rani’s heart dropped.

“We have managed to control the bleeding for now,” the doctor continued, “but his condition is still critical.”

Divya covered her mouth as tears streamed down her face.

“To stabilize him,” the doctor said firmly, “we need to start a blood transfusion immediately.”

“Yes doctor, take mine,” Devnath said quickly. “Take whatever is needed.”

The doctor shook his head slightly.

“What is his blood group?” Vaibhav asked anxiously.

“O negative.”The words fell heavily in the corridor.

Everyone looked at each other in confusion and fear.

“O negative is one of the rarest blood groups,” the doctor explained. “Unfortunately, our blood bank

doesn’t have it available right now.”

Rani felt as if the ground beneath her feet had disappeared.

“What…?” she whispered weakly.

“You will have to arrange a donor immediately,” the doctor said seriously. “If we don’t get the blood soon, it could become very dangerous for him.”

Tears rolled down Rani’s face again.

“No one in our family has O negative…” Divya said helplessly.

The corridor filled with silence again  a silence full of fear.

And then suddenly Vaibhav spoke.

“Ishani.”

Everyone turned toward him.

“Ishani’s blood group is O negative,” he said quickly.

Hope flickered for the first time in their eyes.

Rani immediately held Vaibhav’s arm tightly.

“Vaibhav beta… bring her here,” she said desperately. “Please… call her. She will give blood, right?”

Vaibhav nodded firmly.

“Yes, aunty. She will.”

Without wasting another second, he turned and ran toward the parking area.

Within moments, his car engine roared again as he sped out of the hospital.

Back in the corridor, Rani broke down completely.

Divya held her tightly as both of them cried.

Devnath stood silently, staring at the emergency room door where Rahul was fighting for his life.

And all of them could only pray that

Vaibhav returned with Ishani before it was too late.

Vaibhav reached the house hurriedly. Inside, Malini and Ishani were sitting together in a corner, frightened and silent.

The atmosphere in the room was heavy with fear.

Vaibhav looked at Ishani and said urgently, “Ishani, come with me.”

Ishani immediately stood up, her voice trembling. “Where, Bhaiya? Is Rahul okay?”

Vaibhav shook his head. “No… he’s not okay. He has lost a lot of blood. He urgently needs blood, and only you can donate.”

Malini looked confused and worried. “But Vaibhav… Ishani’s blood group is O negative.”

Vaibhav nodded quickly. “Yes, Maa. Rahul’s blood group is also O negative. We can’t find it anywhere in the blood bank. That’s why I came to take Ishani.”

Ishani took a deep breath and said softly, “Hmm… let’s go, Bhaiya.”

Malini quickly locked the door, and the three of them rushed to the hospital in Vaibhav’s car.

As soon as Ishani entered the hospital corridor, Rani saw her. She immediately ran toward her with tears in her eyes.

“Thank you… thank you so much for coming, Ishani,” Rani said while folding her hands. “Please save my child.”

Ishani tried to calm her. “Don’t worry, Aunty. Nothing will happen to Rahul.”

Just then, the doctor arrived and took

Ishani inside for the blood donation.

Her blood was drawn and quickly transferred to Rahul.

After some time, Ishani asked nervously, “Doctor… Rahul will be okay, right?”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, he should recover now. But I really don’t understand these kids. How can someone think of harming themselves like this? Don’t they think about their parents? Maybe he did it because of some girl.”

Hearing those words, Ishani’s heart started pounding rapidly. Fear and guilt filled her chest.

She slowly turned her head and looked at Rahul lying unconscious on the hospital bed.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks as guilt overwhelmed her.

Just then, the police arrived at the hospital.

Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps broke the silence.

Two police officers walked into the corridor.

“Who is Rahul’s family?” one of them asked in a firm voice.

Devnath immediately stepped forward. Rani stood beside him, still crying.

“He is my son, sir,” Devnath replied.

The officer looked serious. “We received information about a self-harm case. We need to ask a few questions.”

Everyone in the corridor fell silent.

“What exactly happened?” the officer asked.

