“Stop,” she interrupts, her voice firm despite its weakness. “You are not to blame for someone else’s evil. Do you understand me?”
“But Aunty…”
“No.” Her eyes sharpen, and her fingers squeeze mine with surprising strength. “You’ve been through enough already. Don’t carry guilt that doesn’t belong to you.”
“Aunty, I’ve been telling her the same thing,” Sidharth chimes in. “But she refuses to listen. Only you can beat some sense into her now.”
Aunty nods at him, then narrows her eyes at me. “Listen to me, Nisha. If Sidharth is saying it, and I’m saying it, then it’s the truth. And it’s about time you started believing it too.” Her hand comes up to cup my cheek. “You are not at fault. Stop punishing yourself for something you didn’t cause.”
My lip quivers, and I can’t speak. I just nod, pressing her hand tighter to my cheek. I stay like that for a moment, breathing her in.
“Does Kavya know?” she asks.
I shake my head. “No. I haven’t told her anything.”
She nods softly. “You did the right thing. With her being pregnant, the last thing she needs is more stress.” Then she turns her gaze to Sidharth, a hint of weariness in her eyes. “I don’t need to tell you to catch whoever’s involved in this.”
Sidharth’s jaw tightens, and his eyes darken with determination.
“You don’t have to, Aunty. I won’t rest until I find them and make sure they never hurt anyone again.” A beat of silence passes before his voice drops. “Especially not the ones I love.”
“That’s why I trust you with her,” Aunty says softly, just as a knock sounds at the door. The same nurse walks in, holding a small device.
“Oh, you’re awake!” The nurse says with a smile as she steps forward. “Let me check your vitals real quick, and then I’ll inform the doctor right away.”
Sunita Aunty gives a faint nod as the nurse begins adjusting the machines, gently placing the blood pressure cuff around her arm. She winces slightly at the pressure but says nothing, her eyes drifting back to me with a soft, reassuring look.
“Everything looks okay for now,” the nurse says cheerfully, glancing at the monitor.
Sunita Aunty lets out a tired sigh, then turns her gaze to the nurse. “When will I be discharged?”
The nurse smiles at her. “Well, that’s up to the doctor, but with how things are progressing, I’d say soon. Let me go inform him you’re awake. He’ll be in shortly to check on you and let you know exactly when you’ll be free to go.”
Sunita Aunty nods slowly as the nurse gives us one last encouraging smile before stepping out, the door clicking softly shut behind her.
I reach up to brush her hair gently back from her forehead. “We’ll be home soon, Aunty.”
“That’s all I need, beta. To go home with the people I love. That’s more than enough for this old lady,” she murmurs, her eyes starting to close again.
“Rest,” Sidharth says softly. “We’ll be right here when you wake up again.”
Her lips twitch into a tired smile before her eyes flutter shut.
I sit back in the chair, still holding her hand, my thumb brushing gently over her knuckles.
Sidharth crouches beside me, his hand resting on my knee.
“You okay?”
I nod slowly, then lift my eyes to meet his. “I think I’m… or at least, I’m getting there.”
“She’s a fighter. Just like you.”
His words settle deep in my chest, anchoring me, holding me together when everything else threatens to tear me apart.
Chapter 30
Sidharth
