Shanu rushed through the hospital corridor, followed by her friends and Nandini.

At a distance she spotted Ruhaan and Daksh sitting on a bench. Their hands and clothes were drenched in red. The sight frightened Shanu even more.

She rushed to them and asked,

Shanu: Ruhaan, Daksh...... Sahil kaha hai?

Ruhaan and Daksh looked at each other nervously.

Shanu: Tell me!

Daksh lifted his finger and pointed towards the room at the end of the corridor.

Shanu following his line of sight, rushed towards the room. She looked through the small glass partition and saw Sahil lying unconscious on the bed while the doctors did their job. Shanu staggered back seeing him in that state. Mitali held her.

Nandini's eyes prickled with tears seeing her son. She felt her world swirling around her when suddenly, she collapsed on the floor unconscious.

Anu; Aunty!

She held her head as Ruhaan picked her up and brought her to the bench. She laid her head on her lap and looked at Ruhaan and Daksh helplessly.

Shanu: It's all happening because of me! I am to be blamed for all of this!

Shanu slumped down sobbing, leaning on Mitali's shoulder.

Mitali: Shanu.... please.... don't blame yourself for this , okay? Please.... God's just taking a test, okay?

Shanu: Why him, Mitali?! He doesn't deserve this! He's already gone through so much! Why couldn't God just punish me instead?! Why him?

Saying that she started sobbing even more. Mitali couldn't think of an answer to calm her. So she just let her hold onto her and wail.

Ananya turned away from looking at Shanu. There was no way she could see her best friend suffer this way. Her heart broke seeing her like this. She asked Ruhaan,

Anu: Ruhaan......how did this happen?

Ruhaan looked down and sighed, before saying,

Ruhaan: I don't know......Daksh and I,.....we were looking for him when we heard a crash at the other side of the road. By the time we got there, a crowd was already gathered there...............we found him.......his head.....it was bleeding..... someone in the crowd had already called for an ambulance.......

He shuddered remembering the sight. It made him sick to the stomach.

Ananya looked at Daksh. She could sense his eyes battling with tears who were now desperately wanting to be let out. But he controlled them, probably for the sake of Shanu and all of them.

Anu: The car....who hit him.....what happened to that....

Ruhaan: I don't know......he probably fled as soon as he saw the crowd approaching.

Ananya sighed softly and tenderly caressed Nandini's hair.

After a few agonizing hours, the doctor came out of the O.T. As he did, the gang rushed to him and asked,

Shanu: Doctor.... how's he? How's Sahil?

The doctor said in a monotonous tone,

Doc: Not that good, Ms.....?

Shanu: Basu.

Doc: Ms. Basu, are you a friend of his?

Mitali: Yes, we all are.

Doc: Have you informed his family yet?

Ruhaan: No..... but.... his mother is right here.

He indicated towards Nandini , who lay unconscious on Ananya's lap.

Ruhaan, sensing the doctor's hesitation, added,

Ruhaan: She fainted a while ago.....and hasn't regained consciousness yet.

The doctor nodded and said,

Doc: I understand. Although I would like if you could call someone from his family. I need to discuss his condition with them.

Daksh; Tell us.

Doc: I'm afraid I can't do that. The patient's condition is only discussed with his family.

Mitali: Doctor, we ARE family. He's family, okay? Just because we are friends doesn't mean we don't share the bond that family members share. We are more of family to him than his real one. So stop wasting your breath and our patience and tell us what's going on!

The doctor was visibly moved by the outlandish behaviour of her. Deciding it was best to do as she was asking, he said,

Doc: Okay then. Any two of you can come in my office. I'll tell you there.

Ruhaan: Alright..... I and Shanu'll go.

Shanu nodded slightly and wiped her tears and followed the doctor and Ruhaan to his office.

The rest anxiously waited outside the O.T, praying for the well being of their friend.

The doctor ushered Ruhaan and Shanu in his office and closed the door behind. Once they were seated , the doctor said,

Doctor: I want you to listen to whatever I'm gonna say now very carefully.

The duo nodded.

Doc: Your friend lost a lot of blood due to the accident. There's a major injury on his head and neck. We have given him a few sedatives as of now. Usually in such cases , the patient responds in a few hours or atleast maybe a day. But in your friend's case...... I'm afraid..... that's not happening....

