An Ugly Love Story, by HAC. Chapter-10

“She is becoming unconscious,” said the Nurse. He passed the medicines to her and went to his grandmother. She was still sobbing. He told her that Ruhi’s gonna be okay and she didn’t need to cry.

He knew that he was lying, but he couldn’t tell the truth. His eyes finally started to drain the pain from his heart. Sukoon started crying, as she noticed her family crying. There was a silent wave of pain that had hit their family. Arjun picked up Sukoon and hugged her. Her tears were getting embraced by Arjun’s Shirt, Arjun’s tears were getting lost in Sukoon’s hair. With the other hand, he was hugging his grandmother. She hugged him back and broke down into tears.

“She will be Okay,” His voice was cracking.

“She has to be Okay,” He knew that this day would be coming soon. He knew that one day Ruhi would leave them. He knew everything, yet he failed to accept it. He had seen so much of his life in her that now it was becoming impossible to accept that Ruhi was dying.

“We have given her medicines and injections. We have done as much as we could do and now we will have to wait till morning,” An alien hand touched his shoulders and he looked up with eyes full of tears. The doctor operating on Ruhi was standing in front of him.

“Can we talk to her?” Arjun asked.

“We have given her strong seductions, you can talk to her until she sleeps,” Doctor smiled in assurance.

He wiped his as well as Sukoon’s tears, “Do you want to come?” He asked grandma. She nodded and closed her eyes. Tears swept down her eyes. He looked away and hid his own tears.

He managed to walk those three steps to ICU door and touched the knob. He could hear the noise of sobs coming from inside. They were not normal sobs, they were charged with pain. He paused there for a few seconds and later twisted it to open the door.

He couldn’t spot Ruhi in there, it was dark. His eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room and his heart adjusted with the pain, which was lying on the bed on a wet pillow, with a heavy heart. She looked at the door and recognized the man and the little girl.

“I don’t want to die,” Her vocal chord sounded rusty and her eyes had the colorless blood in them. She was shouting louder, as if the candle sparking before its last light. Most of the people die keeping the pain inside, but she couldn’t. Her life and her  Sukoon  were standing in front of her, having eyes full of tears. Who invented diseases? Who invented death? What was her fault? She loved her family, but why she couldn’t just stay with them. Who gave this right to the death to decide her fate? “I want to live,” She held Arjun’s shirt and begged. Arjun could make it right, he always did. He always found a solution.

The pinch on his shirt loosened and her moans were resting also. She was sleeping, he assumed. She was dying, he didn’t want to assume. He sat down on his knees and cupped her hand on his cheek. He wanted strength, he just wanted her to stay near him. Her fingers were moving on his cheek. She was alive, she had the life inside her. She couldn’t die.

“Please don’t go,” He choked. She turned her head to him and looked into his eyes. His eyes were wet and her pillow was wet. “I don’t want to go, please, make me stay,” She was struggling with breaths. He leaned ahead and embraced her in his chest.

Sukoon climbed the bed and hugged her from the other side. She slept every night this way. On the other hand, Arjun’s hands were shivering. His hug was loosing the calmness. She could listen to his heart-beat.  They were missing sometimes, sometimes too fast, sometimes giving up and sometimes normal.

“Sleep,” He said and wiped his palm on her eyes. He knew that maybe he was inviting death for her, but he couldn’t see her crying more. He didn’t want her to feel guilty that she ruined something by stop breathing.  She slept after some time, and the seductive overcome her senses. Sukoon  was sleeping too, maybe last time with her mother.

And he?

His skin shivered the whole night with the fear in his mind, his heart was too scared to pump blood and his eyes were so deeply in love with tears that they didn’t give up on them.

Hours past and the sun was there in the sky. Everyone was waiting outside and doctors were checking her body. She didn’t wake up. She was lying motionlessly on the bed. Though, her heart was still pumping blood.

Doctor came out of the ICU and said, “The patient is Okay and the medicines worked. She will wake up after a few hours. We will keep her under check for two days and if everything looks okay, we will discharge her.”

Everything was found okay. She was discharged after two days and she was brought back home. Sun was hitting the horizon and day was about to sleep. She was wrapped in a shawl and was looking at the balcony above the house, as she walked to the door with Arjun.

“I missed our balcony the most,” She smiled.

“Then, let’s go there,” He smiled back.

“Sukoon, Can I pick your Mumma today, instead of you?” Arjun looked at the little girl.

“Yes, because she is ill, I will let her take my place,” She pouted and the whole family laughed.

He picked her up in his arms and Sukoon walked along with them. They climbed the stairs and he dropped her down when they reached the balcony. The orange sun was in front of them, hiding behind the trees.

“I like darkness,” She said and adjusted herself in his arms.

“And, I like you both,” Sukoon said and hugged them. He hugged them back and darkness slowly homed around them.

“I’m tired,” She blinked.

“Then sleep,” He blinked back.

She closed her eyes and slept to never wake up again. She didn’t die, she just slept and never opened her eyes. That is what she was screaming in the ICU- I don’t want to die. 

Her voice that echoed in the ICU. And, Sukoon was wrong, Ruhi didn’t take her place. She took Ruhi’s place, for years that were coming, in her daddy’s arms, as if the reminiscence of Ruhi.

*****

Because… Some people don’t die, they just sleep when they get tired. Ruhi was tired. And Ugly? Ruhi was wrong. She wasn't ugly, in fact she is the most beautiful character I have ever created. Tonight, after I post this chapter, I know it will be very hard for me to sleep. I lost someone, and I will always cherish her existence in me.

Good Night.

THE END.

Author:
Himanshu Appie Chhabra

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