When You LOVED Me...

66.

*Unedited*

Aaron was unconscious. He had been for three days.

Mia, she was afraid. She was afraid that she would lose him. Her love. He was the breathe that she had taken after so long and it would be gone. She couldn't stand it. She barely had any energy left for life anymore. Only, the thought that Aaron would wake up again, talk to her, make her smile, had kept her going.

But she was not the only one who was struggling to keep it together. Arav was a mess too. He had arrived hours after her call to the hospital and since then was doing everything that was possible to save his brother.

And, Those words that Arnav said, they just kept ringing in Mia's head. To think that Aaron's accident was not accident, she couldn't believe it. What did Arnav meant by that? What did he meant by
'It was supposed to be her?" She would gladly die instead of Aaron. But unfortunately It was Aaron whi was in danger and not her. She hadn't seen Arnav after that. And she was glad about it. She didn't know what to think in this situation and it was really confusing and painful.

Tears kept falling down as she gazed at the white walls of the waiting room. Arav had made arrangements to transfer Aaron at the best private facility in the hospital. So, this waiting room was not like the other one she had been, chaotic, unmanaged and full of cries of the waiting members of patients. No, this was empty, lonely, silent and with no condolences.

This reality was scary. Imagining herself without Aaron was scary. She had fallen for him just now, he can't be taken away from her.

Dr. Mehta, emerged from the ICU where Aaron was kept. They weren't allowed to see him during this three days and only Mia knew how it was killing her more and more. She stood up, but couldn't utter those words she was constantly asking him but Dr. Mehta understood her and gave her a bit of hope she was seeking from the world.

"His condition is stabilizing now, but until he wakes up we can't say anything for sure." He said with sympathy in his eyes for her. "You can visit him now, a nurse will escort you. Be brave Mrs. Rathore, everything will be okay." He left with those lingering words. A nurse came and gave her a hospital gown in which she changed into before entering the ICU.

Be brave.

She knew she always hated hospitals, the smell of phenyl, the lingering pain and grief, but she hadn't actually witnessed it. Seeing, Aaron attached to the tubes and machines, his head, arms and legs wrapped in bandages. The person in this hospital bed didn't look like her Aaron. He wasn't her Aaron.

She couldn't take a step forward. The nursed didn't stopped her when she turned back and rushed out of the room only to collide with a hard chest. She couldn't see through her tears but she recognised Arav who was holding her while she was breaking down.

They both slid down to the floor and Arav held her until her sobs and pleading stopped. Arav wished that he could cure his brother this instant and spare her the agony. He prayed to God. He prayed.

With whispering encouraging words to Mia, he led them both to his brother. Mia had lost all her energy and now could only stare at the hooked and wounded body with occasional tears falling down her eyes. Arav made her sit beside Aaron and instinctively she reached for Aaron's hand and grasped it in her grip.

When she couldn't come up with any greeting Arav started, "Bhai," His voice broke but he kept going. "This is not fair, not fair at all. See, you are making Bhabhi cry and making us worry. I have dark circles you know because I can't sleep, and here you are sleeping like its the end of the world. Please wake up now. I can't see you like this anymore."

Mia's heart broke some more, but she was still out of words of comforts. She stared at Aaron's moving form through her blurred gaze. Suddenly, She was so tired, her head became heavy and she leaned onto the bed and rested her head beside Aaron's arm. "Bhabhi, I will come back in a bit." Arav said as he hurried out of the door. Mia closed her eyes.

*

"Mia." For a second she thought she heard Aaron but it was Arav shaking her from her slumber. He looked dishevelled and she knew she didn't look any better either. "Let's go, to eat something." Mia shook her head, she had no appetite. "Come on, you will need your energy when bhai would wake up, hm." Arav said looking longingly towards his brother. That convinced Mia a little. She hadn't eaten for three days and she would surely pass out without food.

When she stood Arav gathered her in his arms. The comfort brought another wave of tears down her cheeks. Arav didn't commented on them and led her downstairs for a secluded meal. Mia could only take in a few bites but she noticed Arav had eaten even less than her. She didn't had energy to push him even though she was worried for him. They were so lost. So lost, without the pillar that had kept them together.

"Bhabhi, I think you should go home and rest." Arav said after long silence.

As if the word home ticked something in her, she starts hyperventilating, her breathe started to break, her chest rising and falling in gasps, she choked on her own sobs, as Arav came running towards her and starts soothing her back and telling her to count to ten to stop the panic attack. It worked a little.

"Maybe, you can stay at the hotel I had rented, nearby."He said when she calmed down a little and  Mia nodded. She can't go back to the appartment, without Aaron there, its not her home.

They went to the doctor on Arav's insistence to check that everything was fine with her before leaving the hospital. She prescribed her some sleeping and anti anxiety pills for a while. Arav dropped her at the hotel. He made sure everything was in place before leaving her to freshen up.

With the feeling of emptiness.

*****