Chapter - 15
“We need to reverse the spell right now!” It took Naman a moment to register what Saavi had just said. The last couple of hours had been nothing but chaotic. If Piya’s deteriorating health wasn’t enough, he had a hard time convincing the doctor not to inform her parents. And now this… Why couldn’t he catch a break? “Are you listening to me?” Saavi raised her voice in frustration. “Did your sentence start and end with reverse and right away?” “Yes.” “Then I’ve heard you just fine.” He crashed on the visitor’s chair and let out a sigh. “Why are you being so casual about it?” “I can ask you the same thing, why can’t you be patient for once? We came here to help Piya, not to add to her problems.”
“So you want me to stand by and watch my sister die?” “Saavi…” “Can’t you see her condition? Even the doctors were out of their wits when we brought her here.” “That’s because her problem is magical, not medical.” “Which is exactly why we need to intervene. I don’t care how Di feels about it, we’ll go back and reverse the spell externally so Di isn’t stuck here.” “And what about Ansh?” “We’ll come back later and convince him about this world being an illusion. But for now, our focus should be on Di. I can’t take any risk with her well-being, I won’t.”
“I’m not so sure about it.” “What do you mean?” “This entire world is a creation of Piya and Ansh’s conflict. We don’t know what happened, we don’t even know whether Ansh wants to return or not. Do you think we would be able to convince him without Piya?” “I simply don’t care!” Saavi lost her temper completely. “If a grown-ass man like him can’t decide for himself, it’s not on Di to keep saving him. How many times has Di proved her love for Jiju Naman? How many times has she fought death so she could be with him? As if the supernatural world itself wasn’t enough, now she has to face the uncertainties of parallel universes too!”
“Your anger is justified; nonetheless, how many times has Ansh risked his life to save Piya’s, or ours for that matter? I’m not saying he has never made any mistakes. His guilt for endangering his family has been his undoing. However, if there’s one constant in his life, it’s Piya. He would never willingly part away from her. You better understand one thing Saavi, this isn’t some regular fight where we can intervene and patch them up. Whatever happened between them, it must be complicated, and only Piya can help Ansh.” “Yeah right!”
“I’m sorry; am I missing something? Why are you being so overtly critical of Ansh all of a sudden?” “Does it matter? I can see he has a staunch advocate in your form and Di… The less I say the better.” She took a deep breath to calm herself down and started again, “It’s irrelevant how I feel about him or this situation. You are right, we should let them be and decide for themselves. And that’s what I would have done if my sister’s life hadn’t been hanging by a thread. So forgive me for being an inconsiderate bitch and dismissing Jiju’s trauma because I just can’t…”
“I know that! I don’t blame you for choosing Piya over Ansh. All I’m saying is he deserves some benefit of the doubt as well. Not everyone is blessed with the quality of being emotionally distant. Some of us are weighed down by our past and in those moments we end up screwing things up for us and our loved ones. I wish you understood that but… ” “You really think I don’t understand that?”
Naman felt a pang in his heart seeing tears in Saavi’s eyes. He wasn’t known for saying or doing the most appropriate things. Lucky for him, his teammates always understood his perspective. Even so, what could possibly justify the statement he just made? While his sole purpose was to help Piya, he knew he would be lying if he said Dilruba/Sanam’s presence did not affect his judgment. Otherwise, why would he want to prolong his stay in this illusionary world?
When Dilruba died, the only thing that kept him going was his love for their daughter. But it was never enough. Deep down, he was terrified of the possibility that the void in his heart would eventually devour Dafli’s world. It was Saavi who came to his rescue at that time. The proud Reevavanshi who had never broken a single rule, gambled everything to reunite him with his Mrs. Ji. It didn’t matter what was at stake, he knew even now if there was the smallest chance of resurrecting Dilruba, Saavi would turn the world upside down irrespective of the change in their dynamics, and step away. Then how could he blame her for being inconsiderate?
“You are right Naman, I’m not as emotional as the others. Forget emotional, I can be downright insensitive but it’s okay; when you are on your own, you don’t make a big deal out of every single inconvenience. You learn to suck it up and move forward.” “I didn’t…” “I know you are affected by Sanam’s presence.” She said with a melancholic smile. “Wanna know a secret? I too want to spend my life in this mirage; I want to rest in my mother’s lap, I want to experience how it feels to be indulged in silly fights with your siblings, I… I want such a world to exist where Dad and I are more than acquaintances.”
