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One hour after that call, I am on my flight, heading back to Mumbai. Aman made me speak to the doctor before I boarded. Jhanvi is fine but still unconscious. I checked if she had to be shifted into the hospital, but the doctor didn’t show that urgency, which is why I have asked a full-time nurse to be available next to Jhanvi until she recovers. Probably by the time I reach home, Jhanvi would still be unconscious. Jaya is constantly next to her, as Aman told me, who wasn’t allowed by Jaya to even see Jhanvi much. These two already argued every single time because of us and now that Jhanvi attempted something so grave, Jaya was unwilling to let anyone come near her friend. I will sort that out once I am home.

I shut my eyes, thanking God that Jhanvi was alive, breathing and everything was still in control. Yes, I prayed. Silently, but I knew I had to. No matter how much I keep believing I write my destiny, I couldn’t save myself from losing my mother and today I couldn’t do anything to save Jhanvi from feeling so low that she literally had to take this step. This is all my fault. I’ll never forgive myself. Never!!

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The one-hour drive back home from the Airport was the most torturous ride. Knowing I was so close to Jhanvi and yet not with her pumped my adrenaline so high that I had thrice asked Madan to push the accelerator and get me home soon, though I knew he was already doing his best.

When I enter home, Jaya is still the first person whom I meet and who blocks my way.

“This is all your fault,” she strides towards me like a storm that wants to destroy me once and for all. “What did you do to her? I swear Aarav if you have hurt her even a bit in Mussourie, I’m going to take your life.”

Wow!! That’s not the kind of welcome I get in my house but one thing I love about Jaya is that she is strongly standing up for my wife. I can thank her someday for being the support that Jhanvi needed.

Aman who supposedly was on call while Jaya lashed me out, reaches us.

“She’s in her room. Resting and….”

Jaya cuts off his words. “And you can’t see her. I’m not letting you be anywhere near Jhanvi.”

Now I have a problem.

“She is my wife,” I rebuke.

“If you’d treated her as your wife, she wouldn’t have been in this state. You are the source of all her problems, and I know she took this step because of you.”

Rage courses through my body, not because of the allegations Jaya has thrown on me, but by her vehement rejection to let me see my wife.

“Let Jhanvi speak up for herself why this happened,” Aman responds on my behalf. “Please let him see her. As it is, you can’t stop him, Jaya. Let him go see Jhanvi. Please. Try to understand.”

“You don’t tell me what I have to do,” she scolds him too.

Every minute I am arguing down here, I’m wasting my time to see Jhanvi. So, whilst they argue, I storm towards the stairs. Jaya keeps calling me, asking me to stop while Aman blocks her way, which I will thank him later for. She even challenges me to take Jhanvi away from me once she is better. I ignore it at the moment and barge into Jhanvi’s bedroom.

There’s little light in the room, but I can see her clearly. Jhanvi looks so small on my gigantic bed. A monitor displays her heart rate; a needle is inserted into her arm for the IV drips. She looks pale, and though her heart is beating steadily, I don’t like her in this state.I did this to her.It’s only when I take slow steps towards the bed, I realize there’s a nurse who is watching me.

“How is she now?” I ask softly, clearing my throat, which had been blocked with tears.

“She’s steady. The doctor said she will come back to consciousness any moment now. It’s been quite a few hours since she is resting.”

I nod. Yes, I would like that. I want Jhanvi to open her eyes, see me and tell me why she did this? Why did she try to end her life? Was I wrong to think she was feisty and a fighter?

“Can I touch her?” I ask, tentatively reaching for Jhanvi’s hand.

“Sure,” she smiles kindly and then gives us a moment.

The nurse locks the door behind me as she walks out while I sit next to Jhanvi holding her hand. She’s cold!! Is that normal? I hope so. I stroke the back of her palm with my strong fingers. I needed this touch to feel she’s alive and will be awake soon. It’s getting hard for me to breathe, but I can’t leave this room yet. I have hated meeting people at the hospital ever since I had to see my mother suffer when she got a heart attack. The doctors had tried their best but warned me she wouldn’t survive much as her heart was weak. The last few hours that I spent with my mother at the hospital are the most painful memories of my life, and I feel equal pain when I see Jhanvi in this state today. I know she is alive and will be fine again, but she tried ending her life because of me, I can never get that fact off my head.

I bring her hand to my mouth and kiss her fingers.

“Sorry, Jaan. I’m sorry.”

I don’t even hear my voice, it’s hardly audible, but I hope Jhanvi hears it and knows that I mean it. I don’t mind her deceiving me, bringing me on the roads by destroying my business if she wants to. I think I deserve that for forcing her to be my wife. I just want her alive, safe and happy. I kiss her fingers for no idea how many times before the nurse ends up in the room again and I let my wife rest.

Wiping off my tears, I walk out of the room.

CHAPTER 24

Jhanvi

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