So, up with a new book, new concept but same individuals.

The story is going to be... No! Not like this let's allow the character to introduce themselves.

•••••••

His finger moved, turning me dazed. Slowly I got a glimpse of him blinking his eyes, I was on the verge to stand up from the stool. Walking to call the doctor, but the soul grabbed my hand. Struggling to bring words out of his mouth. I lean, attempting to listen to his words. Though I was irritated by his random conversation. Lately, I was craving to hear him speak. The doctor confessed, losing hope. Was turning us anxious. What if he won't ever wake up?

"Don't leave my side," he requested.

I smiled, "Kade vi nahi!" (I won't) His eyes were conveying anxiousness. And I knew it was something related to me leaving him alone. It stressed him, I would leave his side. Brushing off the tears, I took a seat beside him. He was fine! Talking to me, why would I move? He was making me believe I wasn't a curse as people described or I too was coming to accept it as truth. Grabbing his hand in mine, the one that always provided warmth was chilling in the cold. I rubbed his wrist, fearing I might lose him.

"Tusi ene thande kyun ho rahe ho?" ( Why are you turning so cold?) Anxiety building a place in my chest.

His lip turned upwards in a smile, "cold... The... world... is... going... to... be... cold... for... you." His struggles made me halt him from talking, as his breathing was increasing.

"Kirpa karke na bolo. Tusi kade meri nahi sunde, ajj tan sunlo." (Please don't talk. You never listened to me but at least today...) He kept staring, his black orbs aiming to dig a hole. He stared at me with such intensity, the way none ever glanced at me. His that look made me feel the wonders of this world, never letting the feeling of misfortune cross my being.

"Only... if... you... call... me... by... my... name." I widened my eyes in horror, and he burst into laughter. Causing, in the end, to moan in pain, "ahh..."

"Main tuhanu hor kini vaar kahan ke na bolo?" (How many times, should I request you.) Scolding him for his carelessness. "Hun tusi ek shabad vi nahi bologe" (You won't speak a word.) Glaring at him, he kept a finger on his lip behaving like an obedient kid.

Hazaaron mein kisi ko, Taqdeer aisi...
Mili hai ik Ranjha Aur Heer jaisi...

I was adoring him when a hand was kept on my shoulder.

"What are you...?" Lyra questioned, it puzzled me at the minute but as I diverted my gaze back to Sidharth. I realized; it was a dream I was visualizing with my open eyes. He hadn't got conscious still laying on the bed. He hadn't proved me wrong. His state was only confirming my doubt of being a curse. He was in the condition the doctor described as a coma. A condition he could listen to other words but couldn't bring a word out. A state where he knew our presence beside him but couldn't react. Locals described it as a condition of half death.

"Sorry..." I murmured, bowing my head. Showering my face with the dupatta. Apologized for the condition he was in; I had turned a curse for him. I had objected him moving towards me, but he hadn't listened. The fault was mine as well! I had to be strict, my greed of getting a friend pulled him in danger.

"Tum jakar rest kyu nahi karti?" (Why don't you go and rest?) She suggested, "you are sitting here for the past twenty-four hours. Your body needs rest," urging me to move.

I moved my eyes from the soul on the bed to her. I stood from the stool, moving out. I couldn't argue with her further, would consider myself fortunate that I was given an opportunity to be beside him. Though none of his friends believed in that concept, it was happening for real, Sidharth had landed in the hospital due to me. Only if he hadn't met me, he would have safely landed in the city. Might have been enjoying his life rather than laying on the bed with a machine attached.

My life was never a beautiful one, founded with misery and misfortune for people around me. The day I was going to be born, my parents met with an accident. And the minute I was out of my mother's womb my mother died followed by the news of dad. I took a breath on the earth as an orphan. It took me years to realise the one staying along with me wasn't my real parents. During the growing period, I had considered my aunt, father's sister as my mom and his husband my dad. It troubled me on seeing the way she acted with both of us. Her own daughter and me, she never allowed me to even touch her daughter or play with her.

I was a year older than her, and once during an argument, those words came out from her.

"Meri beti ko satana bandh karo, tum kyu usse jagdti rehti ho?" (Stop, troubling my daughter. Why do you always fight with her?) Pulling me away from five years Sushi. We were chasing one another and due to my high speed she ran fast only to land on the floor, she fell over me. She started crying and I was trying to blow air on her bruised knee, to erase her pain.

" Maine tumko meri beti se dur rehne ko nahi kaha? I don't want your curse to harm my only child." (Haven't I warned you to be away from my daughter?) Engulfing Sushi close to her heart, as if shielding her from me. "Move away! From now on, you won't ever come near her." She dragged me pulling towards a small hut. The place where the grass was stored for the use of cows.

We were farmers, a big landlord. Her husband used to spend days looking after acres of land a few kilometres away. The wife looked after the cow for milk and other dairy purposes. There were many small huts kept for storing fodder for the cows. Pushing one of the doors of the hut, she threw me inside. "Aaj se tum yaha rahogi. Mujhse aur meri pariyar se dur." (From today you will stay in this hunt. Away from me and my family.) Mentioning and fuming in anger she moved.