“Listen I…” “Sooner or later, we will wake up from this dream Naman. When that happens, I want my Di to be safe. I had already lost her once, I can’t do it again, I won’t survive that.” “Hey, come here,” He hugged her gently, “We’re talking about Piya her; you know how strong her will is, right? She loves you as much as you love her. Do you really think she’ll abandon you?” “Not willingly… But if she has to choose, she will choose Jiju. She has done it before, she’ll do it again. And that’s what enrages me Naman... I know Jiju has his reasons. Still, nothing can justify his mistrust of Di. After everything they have been through together, why does Di still need to reinstate his faith? Hasn’t she suffered enough?”
“They both have, whether we want to admit or not. Listen, this discussion isn’t gonna get us anywhere. I suggest we take some time out and come up with an alternative plan.” “You are right,” Saavi let out a sigh, “We can’t be hasty, it’ll put Di’s life in jeopardy.” “What if we stick to our original plan but change the source of energy?” “That’ll solve one of our problems, yes, but we’ll still be dependent on Di as she’s the anchor.” “Not necessarily, you may not possess any magical power but you are still a descendent of the Sarp Vansh. And I had been a Dosarpa for a brief period. Now that our consciousness has already been linked through Daayan Vriksh, theoretically speaking, shouldn’t we be able to reconnect with it independently?”
“We should! Why didn’t I think of it this? Brilliant idea Naman! Let’s get back to work.” “Wait, don’t you think we should inform Piya first?” “I don’t think so, what if she says no? You know how stubborn she is.” “You are right.” Naman nodded his head. “The sooner we reverse the spell, the better.” “Once we touch these beads, they’ll transfer our consciousness to our actual bodies.” “We can then reverse the spell, give Piya some time to heal and reconnect.” “Yes,” Saavi smiled nervously, holding his hand, “Are you ready?” “Nope,” Naman took a deep breath and pressed her hand to assure her, “But when has that ever stopped us?” “On the count of three… One… Two…” “Three!” Both the Reevavanshis touched the Rudraksh amulets tied to their hands and started chanting to get back to their world…
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“We’re here…” Before Karan could find a proper spot for parking, Ansh jumped out of the car and rushed inside the hospital. “Hey, slow down!” “Let it be Bhai, it’s pointless.” “For God’s sake Rishi! We’re not in a movie where everything will get sorted magically. Stop fooling around and be serious.” “This is me being practical Bhai. Ansh Bhai beat the crap out of that stupid psychiatrist just because he thought he hurt her. Do you think he’s in his right mind to listen to us? Let him meet the girl first. We can then try to talk some sense into him.”
“That’s what I’m worried about Rishi, there’s no doubt our brother is madly in love with this girl. I just hope he doesn’t scare her or do something foolish to complicate things further.” “You want to follow him to her cabin?” “I kind of do. But you are right, we should maintain our distance and observe how things go. If things go out of hand, only then we’ll intervene, alright?” “Fine by me.” “Who are you calling now?” “Neha, we don’t need her or any other family members to barge in here and make a bigger mess than it already is.” “Agreed. You handle Neha, I'll go inside and see if Ansh needs any help.”
“Where are you Piya!” Ansh looked around frantically. So far, he had been to the ER and the general ward but she was nowhere to be found. “I should have asked Rishi where they have kept her.” He took out his phone and dialed Rishi’s number. “Hello Bhai?” “Rishi, do you know in which ward Piya is admitted?” “Neuromedicine - 7th Floor, Room No.703.” “Thanks!” Seeing the long queue in front of the elevator, Ansh decided to take the stairs instead.
The 6th Floor was dedicated to the Pediatric Ward. On his way up, Ansh saw a young man cradling his child as they were waiting for their turn. Unknowingly a smile crept across his face. He still remembered the first time he had held Adi in his arms. It wasn’t an easy day, just as Piya went into labor, Mohana reached the holy temple to murder their newborn, and instead of supporting Piya through childbirth, he had to fight Mohana till the very last moment. Words would fall short of describing how he felt when he found Piya lying unconscious in that flooded cave.
But everything faded the moment he saw their son. He had the same glow in his eyes as his father; as if it was his way of telling he was equally excited to meet his parents. So many years passed, so many milestones he had been fortunate enough to celebrate be it Adi’s first step or his first word, nothing ever came close to the feeling of fulfillment when he became a father.