Devnath looked confused and shaken. “Sir… we also don’t understand. We found him in his room… his wrists were cut… there was blood everywhere.”

Rani broke down again. “My son would never do this… I don’t know what happened to him…”

The officer wrote something in his notebook and looked around at everyone.“Was he under any pressure? Studies? Family problems? Or… any relationship issues?”

The word relationship made Ishani’s heart stop for a moment.

Her hands started trembling.

The officer continued questioning.

“Did he fight with someone recently?”

Devnath shook his head slowly. “No sir".

The officer looked toward the ICU window where Rahul lay unconscious.

“These cases are becoming common among young people,” he said seriously. “Sometimes it’s because of emotional reasons.”

Ishani felt as if every word was piercing her heart.

She slowly stepped closer to the glass window and looked at Rahul again. His body was still, machines connected to him.

Her voice trembled in a whisper only she could hear.“Why did you do this, Rahul…”

Guilt filled her chest so heavily that she felt she might collapse.

Behind her, the police continued asking questions to the family members, while everyone in the corridor waited anxiously for the moment when Rahul would finally open his eyes.

Rahul wakes up at 2 a.m. in the night, and the whole family keeps waiting for him there in the hospital.

The ICU room was quiet except for the steady beeping of the heart monitor.

Rahul lay on the hospital bed, pale and weak.

His wrist was tightly bandaged, and a blood transfusion tube was still connected to his arm.

Slowly… his fingers moved.

His eyelids trembled.

After a few seconds, Rahul slowly opened his eyes.

Everything around him looked blurry.

The white ceiling… the machines… the faint smell of medicines.

He tried to move, but a sharp weakness spread through his body.

Outside the room, the doctor noticed the movement and immediately stepped inside.

“Rahul… can you hear me?” the doctor asked softly.

Rahul blinked slowly and nodded a little.

“Good. Don’t try to move too much. You’ve lost a lot of blood,” the doctor said while checking the monitor.

Within minutes, the news spread outside.“He’s awake.”

Rani immediately stood up, but the doctor stopped everyone at the door.

“Please… only one or two people. He is very weak. Too many people will make him tired.”

Rani’s eyes filled with tears. She stepped inside slowly with Devnath.

The moment she saw Rahul awake, she rushed to the side of the bed and held his hand carefully.

“Rahul… my child… why did you do this?” she cried softly.

Rahul didn’t answer.

His eyes looked empty.

Devnath stood silently beside the bed, unable to say anything.

Just then, a police officer entered the room.

“We need to ask him a few questions,” he said politely but firmly.

The doctor nodded. “Keep it short. He is still very weak.”

The officer pulled a chair closer to the bed.“Rahul, can you hear me clearly?”

Rahul nodded slightly.

“Can you tell us what happened?”

Rahul stared at the ceiling for a long

moment.“…Nothing,” he whispered weakly.

The officer frowned slightly.

“Nothing? Then how did this happen?”

Rahul turned his face away.

“…It was my mistake.”

“Did someone force you? Did you have a fight with someone?” the officer asked.

Rahul slowly shook his head.“No.”

The officer studied his face for a moment, then stood up.

“Alright. We’ll talk again later.”

The police left the room.

Rani wiped her tears and kissed Rahul’s forehead.

“Don’t ever do this again,” she whispered.

But Rahul didn’t respond.

His eyes slowly moved toward the window.

Inside his mind, a storm of thoughts was raging.

Why didn’t I die…

Why am I still alive…

I don’t want to live like this…

His chest felt unbearably heavy.

A silent tear slipped from the corner of his eye as he stared blankly at the ceiling.

I should have died…

Ishani stood outside the hospital room that day, her heart finally feeling a little lighter.

When she saw Rahul slowly recovering, sitting up on the bed and talking a little, a quiet relief filled her chest.

He’s safe… nothing happened to him…

For the first time in days, she smiled faintly.

Days slowly began to pass.

Rahul recovered physically.

The wounds on his wrists healed, the weakness in his body faded, and the doctors finally said he could move around normally again.

Everyone in the family believed the worst was over.

