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NITI despised going to the hospitals. She felt an overwhelming sense of dread as she approached the main doors. The acrid stench of chemicals assaulted her senses, and her temples throbbed with nervous tension, as if they might explode at any moment. She tried to shake off the anxious feelings, but they clung to her like a heavy burden. Nevertheless, she couldn't afford to dwell on her discomfort as Sam rushed ahead, leaving her behind. The pang of abandonment tugged at her heart, but she knew she had to keep up with him.

She took quick strides, her heart pounding loudly in her chest, and they hurriedly ascended to the second floor where Sam's nani was brought in. The receptionist's words about her condition sent a surge of worry and fear through Niti's veins, and she felt her hands tremble as she tried to compose herself. She could only hope that Tara's quick action had saved Sam's nani from further harm.

As they approached the floor, Niti's anxiety intensified. The thought of seeing someone unconscious, filled her with a mixture of sadness and helplessness. She clenched her fists, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. "Stay strong," she whispered to herself, knowing she needed to be there for Sam and Tara.

When they stepped out of the elevator, Niti's heart sank as she immediately spotted Tara sitting outside one of the rooms, her face stained with tears. Without wasting even a second, Sam rushed towards her, worry and concern etched across his face.

"How's nani?" he questioned Tara, his voice trembling with fear and anxiety.

Tara glanced back at him with teary eyes, and her voice quivered as she replied, "I was so scared." She clung tightly to Sam, seeking solace in his embrace, while he tried to be strong for both of them.

Niti couldn't help but feel a surge of empathy for the siblings. The scene before her tugged at her heartstrings, and she wished she could ease their pain. She knew that sometimes words were not enough to console someone, especially in moments like these.

Niti gently peeked inside the room while Sam patted Tara's trembling shoulder. Her heart ached as she saw the nurse tending to his grandmother, who looked frail and vulnerable amidst the medical equipment. The sight of nani lying there, seemingly helpless, filled Niti with a mixture of sorrow and helplessness.

She saw Samarth's body loosen up a bit when he tried to comfort Tara. "It's alright, Tara. You did the right thing at the right time," he said, his voice filled with gratitude for his sister's quick action. A faint smile appeared on his face, but it couldn't fully mask the worry that lingered in his eyes. He gently helped Tara back to the seat, showing his protective nature as an older brother.

Niti watched all this happening from a distance, feeling torn between wanting to offer support and not wanting to intrude on their family moment. She understood that this was a challenging time for them, and she didn't want to add to their burden.

As Sam went inside the room, Tara noticed Niti, and her tearful eyes lit up with a glimmer of recognition and relief. "Di!" she exclaimed, motioning for her to sit beside her. Niti felt a mix of emotions, grateful for the connection she shared with Tara, yet still unsure of how she could best help.

Niti managed a warm smile and proceeded towards her, sitting beside Tara. She gently placed a comforting hand on Tara's back, trying to offer reassurance. "The receptionist told us how brave you were, Tara!" Niti said, her voice soft and comforting. "Your family will be so proud of you."

Tara's face reddened with embarrassment and gratitude, the praise and attention making her feel both proud and vulnerable. "Thank you, Di. I was just so scared, but I had to do something."

"You were incredibly brave," Niti said, her heart swelling with admiration for Tara's courage. "Now, let's stay strong together for nani and Sammy. We are here for them, and we'll get through this together."

Niti knew Tara's adoration had blossomed from the first day she had seen her. It was back in 2016 when Sam had brought Tara with him to their first year anniversary date. At that time, their grandma didn't live with them, and no one was home to take care of a twelve-year-old girl. Although Tara was the third wheel on that date, Niti knew she had enjoyed every moment of it.

Niti had showered her with love and attention, treating her like her own sister. They had played together, taken countless selfies, and indulged in delicious food. She knew it well that for Tara, having an older brother was not the same as having a sister, and from that day forward, Niti had become her sister in heart and soul. Tara had cherished their bond so much that she would call Niti to talk about anything and everything, even things she wouldn't share with her own brother. She had even become a fervent supporter of the Niti x Sam ship.

