"No one goes near his room, dear... Even to give him food, only I go. He has instructed the nurses not to enter his room at all."
"Once, without his knowledge, I mixed a sedative in his food and put him to sleep. It was then, in his sedated state, that he kept murmuring the name 'Aadhira' repeatedly."
"That's when I felt the urge to investigate about Aadhira through a detective agency. I thought somehow I should bring Aadhira to him and reunite them. But when I came to know Aadhira had passed away, my heart went numb, dear..."
"I feared whether I would be able to save my grandson or not... But later, the detective agency sent me photographs of you both."
"That's when a plan formed in my mind. Chaitanya still doesn't know that Aadhira has died. I don't know why they both got separated. But from how he keeps calling out for Aadhira, it's clear he truly loved her and wasn't at fault. So perhaps, your sister must have been at fault," he said.
Anvitha stood up at once and said tearfully, "Grandpa, I have seen how much my sister loved Chaitanya, up close."
"No, no, I didn't mean to speak ill of your sister, dear… Something must have happened between them. We don't know what. But right now, my priority is that my grandson should get better. After that, we can tell him the truth," he said.
Hearing that, Anvitha asked, "How can I do that? For now, I can act like my sister and fool him. But what if he finds out one day that I'm Anvitha and not Aadhira? What will you do then?"
"We must try to hide it as much as we can, dear. In his current mental state, we must focus only on his recovery. Once he gets better, I will personally tell him the truth and tell him that you're Anvitha. Trust me..."
"After that, live your life however you want. I promise my grandson won't interfere in your life," he assured.
Hearing that, Anvitha smiled sadly. Do I even have a life to live anymore? she thought to herself. Then she asked hesitantly, "Alright… where is Chaitanya now?"
"He's in the last room on this very floor," he said.
"Here?" she asked in surprise.
"Yes. Come on, let's go see him," he said.
Though she wanted to see Chaitanya, fear gripped her heart.
Until now, she had always been herself – Anvitha. Now how could she become Aadhira? Their personalities were different. What if he found out easily?
"Do I really have to see him today itself, Grandpa?" she asked hesitantly.
Sensing her hesitation, he said, "You have to meet him at some point, dear. Since you're already here… just take one look at him. Then you'll understand why I want you to act as Aadhira."
With that, he gently led her out of the room.
Anvitha's legs trembled as she walked out with him. I'm about to see Chaitanya – the man I've only imagined till now. What is going to happen in my life next? she wondered in fear, following the elderly man.
After walking for a while, they stopped before a large room. He took out a key and opened the door.
Anvitha stood behind him, afraid that Chaitanya might see her face. She followed the elder slowly, trying to remain hidden behind him.
The old man was aware of her fear but said nothing. He entered the room gently.
"Don't worry, dear. Chaitanya is in a deep sleep now. I gave him sleeping medicine," he assured her.
Hearing that Chaitanya was asleep, Anvitha let out a small sigh of relief. She followed the elder, stepping away from him slightly, and looked around the room.
It was a large hall. In the center was a big bed, on which lay a figure covered with a blanket from neck to toe. He looked tall – Chaitanya seemed to be occupying the entire bed. IV drips were connected to him.
As she moved closer, her heart beat faster. Slowly, she looked at his face.
In that moment, she froze.
Why? Because his face looked exactly like Athvaith's – the same curly hair… and even in sleep, he was biting his lower lip. His face seemed tense.
From the day Athvaith was born until now, she had raised him. The way he looked while sleeping was exactly how Chaitanya looked now.
She used to cuddle Athvaith in his sleep. Now, she felt the same urge to hug Chaitanya and hold him close to her heart.
Looking at his face closely, she saw an expression of deep loss.
Her heart ached.
What did I expect… and what is actually happening here? She had come here thinking she would confront him, scold him, and make him cry. But now, she herself wanted to fall at his feet!
Without realizing, she placed her hand on his forehead. She ran her fingers through his curly hair.
She didn't even notice the elder standing next to her. Some unknown feeling was pulling her toward Chaitanya.
The elder watched her silently, a slight smile forming on his lips. What I hoped for has happened. Now I only pray that Chaitanya and Anvitha come together, he thought.
As Anvitha continued to gaze at Chaitanya, she noticed his lips trying to say something. It looked like he was whispering a name.
She leaned closer to listen intently.