But no one could see the storm still raging inside Rahul’s heart.

Outside the hospital, life was moving forward.

Preparations for Ishani’s wedding had started.

Relatives called, discussions about clothes and invitations happened at home, and slowly the wedding date kept coming closer.

Rahul heard these things sometimes.

Each word felt like someone was slowly tearing his heart apart.

One afternoon, Rahul was alone in his hospital room.

The sunlight fell softly through the window, making the room look calm and peaceful.

But inside him… there was only darkness.

His eyes wandered around the room blankly.

Then they stopped.

On the small table near the mirror… a blade lay there.

Devnath had used it earlier that morning while shaving Rahul and had forgotten to take it back.

Rahul stared at the blade for a long time.

His breathing slowly became heavy.

His fingers trembled as he reached for it.

Before I watch Ishani become someone else’s… maybe it’s better if I disappear.

He picked up the blade.

His hands were shaking.

He looked at the faint scars on his wrist… the place where he had already tried once.

A tear slipped down his cheek.

“I tried… I really tried to live,” he whispered weakly to himself.

“But I can’t…”

His hand slowly moved toward his wrist.

The sharp edge of the blade touched his skin.

At that very moment.

The door suddenly opened.

“Ishani entered the room.”

For a second she didn’t understand what she was seeing.

Then her eyes fell on the blade in Rahul’s hand.

Her face turned pale.

“RAHUL!!!”Her scream filled the entire room.

Rahul froze.

He slowly looked up.

Their eyes met.

The blade was still trembling in his hand.

The moment he saw Ishani standing there, tears burst out of his eyes uncontrollably.

“Ishani…” his voice broke completely.

Before he could react, Ishani ran toward him.

She grabbed his wrist and snatched the blade away with all her strength.

The blade fell to the floor with a sharp clattering sound.

Her hands were shaking with fear.

Without thinking, Ishani slapped him hard across the face.

SMACK.

“Why are you doing this?!” she cried.

Her voice trembled with anger, fear, and pain.

“Why don’t you understand, Rahul?!”

Tears poured down her cheeks.

“Why are you trying to kill yourself again and again?!”

Rahul broke down completely.

He started crying helplessly, like a child who had lost everything.

“I can’t live like this…” he said between sobs.“I can’t watch you become someone else’s…”

Ishani’s heart shattered hearing those words.

She tried to control her tears, but they kept falling.

“Rahul… we can never be together,” she said.“I am six years older than you… do you understand that?”

She wiped her tears and continued with a trembling voice.

“Your parents… my brother… my mother… no one will ever accept this relationship.”

Rahul lowered his head, crying uncontrollably.

“Hmmm… maybe you’re right,” he whispered weakly.

“But I can’t see you belong to someone else.”His voice broke again.“If that happens… it’s better if I die.”

Ishani looked at him in complete shock.

For a moment she couldn’t even breathe.

The pain in his voice was real. Deep. Desperate.

The blade lay on the floor. Rahul sat on the bed with his head down, crying uncontrollably.

His shoulders trembled with every breath, as if the pain inside him had finally broken all the walls he had been holding.

Ishani stood there for a moment, breathing heavily. Her heart was still racing from the fear of what she had just seen.

What if I had come one minute late…

The thought alone made her chest tighten.

Slowly, she bent down, picked up the blade from the floor, and placed it far away on the table. Then she turned back toward Rahul.

He still hadn’t looked up.

Tears kept falling from his eyes.

Ishani’s anger slowly melted away. All that remained was pain… and concern.

She suddenly realized something.

Scolding him… shouting at him… forcing him to understand—None of that would work.

Rahul wasn’t stubborn.

He was broken.

And broken hearts don’t listen to anger.

They only listen to love.

Inside her mind, one thought echoed again and again—I have to make him understand… gently.

Because if I push him away like this… I might lose him forever.

She walked slowly toward him and sat beside him on the bed.

For a few seconds… neither of them spoke.

Then Ishani gently placed her hand on his head.

Rahul froze.

Her fingers slowly moved through his hair, trying to calm him.

“Rahul…” she whispered softly.