In the midst of the hospital tension, Tara found a moment to distract herself. "Do you still play that shooting game?" she asked Niti suddenly. "I want to distract myself. And my phone is almost dead." She took her phone out of her pocket and its dimly lit screen hinted at the low battery. But it was enough for Niti to notice her lock screen— a picture of a toddler with another girl.

Curious, she inquired about the picture while she handed her own phone to Tara. "The game is in the game launcher."

Tara grasped the phone eagerly and launched the app. "It is a picture of me as a toddler," she explained.

Niti teased, playfully, "Oh, how come you haven't shown me any of those before? I also wanna see a tiny Tara."

Tara chuckled, but her expression turned wistful. "I don't like those! I was too weird, not like those cute babies," she said, continuing to press the mobile screen repeatedly. "I only put this up because I found this picture in an old album. The girl with me was like a sister to me. Just like you are now," she added nonchalantly.

Niti feigned a shock. She pretended to be playful and exclaimed, "Wow, I am jealous! Now I have to meet my rival!"

Tara's smile wavered, and she whispered, "She died when I was three."

"Oh," Niti's face paled as the topic of death arose. She despised such conversations; they reminded her of her.

Hospitals, too, carried memories that haunted her. The overwhelming emotions became too much for Niti, leaving her at a loss for words. What was the right thing to say at a moment like this? Should she express sympathy, or would it feel inappropriate?

The silence hung heavy in the air as Tara continued playing the game, seemingly distracted from the weight of her earlier revelation. Niti, feeling awkward and uncertain, decided to get up and check on Sam and his nani. She needed a brief respite from the conversation, hoping she could find comfort in the familiar sight of Sam and his family.

As she approached the room, Niti knocked on the door before entering. Sam's expectant look made her hesitate for a moment. Nani lay on the bed, unable to see who had come in. Her voice croaked as she asked, "Who is it?"

Sam's subtle expression urged Niti not to reveal herself to Nani. He seemed to be trying to protect her from seeing Niti.

Uncertain of how to proceed, Niti lingered at the door, feeling like an intruder in this delicate family moment. "It's no one, nani," Sam whispered gently, attempting to shield his grandmother from the truth.

After a while, he excused himself and approached Niti, guiding her outside the room. In a hushed voice, he said, "Nits, you should leave. I will be staying here for a while."

"I figured, but I should at least greet her before leaving." She insisted.

"Uh— she isn't really in the condition to talk."

"I won't then. Just let me say Namaste to her." She tried to go past him but he blocked her.

"Seriously, Nits, there's no need to." Sam tried to come up with an excuse. "Can you ask Tara if she wants to go back with you? She must be tired."

Niti rolled her eyes, but her heart was filled with warmth by Sam's adorable attempts to protect her. "I will. Can you stop body blocking me?" she teased, gently poking him in the side. It was evident to her that Sam was a bit nervous about introducing her to nani.

"I will see you soon, okay?" he whispered, his voice tender and sweet. He leaned in to give her a soft kiss on her cheeks. The gesture made Niti's heart flutter, and all the worries seemed to melt away. A radiant smile crept up her face as she hugged him back, feeling the love that enveloped them both.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a faint sound coming from nani. The old lady tried to sit up, curious to know who had come to visit. Niti's heart skipped a beat, and she turned back to look at her.

"Why did you bring this witch here?!" Nani shouted. "Do you want this place to be my deathbed?"

Niti's heart pounded loudly in her chest, drowning out the world around her. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Her body felt like it was encased in ice, unable to move, unable to escape the piercing words that had just been spoken. As the weight of Nani's accusation sank in, Niti's breath was caught in her throat.

Sam's panic was palpable, and he desperately tried to shield Niti from the hurtful words. He grabbed her shoulders, urging her to leave the room, but she pushed him away. Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice trembled with emotion.

"Is she talking about me?" she asked, her tone no longer hushed but laced with anguish.

Sam struggled to find the right words, his expression torn between wanting to protect Niti and the painful truth he couldn't deny. "Nits, it's the medicines... she doesn't know what she's saying," he stammered, but it was evident that he, too, couldn't unhear the painful accusation.

