Chapter 26: Chapter 26

"Love never dies a natural death. It dies because we don't know how to replenish its source. It dies of blindness and errors and betrayals. It dies of illness and wounds; it dies of weariness, of witherings, of tarnishing."

"Why Ananya, why God always does this with me? What crime did I do to get all these pains and sufferings in my life? What crime did I do to suffer like this? What crime did I do to see my own baby's lifeless body? Just tell me. Am I that wicked? I couldn't even see my baby's face! I couldn't even touch him, how unfortunate of a mother am I! I couldn't even save him; how pitiful my life has become. I just want to die. I cannot tolerate anymore, Ananya. I am tired, tired of this life. I want to go to my mother, to my eldest son, I want to meet him. I don't want to live here," Ayushi was wailing out aloud in torment and distress; pulling her hair in exasperation, frustration, and deep agonizing pain that she was holding within her.

Ananya promptly embraced her friend, trying to calm her down but Ayushi was dilapidated beyond repair, she had had enough, she couldn't tolerate anymore. She was fed up with this life.

"Ananya, if something happens to me, please take care of my babies. I don't want them to live the life that I have lived as an orphan. Please, I beg..." before Ayushi could say more, she slumped unconscious and Ananya immediately rang the bell which was placed right beside Ayushi's bed - for the purpose of calling nurses and doctor.

"I think her blood pressure went down. Please try to motivate her, she has two babies to take care of, she needs to forget her firstborn, he was bound to this short life. Please, make her understand, she needs to be strong and positive," the doctor spoke out in a worried tone after checking Ayushi's nerves. Ananya just nodded her head, crying miserably, seeing her best friend's agonizing condition. Even though Keshav wasn't with her, he had gone to Mumbai to attend some seminar or something. And even Veer wasn't there, as he had gone to the cremation ground for cremating the innocent, lifeless body of his first baby.

Ananya recalled what had happened in the early morning after they got the news of the death of one of the triplets! Veer was crying so loudly in pain like he had lost everything. They were currently outside the hospital as Ananya had to pull him outside the hospital as he was crying uncontrollably, even she was shocked seeing him cry like this. He was crying as his own firstborn had died, Ananya had concluded. Now she was sure that Veer would take care of her best friend and her babies as well, he was the right man.

"Veer Ji, please don't cry. You need to be strong, I know you love Ayushi and her babies as your own, but we've to be strong, we've to support Ayushi too, she'll be shattered when she'd get to know about this news, please don't cry Veer Ji," Ananya hugged Veer and she too was crying, fearing what would be her best friend's reaction when she would hear this saddening news.

"It is because of me that we're facing this day. It is all because of me. It is because of the pains that I've inflicted on Ayushi, God is punishing me for the grave sins I committed. But why did he have to take away the life of my baby, whose mistake was just that my blood was running inside his veins? Why?" his all words made Ananya stilled at her place. What was he saying? Who was he because his words were so much unlike the Veer Ji, she had known from the past four months.

"Who are you?" she asked him in horror, wishing that what she was thinking now is wrong, just wrong. But alas! She was so right!

"I'm not Veer Singh Brar, Ananya, I'm the husband of Ayushi Singh, I'm Dhruv Singh Rajput, the same monster who had committed so many sins knowingly and unknowingly, making her life a living hell. I'm the same Dhruv Singh Rajput who just lost his son now, I'm the same Dhruv whose wife is still unknown about her dead baby, I'm the same Dhruv, Ananya," Dhruv was pulling out his hair tightly in frustration, agony, and regret, crying like never before.

"What?" Ananya was too shocked when she heard all this. Dhruv removed all his beard, moustache, and finally, his real face was out, making Ananya more shocked. So, this was all an act. This was all a game.

"How could you come to her life again after destroying her like that? How could you?" Ananya shouted at him, holding his collars, her eyes blaring fire and tears, tears for her best friend who suffered so much because of this man, because of this monstrous man.

"I didn't do all this intentionally, I was made to do all this, I was drugged, but even I'm guilty of what I did in the past. I..." Dhruv told Ananya everything about his life, Chandani, entry of Ayushi, and Chandani's evil plan and everything else making Ananya just shudder, thinking about the pains and sufferings that Ayushi had to bore. It was too much, how much evil that woman was who destroyed an innocent's life just because of some sick revenge game.

"Why did you come back again in her life and that too as Veer?" she asked him in a solemn voice, trying not to break down in front of him, her best friend's tragic life was making her weak, too weak that she wanted nothing but to just wail out loudly.

"Because I love her Ananya, I have always loved her, but I knew she'd never accepted me in her life, so to be near her, I had to do all this," Dhruv spoke out with his head put down in shame and guilt.

"You were wrong, I know but even you too were the victim of that Chandani, she drugged you and later used you the way she had wanted you to, and then you assaulted Ayushi whose mistake was nothing. I know it is not the correct time for saying all this, but she needs you the most now, Dhruv. She needs to be consoled, supported to fight this tormenting pain. I am not forgiving you, but after hearing you out, I cannot even hate you. Support her," she left Dhruv there in the garden itself and went away towards the hospital. She needed to vent out all her emotions, otherwise, she'd be too stressed, which she didn't want. She cried inside the washroom, venting out all her emotions which she felt for Ayushi.