He never told it to anyone but he regretted leaving Piya alone for those six months, even though it was essential for her and Adi’s safety. To assuage that guilt, he promised himself that he would make it up to her by making every moment special if ever, and whenever they would decide to have another child. How ironic was it that he did the exact opposite? The girl who gave him her all, he crushed her heart and threw her out of his life at her worst.
It was for the betterment of his family, or so he lied to everyone including himself. When Piya pleaded with him to listen to her once, he chose his ego and turned a blind eye to her suffering. And when the time came, she once again brought their child into this world alone. While he wallowed in self-pity, she stood strong to raise Pari with all the happiness in the world. Perhaps it was better that way; at least Pari was spared of his antics, unlike Adi.
He was so focused on blaming Piya that he never even realized how his pride robbed Adi of his mother’s love in the first place. Kids were innocent. Maybe that’s why neither Adi nor Pari ever questioned him regarding their separation. They forgot their complaints the moment he reunited with Piya. But was it enough? He begged the Gods for a second chance, wanted to compensate for the lost time, and yet ended up hurting her again. This quest to find her and rekindle their romance - what good would it bring Piya when all she’d be left with is hurt and pain? And what about Adi and Pari? Wasn’t he going to wrong them again by recreating the history?
Suddenly Ansh felt weak in his knees, unsure of whether he should take the next step or not. For as long as he could recall, Piya’s memories were synonymous with his happiness. On the contrary, he was like a dark shadow, casting misfortune on her every step of the way. A hollow abyss of misery that engulfed not only Piya’s life but the next generation’s as well. He wanted to believe this time it would be different. Unfortunately, he felt powerless before his conscious that screamed at him for his duplicity and for doing things that would only benefit him. “Ansh! Is that you?” “Piya!”
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“Do you realize what you are saying?” “As a matter of fact, I do.” Saavi replied calmly. As expected, Nishant wasn’t in favor of the sudden change in their plan. Not that she could blame him; seeing the pile of blood-soaked gauzes near Piya, Saavi was rather surprised that their father hadn’t done something impulsive already. “Sir Ji, let us explain…” “That won’t be necessary,” Nishant faced Saavi again, “I’m sorry for lashing out. You two have done a terrific job. Unfortunately, this time it isn’t enough.” He sat beside Piya and looked at her helplessly.
“I’m sorry Dad. We… I failed you. But right now, this is our safest option. You know this as much as I do, we can’t stop Di from going behind Jiju.” “And from what we have seen, without our help, it would be even more difficult for her to handle the situation there.” “I get that part. I’m more concerned about about Gudiya’s reaction, to be honest.” “I’m sorry, what!” “You think I was born yesterday? Even the most powerful evil entities have never been able to overpower Gudiya like this. This spell is killing her. However, until we wake her up, she has a chance to locate Ansh and bring him back. If we sever their connection now, it would take us another couple of hours before all three of you can reconnect. God forbid, if something happens to Ansh within that period, she will never forgive us.”
“I am aware. But in those 5 - 6 hours that we spent there, Jiju put no effort into contacting Di. What difference will another few hours make?” “Actually, anything can happen within that time. Think about it, we had to be extremely careful with regard to maintaining the natural order of that world. Maybe that’s what stopping Ansh too. Remember what Piya said? She has seen his entire family including Mridul Ji and Karan. It must have been equally difficult for him if not more.”
“All the more reason we should hurry.” “You still don’t get it, do you? If you three could get puzzled so much despite knowing everything, just imagine how confusing it must be for Ansh. I hope I’m proven wrong but if something or someone convinces him of the reality of his dreamland while Piya is stuck here, we might never be able to bring him back.” “I’ll take my chances.” “Saavi…” “You are right, Di will never forgive us if Jiju gets hurt. But even for that, she has to be alive. I’m willing to bear her hatred as long as she is safe and sound. Once the connection is broken, Di will still need some time to heal and that’s when Naman and I’ll reenter.”
“You never intended to share your plan with Piya, did you?” “No, if there’s one quality that I share with Di, it’s our stubbornness. I can’t risk Di coming after us and wasting more time when we should be looking for Jiju. We’ll have to be real quick, there’s no place for any error this time. Dad, I know things did not go as we planned and I apologize for that. But you need to trust me. Please! Before you say something else just let me…” “You don’t have to say anything,” Nishant said in a soft tone.
