Bhumi's pov!

I watched anxiously as all blood drained from Aryamann's face.

"What is it, Aryamann?" I asked, slightly shaking him out of the shock he had gone into.

"It's, it's the boys," he said and my heart dropped into my gut.

"What is it? What happened to them? Speak up, Aryamann." I demanded furiously.

"One of them has been crying non stop for a long time. Ms Swami couldn't get him to stop it. They just called in the in house doctor, just to be on the safe side. I am sure there is nothing serious." Aryamann said and I felt like I was drowning.

My baby! My baby is unwell and here I am, having dinner at some fancy shack.

"I need to get back to them. Now." I said, as I stood up from my chair.

"Yes yes, of course," he said and stood up with me, after dropping a couple of bills on the table.

It must be Sammy. He has been quite cranky and fussy since evening. I shouldn't have left him alone. I should have stayed with him.

************

Aryamann's pov!

The journey back to the resort was tense. Bhumi was panicking and I could see that.

As we landed on the resort helipad, she began running.

"I will come with you," I said and ran behind her.

She stopped abruptly and looked at me and said forcefully.

"No,"

The rejection hit me like a ton of bricks.

"You can't be alone—"

"I have been alone for three years," she said, making me flinch.

"I need to do this alone. Please," she begged and I couldn't argue.

I let her go.

I managed to contain my frustration for five minutes and after that I simply couldn't stay back and wait. So I decided to pace the corridor before Bhumi's suite room.

After a few minutes, a pale Bhumi walked out with the doctor and manager of the resort.

"It might not be anything serious. But, just to be on the safe side, it would be better to take him to the hospital," the doctor said.

"There is actually some turbulence in the sea. So speedboats aren't available tonight," the manager said apologetically.

This is the problem with the private island resorts. It is not easy to access the outer world if some weather problem arises.

"You came in a chopper, right?" Bhumi asked, looking at me hopefully.

Anger flared in my eyes, when she asked me that. She saw it and misinterpreted it.

"I wouldn't ask, but—"

She is asking. That is the problem. As though I needed to be asked. As if I needed to be persuaded to help when my son is ill.

"Give me a minute. I will arrange for us to be flown over right away," I said and quickly dialled Rey's number and made arrangements for our flight.

"We can leave in fifteen minutes. Pack whatever is necessary for tonight. I will arrange for the rest of the things to be brought later," I said, taking charge.

I watched as she expelled a sigh of relief. She walked towards me, to embrace me?

But something in my expressions might have stopped her.

"Don't you dare thank me, Bhumi. He is my son too." I told her painfully.

I could see that she understood that she offended me somehow, but she is too preoccupied to figure out why or how.

"Go and pack. I will be here," I said softly.

She nodded and went back to the room.

I turned to the doctor.

"Will you be accompanying us, doctor ?" I asked. Though it was a question, it came out as a demand.

The young doctor nodded anxiously.

"Yes. I will. I am Dr Raghav Reddy, he introduced himself.

"Great. Collect whatever things you need. We will be leaving in fifteen minutes," I ordered and walked into Bhumi's room.

I paid the babysitter and told her she can leave.

I watched as Bhumi walked around in a daze.

The look in her eyes made me take hold of her hand and stop her.

Shock!

She is going into shock.

"You need to- Bhumi?"

She looked up at me with a flat stare.

I could feel the tremors striking through her intermittently.

"Bhumi, sweetheart, you have to pack." I spoke to her softly.

She looked at me without comprehending anything.

Two things were clear.

One, she wasn't listening, or at least not hearing me.

Two, I am way out of my depth.

Being excluded was bad, but this was worse.

I made her sit on the couch and poured a glass of water for her. I forced her to gulp it down.

A peg of brandy would have done the job better.

"Momma," we heard a shrill cry from the bed.

"I will take care," I said and pushed her back on the couch, when she tried to go to our son.

I went to the bed and picked him up.

Dear God! He was burning!

"Who is he?" I asked and Bhumi looked at me in confusion.

"Abhi or Sam?" I asked, feeling pathetic that I couldn't even differentiate between my own sons.

"Sammy. That is Sammy," Bhumi said.

I hugged Sammy close to my chest and rubbed his back soothingly.

My phone pinged and the message said that they are ready to fly.

"Let's go. The chopper is ready," I said.

Bhumi picked up a sleeping Abhi and we walked out of the suite room.

******

Bhumi's pov!

We flew over to the nearest private hospital. The name Mehrotra brought several favours.

Sammy was taken in for a check up.

Abhi was sleeping on a couch in the hospital waiting room.

We had left the dinner even before the food arrived, so Aryamann brought sandwiches for me to each, while we waited.

I wouldn't have eaten, had Aryamann not stood over me and threatened to force feed me if I didn't.

Though I pretended to be indignant, I was touched by his care.

He radiated calm and command. Normally it would have irritated me, but in this instance, it made me feel as if everything is going to be alright.

"You have been so kind," I spoke softly and he threw an angry glare my way.

