FF: Breathing Only Half of the Air - Chapter 7

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Chapter 7

Arnav sighed and pushed the covers down. He hadn't slept well yesterday either and it was starting to get to him but he couldn't sleep knowing that only a few feet away Khushi was sleeping in a room with another man. The thought that they might not even be sleeping, that they might be...

He shook away the thoughts and got out of bed changing his pyjama bottoms for joggers and made his way down the stairs intending to work off some of his frustration and tire himself out. He walked through the living room and only when he was walking past the sofa did he see them.

His heart clenched in pain and envy at the sight that he had always expected would bring him more joy than anything else in the world. Khushi was lying on the sofa across from him sleeping peacefully with the baby on top of her chest. The baby was awake and clawing at Khushi's face trying to get out of her grasp while she muttered incoherently and moved her head away while still holding tightly onto the baby.

He stood watching for a few minutes before the baby noticed him. The small gurgles it had been making suddenly increased in noise and Arnav moved towards him instantly. He didn't know what he was doing but he knew he didn't want Khushi to wake up. She'd looked so tired when he'd taken her to see her father so he awkwardly moved her hands aside and picked the baby up.

He wasn't sure how to handle babies or what to do with them so Arnav sat on the floor with the baby and tried first to sit him down only to have the baby put his hands on Arnav's knees for support to clamber up and then fall onto his chest. 'Hey hey,' Arnav said softly as he pulled the baby away from him, 'what are you doing? Trying to stand up?'

Arnav moved over towards the table and helped the baby grasp the edge of the table all the time keeping his hand poised behind just in case the baby should fall. He then looked over at Khushi, still sleeping peacefully, her hands now clasped around her chest, looking pretty much exactly like she had the last time Arnav had seen her sleep.

---

'Accident?'

'Jeejaji just phoned, they're taking her to the Lohia Hospital...'

Arnav didn't wait for Akash to finish but shot a quick look at Khushi who had followed him downstairs before he sprinted towards the front door leaving Nani and Akash calling after him. He took out his phone and connected the Bluetooth while Khushi got in, not waiting for her to put her seatbelt on as he usually did, his hands and feet shaking even as he started the car.

'Shit,' he said as the phone went to voicemail again.

Khushi had tried to comfort him throughout the drive but he had ignored all of her words and even shrugged off the hand she'd placed on his shoulder. Arnav drove straight to the main doors of the hospital and got out, again ignoring the paramedic's cry that he couldn't park in the ambulance bay and ran straight inside to reception.

'Anjali Jha! Anjali Jha! Where is she? What happened?'

Khushi followed silently feeling her heart breaking at the sight of Arnav so broken and so worried. He looked through the window of the trauma room the nurse had led to them and let out an unconscious cry of pain as his steps faltered backwards and Khushi held onto his arms to support him.

'Khushi... she... Khushi...Di.'

'Shhh Arnavji, she'll be fine. She has to be fine. We just have to pray to Devi Maiyya.' Khushi led Arnav over to the bench outside of the room where he sat down and collapsed with his head in his hands. She breathed in trying to calm her own nerves. It wouldn't help anyone if she fell apart now as well. She needed to be strong for Arnav.

'Nurse, what happened to Anjaliji?'

Khushi listened as the nurse explained that Anjali had been hurt in a car accident and had some injuries to the head and chest area and they were trying to control the internal bleeding. 'But her legs? She wears a brace... Are her legs fine?'

Arnav had been listening to everything even with his head in his hands looked up at this amazed at Khushi's presence of mind when he'd obviously lost his.

'Her husband? Shyam Jha? Where is he? Was he in the accident too?'

'No ma'am, he was fine we checked him over. He did bring her in I know, with some other members of the public who had stopped to help but I haven't seen him since.'

It had been hours since they'd arrived at the hospital with both of their families having come and gone. Khushi had convinced her Aunt and Mother to let her stay saying she'd be with Payal and Akash but had then even refused to go home with them. She couldn't leave him alone. He was now sitting, next to the ICU bed that they'd moved Anjali to, holding her hand and sobbing while he spoke to her and tried to make her wake up.

He hadn't spoken to anyone except the Doctors or nurses since they'd come to the hospital and had been trying Shyam's phone frantically every hour wanting more details but getting increasingly frustrated when he received no response.

Khushi put a hand on his shoulder trying to make him notice her, 'Arnavji, please try and sleep. It's late and this isn't helping you or Anjaliji. Please.' She wasn't prepared for him to stand up and envelop her in a hug and Khushi found herself taking a few steps backwards with him as he buried his head into her shoulder.

'What if she... Khushi what if she leaves me like Maa did? Make her wake up Khushi, please. I won't have anybody if she doesn't!'

'Shh, shh,' Khushi stroked his hair and rubbed his back biting back her own sobs as she felt his tears on her shoulder. 'We have to have faith Arnavji. She'll be fine, she has to be... and even if... if God has a different plan for her I'll be here. I'll be here to help you. I'll always be here for you Arnavji, always.'

She moved them both over to the sofa next to the wall and sat down with Arnav still holding onto her tightly as she cradled his head as if he was a child.

It was nearly an hour before his tears stopped and his breathing regulated. She softly moved his head from her shoulder onto the back of the sofa and put a cushion under him to prop him up before she took out her phone and left the room. Her call was answered instantly and the tiny seed of doubt Khushi had been nurturing the whole day suddenly sprang into life.

'Shyamji, where are you?'

Arnav woke up in the morning and for a brief second was completely unaware as to why he was even in this stark white hospital room before his eyes came to rest on his sister still lying lifeless on the hospital bed hooked up to monitors and IV machines. He began to sit up to move to the chair next to her when he realised he wasn't alone. Khushi was asleep next to him, leaning against the other side of the sofa, her hands clutched over her chest from the cold.

He leaned over and moved the hair away from her face, lightly smoothing away her furrowed brow as well. He felt his heart bursting with pride that she had stayed with him, that she had managed to be so strong and so in control yesterday even when he hadn't had any strength at all. Her concern for Anjali only cemented his belief that this was the woman for him. On those occasional days where he had contemplated getting married the worry that his wife wouldn't accept his sister's importance in his life had always squashed that particular thought before it could grow. He shrugged off his jacket and put it over her and saw her instantly relax into the sofa as his own body warmth transferred onto her through the jacket.

He had been planning to tell Khushi he loved her, had feelings for her and wanted to see where it led them but his sister's accident, the reality check he'd just received changed that entirely. He couldn't wait, he shouldn't wait. Life was too fragile, there were no guarantees. He would ask Khushi to marry him as soon as Anjali woke up. She would wake up. He was certain of that now. With Khushi beside him, with Khushi's support, there was no chance of anything happening to Anjali at all.

---

The sound of his laugh, a sound she hadn't heard in three years shot through her dreams like bright sunlight blinding her and forcing her eyes open. She didn't move, but stayed deathly still for fear that he would notice her. Khushi's heart soared to new heights as she saw Arnav laughing, arms outstretched while Sharman took tentative steps towards him trying to reach him but Arnav kept moving backwards, forcing Sharman to walk further and further. She took a sharp intake of breath as Sharman began to stumble but Arnav was too fast, leaning forward and gathering her son into his arms.

'I've got you Sharman, I've got you.'

Khushi felt a teardrop fall onto the hand she had under her head. The scene in front of her was so perfect, was so beautiful she felt as if her heart would burst. Maybe Suraj had been right. Arnav was right here, waiting: waiting for her to take a chance. All she had to do was reach out to him.