The night had quieted down, but Isha hadn't.
The city still buzzed outside.....cars passing, distant laughter, music leaking from somewhere far away.....but inside her, everything felt strangely hollow. The chaos of the party still echoed in her mind, every second replaying like a scene she couldn't pause.
She sat on the edge of her bed, still wearing the same clothes, her fingers clenched tightly in her lap. Karan had dropped her home, staying longer than necessary, making sure she wasn't alone… making sure she was okay.
But the truth was....
She wasn't.
Her room felt smaller tonight. The walls seemed closer, the air heavier. She tried to breathe slowly, like she had seen people do in movies when they were trying to calm down.
Inhale.
Exhale.
But every breath reminded her of what had almost happened.
Her hands trembled.
She stood up abruptly and walked toward the mirror.
For a moment, she just stared.
Was that really her?
The same Isha who had walked into college with mismatched sandals and a torn dupatta… the same girl who fought over 500 rupees… the same girl who refused to bow down in front of anyone…
She looked… different.
Stronger, maybe.
But also tired.
Very, very tired.
Her phone buzzed on the bed.
She flinched.
For a second, she didn't move.
Then it buzzed again.
And again.
Her heartbeat started rising.
Slowly, she turned and walked toward it, each step feeling heavier than the last.
She picked up the phone.
Unknown number.
Her fingers froze.
A strange uneasiness crept into her chest.
"Who could it be…?" she whispered to herself.
For a brief second, she thought of ignoring it.
But something inside her… something instinctive… told her not to.
She took a deep breath.
And answered.
"Hello…?"
Silence.
"I...hello?" her voice was slightly shaky now.
Then a voice came.
Low. Serious. Unfamiliar.
"Is this Isha Sharma?"
Her grip on the phone tightened.
"Yes… who is this?"
There was a pause.
The kind of pause that makes your heart sink before the words even come.
"I'm calling from City Care Hospital."
Her breath hitched.
Hospital?
Why hospital?
Her mind immediately raced.
Rahul.
Vikram.
Karan.
Her mother.
"No…" she whispered under her breath, already shaking her head as if she could deny whatever was about to come.
"Yes, this is Isha," she said louder now, her voice cracking slightly. "What happened?"
Another pause.
Too long.
Too heavy.
"We need you to come to the hospital immediately."
Her heart dropped.
"Why? What happened? Please tell me.....who is it?" she rushed, panic rising rapidly in her chest.
"I'm sorry, ma'am," the voice said, still controlled, still distant, "but we cannot share details over the phone. It's urgent."
"No!" Isha almost shouted. "You have to tell me. I'm not coming anywhere until you tell me who it is!"
Her hands were shaking uncontrollably now.
Her breath came in short bursts.
"Please… just tell me…" her voice softened, breaking, almost begging.
On the other end, the man exhaled.
And then.....
"It's Vikram."
The world went silent.
Everything.
The noise. The air. The thoughts.
Gone.
For a moment, Isha couldn't even process what she had just heard.
"W-what…?" her lips moved, but her voice barely came out.
"There's been an accident."
The phone almost slipped from her hand.
"No…" she whispered.
Her knees felt weak.
"No, no, no… this is not possible…"
"He's currently in critical condition."
That was it.
Something inside her shattered.
Tears welled up instantly, blurring her vision.
"Critical…?" she repeated, her voice hollow.
"Yes. You need to come as soon as possible."
Her breathing turned uneven.
"I… I'll come…" she said automatically, though her body refused to move.
"Please hurry."
The call ended.
And just like that....
Silence filled the room again.
But this time, it was suffocating.
The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor.
Isha stood there, frozen.
Her mind replayed the words again and again.
It's Vikram.
There's been an accident.
Critical condition.
Her chest tightened.
"No…" she whispered, shaking her head slowly. "No, this can't happen…"
Just hours ago...
He was fine.
Just hours ago.....
Everything was normal.
Just hours ago....
She thought she was finally starting to breathe again.
And now…
It felt like everything was collapsing.
Her legs gave in.
She dropped to the floor, her back against the bed, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably.
"Why…?" she choked out.
Her hands clutched her hair as if she was trying to hold herself together physically.
"Why does this keep happening…?"
First Rahul.
Then everything else.
And now Vikram.
The one person who had been calm… steady… constant.
The one who never demanded anything from her.
The one who just… stayed.
Her heart ached.
"No… you can't…" she whispered through sobs. "You can't leave… not like this…"
Her breathing became erratic.
Memories flooded in.....
Vikram standing silently near the car.
Vikram watching her without judgment.
Vikram choosing her… even when it meant going against Rahul.
Her chest felt like it was being crushed.
"I didn't even… I didn't even say everything I wanted to…" she cried.
Tears blurred everything.
"I didn't tell you…"
Her voice broke completely.
She covered her face with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably now.
The room felt colder.
Empty.
Too empty.
Minutes passed.
Or maybe seconds.
She didn't know.
All she knew was.....
She couldn't sit here.
She couldn't breathe here.
She needed to go.
Now.
With trembling hands, she wiped her tears roughly and forced herself to stand up.
Her legs felt weak, but she didn't stop.
She grabbed her bag blindly, almost dropping it twice.
Her fingers fumbled with the zipper.
Her vision was still blurry.
"Hospital…" she whispered. "I need to go…"
She moved toward the door, her heartbeat pounding loudly in her ears.
Every step felt like a struggle.
Her mind kept screaming....
What if it's too late?
What if you don't make it in time?
What if…
"No!" she said out loud, stopping herself.
"Nothing will happen… nothing will happen to him…"
But her voice didn't sound convincing.
Not even to herself.
She stepped out of the house, the cool night air hitting her face.
But it didn't calm her.
Nothing could.
Her hands shook as she tried to book a cab on her phone.
Her fingers kept missing the screen.
"Come on… come on…" she muttered desperately.
Finally, the booking confirmed.
10 minutes.
"Too long…" she whispered.
Every second felt unbearable.
She started pacing back and forth, her heart racing uncontrollably.
Her eyes filled with tears again.
"What if he's alone…?" she thought.
"What if he needs someone…?"
Her chest tightened painfully.
"I should've been there…" she whispered. "I should've…"
Guilt crept in.
Heavy.
Crushing.
"I should've stayed… I should've checked…"
Her thoughts spiraled.
Her breathing became uneven again.
She hugged herself tightly, as if trying to hold her breaking pieces together.
"Please be okay…" she whispered, looking up at the dark sky.
"Please… just be okay…"
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Then another.
And another.
Her entire body trembled as she stood there, waiting… hoping… fearing…
Because deep down....
She knew.
This wasn't just another problem.
This wasn't just another obstacle.
This felt different.
This felt…
Like something she might not be able to fix.
The cab arrived.
She rushed inside without a word.
"City Care Hospital," she said quickly, her voice still shaking.
The driver nodded and started driving.
Isha sat there, clutching her bag tightly, her eyes fixed ahead.....but seeing nothing.
Her mind was somewhere else.
With Vikram.
In a hospital bed.
Fighting.
Or maybe…
She shut her eyes tightly.
"No…" she whispered again.
Tears slipped out silently.
Her hands folded unconsciously.
Not in habit.
Not in ritual.
But in desperation.
"Please… don't take him away from me…" she whispered under her breath.
Her voice broke completely as she said it.
And she finally let herself cry.
Not quietly.
Not controlled.
But completely.
Because for the first time...
She wasn't strong.
She wasn't fighting.
She wasn't holding back.
She was just…
Breaking.
And the phone call had changed everything...
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