"Kind is what a stranger is. I am a father." He bit out angrily.

"I didn't mean—" the shuttered look on his face made me pause. I placed my hand on top of his, on an instinct.

He looked at my hand and then at my face. His face was expressionless, but his eyes spoke volumes.

There was some kind of tortured pain in his eyes.

"You are a good mother," he said and the unexpected compliment made me colour.

"When I was a kid, I had this terrible fever. I was hospitalised for a week. My parents were away on business. They couldn't even come back. It was dadi who looked after me," he said and my heart ached for that little boy, who was ignored by his parents.

Now I understand what Darsha Maa said. They are trying to make amends, but the scars runs deeper in Aryamann's heart.

"""""

Abhi had woken up in between and Aryamann had taken him out to buy something for him to eat.

The doctor came, when I was alone.

I watched as his lips moved. Words came out. I could hear them. But nothing made any sense.

I looked through the glass partition and saw Sammy lying on the bed, wearing a small hospital gown.

This shouldn't be happening!

Sammy is too little. Too young.

This is not fair!

"Do you wish to ask something, Mrs Mehrotra?" The doctor asked.

"Are you sure? There could be some mix up in the results," I asked hopefully.

"I am sorry Mrs Mehrotra. I wish I were wrong. But your son is very very sick." The doctor said softly.

"But I would've noticed," I cried.

"It is not your fault."

"Then whose fault is it?" I asked angrily.

"Nobody's fault, Mrs Mehrotra. But the good news is that he is still at the initial stage and the chances of him getting better after a bone marrow transplantation is high." The doctor said, sympathetically.

"So? Will he be okay after a bone marrow transplantation? Then take mine," I said desperately.

"It doesn't work that way, Mrs Mehrotra. Your son has a very rare blood group. In his medical reports, your GP has mailed from Chennai, your blood group is also mentioned. But it doesn't match," the doctor said.

"So? What will I do now?"

"The father's details weren't mentioned in the reports. There are chances that Mr Mehrotra might match with your sons," the doctor said.

"Yes yes. It must."

"It is a minor procedure, but there will be slight discomfort," the doctor said.

"He would want to do it." I said confidently.

And what if he didn't?

I pushed that question away, because there was no other option.

"He will need to be tested before we confirm,"

"Yes yes. Anything doctor. Please save my son." I begged.

"Let's hope for the best."

***************************

Aryamann's pov!

Abhi promptly fell back asleep, after he had a glass of warm milk.

He was too sleepy to figure out that he was being carried by the 'bad man'.

He had his head on my shoulder and his tiny little hands were curled into a fist around my collars.

It felt incredible to hold him closer.

To think that I have missed two and half years of this...

All because of my stupidity and big mouth.

Only if I had told Bhumi about my feelings. Only if I had realised it a bit sooner.

I shook my head, realising that there is no point in worrying over the past.

I am being given a second chance.

A second chance to have Bhumi in my life.

And Abhi and Sam are happy bonuses.

"Mr Mehrotra, the room you asked for is ready," the PR manager of the hospital told me, as soon as he spotted me.

"Great. What about the babysitter?" I asked, walking towards the room, he was guiding me to.

"We have brought the same babysitter you hired for the night. She is quite happy to stay as long as you want," the other man said.

"Great. Thanks."

The private room was a bit away from the Children's intensive care unit. So it is better to leave Abhi with a babysitter, rather than relying on a baby monitor.

"Mr Mehrotra, I hope your son is fine now." Chiara said with a polite smile.

"Hopefully. Sam is under observation for now. I need to get back to Bhumi. Abhi is asleep. Just watch over him and let me know if needed." I said and gently laid Abhi on the bed and covered him with the duvet.

As soon as I placed the duvet around him, Abhi kicked it away in his sleep. I shook my head and covered him again, only for him to kick it away.

Maybe he loves to sleep without a duvet, I thought and let him be the way he prefers.

I dropped a gentle kiss on his forehead and left to find Bhumi.

""""

I found Bhumi, in front of the children's intensive care unit. As I neared her, I saw a single tear slide down her cheeks.

I felt as if someone had reached into my chest and squeezed my heart hard.

"Oh baby," I reached for her, but she drew back, a hand extended as if to ward me off.

"Do not touch me," she said in a quivering voice.

I stiffened hearing that.

"It's not you. It's me. If you touch me, I will start crying and I don't think I will be able to stop," she wailed softly.

I rubbed away the tear running down her cheek.

"You are already crying," I said softly.

With a sob, she flung herself at me. My arms went around her immediately, cocooning her into my warm embrace.

I let her cry herself out, as I gently guided her to the couch.

We sat like that for a while, and I murmured soft nothings into her ears, as she cried her agony out.

My insides are churning in panic, wondering what could be wrong with Sam. But Bhumi needs this. She needs to let her pain out.

As I sat there, with my arms wrapped around her, the past flashed in front of my eyes like a movie.

A/N

Let's go into the past, shall we?

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Love,

SF❤️