The One I Denied, The One I Can't Lose

The waiting area outside the ICU was engulfed in a tense silence, broken only by the occasional beep of machines from inside and the hushed conversations between doctors and nurses passing by.

Naveen stood with his arms crossed, watching Chaitali and Gautam as they sat frozen in their chairs, their hands intertwined, their eyes fixed on the ICU doors as if sheer willpower could bring their daughter back to them. They hadn't eaten, hadn't moved much, barely even spoken.

"You both need to eat something," Naveen finally said, his voice gentle but firm.

Chaitali didn't respond. Gautam shook his head.

"I understand," Naveen continued. "But Shayari will need you both when she wakes up. And if you collapse from exhaustion, what then?"

Madhavi placed a hand on Chaitali's shoulder. "Just a few minutes, Chaitali. Have something. Please."

Chaitali's lips trembled, her fingers clutching the edge of her saree. "I- I can't leave her."

"She's stable for now," Rishi interjected. "You'll only be a few steps away in the cafeteria. We'll be here."

Finally, after much convincing, Gautam and Chaitali relented, allowing Madhavi and Naveen to take them to the cafeteria. Anisha went along, offering quiet support.

Ranveer remained behind.

Not because anyone asked him to. But because no one seemed to remember he was there.

He let out a slow breath and sat down on a nearby bench, elbows resting on his knees, head hanging low. The voices of his family faded into the distance, leaving only his thoughts.

Guilt gnawed at him.

He wasn't responsible for Shayari's accident. He wasn't.

And yet...

Ranveer pulled out his phone, almost absently. The screen lit up with missed calls and messages-all from the same three people. His so-called friends. The ones who had been with him that night.

The ones who had humiliated Shayari while he stood there and let it happen.

His grip on the phone tightened. He should have stopped them. Should have said something. But instead, he had watched. And then she had left-alone, in the rain, walking to her fate while he sat back and did nothing.

Ranveer exhaled sharply, rubbing his face with his palm, frustration burning through him.

"What the hell is wrong with me?"

A sudden tap on his shoulder made him jolt upright.

He turned to see Dr. Meghaditya Sen standing beside him, dressed in his scrubs, clipboard in hand. His expression was calm, composed, unreadable.

"Shayari is gaining consciousness," the doctor informed him. "You should let the family know."

Ranveer's breath caught for a second.

She was waking up.

"She is?" he asked, standing abruptly.

Meghaditya nodded. "Yes. Slowly. Her vitals are stable, but she's still weak. You can inform her parents-they should be the first ones to meet her."

Ranveer hesitated, something pushing at the back of his mind. Before he could stop himself, the words left his mouth.

"Can I mee... umm... see her?"

Even he wasn't sure why he had asked.

Meghaditya studied him for a moment, eyes sharp behind his glasses, as if trying to read the layers beneath Ranveer's question. Then, with a slight nod and a calm tone, he replied,

"You can. But just for a minute. She's still very weak, and we're monitoring her closely. Try not to overwhelm her."