Rahul slowly looked up.

His eyes were red, swollen, and full of unbearable pain.

“I don’t want to live,” he said weakly.

Those words stabbed Ishani’s heart.

Her voice trembled.

“Why are you saying this…?”

Rahul laughed weakly through his tears.“Because living feels worse than dying.”

Tears rolled down Ishani’s cheeks.

“Rahul… please…”

Rahul shook his head desperately.

“You don’t understand, Ishani. Every time I close my eyes… I see you. Every time someone talks about your wedding… it feels like someone is crushing my heart.”

His voice broke completely.

“I tried to be strong. I tried to accept it. But I can’t… I just can’t.”

He looked at her with helpless eyes.

“How do I watch the person I love… become someone else’s?”

Ishani closed her eyes for a moment, trying to control her tears.

Then she gently held his face so he

would look at her.

“Listen to me carefully, Rahul.”

Her voice was soft… but trembling.

“You think dying will end this pain?”

Rahul looked at her silently.

She continued slowly.

“No… it will only pass your pain to the people who love you.”

She pointed toward the door.

“Your mother… who hasn’t slept properly since you were admitted.”

“Your father… who pretends to be strong but cries alone outside.”Your sister who is praying for you to get well soon"

Her voice broke.

“And me…”

Rahul’s eyes widened slightly.

“You think I will live peacefully knowing you died because of me?”

Her tears fell freely now.

“I will hate myself for the rest of my life.”

Rahul’s breathing became heavy.

“I never wanted to hurt you,” he whispered.

“But you are hurting me like this,” Ishani said through tears.

She grabbed his shoulders gently.

“Do you know what I felt when I saw that blade in your hand?”

Her voice shook badly.

“For one second… my heart stopped.”

“I thought… I lost you.”

Rahul looked at her silently, tears flowing again.

Ishani wiped his tears softly.

“Rahul… love is not just about getting someone.”

“Sometimes love means letting someone go… and still wishing them happiness.”

Rahul shook his head like a helpless child.

“But how do I live without you?”

His voice cracked.

“How do I breathe when the person I love is not mine?”

Ishani’s heart shattered hearing that.

She placed her hand on his chest.

“You will live… because your life is bigger than this pain.”

Rahul looked at her with broken eyes.

“I can’t forget you.”

Ishani gave a sad smile through her tears.“Then don’t.”

Rahul looked confused.

“You don’t have to forget me,” she whispered.“But you have to live.”

Her voice became softer.

“Live so one day you can look back at this moment and say… I survived that pain.”

Rahul leaned forward and rested his forehead against her hands, crying like a child who had lost everything.

“I’m tired, Ishani,” he whispered.

“I know,” she said softly.

She gently held his head against her shoulder.

For a long time, the room remained silent except for Rahul’s quiet sobs.

And Ishani sat there beside him… holding him carefully… trying to keep him from falling into the darkness again.

Rahul kept crying quietly against Ishani’s shoulder. His hands were clutching the hospital bedsheet like someone who was afraid of drowning.

Ishani gently stroked his hair, letting him cry.

Sometimes pain needs tears before it

can breathe.

After a long time, Rahul slowly lifted his head. His eyes were swollen and red.

His voice came out weak.

“Why did you save me…?”

Ishani looked at him, shocked.

Rahul continued with a broken smile.

“You should have let me do it. Everything would have ended… my pain… your problem… everything.”

Ishani’s eyes filled with tears again.

She grabbed his face firmly so he had no choice but to look at her.

“Don’t ever say that again,” she said in a trembling but serious voice.

“Your life is not a problem, Rahul.”

Rahul’s lips trembled.

“But I am a problem for you,” he whispered.

Ishani shook her head slowly.

“You are not my problem.”

Her voice softened.

“You are someone I care about.”

Rahul looked at her like a lost child.

“Then why can’t you stay?” he asked helplessly.

“Why can’t life be simple for once?”

His question hung in the air.

Ishani looked down for a moment.

Then she spoke slowly, her voice full of quiet pain.“Because life doesn’t always give us what we want.”

