Shadowed Secrets

4- I Hate You

Avinaash's heart pounded with fear as he witnessed Anshu losing consciousness once again. He immediately checked Anshu's pulse, his fingers trembling slightly, relieved to find a faint but steady beat. With a determined resolve, Avinaash sprang into action, rushing to retrieve an injection from the nearby medical kit.

As Avinaash swiftly prepared the injection, his hands moved with practiced precision, the gravity of the situation etched on his face. Time seemed to stretch agonizingly as he carefully injected the  medication into Ansh's body, his gaze fixed on the monitor, desperately hoping for a positive response.

Minutes ticked by, each second feeling like an eternity, until Avinaash's sharp eyes caught a glimmer of hope. Anshu's vital signs began to stabilize gradually. Avinaash's exhaustion weighed heavily on him as he sank down onto a nearby chair, his mind reeling with a whirlwind of emotions.

Breathing heavily, Avinaash pondered what had just transpired. Why had Anshu reacted so strongly upon seeing him? Doubts crept into his thoughts, and a sense of self-doubt washed over him. Did Anshu hate him?

Vidya entered the room, her heart breaking into a million pieces as she saw her baby in such a vulnerable state. Tears welled up in her eyes as she gently caressed his face, longing for him to open his eyes and acknowledge her presence. She pressed a tender kiss on his forehead, her voice filled with love.

Vidya, her voice filled with hope -"aankhein khol bacha, dekh toh, teri bhabhi aayi hain, chal ab uthja itna pareshan mat kar, pareshan karne ki aadat gayi nahi teri kyun?"

Avinaash, standing nearby, felt a lump forming in his throat as he witnessed the anguish in Vidya's eyes. He hurriedly fetched a chair for her and silently gestured for her to sit down. She complied without uttering a word, her emotions too overwhelming to express in that moment.

Outside the room, Avinaash noticed his bhaiya, sitting in a daze, as if life had been drained out of him. He approached him, his heart heavy with concern.

"Apne bache se miloge nahi bhaiya?"
Avinaash asked softly, his voice laced with a mixture of sadness and disappointment. Akaansh turned to look at him, his eyes red and filled with the weight of his pain.

Akaansh swallowed hard, standing up and distancing himself emotionally -"woh ladka mera kuch nahi lagta avi. Let's complete the necessary formalities and find out where he belongs. We'll drop him off there."

Avinaash felt a surge of anger rise within him -"yeh baat nazren chura kar nahi, nazren mila kar kahiye bhaiya"

Akaansh looked away, avoiding the intensity of Avinaash's gaze. "I don't want to argue about this, Avi. Let's finish the formalities so we can leave. I have an important meeting."

Avinaash's anger intensified -"Wahan anshu ki haalat itni kharab hai aur aapko ek stupid meeting ki padi hai bhaiya?"

Akaansh's voice remained steady as he defended his decision -"That boy doesn't belong to us, Avinaash. It's better if you understand that."

Tears streamed down Avinaash's face as he spoke through his pain-"That boy is our brother, bhaiya. Chaar saal maine andha hoke aapki baat maani, kabhi aapse sawal nahi kiya, kabhi aapke faisle pe ungli nahi uthai, us din agar main aapka saath nahi deta toh aaj anshu ki yeh haalat nahi hoti bhaiya, aap bohut galat kar rahe ho"

Akaansh blinked away his own tears, composing himself with an air of finality -"jo main kar raha hun, woh sahi hai ya galat yeh kisi ko mujhe batane ki zaroorat nahi hai avinaash"

Avinaash's voice quivered with determination -"I don't know what you're hiding from us, bhaiya. I don't know what is right or wrong. All I know is that we're hurting Anshu, and the damage has already been done. aap ko jo sahi lagta hai aap woh karo, main woh karunga jo mujhe sahi lagega"