Shanu paused a moment to register the information before asking,

Shanu: What do you mean, doctor?

Doc: What I mean is that...... although we have given the appropriate medicines and sedatives......the patient's body is not responding to any of it.

A quiet whimper left Shanu's mouth. She cupped her mouth as a lone tear rolled down her cheeks.

Ruhaan: Why is that happening?

Doc: Maybe it is because of the injury on the head. Or maybe it's because he doesn't want to respond to the medicines.

Shanu breathed heavily and asked,

Shanu: Why?

Doc: Ms. Basu, if a patient wants to recover from a particular injury....all he needs to have is the want to recover and faith on the almighty. In your friend's case, I don't see traces of either. It's like he doesn't want to recover from the injury.

Ruhaan: Well you can't just lose hope! You've got to do something doctor. Save Sahil!

Doc: I understand your concern but there's nothing I can really do about this situation. If your friend responds in the next 24 hrs, then it's all well and fine. But if he doesn't...... I'm afraid.....he could slip into coma or worse......he could be......brain dead.

That was the last blow for her. Shanu stood up and rushed outside the office, not being able to take it anymore.

She slumped down on the floor, hysterically weeping and crying. The words of the doctor echoed in her head,

' Your friend doesn't want to recover.........he isn't responding to any of the medicines.......if he doesn't respond in the next 24hrs , I'm afraid......he could slip into coma........or worse.......be brain dead.'

Ruhaan rushed to her side and tried to calm her down but to no avail. Mitali and Daksh rushed to them, hearing the agonizing wails.

Getting Shanu to sit on a nearby bench, Ruhaan explained to the others what the doctor had said. The friends exchanged anxious glances.

Ruhaan: Mitali, be with Shanu. Daksh go fill up the formalities. I'll call Jai.

Mitali: You sure that's a good idea? I mean.....the wedding's probably over but the guest might still be there.

Daksh: I'm sure he won't consider his wedding more important than this.

Mitali sighed and nodded.

She sat down next to Shanu, who now was staring lifelessly at the floor. Her eyes no more brimmed with tears and her throat was dry from crying.

Mitali squeezed her hand tightly and shut her eyes.

Shanu didn't respond.

After a long hour, Ruhaan and Daksh came back. Shanu had fallen asleep by then, probably due to all the stress. Daksh offered to sit with her. He took her head and slightly rested it on his shoulder.

Mitali and Ruhaan leaned against the cold railing of the floor's balcony at the other end of the corridor. For a long while none of them said anything. The silence felt heavy and suffocating and hard to break.

Gathering herself, Mitali asked,

Mitali: Did you call Jai?

Ruhaan nodded but didn't say a word.

Mitali sighed sensing his hesitation and said,

Mitali: I never thought that this wedding day would turn out to be the worst wedding day ever.

Ruhaan sighed softly.

Mitali: I know this is a stupid question but....how are you holding up?

Ruhaan: I don't know. I mean..... I guess okay. God.... I just can't remove that scene from my head. Watching him like that....was..... painful. All through the way I was just trying to imagine.... what if instead of us....Shanu saw him that way? She would be more devastated than she is now.

Mitali: I can imagine. Bloodied people are never a good sight. I remember....when I saw....my parents' bodies..... coming out of our house in a stretcher.....it still haunts me to the day.

Ruhaan looked at her sympathetically.

Ruhaan: I could never imagine what I would do if Tapasya ever got hurt like this.

Mitali: You'll flip out ,just like you do every time she has an asthma attack.

Ruhaan sighed heavily.

Before Mitali could continue further, the sky brightened up in a plethora of colourful firecrackers.

It was New Years after all!

Mitali shook her head and said,

Mitali: Isn't it weird? Someone's out there celebrating a new year of their life.....and Sahil is battling for his.

Ruhaan hung his head and said,

Ruhaan: That's life.

Mitali looked at him and nodded slightly.

Mitali: I guess.

               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey guys, so here's an update! I'm sorry for the super boring chapter. Next chapter is going to be awesome! So stay tuned!

Anyways guys,if you have scrolled down this far, please remember to leave a 'VOTE' and do comment which is your favorite ship from the story?

❤️Love you loads ❤️
       Bosedisha