The room seemed to close in around Niti, suffocating her with a whirlwind of emotions. The woman she had hoped to impress and be accepted by was now hurling hurtful words at her. It felt like a cruel twist of fate, and the weight of rejection bore down on her shoulders.

Tears welled up in Niti's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She wanted to be strong, to stand her ground, but the pain inside her was overwhelming. "How could she say that?" she thought, feeling a mix of anger and heartbreak.

"Leave my boy alone! You will ruin him. He would be so much better with someone else! I will never let him be with you!"

She kept shouting and Sam kept trying to stop her. "Nani please, this is no place to talk about this!"

"You knew..." Niti held one of his arms. "Why didn't you tell me she hated me?"

"I—"

"Leave my Samarth alone. We don't want your money!"

"Excuse me?!" Niti's eyes flared with anger.

"Oh, look how she is talking back!" the old lady addressed Sam. "No shame at all!"

"Sam and I love each other! What is this about money?" Niti also reverted, first at nani and then at Samarth.

"Niti, you need to go. I will explain later." Sam pleaded as he watched the monitor besides nani beeping faster and faster.

"You may have bought him off because he is naive, but you can't do that to me," grandma continued yelling.

"Niti, please," Sam urged her to go. The monitor showed nani's blood pressure rising at a high rate.

"No, Sam, this is wrong." Niti's eyes were overflowing. She tried to overtake him and go near the bed.

"Don't come near me." The monitor started beeping loudly, enough to alert the nurses.

Samarth couldn't take it anymore. Nani's blood pressure was off the charts. The whole situation was a mess.

"JUST LEAVE!" He ended up shouting.

Niti's heart gave out. Her body went numb.

What's going on? Did he just shout at me?

Niti's heart was torn apart, and her anger collided with overwhelming sadness. The teary glower she gave Sam was a mix of hurt and frustration, but she found herself speechless, choked with emotions. She balled up her fists, desperate to hold back the storm of words and feelings that threatened to consume her.

As the tears streamed down her cheeks, Niti couldn't bear to be in that room any longer. She needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere, to find some solace away from the painful confrontation. In that moment, all she wanted was to run away, to find a sanctuary where she could collect her thoughts.

Without a word to anyone, Niti stormed out of the room just as a nurse rushed in. Tara, bewildered and concerned, followed closely behind. Questions were poised on Tara's lips, but Niti couldn't meet her gaze. She didn't want to burden her with her own emotional turmoil.

She ran down the stairs, paying no attention to who might be looking or what they might think. Her focus was on finding a space to breathe and gather herself. In her frantic escape, she collided with a stretcher carrying a lifeless figure, jarring her further. The nurses glared at her, but their anger softened when they saw the turmoil written all over her face.

With her vision blurred by tears, Niti realized the gravity of the situation. She had bumped into the body of a person being taken to the morgue. The encounter heightened her distress, triggering haunting memories she had tried so hard to suppress.

The image of a small girl flashed before her eyes, a memory she had buried deep within herself. The pain of that memory resurfaced, threatening to engulf her entirely. The weight of her own past traumas now intertwined with the current hurt she was experiencing, leaving Niti feeling like she was drowning in a sea of emotions.

Her knees gave out, and she scrambled back towards the wall, seeking something solid to anchor herself to. Each breath became more difficult than the last, and the memories crashed over her like relentless waves. It was a storm of anguish, and Niti felt utterly overwhelmed.

In that dark and vulnerable moment, Niti realized that the pain she had suppressed for so long demanded to be acknowledged. The scene unfolded in her mind, a memory she was terrified of.

A lady was bent over the body, her whole face blue and purple. She was howling over the child's body, eyes wandering around searching for help. Suddenly her eyes met Niti's. Her whole demeanour shifted from agony to anger. "You killed her."

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A/N

Hello fellow kawaiis! Would love to know what your thoughts are about Niti after reading this.

Was Samarth's actions valid or not? Comment below!

Do leave a vote if you enjoyed! A share would be much appreciated !