After two hours or so, finally, the lifeless body of his baby was given to Dhruv, which made him cry more.

"How unfortunate I am to hold the lifeless body of my son! I'm so sorry my baby, it is because of my bad deeds that you couldn't live, it is because of me your mother has suffered so much, it is because of me that you are not here, I'm so sorry my child," finally the baby was cremated inside the cremation ground. Dhruv shrieked out in agony, he cried there sitting near his baby's cremation. No one was with him now, no one. Just the open sky, the heavy rain, and his baby's smell which he had left on Dhruv's shirt which was eventually washed away from the rain.

"I'm sorry, I'm very sorry my baby," he didn't want to go away from here, he didn't want to leave his son.

****

Ananya just closed her eyes, so much had happened today. Dhruv had still not returned from the cremation ground and Ayushi was still unconscious. In the grief of losing her first baby, she had not even cared to see her other two babies, who were sleeping peacefully on the two respective cradles placed beside her. Her condition was not good, her soul had been completely shattered today. Her blood, her flesh had died, how much unfortunate she was!

****

Main Kabhi Batlata Nahin

Par Andhere Se Darta Hoon Main Maa

Yun To Main, Dikhlata Nahin

Teri Parwaah Karta Hoon Main Maa

Tujhe Sab Hai Pata, Hain Na Maa

Tujhe Sab Hai Pata, Meri Maa.

Ayushi was dreaming about her dead baby who was going so far away from her. She was calling him but he just walked away from her, towards a source of light which was so bright and depressing. Even her mother, her grandmother was there and her unborn baby was in her mother's arms, smiling so brightly at her. And before she could move towards him, he was already gone along with his mother and her grandmother.

"No," she shouted out loudly to stop her baby from going away from her when she realized that he was no longer with her. He had already been cremated inside the soil.

"What happened Shiyu? Are you okay?" Ananya immediately rushed towards her side when she heard Ayushi shouting in pain.

"No baby, no. Please don't go away from your mamma, please," Ayushi was wailing out loudly again and Ananya hugged her tightly in her arms, trying to soothe her but nothing was working.

After some time, finally, Ayushi calmed down a bit and observed her surroundings. She still hadn't touched her other two babies, she still hadn't taken them into her arms.

"Give them to me," she asked Ananya as she wanted to hold them in her arms. Eventually, they too got up on their own, crying for their mother. She used the sanitizer before holding them in her arms, she didn't want any casualties with them.

"He's your eldest baby and she's the youngest," Ananya gave the baby boy in Ayushi's hands and Ayushi just looked at him in awe. He was so small, so cute and so adorable.

Ananya cooed the baby girl and she quieted down immediately.

The baby boy was crying because of hunger, so Ayushi immediately adjusted her gown and fed him her milk which he was now busy drinking so hungrily.

"He's exactly like you. Same eyes, same nose. He's so cute Shiyu, and I bet he's gonna be a charmer. He had already charmed me," Ananya tried to make the environment light and she eventually succeeded in that. Ayushi smiled back at her.

"Indeed. He is my prince, my handsome baby," Ayushi kissed on his forehead and after feeding his tummy to full, he eventually slept in his mother's arms. Ayushi made him burp and gave him back to Ananya as now it was time for the baby girl to come in her mother's arms. Ananya made the baby boy sleep on the cradle and handed the baby girl to Ayushi.

Ayushi just gasped when she looked at her daughter. She was a replica of her father. Same eyes, same nose, the same frown on her face. It was like she was seeing the child version of her ex-husband.

"She is the replica of her father," she spoke out in joy as well as nervousness. She fed her milk to her baby girl too and finally they both were sleeping now in their respective cradles.

Now, Ayushi noticed her surroundings. She hadn't seen Veer for once.

"Where is Veer? Why hasn't he returned yet?" Ayushi asked Ananya in a worried tone when she didn't notice Veer because it was evening now, but still no sign of Veer who had left hours ago.

"He's coming, due to heavy rainfall he's stuck somewhere," Ananya tried to explain and Ayushi just nodded her head, she was lost somewhere else.

"What happened Shiyu?" Ananya asked Ayushi in a worried tone.

"What did my other baby look like?" she asked Ananya in a crying voice.

"He too was exactly like you, as our baby boy," Ananya replied and tried to be strong in front of Ayushi but eventually tears never left her eyes.

"I want my baby back, Ananya. I miss him. It feels like hell, like a part of my body has been cut from me. I don't know what I'm saying but..." she was crying profusely, her pain was too much to endure. Moment after moment, she was missing her baby.

But then Ayushi noticed the person on the doorstep of her room, who still had the same effect on her which he had months ago.

"Dhruv," she whispered in horror.

~**•**~

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