“But I should’ve been there,” I argue, the tears falling faster now. “She was alone.” I just can’t stop thinking about what it must’ve been like for her when Prakash and that other man broke into the house and attacked her. How terrified and helpless she must’ve felt. I imagine her calling for help, maybe even begging them to spare her. I haven’t seen the CCTV footage,but my mind has already filled in the gaps with its own brutal version. And just thinking about it twists my stomach.
Sidharth pulls me into his arms. “Please,” he murmurs into my hair. “Stop torturing yourself. I can’t stand to see you like this.”
I bury my face in his chest, my tears soaking through his shirt. “I just… I don’t know how to stop feeling this way,” I whisper brokenly. “Thinking about how scared she must’ve been… how much pain she was in. And I wasn’t there.” My voice cracks on the last word, and his arms tighten around me even more. “I failed her.”
“You didn’t fail her. You love her, and that’s why it hurts this much. I’ll keep reminding you it’s not your fault until you finally believe it.”
“If we went around blaming ourselves every time life took a turn, we’d never find peace. You love her. That’s what matters,” Inspector Viraj says, placing a hand on my other shoulder. I hadn’t even heard him move closer.
I nod, but I can’t shake the image of her lying there on the kitchen floor. I replay it again and again, like a curse I can’t escape.
“Can we at least go downstairs to the café to grab a coffee and get some fresh air?” Sidharth asks, taking both my hands in his.
“I’m scared,” I admit, the words trembling on my lips. “What if something happens while I’m not here?”
“Nothing will,” Sidharth assures me, squeezing my hands. “And Viraj will call us the second she wakes. Besides, you know Sunita Aunty. If she opens her eyes and sees you looking like this, the first thing she’s going to do is scold you.”
“Please don’t ask me to leave,” I beg, shaking my head. “I can’t. Not while she’s like this. I need to be here. Please, try to understand. This matters to me. She matters to me.”
Sidharth’s expression softens, and he doesn’t argue this time. Instead, he leans in and rests his forehead against mine. “We’ll stay here as long as you want, sweetheart.”
“I’ll grab you both something from the café,” Inspector Viraj offers. “Even if you’re not ready to leave, you need something in your system.”
Sidharth nods gratefully. “Thank you.”
After he leaves, Sidharth moves to sit in the chair beside mine, linking our hands. Giving him a smile, I glance at Sunita Aunty again.
“She’s going to be okay,” I whisper.
Sidharth gives my hand a reassuring squeeze, his thumb brushing over my knuckles.
“Yeah, she’ll pull through,” he agrees.
I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat as I continue to gaze at Sunita Aunty’s peaceful face.
“She has to,” I say, just as there’s a soft knock at the door. I turn to see a nurse step inside, dressed in pale blue scrubs with a clipboard in hand.
“Just here to check her vitals,” she says gently.
I nod as the nurse walks over to the other side of the bed and places her stethoscope against Sunita Aunty’s chest. I watch every movement, holding my breath, my eyes locked on her face for any sign of concern.
“How is she?” I ask softly.
The nurse glances at me and offers a kind, reassuring smile. “Her vitals are stable. Heart rate and oxygen levels are looking good. The medication is doing its job.”
“She is still not awake though,” I murmur, the helplessness creeping back in.
“That’s okay,” she replies calmly, adjusting the IV line with practiced ease. “Sometimes the body takes time to catch up,especially after a shock like this. But everything looks promising. She’s strong.”
“She is,” I whisper, my eyes stinging with fresh tears.
Sidharth squeezes my hand. “You heard her. Everything’s stable. Now stop worrying.”
The nurse offers him a small nod before turning back to me. “He’s right. Don’t lose hope. I’ve seen patients take days to open their eyes after a trauma like this, and they come back just fine. The body heals in its own time.”
I nod slowly, wiping a tear from my cheek. “Thank you for telling me that. I… I just needed to hear it again.”
“Of course.” Her tone is kind, almost motherly. “And don’t hesitate to call if you notice anything. I’ll be just down the hall.”
