BEHIND THE STORM

At Mehta Hospital

Aarna had just met with an accident. She had only lost consciousness, but they had already rushed her into the Operation Theater (O.T.).

"Abhishek..." Aksha cried out, tears streaming down her face as her heart broke.She hugged Abhishek tightly, sobbing against him. Abhishek hugged her back, trying his best to comfort her. But his own eyes were wet with tears, because Aarna was a very good friend of his.

"Nothing will happen to Aarna. Please control yourself, Aksha," Abhishek whispered, his voice trembling with sadness. "She will be completely fine."

Just then, the Gupta and Mehta families rushed into the hospital corridor.

"Aksha!" Manvi called out, her voice a mix of deep worry and underlying anger.Aksha looked up, feeling anxious and confused.

Abhishek broke the hug, and Aksha stood there, still crying. Manvi walked straight up to Aksha and grabbed her hand with a painful, tight grip.

"Ahhh..." Aksha gasped in pain, wincing from the tight hold.

"Mom!" Abhishek interjected, deeply worried by his mother's sudden aggression.

Everyone else stood there, completely shocked.Abhishek tried to pull Manvi’s hand away to free Aksha, but suddenly, Manvi swung her hand and slapped him right across the face.

"Did you leave your own house for this girl?" Manvi demanded angrily, her voice shaking with rage.

"Did you risk your name, your reputation, and your entire position for her?"

Everyone stood around them, completely shocked and frightened by her sudden outburst.

"Mom, what are you even doing...?" Abhishek asked, looking at her with a mix of confusion, hurt, and disbelief.

"This girl does not even care about her own sister!" Manvi snapped, pointing an angry finger at Aksha.

"And you are ruining your entire life for someone like her?"

Manvi turned her furious gaze toward Aksha. "And as for you? Stay away from my son!" she barked.

"Aunty, what did I even do...?" Aksha asked, completely confused and sobbing bitterly.

"Whatever wrong happens, it is always because of 𝘺𝘰𝘶!" Manvi snapped back coldly.

Swara stepped forward, trying to calm the situation. "Manvi ji, what are you even saying? Why are you blaming the children like this?" she asked, looking worried and hurt.

Mahesh joined in, trying to reason with her. "Yes, Manvi ji. Whatever happened to Aarna was just an accident," he said softly, his voice heavy with sadness. "Aksha did not do anything on purpose."

"Were you all present there at that exact moment?" Manvi demanded angrily, glaring at them. "This girl is responsible for the death of every single person around her—whether it was my son, Neil, or her own husband, Aarav!"

Aksha's heart began to beat much faster than before. Her breath caught tightly in her throat. A single tear slipped down her cheek as she closed eyes, struggling hard just to take a breath.Aksha stood there, her heart completely shattered into pieces.

"She brings bad luck to everyone around her!" Manvi shouted, tears of rage filling her eyes. "As long as this girl is alive, nobody can ever be happy..."

"Mom, please... just stop it," Abhishek interrupted, begging his mother to let it go.

"No! Not today, Abhishek!" Manvi snapped back fiercely. "You defend her every single time, but not anymore. Absolutely not! Do you hear me? Today, I will speak, and this girl will listen to every single word!"

"Look, Manvi aunty, you cannot talk to my sister like this," Kartik said, stepping in. He looked deeply worried but tried to remain calm. "You are an elder. You should understand that this is not the time to go against each other or blame one another."

"Of course you would say that!" Manvi snapped, glaring at him. "After all, she is your favorite sister."

Suddenly, a strict voice echoed through the corridor.

"Manvi..." It was Harsh's voice—Abhishek's father.Harsh walked towards Manvi with a very serious expression on his face.

"Stop putting the blame on her," Harsh said strictly. "It was just an accident. Also, this is a hospital, and countless cases like this come here every day. So please... do not overreact. This could have happened to anyone, even to you."Manvi quieted down, looking deeply upset but unable to argue.

Harsh then stepped closer to Aksha and Abhishek. He reached out and gently patted Aksha's hair to comfort her. At his kind touch, a fresh tear rolled down Aksha's cheek.

"No, it was not your fault. I saw it myself," Harsh whispered softly to her.

Everyone in the corridor looked at him in absolute shock and confusion.

"What do you mean you saw it?" Mahesh asked, stepping forward.