Rahul clenched his fists.“I hate this life then.”

Ishani sighed softly.“I know you do it right now.”

She wiped his tears again.“But one day you won’t.”

Rahul shook his head stubbornly.“You don’t know that.”

“I do,” she said gently.“Because this pain you feel today… will slowly become strength tomorrow.”

Rahul looked at her with disbelief.“How can losing you ever become strength?”

Ishani gave a small sad smile.“Because pain teaches us things happiness never can.”

She paused, then continued softly.“One day you will love someone again.”

Rahul immediately shook his head.“No.I won’t.”

Ishani looked at him carefully."You will.”

“I promise you… I won’t,” Rahul said firmly.

Ishani sighed.“Right now you believe that. But life is long, Rahul.”

She pointed toward his chest.

“And your heart… is still young.”

Rahul looked away, silent.

After a few moments he asked quietly,

“Will you forget me?”

The question was so soft it almost disappeared in the air.

Ishani’s eyes filled again.

She took a deep breath.

“Some people can never be forgotten,” she said gently.

Rahul slowly looked back at her.

“Then why are you leaving me?” he whispered.

That question cut deeper than anything else.

Ishani didn’t answer immediately.

She simply held his hand tightly.

Because sometimes there is no answer that can remove pain.

The room stayed quiet again.

Outside the window the evening sun was slowly setting.

Rahul finally spoke again, his voice weak but calmer.

“Will you stay here for a little longer?”

Ishani nodded softly.

“Yes.”

Rahul leaned back against the pillow.

His eyes were still full of sadness… but the storm inside him had slowed.

And Ishani sat beside him quietly… holding his hand… making sure he didn’t fall back into that darkness again.

Rahul’s crying slowly faded into soft, uneven breaths.

Exhaustion had finally taken over.

His eyes closed while tears were still wet on his cheeks, and within a few minutes he fell asleep on the hospital bed, his face turned slightly toward Ishani’s side of the pillow.

Ishani sat there quietly, still holding his hand.

She looked at him with heavy eyes.

The pain on his face… even in sleep… made her chest ache.

Very gently, she placed his hand back on the bed so his sleep wouldn’t break.

Then she wiped the tears from his cheeks with the edge of the bedsheet.

“I’m sorry, Rahul…” she whispered under her breath.

Just as she was about to stand up—

She felt a presence behind her.

Ishani slowly turned.

Her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Rani was standing near the door.

She had been there the whole time.

Her face was pale… her eyes filled with shock and pain.

It was clear she had heard everything.

Ishani immediately stood up, her body stiff with fear.

“A… aunty…” she stammered.

Her mind raced.

She heard everything…

Now she will think I am the reason…

Guilt and fear flooded her chest.

But before Ishani could say anything

Rani slowly walked toward the bed and looked at Rahul sleeping.

Her hand gently moved over his hair.

For a moment, she closed her eyes as if trying to control her own emotions.

Then she turned toward Ishani.

Her voice was quiet… but calm.

“You should go, Ishani.”

Ishani looked at her in shock.

“Aunty… I… Rahul…”Her voice trembled.

Rani shook her head softly.

“There is no need to explain.”

Ishani looked down nervously.

“Aunty… I didn’t mean to hurt him… I—”

Rani gently stopped her.

“This is not your fault.”

Ishani looked up, surprised.

Rani sighed softly.

“Love doesn’t listen to logic, beta.”

She glanced at Rahul again sleeping helplessly on the bed.

“My son’s heart chose you… that is not your crime.”

Ishani’s eyes filled with tears.

Rani continued gently,

“You should go now. I will take care of Rahul.”

Ishani hesitated.“But aunty… he is very disturbed…”

Rani gave a faint, tired smile.

“I am his mother. I will handle him.”

Then she placed a hand on Ishani’s shoulder.“You go home.”

Her voice softened.“You have your wedding preparations to do.”

Ishani looked at her with gratitude and disbelief.“Thank you… aunty.”

Rani gave a small understanding smile.“Don’t thank me.”

She looked at Rahul again.

“Just pray that he learns how to live

with this pain.”

