Page 24 of Protect my Heart
I clench my jaw, barely holding back my impatience. "Yes. Where are they?"
She snaps back to attention, typing furiously. "Rekha Kapoor, yes... third floor. She’s in the operation theatre right now."
I don’t wait for anything else. I turn and head straight for the elevators, my heart slamming against my ribs like it’s trying to break free. As I jab the elevator button, flashes of Anika flood my mind—She must be so scared.
The elevator finally arrives, and I step inside, hitting the third floor button with more force than necessary. I lean back against the wall, trying to steady my breathing, but it’s useless. What if something happens to Rekha Aunty? What if Anika breaks down completely? God, I’m not ready to see that look in her eyes. The one that says the world has ended and no one can put it back together.
The doors ping open and I stride down the hallway. I spot her almost immediately. Anika is sitting slumped on the metallic chair outside the OT, her whole body shaking with silent sobs. She looks so small, so broken, nothing like the fiery, stubborn woman who always gave back twice as good as she got.
My feet move before my brain does. She hears me, her head jerks up—and the moment our eyes meet, she’s on her feet and running towards me. Before I can react, she crashes into me, wrapping her arms around my torso like she’s afraid I’ll disappear if she lets go. I stagger back a step, momentarily stunned. Her scent, the feel of her clinging to me, the rawness of her sobs against my chest—it’s too much. It punches the air from my lungs.
My arms wrap around her without a second thought, pulling her tightly against me. She’s trembling so badly it feels like she might fall apart if I loosen my grip even a little. I press ahand to the back of her head, cradling it gently against me, and without thinking, I press a kiss into her hair.
"Shh... it's okay," I murmur, voice thick with emotion. "I'm here." The moment the words leave my mouth, I feel her stiffen slightly. Shit.
I mentally curse myself. Maybe I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe I shouldn’t have kissed her head. Maybe it’s too much. Too soon. But damn it, seeing her like this rips me apart.
She pulls back a little, looking up at me with those wide, glassy eyes. There’s so much sadness in them, it physically hurts to look at her. If something happens to her mother... Anika will shatter.
I cup her face lightly, brushing my thumb over her damp cheek. "Anika," I say softly, "Don’t worry, okay? The doctors here are the best. They’ll do everything they can. She’s going to be alright."
She nods jerkily, wiping her face with the back of her hand, but doesn’t let go of my shirt, still clutching it tightly like she’s scared to face this alone.
And maybe, just maybe... for once, she’s not alone. Because as long as I’m breathing, I’m not going anywhere.
CHAPTER 15
ANIKA
What am I even supposed to do now? My mother always believed I was strong. That no matter what life threw at me, I'd find my way through it. But the truth is, I can’t. Not without her. I am nothing without her. If I don’t have her guiding hand, her love, her warmth... I don’t know where I'll end up. Because for as long as I can remember, she’s been my home. Not just my mother, but my best friend. My shield against the world. She loved me like a mother and protected me like a father. She was everything—my parents rolled into one. And now, when she needs me the most, I can’t even hold myself together.
Aarav’s hand closes around mine, squeezing gently, like he’s reminding me he’s here. I blink, looking down at our joined hands, feeling a strange lump forming in my throat. I never thought he would come. Sure, I knew he would send the money—after all, I shamelessly, selfishly asked him—but I never expected him to sit here with me. To hold me while I fall apart. He hates me. He has no reason to be here. No reason to comfort me. What’s wrong with him? I wonder as I stare at his side profile before I pull my hand away from his grip. My heart is pounding for reasons I don’t want to think about.
The doctor finally walks out of the operation theater, pulling his mask off. I shoot up from my seat, almost stumbling towards him, with Aarav right behind me.
"Doctor, how's my mother?" My voice shakes, and the words barely come out.
He exhales heavily, looking tired, maybe even burdened. My chest tightens. "The surgery was successful," he informs, rubbing his forehead.
A tiny bubble of hope rises inside me—but I hear it. The unspoken ‘but’ hanging heavy between us. I brace myself. "But..." he continues, and there it is, the word that always ruins everything.
"But what?" Aarav cuts in, voice urgent.
The doctor looks between us, like he doesn’t want to say it but knows he has to.
"Her condition has worsened. I don’t know how to sugarcoat it, so I’ll just say it—you’ll need to make sure she doesn’t experience any kind of stress, physical or emotional. Her heart’s too fragile now. We can’t keep performing surgeries on it. It’s too risky." He pauses. "I suggest hiring a 24-hour nurse. It would help a lot."
Without waiting for a response, he gives us a sympathetic nod and walks away, leaving a gaping hole where hope was a second ago.
I stand frozen, staring blankly at the empty space he just left. My mother survived. But now what? I can't leave her care to a stranger. How could I trust anyone else to love her like I do? To care the way I would? They would do it for money. That's all it would ever be for them.
"Anika," Aarav calls, but I don’t move. I feel trapped inside my own head.
His fingers slide from my hand to my shoulder, slow and hesitant. I close my eyes. Just the lightest touch from him, and it feels like my soul is trembling. I suck in a shaky breath as he turns me to face him. "We'll figure something out," he assures me quietly, voice thick with something I don't have the strength to name.
"Figure something out?" I echo, my voice rising. "Figure something out?" I yell, the words ripping out of me. Tears well up again, blurring everything. "It's simple! I always make things worse for her! She stresses because of me. She loves me so much it’s killing her! If only she never had me... none of this would have happened! It’s my fault; everything’s my fault! I wish I was never born—"
"ANIKA!" Aarav’s voice booms, cutting through my breakdown. I flinch. His hands tighten on my shoulders. "Do you even hear yourself?" he roars, his face inches from mine. "How can you say something like that so easily? Have you even thought about what your mother would feel if she heard you right now?!" His chest rises and falls sharply. "How do you think I feel listening to this?"