I was left behind with tears. I was troubled by her rude behaviour towards me. Wasn't I, her child-like Sushi? Why had she differentiated between us? Soon darkness covered me, anticipating that my rescuer would be home soon. Suddenly I heard some noises, it turned me alarmed but on hearing dad's voice a sudden hope spread my heart. He protected me from mom, he was my rescuer.

"Pagal mat bano! Tum nahi jante kya kitni badi baddua bani yeh khud ke maa-baap ke liye." (Stop acting like a fool! Don't you know how misfortunate she had turned for her own parents?) Heard an objection coming from mother, what was she uttering? How had I turned misfortunate for them? "Sirf iski wajh se iske maa-baap nahi raha, mera bhai nahi raha." (She is the reason that her parents died, my brother died.) I stepped back on knowing my identity. On knowing that my parents no longer existed. For the past five years, I was expecting love and care from those who were not my blood. And the fact that my parents died due to me? How could it be possible, have I harmed them?

"Yeh hamari beti jitni hai. Sirf panch saal ki hogi, hum kaise isko... yaha rakhe?" (She is a small girl, just like our Sushi. Barely five years old, how can we let her sleep in this hut?) Dad... no not dad but Sushi's dad was against Sushi's mom decision. How was I to take the revelation? A new piece of information my brain was processing. I had no more complaints from her, as she wasn't my mom. I was at fault! I was expecting something from the wrong person.

"Toh? Kya hum humari beti ki zindagi ko dhav pr dale?" (So? Are we going to put our daughter's life in danger?) She was boiling in anger, "tumhari ek galti humari zindagi karab kar sakti hai." (Your one wrong step would destroy our life.) She was warning him, was I that dangerous? Could I put anyone's life in danger? But I had no weapon to harm anyone, then how?

"Please... papa..." I heard Sushi's voice; she was urging him. Did she consider the same? "She had already broken my legs; I don't want her to take my papa away as she did with her parents." She was crying, requesting him to come along with her. "Please don't go near her. She will cause you harm," dragging him along with her.

Soon there was silence, my life had turned quiet as well. I was born an orphan! Everything made sense, from aunt pulling me away from her daughter to caring about her more. Even if I was bleeding more than Sushi, her eyes always noticed the pain of her daughter. I walked towards the only ray of light coming into the darkroom. Glancing at my bruise knees, none treated my wound. None ever did! I touched it, causing slight pain. Had nothing to apply it, had seen aunt treating Sushi. She used to apply some powder, but I had nothing then, my eyes landed on the mud in the ground.

Taking a wrist full of it, I applied it on my knees. Tears rolled down my eyes as the pain increased with it. I slowly laid down on the ground.

It was the truth! If anyone crossed my path, it would have drastic events in their life from my parents to Sidharth everyone had to face. I sat on the chair outside the cabin crying on my faith, the one who provided me with happiness. I was going to be the reason for each pain he faces.

I saw Karan walking out of the doctor's cabin, moving towards Sidharth. He was in a rush, attempting to call someone. The person whose face never missed a smile, had his brow knitted. The glow had disappeared as his best friend was on the verge of dying. Within a few minutes, he walked out, talking to the person on the call. "Hello! Uncle... I had some news; his condition is turning worse. I know you're trying to reach soon but the doctor had only provided us with three hours. He has been in a coma for the past twenty-four hours. And if he isn't recovered, he..." he choked, pulling back his tears.

I was shattering down seeing the situation turning worse. The one who was motivating everyone the previous day had finally accepted the defeat. He ended the call, letting his tears roll down his cheek. His eyes landed on me, a sudden hope taking a place in his eyes. He walked towards me not with the fury I was anticipating but with a request.

"Shehnaaz, you're aware of Sidharth's devastating state." He pressed his forehead, gasping in pain. "We had attempted everything possible, from urging the city doctor, to providing advanced treatment necessary." His shattering hope was coming in the form of tears, "uske dad aane wale hai but samay se phele nahi aa payenge. (His dad is coming but he won't reach within the hours limits the doctor had mentioned.) Son of the world-famous doctor yet not able to receive his treatment." He dried a laugh on Sidharth's faith, he was turning unfortunate.

"He labelled you as his lucky charm, please prove him correct." He folded hands before me, causing me to rise from the chair. "Please humari zindagi ko wapas le aayo, please hum uske bina nahi rah payege." (Please bring our lifeline back, we won't be able to survive without him. Please...)he was pleading, I shook my head. "Please..." Crying miserably before me, how was I to convince them. I wasn't his lucky charm, his curse. The reason he landed in the hospital. But I knew a way out and it was my disappearance from his life only that could cure him.

I walked out of the hospital, moving towards a path that could take me away from him. Away from the hope, he implanted in my heart. And bring back the breath taken away from him due to me. Tears were flowing, my heart was crying. I was depriving myself of the only person that brought happiness to my life. The one who wasn't scared to face me, who wasn't attempting to save his life. He was aiming for something different from the world around him. He was aiming for my happiness!

Kalank nahi ishq hai kaajal piya...
Kalank nahi ishq hai kaajal piya....

•••••••

You got an idea what the story is about?

Founds it appealing? And if you want us to continue this book, kindly share your view.

I have to share something wonderful, this story isn't written by me alone. One of my friends is collaborating with me, she is also a writer and you might be knowing her.

JyotiSachdeva

Thanks for reading...

Will meet you soon till then keep reading and sharing the book.