Chapter 5

Meera M

@journalgirl321

Heyyyyy I'm sorry I haven't been regular! School has been crazy these days, but I'll try my best to be a little bit more regular. Here's chapter 5. I hope you like it!

CHAPTER 5

2 months later

It was another morning in the Rajvansh house. Like clockwork, the rooster crowed, the smell of coffee and breakfast permeated the air, and just like that, everyone was up and about. However, something was different. Something was… missing.

Mishti helped Parul maasi set the table as she did every morning, and waited for everyone to come to breakfast. She knew, however, that this would be completely useless. For the past two months, the family no longer sat together at mealtimes. The house, which was once filled with laughter and happiness, now echoed in dead silence. No one talked to each other for a span longer than 15 seconds, and everyone generally avoided eye contact with each other, out of fear of having to relive the pain. 

Ketki came down the stairs, engrossed in her phone, carrying a load of files in her other hand. 

“Arrey Ketu! Aaja, naashta karlo” Mishti called, seeing her come. 

“Nahin bhabhi, aaj meeting hai aur mere paas time nahin hai”, Ketki said absentmindedly, and walked out the door. 

The rest of the family members emerged, one by one, and all gave excuses to not eat breakfast at the dining table. Dejected, Mishti sat down at the table and was about to begin eating, when she heard Abir’s voice. 

“Mere bina naashta kar rahi ho? Not fair,” Abir strode to the table and took a seat. “Arrey wah, kachori! My favorite.” Grinning, Abir piled on his plate and began to eat. 

Mishti looked at him sadly. “It’s ok, Abir. Mere mann rakhne ke liye tumhein yeh natak karne ki zaroorat nahin hai”. 

Abir stopped eating to look at Mishti. “Mishti, kabhi kabhi humein natak karne ki zaroorat hai. Taaki humein apna dard hamesha mehsoos na karne pade.”

A tear rolled down Mishti’s cheek. Abir, noticing this, wipes the tear from her face. “Aaj no rona dhona. Aaj tum sirf smile karogi.”

Mishti gave Abir a pained smile. But she knew that nothing would ever be the same, and she wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to genuinely smile for a long time. 

Kunal stared at himself in the mirror. His beard had grown out, and dark circles under his eyes and worry lines marred his handsome face. He groaned a little under his breath in exhaustion and picked up the photo frame on the table next to him. His thumb grazed Kuhu’s face as he gazed at his wedding picture. His mind wandered back to the night of his wedding, where he screamed at Kuhu while she sobbed, begging him to give their relationship just one chance. He looked back into the mirror at himself, this time, loathingly. Oh how he wished he could just talk to her, just once. He just wanted to apologize to her. He just wanted to hear her sweet, melodious voice in his ears again. 

Flashback

Everything moved in slow motion. Kunal was the first one to reach Kuhu after Mishti. He held her in his arms and shook her. Screams echoed around them, as everyone ran to Kuhu. Blood was everywhere, as Kunal desperately tried to keep Kuhu awake, not having even fully processed what had just happened. 

Everything was a blur after that. The ambulance came and took Kuhu, with Kunal and Varsha riding shotgun in the back. Kunal was in a state of shock as he looked at his pale wife, her lehenga drenched in blood. Varsha was sobbing, begging Kuhu to wake up. 

The doctors rushed Kuhu into surgery right away. Varsha, Badi Maa, Mishti, and Jasmeet chachi sobbed together, while Bade papa did his best to console Shaurya and the others. Parul maasi held Ketki and Nidhi mami, crying, while Meenakshi stood in the corner, horrified that Kuhu had gotten shot instead. Kunal started to slowly walk away from them in shock, shaking and trembling. He looked down at his hands, which were covered in Kuhu’s blood. He staggered and almost fell, when Abir caught him just in time. 

“Bhai yeh kaise ho gaya, vo mere aankhon ke saamne toh thi, mujhe usse protect karna chahiye tha, main—“ Kunal wept, burying his face in his brother’s shoulder. 

Abir had no words. His bro, his best friend, his brother’s wife had been shot. And now, his brother was in so much pain. 

“Nanko tumhein nahin pata tha, apne aap ko blame mat karo itna, please,” Abir begged Kunal, trying his best to console his little brother. 

The surgeon came out after a long night and declared the surgery successful, but that it would be touch and go for a while before Kuhu stabilized. Everyone was jubilant. Everything was going to be just fine. Right?

Present

Kunal walked the corridors of the hospital that had grown familiar to him over the last two months. He paused, before opening the door to the room he visited every day and spent time in, for hours on end. His heart sank to his stomach as he was, once again, greeted with the sight of Kuhu hooked up to a machine, tubes snaking out of her hospital gown. He went and sat next to her, caressing her face gently, tucking one of her loose curls behind her ear. 

“Kuhu, please uth jao. Please,” Kunal whispered. A lone tear rolled down his face. What if his beautiful rainbow was lost to him forever?

To be continued...