The Fourth Dimension

Chapter 27

Dhun walked in and climbed into her bed. Rith came following her. She looked at him. "Come here." He obeyed her and climb onto her bed. She cuddled him and they lie down on her bed. Dhun did not say anything and closed her eyes. Dhun was deep in thoughts. Trying to calculate things. Rithvik slowly moved his hand over her hair. "Dhun..." He called.

"Don't say anything. I know what you are going to say." She said.

Rithvik smiled softly. A sad smile. "You know it was going to be like this, right? Rithvik does not say anything, hence confirming the answer to her question. Dhun opened her eyes and she lie like that for some time. There was a blank look on her face as if she has reached some sort of conclusion and that conclusion hurt her. As if she is hit with a dead end. Gradually a tear formed in Dhun's eyes and rolled down. It fell to Rith's chest. Rithvik looked down at her. He saw her tears. He did not know what to do. He looked away and kept looking at the ceiling.

"Dad and Dhruv..." Dhun asked in a strong sounding voice, "What will happen to them?"

"Nothing. They won't know what happened when the time starts flowing again. They won't detect a change."

"Even if it's forever?"

"Dhun, we can't stay here forever." He said, finally.

"What if we figure out a way to eat and drink?"

"Dhun..."

"We can do something."

"Dhun...."

She sat up and looked at him, a bit hurt and annoyed. Rith sat up facing her. "You can't live your whole life like this?" He was serious, "Can't you see how it is? Nothing is moving."

"I can see. I don't care."

"What about your dad and your brother?"

Dhun looked like she is in a bit of a fix. She looked down then. She does not reply.

"You love them. You can't do this."He said.

"You don't understand." She cried.

"What?"

"I love them. But if you die like this, you are leaving me in a mess. I don't want to live like that."

"You have to move on."

"Yeah, it's easy for you to say that." She yelled at him.

"Dhun..."

"Do you think I am like this because I love you so much that I want to save your life no matter what? Because I love you that I can't live without you? I do love you, okay. I really really love you. My life will never be the same without you. Dad and Dhruv are my family. But you...you are my family too. I love you as much as I love them. Rithvik is a bit touched. But I am not doing this for you. I have to do this for myself. As long as I know about the existence of that freaking time turner thing, I have to do this."

She looked away. Rithvik sighed and took her hand in his hand. "You don't have to do this. Listen to me. I know you love me. I love you too. I really love you a lot. And that's why I want you to stop and think and see that you have your life to live. I know you will be hurt if I die. It's going to pain for a while. But...It's not the end, right? You have your life. You can live and move on." Dhun looked up at him. Tears of anger and helplessness filled up in her eyes again. Rithvik continued, "I took you away from that alternate time because I did not want to watch you being in that kind of torture. And this...this is even worse. Do you think I will let you be in here? In this frozen time? Forever? Do you think I would want you to live like this??? This is not the kind of life I want to give you. I love you. So I can't let you live in this frozen time forever. I can't let you try to save me and be in that endless loop forever."