"I mean 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘳'𝘴 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘥," Harsh explained to everyone. "This girl tried her best to stop it, but... I was right there, just a bit too far away. It took me time to reach them. By the time I could even understand what was happening, the accident had already occurred."

Swati looked at him suspiciously, trying to solve the puzzle. "Then why didn't you come with us from there?" she questioned, narrowing her eyes.

"Because I was on the upper road running along that street," Harsh replied calmly. "By the time I managed to climb down to the lower road, you all had already left for the hospital."

Aksha was completely lost in her own thoughts. Her mind kept replaying the exact moment of Aarna’s accident over and over again. She could still hear Aarna's terrifying scream echoing in her ears. Staring blankly at the wall, she couldn't take her eyes off one single spot, her face pale and full of silent tears.

Abhishek stood at a distance, silently watching Aksha's breaking state. Feeling worried, he walked over to the water dispenser, filled a glass, and brought it to her. He held it out, offering the glass of water to Aksha, but she didn't respond at all. It was as if she couldn't even see him.

Abhishek frowned, his worry turning into fear. "Aksha..." he called out softly, his voice trembling.He gently shook her shoulder to bring her back. Aksha blinked and looked up at him with a sudden jerk, snapping out of her trance. Mentally, she hadn't been in that hospital corridor at all.

"Huh...?" Aksha murmured, looking at him with confused and frightened eyes.

"Are you okay...?" Abhishek asked, his heart sinking with worry.

He offered her the glass again. She reached out to take it, but her hands were shaking so violently that she could barely hold it. Abhishek noticed her trembling fingers immediately.

"Let me... let me help you drink it. Just a second," Abhishek said softly, gently taking the glass back.He held the glass to her lips and helped her drink.

Aksha took tiny, slow sips, but her mind was completely somewhere else. She was only physically present in the room. Everyone around them watched her with pity and concern, while Manvi just stood back, looking away with an annoyed and cold expression.

Inside her head, Manvi’s harsh words began to echo over and over again, repeating like a cruel chant.

"Hmm..." Aksha whispered blankly, her eyes still hollow.Abhishek set the empty glass down and gently took Aksha's hand in his.

"You... you need some rest. You look exhausted," he said softly. "Please take some rest."

Aksha parted her lips with great difficulty, trying to speak, but no voice came out. She put her hand to her throat, feeling completely choked up."Aarna... she..." Aksha finally managed to whisper, tears filling her eyes again.

"I am right here with you. I am not going anywhere," Abhishek reassured her gently. "Just rest a little. The very moment we get any news about Aarna, I will tell you right away."

The rest of the family watched them, their hearts aching at Aksha's broken state.

"Are you sure...?" Aksha asked, looking at him with eyes full of desperate hope.

"I am sure. I promise," Abhishek replied with a comforting smile.

Mahesh and Swara nodded their heads gently, signaling to Aksha that Abhishek was right and she should listen to him. Grandmom just stood there, crying silently into her tissue.

"Let's go," Abhishek said.

He placed a supportive hand on her back and guided her forward. Aksha walked along with him, completely numb, her heart shattered. She looked completely lost to the world.

At Abhishek and Aksha's Side

Both of them came into Abhishek's room. The room was mostly empty, but there was still furniture inside. Abhishek had not cleared out all of his belongings yet; there were still a few things left, along whom some boxes, because he had resigned from the hospital.

Abhishek made Aksha sit down on the sofa and gently covered her with a blanket. Then, he sat down on his knees in front of her and placed his hand on her head. At his touch, a single tear rolled down from Aksha's eyes.

"Aksha... sleep for a little while. I am right outside... Hmm?" Abhishek said softly with a comforting smile.

"Hmm..." Aksha replied, her eyes filled with tears.Abhishek stood up and walked toward the door. He stepped outside and closed the door behind him.

Now, only Aksha was left there by herself. She looked all around the room from where she sat and realized no one was there—no one at all. It was just her, completely alone with herself. She lowered her eyelids and began to cry bitterly.

"Aarav..." Aksha sobbed for her dead husband, gently rubbing her throat.

🖋️ Author's Note

Hey readers! 🔍

Manvi's anger, Harsh's entry, and now the car's brake failure... what do you think is the real truth? Was it just an accident or a planned murder attempt?

If you like the mystery, please Follow my profile and add this story to your Reading List for the next chapter! 🖤