Hospital room stayed quiet after that.

Only soft machine sounds filled silence.

But somehow…

Everything had changed already.

Aditya looked at Aryan slowly.

Still weak.

Still pale.

But his eyes softened deeply hearing that one word again.

Son.

Not beta teasingly.

Not casually.

Truly.

Aryan awkwardly cleared throat immediately after realizing emotional atmosphere becoming too intense.

“You scared everyone.”

Aditya tried smiling weakly.

“Sorry… Mr. Roy…”

Aryan instantly glared.

“After all this you’re still calling me that?”

Aditya blinked once.

Then softly whispered,

“Sorry…”

His voice lowered slightly.

“…Dad.”

Kashvi immediately covered mouth crying again.

Sia turned face away smiling emotionally.

And Aryan…

Aryan completely lost whatever control remained.

He stepped closer quietly and touched Aditya’s shoulder carefully.

“Get well first,” he muttered softly.

But his eyes said much more.

Acceptance.

Relief.

Love.

Later doctor asked everyone except one person to leave so patient could rest.

Naturally Kashvi refused immediately.

“I’m staying.”

Sia gently touched her cheek.

“We know.”

Even Aryan didn’t argue this time.

He simply looked toward Aditya once more before leaving room quietly with Sia.

The moment door closed…

Silence wrapped around them softly again.

Kashvi immediately shifted closer beside bed.

Still holding his hand tightly like she feared he would disappear if she let go.

Aditya watched her quietly.

Weak.

Tired.

But completely focused on her.

“You scared me,” Kashvi whispered again.

Her voice still trembling slightly from crying too much.

Aditya slowly brushed thumb against her fingers.

“Sorry…”

“No.”

Fresh tears gathered in her eyes instantly.

“You don’t get to say sorry and finish matter.”

He stayed silent.

Because honestly…

He had never seen her this broken before.

Kashvi leaned closer slowly until forehead rested lightly beside his hand.

“When they said accident…” her voice cracked painfully. “I thought…”

She couldn’t complete sentence.

Couldn’t even imagine it fully.

Aditya’s chest tightened deeply seeing her like this.

With difficulty he slowly lifted injured hand toward her face.

Kashvi immediately held it carefully.

“You know what my last thought was before blacking out?” he whispered weakly.

Kashvi looked at him silently through tears.

“You.”

Her breath hitched instantly.

“I kept thinking…” he continued slowly, voice weak from medicines, “I promised Kashu I’d come back.”

Tears slipped from her eyes again immediately.

“Don’t say things like that…”

“But it’s true.”

He smiled faintly.

“Your face kept appearing in my head again and again.”

Kashvi carefully sat beside him on bed edge now.

Closer.

Needing closeness.

Her fingers slowly moved through his hair gently.

“I hate hospitals,” she whispered softly.

Aditya looked up at her.

“Then why are you still here?”

“Because you are.”

That answer alone silenced him emotionally.

For few moments both simply stayed like that quietly.

Her hand in his hair.

His fingers around hers.

Soft silence.

Soft fear.

Soft love.

Then suddenly Aditya whispered dramatically,

“You cried too much, didn’t you?”

Kashvi glared instantly.

“You almost died.”

“Small accident.”

“Aditya!”

CH 38- Care

Hospital room lights stayed dim through the night.

Rain still continued softly outside windows.

But inside…

Kashvi refused moving even little away from him.

“Sleep for sometime,” Aditya whispered weakly.

Kashvi instantly shook head.

“No.”

“You’ve been awake for hours.”

“I said no.”

Aditya looked at her quietly for few seconds.

Even exhausted…

Even pale and injured…

He still smiled seeing how stubborn she became for him.

Kashvi sat beside his bed holding his hand tightly between both hers.

Every few minutes her eyes checked monitors again.

Then him.

Then monitors again.

Like fear still sat inside her chest refusing to leave.

Suddenly machine sound changed slightly.

Tiny sound.

Normal sound.

But Kashvi immediately panicked.

“Doctor…”

Aditya quickly tightened fingers weakly around her hand.

“Kashu…”

Her breathing had already become uneven.

“What happened? Why did sound change?”

“Baby relax…”

Nurse entered calmly and adjusted machine.

“Everything is fine.”

But Kashvi still looked terrified.

The nurse smiled softly afterward.

“You really love him a lot.”

Aditya weakly smiled immediately.

“She’s already taken.”

Kashvi looked at him in disbelief.

“You’re flirting in hospital?”

“Priorities.”

For first time since accident…

She laughed softly.

Tiny laugh.

But enough to relax room little.

Later near midnight…

Kashvi finally rested head carefully beside his arm while still holding his hand.

Eyes tired.

Face swollen from crying.

Aditya quietly watched her.

And something painful hit him deeply.

He had never realized before…

How badly losing him would destroy her too.

“Kashu,” he whispered softly.

“Hm?”

“Come here properly.”

She looked up confused.

Then carefully Aditya shifted slightly making space beside him.

“No Adi your injuries…”

“Just come.”

After small hesitation…

Kashvi slowly lay down carefully beside him.

Very carefully.

Resting lightly against his shoulder.

Immediately his arm moved around her weakly.

Protective.

Instinctive.

The moment she felt him hold her…

Her control completely broke again silently.

Small tears slipped down onto his shirt.

Aditya noticed instantly.

“Hey…”

“I got scared,” she whispered brokenly. “So scared…”

His heart twisted painfully hearing that.

With difficulty he kissed top of her head softly.

“I’m here now.”

“You promised you wouldn’t leave…”

“And I kept promise.”

Kashvi held his shirt tighter immediately.

Like she never wanted to let go again.

Outside room, hospital balcony stayed cold and silent.

Aryan stood alone there staring at rain heavily.

Hands inside pockets.

Eyes distant.

CH 39- FEAR

After few moments Sia quietly walked beside him.

Neither spoke immediately.

Then softly Aryan whispered,

“I thought I lost him before accepting him fully.”

Sia looked at him emotionally.

Aryan laughed bitterly once.

“That idiot became part of us so fast.”

His voice cracked slightly afterward.

“And today… when I saw him covered in blood…”

He stopped speaking.

Couldn’t continue for moment.

Sia slowly held his hand.

Aryan finally looked toward her.

“I understood something terrifying.”

“What?”

“If something happened to him…”

His eyes filled slightly.

“Kashvi would never recover fully.”

That truth hurt most.

Sia leaned softly against him.

“She loves him like peace after storm.”

Aryan closed eyes briefly hearing that.

Because he knew.

He had seen it himself.

Inside room meanwhile…

Kashvi still refused sleeping properly.

Every few minutes she opened eyes checking if Aditya was awake.

Finally he sighed weakly.

“You’re behaving like my wife already.”

Kashvi immediately looked up.

“You got into accident.”

“And now you’ll personally monitor my breathing forever?”

“Yes.”

Her answer came instantly.

Without hesitation.

Without embarrassment.

Completely serious.

Aditya smiled softly at that.

Then gently touched her cheek.

“You know what I realized today?”

“What?”

“When I opened eyes…”

His fingers brushed softly below her eyes.

“The first thing I searched for was you.”

Kashvi’s chest tightened instantly.

“And when I saw you crying…”

He exhaled slowly.

“I hated myself for hurting you.”

Kashvi carefully moved closer and kissed his forehead softly.

Then whispered against his skin,

“Just stay alive. That’s enough.”

Aditya looked at her for long quiet moment afterward.

Then slowly intertwined fingers with hers again.

“Always.”

And for rest of night…

Kashvi slept holding his hand tightly.

Like loving him had become breathing itself now.