Ishani’s eyes filled again.

Before leaving, she turned once more toward the bed.

Rahul was sleeping quietly now, unaware of everything.

For a moment she just stood there, looking at him.

Then she slowly whispered under her breath—“Take care, Rahul.”

After one last glance, she turned and walked toward the door.

Rani watched her leave silently.

The door closed softly behind Ishani.

Now only a mother and her broken son remained in the quiet hospital room.

The hospital room was dim and quiet.

Rani sat on the chair beside Rahul’s bed, her eyes fixed on his sleeping face.

The dried tear marks on his cheeks were still visible.

Her heart felt like it was breaking into pieces.

She slowly touched his hair, her fingers trembling.

“My child…” she whispered softly.

The thought that her son had almost lost his life because of pain she could not take away… it crushed her inside.

A tear slipped down Rani’s cheek as she kept looking at him.

Meanwhile, Rahul’s breathing became restless in his sleep.

Inside his dream—

He saw Ishani.

She was standing far away from him, dressed beautifully… almost like a bride.

She was slowly walking away.

“Ishani!” Rahul called out desperately.

She didn’t stop.

He started running toward her.

“Ishani… wait… please wait!”

His heart pounded as he ran faster.

But the more he ran, the farther she seemed to go.

“Ishani, don’t leave me!” he shouted.

He stretched out his hand to reach her

But suddenly she disappeared.

Gone.

Just like that.

“Ishani!!!”

Rahul woke up suddenly with a loud cry.

His chest was heaving, his eyes wide with fear.

“Ishani!!”

He looked around the hospital room frantically.“Ishani… Ishani… where are you?”

He tried to get up from the bed, panic filling his voice.

“Ishani!”

Rani rushed toward him immediately.

“Rahul! What happened?”

Rahul grabbed her arm desperately.

“Mummy… where is Ishani?”

His voice trembled.

“She left, didn’t she? She left me…”

Tears started falling again.

“Please call her… please tell her not to leave me.”

His voice broke into helpless sobs.

“Mummy please… I love her… I really love her… please call her.”

Rani looked at him, her heart aching.

She gently held his shoulders.

“Rahul… listen to me.”

But Rahul kept shaking his head.

“No… no… she cannot leave.”

Rani took a deep breath and spoke softly.“Rahul… Ishani’s wedding is coming.”

Rahul froze for a second.

Rani continued gently,

“She has to go to another house one day. She cannot stay here forever.”

Rahul started crying harder.

“No… please don’t say that…”

He grabbed the bedsheet tightly.

“I love her, mummy.”

His voice was full of desperation.

“I cannot live without her.”

Rani tried to calm him.

“This is not love, Rahul.”

Rahul looked at her with tearful eyes.

“It is attachment.”

She wiped his tears.

“With time, you will forget her.”

But Rahul kept repeating like a broken record—

“Ishani… Ishani… Ishani…”

Rani’s patience finally broke.

Her fear, pain, and frustration exploded at once.

SLAP.

Her hand struck his cheek.

The sound echoed in the silent room.

“Enough!” Rani shouted, her voice shaking.“Bahut ho gayi yeh zidd, Rahul!”

Rahul looked at her in shock, tears still falling.

Rani’s eyes were filled with anger and pain.

“Look at your age!”

Her voice trembled.

“At this age, these feelings are normal… but you don’t destroy your life for them!”

Rahul started crying helplessly again.

Rani’s anger melted the moment she saw his broken face.

Tears began to flow from her own eyes too.

She immediately pulled him into her arms.

“Shh… shh… bas…” she whispered, hugging him tightly.

Her hand gently stroked his head.

“Don’t cry like this, beta… please.”

Rahul clung to her like a helpless child.

“I can’t live without Ishani…” he sobbed.

Rani closed her eyes, tears streaming down her face.

But she didn’t argue anymore.

She simply held him close… rocking him gently like she used to when he was little.

“Shh… bas… I’m here…”

And in the quiet hospital room, a mother kept holding her shattered son… trying to calm a pain she knew she couldn’t truly take away.

