MISUNDERSTOOD - an Arylie Story

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Her lashes lifted slowly...as she could feel a haze spread through her eyes. Everything was blurry—she felt a bright light shining on her eyelids—struggling, to keep them fully open.
Slowly—her vision tried to focus on the white ceiling above—registering her room—and her surroundings.

She now questioned these very surroundings, unable to remember what happened last, except for a vivid memory....of a sharp pain in the back—with lots of blood oozing out.

Oh, that's probably why her upper body was so stiff, at the moment.

She couldn't move it—or even try to. She jerked a little in pain, with the anaesthesia wearing out.
Her mouth had also sealed shut—as she slowly parted it open, her lips parched from the dryness.

Slowly and steadily...she tried...to utter a name.

The very name—of the face she had seen last before unconsciousness.

The very name—of the one who had told her of his love for her. And she had the chance to tell him as well.

The very name—of whom she thought of first, after waking up.

She didn't know whether she would be able to make it through—when the bullet hit her, but she knew one thing clearly:

Looking into his eyes, laying in his arms, hearing him calling out her name....it had lessened the pain of everything she had been feeling in those moments.

She immediately had that one name on her lips now.

"Ary..." she struggled, trying to find her voice.

"Aryyy..." she tried again, in a croaked voice.

"Aryan!" In a still cracked—but louder voice than before.

There, she had said it finally!

With a quick thud from the sofa nearby, he rushed to her now.

He stared in shock for a moment—pinching himself—unable to believe whether this was real—or he was imagining her awake, calling out HIS name.

"Ary..an!"

Oh God, she really had spoken! Called out his name—while his entire body had gone up in chills, unable to summarise his emotions.

He couldn't handle it—at finally watching her eyes open—peering at him—calling out for him —as he brought a hand up, to stop his tears.

He finally found his voice, catching her hand slowly,

"I'm here...my love! I'm here...don't worry! Don't worry about anything...
I'm going to ring the bell now— the doctor will have a quick look at you once—you'll be fine now, darling—don't wor—"

"Ary...an ...I...I..."

"Don't speak now, Imlie...please relax...just a minute longer..."

"Aryan...I..." She looked like she desperately wanted to tell him something.

He bent his head down slowly, bringing his ear close...telling her to speak at her own pace, patiently.

She continued now, at a much slower pace...

"I...mm..made...it...through...."

She struggled to speak, but wanted to get the words out, anyhow.

"...Bec...cause...of my...lo...ve...for you."

She gave him a sweet smile.

He was overwhelmed. He couldn't find words to speak. He gave her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"I..." But before he could speak, the Doctor had entered. They had to evaluate her properly— for which he had to leave the room.

He clasped her hand gently, before leaving—with his heart strings tugged at again by her soft smile—in a way to assure him that she'd be okay!

Aryan had been exhausted with everything that had occurred in the last 24 hours.

But this, this very heartfelt moment, that had occurred just now— had filled him with new, vibrant energy...as his heart pounded across his chest.

It was something, he realised, that only his Imlie was capable of doing.

This is what they must have rightly called...the power of love.