"DEVVV" I yelled as the front wheel connected with my body.

Once the van hit me, I was flung to the nearby tree, landing harshly on stomach as my head hit the rough tar.

Everything went blank....

The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was the image of Neil running towards me...

You lost Sona! You can't survive this battle..... Its time you take some rest....

-----------------------------------------

Neil's POV

I have spoilt a girl's life unknowingly. It was true that I used to like her. But it was never my intention to spoil her life. How would I be able to repair this damage I have caused? It was true that I was angry at Dev for kicking me out of the company but the truth was, I forgot about the incident after I went out.

Approximately two months later, I met with Dev's cousin Nisha who claimed that she would help me to get Sona back from Dev. This came down as a huge shock to me. Initially, I did not agree for her plans. But when I refused to agree to her demands, she simply said that she would use another guy instead. That's when things started getting ugly.

Also, she had offered me a great amount of money to act like a psychotic lover, which I felt was a good offer to neglect at that time.

Seeing the money, I became a fool. I needed money and I foolishly accepted Nisha's orders. The shopping mall incident and the restaurant was all her plan. Later on, when she printed our pictures together, I realized her plan was getting too serious. She angled the pictures well to make sure it looked intimate for Dev and forced me to deliver it at his company. She even paid me double the amount to do all this job.

When I refused, she threatened that she would report me to the police under 'rape attempt' case.

At first, due to the hatred for Dev, I did all this. But later on, I realized all this was wrong. I wanted to meet Sonakshi and confess to her all the truths, but Nisha was in the house all the damn time. With no other option, I patiently waited for the right time to fix things. But I guess, it's been too late.

When I met Sonakshi at the shopping mall, I forced her and threatened her with some baseless things. I acted according to Nisha's orders and kissed her forcefully. While I held her harshly, her engagement ring fell from her hand. That was the only thing I had from her. After Sonakshi ran away from there, Nisha came and took that engagement ring from me, saying that she will return it to Sona safely. Wonder what the witch did?

Today seeing her helpless state in the ambulance just gripped my heart tightly. Will I ever be able to redeem myself?

When I saw her walking in the roadside, I wanted to walk up to her and confess to her all the dirty deeds of Nisha. Unfortunately, after seeing me, she started running away.

Of course, it wasn't her fault. It was me who scared her all the time. How would she face me after all this? But why was she walking in the middle of the road at this time?

Just when I was thinking of how to stop her, I saw her walking inside the road, leaving the pedestrians walkway. Fear engulfed my conscience, knocking all other thoughts aside. I became extremely paranoid looking at the way she walked. She wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Shit... Plus she was on the phone, speaking carelessly to someone.

At that moment, I saw a big truck arriving towards her in full speed. Crap, I needed to do something...

"SONAKSHI PLEASE DON'T RUN. I SWEAR I WON'T DO ANYTHING JUST COME BACK..... I WILL LEAVE IF YOU WANT BUT COME BACK... YOU ARE STANDING AT THE DANGEROUS SIDE OF THE ROAD" I screamed at the top of my voice.

It was really painful to see her in such a state. The Sonakshi I knew was a fearless woman. She was a tigress. She knew how to stand for herself and how to protect her without the need of anyone. That was the most attractive quality in her. But the woman I saw on the road was someone else. She was frightened and traumatized. She wasn't herself. She was weak and exhausted. Her mind wasn't present around her. She was just physically there but her mind was elsewhere. She was messed up, shivering and clutching her stomach painfully.

As the truck neared her, it honked and she immediately stepped a few steps back. She was saved from a brutal accident.... I thanked god for at least making her react to something. I stopped running behind her as I knew that it would only make her panic. So, I decided to stay at my place and call out to her.

While I was screaming her name, she was still busy talking to someone on the phone. Tears trickled down her face as she looked so pained by the call. I was pretty sure it must be Nisha. Just as I was about to move further, a van came and knocked her down!

I froze.......

The paralyzing hurt spread through my body like icy, liquid metal. I clenched my fists as I quickly ran as fast as I could. My heart throbbing in fear as I kneeled down against the cold wet surface. The sky was hidden above the canopy of the trees, with only one sound to be heard; the sound of my own pulse throbbing in her ears. Soon the area was crowded and someone helped me to call the ambulance.

I tried waking Sonakshi up and bring her to consciousness but her eyes remained closed even after lots of efforts. My hands were shaking so badly as I placed her head on my lap. I was watching my own pale hands, covered with scarlet blood.

What type of person am I? No.... I did not kill anyone. Especially not Sonakshi.... A small sob worked its way out of my throat and I crumpled on the floor, not taking my eyes off of my hands. My bloody hands.

The violent red stained my shaking hands. The colour burned in my mind along with what I had just done. A sickness crawled within me. I deserved this....I deserved to die....... Die in guilt!

But one thing made me happy among all the negativity...... Her pulse was still beating. I had never felt this happy in my life. God.... You can punish me if you want but... Nothing should happen to her please....

Soon the ambulance arrived. Sonakshi was carried inside the ambulance and I had to follow her all the way. Once she was inside the vehicle, the nurses there started to connect all the weird machines to her body. Soon, the oxygen mask was also placed.

The paramedics said that if I didn't call at the right time, she could have died. I know they were trying to help, but their words just bounced right off me. It just hurt me so bad. This accident was because of me.

Just as I was crying in guilt, I heard the sound of her sharp shallow breathing lost under the roar of the diesel engine and the rattle of the trolley bed. Her eyes were closed as the nurse beside me encouraged me to make small talks with Sonakshi. With a heavy heart, I tried.

"Sonakshi... you have been a great colleague to me. You are a wonderful person......Strong woman! I am sorry you have to go through this...........all because of me.... My intention was not to hurt you....... Nevertheless all I did was torture you. I really used to love you.......once. But don't worry...I have moved on now. I am really sorry..... I never meant anything that I told you.........in that shopping mall that day..........." my voice choked as the ward boy in the ambulance gave me a strange look.

"Sonakshi........please come back. You need to be there to see Nisha being tortured.... She made me....... Do all this! You have to wake up......wake up to at least punish me...... I deserve at least your slap....... God I am so sorry please forgive me........" I cried as tears made way till they touched her hands.

That's when I saw her facial muscles moving. My eyes widened as I saw her opening her eyes slowly.... She squinted at me through her hardened eyes that once had been my salvation, but now they brought only the unfounded accusations. But the next thing I saw shocked me.

Her eyes were giving me a small smile that was freezing my bones, like being nude in the middle of a hailstorm, where every chunk of ice was a frosted dagger, cutting into my skin.

Her hands came up and slowly asided the oxygen mask away from her face. As she spoke her last few words, my entire heart crushed inside my ribcage.

"I........forgive ........................ you.........." And her hand dropped, making the nurses panic.

"Sonakshi?"

"..................."

"Doctor.......... Patient's condition is critical. We need to reach the hospital as soon as possible..." the nurse stated while I stood numb.

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Precap: 👇