“It has been my greatest privilege to watch you grow into this strong, young woman. When I said I didn’t need your justification, it was because I knew you wouldn’t let anything happen to Piya or Ansh. That doesn’t mean I’ll let you put your life at risk for saving Gudiya.” “But…” “Do you know what I regret the most?” “That you let Mom walk out on us when you could have stopped her?”
“That and the fact that in my yearning for our lost family, I always made you feel alienated. It’s my fault that you feel compelled to prove your worth to me irrespective of the situation. I’m not belittling your love for your sister. But I’m painfully aware of how I have messed up both of your lives and it’s time I took accountability for my actions. As your father, it’s my duty to keep you safe. And that is what I’m gonna do; you are not going anywhere Saavi. I’ll accompany Naman this time.”
Saavi stared at Nishant blankly, unsure of how exactly she felt at that moment. Wasn’t this what she always dreamt of? To have her father’s validation? Then why did it feel so futile? Why the thought of Piya being in danger overwhelmed her senses? “Saavi?” “You have no idea what your words mean to me Dad. I’m glad that I have finally become the daughter you can be proud of. However, I am not gonna leave Di’s side now just so you can feel better about yourself. Naman and I are taking a calculative risk. If our plan backfires, we will still need an expert Reevavanshi to reverse the spell. If you really want to help us, just be here and stop Di from unleashing her wrath on us, okay?”
She hugged Nishant tightly and looked at Naman, “If you want to back out, now’s the time.” “I didn’t hold your hand to let go at the slightest inconvenience. We’re in this together whether you like it or not.” “You are giving Ansh a tough competition for making me uncomfortable.” Nishant cleared his throat to draw Naman’s attention. “Sorry! I was trying to…” “Just kidding, I’m relieved to know my daughter chose the right person. Now come on, we don’t have much time.”
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“Piya?” “Didn’t I tell you, no matter what happens I’ll find my way back to you?” She could barely complete her sentence before Ansh engulfed her in a bear hug, letting out a silent cry. He didn’t know why but for some unknown reason his mind wandered off to the moment he had first met Piya - the way her eyes lit up seeing those flying lanterns, her childlike innocence, the tinkling of her earrings as they swayed with the wind. Everything about that night was magical. But what stayed with him was the sense of belonging he felt in her presence. Even when Mohana took control of his mind, every time he came across her he felt a flicker of warmth before drowning in the ice-cold ocean of darkness again.
For the longest time, he didn’t quite understand why he felt so drawn toward her. What was the reason that every time their eyes met, something stirred in his soul? One might blame their shared destiny for that matter. But was it mere fate? Or there was something even bigger in the play? He didn’t know. For all that mattered, her touch felt the same as it felt years ago. Perhaps that was it; there was no need for any justification as to why someone like her would ever fall for him. He simply had to let go of his inhibitions and lose himself in her.
“How are you feeling now?” Piya took a glance at his skull, carefully examining his wound. “Never better,” He held her hand and gently kissed her, “You don’t seem too well either. Let me call the doctor first.” “Ansh listen to me carefully, this world…” Suddenly she felt a strong pull, as if someone was trying to take control of her consciousness. “Piya what happened?” “I’m fine. We need to…” She clutched onto his jacket to resist but in vain. Every muscle in her body squirmed in excruciating pain. “Piya hey, look at me! Talk to me!” “Ansh…” Warm blood oozed out of her nose, alerting her of the impending doom, “None of it is real.” “What?” “Promise me you won’t…” She lost consciousness and fell into his arms leaving Ansh distraught. “Piya!” He kept screaming her name, trying every possible measure to revive her until realization dawned on him - she was gone...
*** Author's Note ***
Hello my dear readers! I hope all of you are doing great. Inspiration comes in different forms and this fic is no exception either. In the last segment of this chapter where Ansh reminisces about their first meeting, I got the idea from a poem written by another loyal fan of Nazar who runs a fanpage on Instagram named nazarmemes
With her permission, I posted the poem here since it blends with the theme perfectly.
She is an extremely creative person with a great sense of humor. Do visit her page and share your thoughts with her...
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Edited by Nush_Rat - 9 days ago
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