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

The hospital's sterile corridors buzzed with hushed conversations, the scent of antiseptic heavy in the air. Ranveer sat alone in the waiting area, his elbows resting on his knees, fingers threaded into his hair. The past 24 hours had been suffocating, the weight of his actions pressing down on him like an immovable force. The guilt gnawed at him, an unfamiliar yet persistent ache that he could no longer ignore.

Shayari was awake. That was the news everyone had been relieved to hear. But for Ranveer, it wasn't just relief-it was dread.

She could expose him.

The police had already arrived, waiting to take her statement. He had noticed them the moment they walked in-two officers, serious-faced, their presence sending a fresh wave of panic coursing through his veins.

His phone vibrated for the tenth time in the last hour. He glanced at the screen-his friends. The very people who had schemed and executed that night's humiliation.

Ranveer let out a hollow chuckle. Friends-what a joke. Especially when he was just as guilty as them.

The phone is flooded with messages.

Aman: "Bro, did she say anything yet? What's happening?"
Kabir: "We need to meet. Call us ASAP."
Raghav: "Dude, don't be stupid. We should have taken care of it earlier."

Ranveer clenched his jaw, his grip on the phone tightening. He wanted to ignore them, pretend none of this was happening, but a part of him knew that wasn't possible. Not anymore.

The phone vibrated again, this time with a call. His thumb hovered over the screen before he sighed and answered.

"What?" he snapped.

"Calm down," Aman said. "We need to think ahead. What if she tells them why she was out so late?"

Ranveer closed his eyes, frustration bubbling under his skin. "Then I'll face it," he muttered.

"You will face it?" Kabir scoffed. "Do you have any idea what's at stake here? If she takes our names-"

"I don't give a damn about what's at stake," Ranveer cut in, his voice low and sharp.

The silence on the other end was deafening for a moment before Raghav spoke. "Bro... this is bigger than just you feeling guilty. We need to-"

"What?" Ranveer challenged. "What do we need to do?"

Aman hesitated before saying, "There are ways to make sure she doesn't talk."

Ranveer shot to his feet, heart hammering. "What the hell are you trying to say?"

Raghav cleared his throat. "The hospital is a big place. Nurses are... underpaid. People can be bribed. There are ways to ensure she forgets what happened."

For a moment, Ranveer thought he misheard.

Then Kabir added, almost too casually, "A simple switch-off of oxygen for a few minutes-"

"Shut the hell up!" Ranveer thundered, startling the few nurses at the reception desk. His hands shook as he gripped the phone, his breathing uneven.

His friends were silent, possibly stunned by his outburst.

"Are you out of your minds?" he hissed, lowering his voice. "You think I'll let you harm her?"

"We're just trying to help you, Ranveer," Aman said, exasperated. "Think straight, man! If she talks, you're finished. We're finished!"

Ranveer exhaled sharply, gripping the bridge of his nose. "Don't call me again," he said, voice cold and final before ending the call.