Chapter 7

Meera M

@journalgirl321

Chapter 7

Kunal stared at Kuhu, hoping that she would wake up and start speaking to him, but she didn’t move. He sighed and carefully removed her hand from his and placed it gently next to her. He left for the police station.

After Kuhu had gotten shot, the police wasted no time in apprehending the shooter. After an intense interrogation, they found that it had been Meenakshi that had hired him to shoot and kill Mishti. Meenakshi was immediately arrested, and after a grueling trial was found guilty of attempted murder. She was sentenced to prison for life, with the possibility to have her sentenced commuted on good behavior. 

Kunal reached the police station, and approached Inspector Shinde. “Kahan hai woh?”

Inspector Shinde guided him to the prison entrance, next to the station. “Yahin. Woh aap ko bohot din se milna chahti thi. Keh rahi thi ki usse aap se kuch important baat karni thi.”

Kunal reached the prison cell where his mother was being held. He stared at her face. He had not visited her since the trial had ended, and still couldn’t look at her without feeling a pit in his stomach. Her face was sunken in and gaunt, and her eyes carried dark, deep bags underneath them. She came to front of the cell and clutched the prison bars. “Kunal? Tum aa gaye?” 

“What do you want?” Kunal said stoically, with no hint of emotion. 

“Beta? Mujhse aise kyun baat kar rahe ho? Apni maa se aise-“

“Aap meri maa nahi hain!” Kunal snapped, turning his face away from her. 

Meenakshi was stunned. The boy that would follow her around obediently like a puppy dog since childhood was now snapping at her, saying that she wasn’t his mother. 

“Beta, mujhe bas yeh jaanna tha, ki Kuhu kaisi hai? Woh uth gayi kya?” Meenakshi asked pleadingly, in an attempt to gain his favor again. 

Kunal turned around and looked her scathingly. “Woh aapki hai kya? Bahu to nahi hai woh aapki, aur beti? Agar woh beti ki tarah hoti aap ke liye, toh aaj woh iss halat mein nahi hoti.”

He approached the bars of the prison cell closely. “Mujhe laga, ki chahe koi bhi kuch bhi kahe, aap ek bure insaan nahin hai. I thought you cared about our family. Par nahin. Agar aapko kisi se parva hai, to woh sirf aur sirf apne aap se hain,” he hissed. “Do not call me here again. Because I have no idea who you are.”

Kunal turned around sharply on the heel of his foot and briskly walked away. Meenakshi gripped the prison bars until her knuckles turned white. She was furious. 

After a couple weeks, the doctors finally decided to take Kuhu out of the induced coma. Kunal, Abir, Mishti, and the rest of the family stood around her bedside anxiously, waiting for her to wake up. It was a defining moment. If Kuhu didn’t wake up now, she never would.

Kunal gulped nervously, gripped Kuhu’s hand tightly, and closed his eyes. He had never been a very religious person, but he couldn’t stop himself from whispering a prayer underneath his breath. 

Minutes passed. But to Kunal, they felt like hours. Days, even. There was no sign of movement from Kuhu. Varsha couldn’t hold back her sobs and retreated to the corner of the room to compose herself, while Shaurya followed her and consoled her. Kunal concentrated on Kuhu’s face with utmost determination, refusing to break down in defeat. “Uth jao, Kuhu. Tumhe meri kasam. Uth jao,” Kunal pleaded under his breath.

A single tear drop rolled from his cheek and dripped onto her hand. There was a flutter of movement in her hand, and Kunal looked up in shock. Her eyes moved under their lids, and slowly opened. She squinted, attempting to adjust to the light. She coughed and groaned in discomfort. Everyone cheered, jubilant that she had woken up. Varsha started crying harder, this time out of happiness and relief, and Abir and Mishti shared a hug. 

“Paa… Paa….ni” Kuhu whispered rather hoarsely. 

The nurse gave her water to sip. Kuhu tried to sit up, but Kunal quickly grabbed her shoulders gently and pressed her down to the bed. 

“Lete raho, tumhe rest ki zaroorat hai, Kuhu” Kunal said softly. 

“Main… Main kahan hoon?” Kuhu said groggily, looking around the room at everyone. 

“Tum hospital main ho, beta. Do mahine se tum ek medically induced coma mein the. What’s the last thing you can remember?” the doctor asked, testing her memory. 

Kuhu was stunned. Two months had passed? “I remember… the wedding… Mishti aur Abir bro ki shaadi… aur phir…” Kuhu’s eyes widened in shock as she recollected the events of that horrible night. 

Kunal sat down next to her on the bed and took her hands in his, attempting to calm her. “Kuhu, tumhe kaise pata chala ki Mishti ko goli lagne vaali thi? You came running to save her.”

Kuhu looked at Kunal and then the others, her face sheet white. “Woh… Agar main kahungi, toh aap sab mujhe believe nahin karenge.”

“Nahin Kuhu. We trust you. Just tell us,” Abir told Kuhu reassuringly. 

Kuhu slowly started to tell them what had happened that night. How she had gone back to get chachi’s purse. How she had heard Meenakshi on the phone and what she said. And how she didn’t think twice and went running to find Mishti.

Kuhu broke down crying. Mishti sat on the other side of Kuhu. “Kuhu, tumhe kya zaroorat thi mujhe bachane ki? You could have died!”

Kuhu looked at Mishti with tear-filled eyes. “Kyun? Nahin bacha sakti kya? Tum akeli ladki nahin ho, jisse mahaan banna aata hain. #Mahaan Mishti ki Mahaan Behen” Kuhu said teasingly in an attempt to lighten the mood, her voice cracking. 

“Kuhu, shut up. Yeh koi mazaak nahin hai. Agar tum chali gayi, toh hum sab kya karte? Do you even know what we’ve gone through for the past two months?” Mishti scolded Kuhu. She walked over to the other side of the bed where Kunal was sitting and put her hands on his shoulders. “Aur tum Kunal ko dekh rahi ho? Tumhe pata bhi hai ki Kunal ka kya halat hua tha? Bechara tumhare bina zinda toh tha, lekin aisa lag raha tha ki usne jeena hi bhool gaya tha.”

Kuhu looked at Kunal. He looked down hastily, but not before she saw his eyes, red and filled with tears. She remembered how she saw him cry sitting next to her while she was still in a coma. She gripped his hand tightly. “I know. Pata hai mujhe,” she said softly. 

He looked up at her hopefully, but she quickly broke eye contact with him and looked at her mother.

“Mumma? Aap mujhe ghar lekar jaoge?” Kuhu asked Varsha.

“Arey beta, tumhe ab tumhara ghar jaana chahiye. Kunal ke saath?” Varsha said confusedly. 

“Woh….” Kuhu hesitated. Their divorce was still underway and technically hadn’t been finalized. But she knew that if she went back home with Kunal, it would be even more difficult for Kunal’s family to see her leave. She also knew that if she went back, her relationship with Kunal was still very much undefined. And that made her nervous. 

“Arey Varsha behen, agar Kuhu ko kuch vakt aap ke saath guzaarna chahti hai, toh isme bura kya hai? Agar woh aap ke saath ghar jaana chahti hai, toh theek hai na?” Parul said. 

Varsha hesitated. “Theek hai. Shaurya, Kuhu ka saamaan ghaadi mein rakh dijiye.”

Kunal looked at Kuhu, devastated. She didn’t want to come with him to their home? Why did she want to go home with her family? 

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Don't throw chappals just yet! Chapter 8 is on the way and should be posted soon (this week!). I just need some time to refine my writing.