Rani sat quietly beside Rahul’s bed that night, watching him sleep.

His face looked calm now… but she knew the storm inside him had not ended.

Her eyes slowly moved toward the window.

If he stays here… he will never forget Ishani.

The thought settled heavily in her heart.

And at that moment, Rani made a decision.

Rahul has to go away from here.

Only distance could save him now.

Two days later, Rahul was discharged from the hospital.

Devnath helped him into the car carefully. His body was still weak, but

he was slowly recovering.

When the car entered their lane,

Rahul’s eyes automatically moved toward one place.

Ishani’s house.

And there she was.

Standing near the gate.

The moment she saw the car, she gave him a small, gentle smile.

Rahul kept looking at her silently.

His heart tightened.

The car stopped.

He slowly stepped out and looked at her one last time before entering the house.

Inside, Rani stood at the door with a thali.

She quietly performed his aarti.

“Come inside,” she said softly.

Rahul nodded and entered.

Everyone gathered around him.

Devnath, Nirmala, Divya, Vaibhav… all of them asked him about his health, speaking gently when they saw how fragile he still looked.

After some time, Rani brought food.

“Eat a little,” she said.

Rahul obeyed silently.

She fed him slowly like when he was a child.

Afterward, she took him to his room and helped him lie down.

“Rest now,” she said softly.

Rahul nodded.

Rani left the room quietly.

A few days passed like this.

Rahul stayed mostly silent.

Sometimes he looked outside the window… sometimes toward Ishani’s house.

Rani noticed everything.

And one morning, she finally came into his room with a firm expression.

“Rahul, get up,” she said.

Rahul looked at her sleepily.

“What happened?”

“Pack your things,” Rani said calmly. “Your mama has called you to Delhi.”

Rahul sat up immediately.

“What?”

“You will go to Delhi and complete your graduation there,” she said.

Rahul stared at her.

“Mummy… suddenly?”

“I’ve already booked your ticket,”

Rani replied. “Come on, get ready. I’ll pack your books and clothes.”

Rahul’s voice trembled.

“How will I stay there alone?”

“You will manage,” Rani said.

“Please get ready quickly.”

Rahul’s eyes filled with tears.

“No… I won’t go.”

Rani sighed deeply and sat beside him on the bed.

She gently held his face in her hands.

“If you stay here, Rahul… your mind will keep going to the same painful thoughts.”

Her voice softened.

“If you go outside… meet new people… study… your mind will slowly change.”

She stroked his cheek.

“And your father and I will come to meet you.”

Rahul looked at her quietly.

Then he asked softly,

“You are sending me away because Ishani is getting married… right?”

Rani didn’t look away.

“Hmmm,” she said honestly.

“Yes. That is the reason.”

Then her voice became firm.

“And my decision is final.”

For a moment Rahul said nothing.

Tears filled his eyes.

But this time… he didn’t cry.

He slowly got up.

“Okay,” he whispered.

Soon his bags were packed.

They were brought downstairs.

Devnath, Nirmala, Divya, and Vaibhav were all standing there.

One by one, they hugged him.

“Take care of yourself,” they said.

Rahul nodded quietly.

“Hmmm.”

His bags were placed in the car.

Vaibhav and Divya decided to drop him at the station.

Vaibhav still believed Rahul had hurt himself because of Deeksha. Divya never corrected that

misunderstanding.

The car moved through the streets of Banaras.

He looked out of the window silently.

The same city…

Once he had cried when coming here because he didn’t want to come.

And now he was crying because he didn’t want to leave.

His family was here.

His friends were here.

And his heartbeat…

Ishani was here.

They reached the station.

The train still had some time to arrive.

Vaibhav and Divya stood beside him.

“Take care of yourself,” Vaibhav said.

Rahul nodded.

Divya suddenly hugged him tightly.

Tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Don’t do anything stupid again,” she said softly.

“You are growing up now… be responsible.”She wiped her tears.

“Study well… get a good job.”

Rahul hugged her back, crying silently.

“Hmm…”

Divya gently patted his back.

“Bas… don’t cry so much.”

