Together Forever

Chapter 54: Reel of past

Breathing a bout of air that was strong with intense smell of antiseptic and medical drugs, a pang of pain shot in her head making it light-weighted and the rising heat on her skin made it much more worse. Her feets moved with calculative yet  unfaltered steps and a hand clapsed against her heart with mutters of small prayers.

Swara paused outside the threshold of the emergency unit, a hand reaching out for the handle of the door that would lead to her brother and her sense reeled. When was the last he called for her to have a talk, perhaps a simple conversation without no spats of bitterness? Her hand retrieved at that.

The guilt lingered along, how would she meet him? with what nerve and guts she had the right to meet him? A tortured breathe escaped from her lips with every remembrance of those haunted memories, "Swara?" She flinched visibly by the touch on her shoulder but her retrieved hand now rested on the handle.

"Maybe I shouldn't go." Swara shook her head trying to gather the thoughts that held herself on faulty charges.

"Nothing's going to happen." Jay assured holding her arm from the side, "Don't let such creepy ideas to change your mind." The impact of his words made the grip on the handle hard enough to turn her knuckles white. With a vague nod and heavy sigh, Swara entered the room.

The sight of the room- sounds of machines with wires, white walls and eerie silence almost reminded Swara of memories she had strived hard to bury deep inside. Her muscles stiffened, breathing shallowed and panic slowly builded up, It's bhai, not maa. Calm down! - Swara repeated moving ahead.

Aditya's reverie broke with the approaching sound of footsteps, there were jitters in him with all those small steps she took. How long had he awaited to get a glimpse of his sister! Turning his gaze, Aditya was stunned enough to drain colours off his face. Rigid yet hunched figure, thick spectacles on her hazels to hide and paled skin- What had she done to herself in his absence?

Making Swara to sit in the stool, Pavithra observed the siblings pointedly due to the prevailed silence. She planned to slip away to give the duo a needed privacy until a tug felt on her scarf, only to see Swara's gaze on her with a silent plead screaming to stay. Pavithra blinked her eyes in assurance and shared a glance with Aditya who nodded as well.

For the entire time Swara could not gather courage to look up at Aditya who's intense gaze was fixed on her. Alertness with mixed sensation of hesitance and guilt wavered in her heart with every fall and rise of her breathing,

"You wouldn't look at your brother?" The voice was awfully rough and hoarse but that made Swara snap up to Aditya, almost taken aback. It almost felt like an illusion that she looked at Pavithra for a solid assurance.

Pavithra shook her head in disbelief at Aditya's words, "Aditya regained his vocals in the morning. I came to know only after our conversation back in school." She explained with a smile, caressing her hair as Swara nodded in a swift.

Her brother was alright! - The very information knocked away the strong walls she built in his absence. A heavy sigh of relief left through her parted lips visibly on that take. Sheen of tears stayed in the bay of her downcasted hazels and eye lashes fanned often as the flashes of mishap threatened her, dragging her down.

"Swara?" Aditya called out but Swara was too lost to hear his call. Hardly a glance and Aditya could say how Swara should have closed herself from everyone, trapped willingly in her world of traumas at nights. Somewhere he had played a part in those wrenching memories too, he knew.

He leaned forward, a hand forward towards to Swara as he pulled away those spectacles off. Swara doesn't move but a hand forwarded in front of her caught attention through her blurry vision. A soft smile lifted her lips curve upward. It was Aditya's habit to offer a hand to take hers whenever she was upset.