After some time Rahul said softly,

“You both go… I’ll manage.”

“No, we’ll stay,” Divya said.

Rahul shook his head.

“No… there’s a function at home. Guests will come.”

Divya hesitated, then sighed.

“Okay.”

She took out some money and put it into his pocket.

“Keep this. It might help.”

Vaibhav and Divya slowly walked away.

Rahul watched them leave.

Then he sat down on one of the station benches.

The moment they disappeared from sight…

His tears started again.

He lowered his head, crying quietly.

Just then someone came and sat beside him.

Rahul didn’t look up.

His heart was too heavy.

Then the boy beside him spoke calmly—“Bas Rahul… kitna royega tu?”

Rahul froze.

He quickly turned his head.

His eyes widened in shock.

“Deepak?!”

“What are you doing here?”

Deepak smiled faintly.

“I’m going to Delhi… with you.”

Rahul frowned.

“What?”

Deepak shrugged.

“Rani aunty booked my ticket too.”

Rahul’s expression turned angry.

“I told you not to show me your face again!”

Deepak’s smile faded.

The words clearly hurt him.

He looked down and said quietly,

“Sorry, yaar… I made a mistake.”

His voice carried deep pain.

“And I’m suffering for it too.”

He looked up again.

“Deeksha left me too… she walked away from my life.”

Instead, he took a deep breath and spoke quietly.

“Maar le mujhe… gaali de le… jo karna hai kar le.”

Rahul frowned, confused by his calmness.

Deepak looked at him with wet eyes.

“But don’t break our friendship like this, Rahul.”

Rahul stayed silent.

Deepak continued, his voice heavy with emotion.

“Since childhood… you are the only real friend I have.”

His throat tightened.

“I’ve already lost Deeksha… I don’t want to lose you either.”

Rahul’s anger slowly began to fade.

Deepak looked at him again.

“If you want to hit me… hit me.”

He even spread his arms slightly.

“But don’t walk away from me like a stranger.”

Rahul’s eyes filled with tears again.

All the memories of their childhood flashed in his mind running in the streets together, fighting, laughing, sharing everything.

Slowly, Rahul stood up.

For a moment he just looked at Deepak.

Then suddenly he stepped forward and hugged him tightly.

Rahul broke down again.

Deepak froze for a second… then a wide smile appeared on his face.

He hugged Rahul back.

“I knew it,” Deepak said softly.

“I knew my Rahul wouldn’t leave me.”

Rahul kept crying against his shoulder.

Deepak patted his back gently.

“Bas… bas… enough now.”

After a moment he tried to lighten the mood.“Don’t worry about Ishani di.”

Rahul looked up slightly.

Deepak continued casually,

“She just wasn’t written in your fate.”

Then he smiled.

“In Delhi we’ll find someone even better.”

Rahul didn’t respond, tears were still flowing.

Deepak nudged him playfully.

“I swear… I’ll search the entire Delhi if I have to.”

He grinned.“I’ll find a girl who will love you so much that you’ll forget all this sadness.”

Rahul gave a weak, sad smile but said nothing.

Just then the sound of the train horn echoed across the station.

The train slowly entered the platform.

“Come,” Deepak said, picking up his bag.

Both of them climbed into the train and found their seats.

They placed their bags above and sat down.

For a moment Rahul stared quietly out of the window.

Then he suddenly asked,

“Deepak… what about Rajni aunty? How will she stay alone here?”

Deepak shrugged lightly.

“Maa herself told me to go.”

Rahul looked surprised.

Deepak nodded.“She said—go study… get a good job… make your life.”

Rahul slowly nodded.“Hmmm.”

The whistle blew again.

The train slowly began to move.

Rahul looked out of the window as the platform of Banaras station started drifting away.

The city he had cried to come to once…

And now the city he cried to leave.

The houses… the streets… the temples… everything slowly moved farther away.

Somewhere in that city was his family.

His friends.

And the girl who had unknowingly become the center of his heart.

Rahul kept watching silently as Banaras slowly disappeared from sight.

And the train carried him farther and farther away.

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