Chapter 12

As Karan stood frozen in disbelief, Tiya's fragile voice pierced the heavy silence. "Please, come inside," she murmured, her tone carrying the weight of the world. With hesitant steps, Karan followed her into the dimly lit living room, where the air felt heavy with sorrow. He sank into the sofa, placing the bouquet of daisies beside him.

Rani, the woman who had answered the door, brought a glass of water and offered it to Karan before leaving the room. Tiya sat across from him, her frail figure a stark contrast to the vibrant woman he once knew.

His eyes sought answers in her tired, weakened form.

Struggling to find his voice amidst the storm of emotions raging within him, Karan finally managed to utter, "How... how are you, Tiya?" His heart clenched with anguish, knowing the answer before she even spoke.

Tiya's response was a soft whisper, barely audible above the sound of his shattered hopes. "Good," she said, her voice carrying a quiet resignation that tore at his soul.

Unable to tear his gaze away from her shaved head, a stark reminder of the cruel hand fate had dealt her, Karan's voice trembled as he dared to ask the question that had been haunting him since he first laid eyes on her. "Tiya... what happened to you?" he breathed, his heart breaking with each word.

Tiya's eyes, once filled with laughter and light, now held a world of pain and sorrow. She lowered her gaze, unable to meet his, as she uttered the words that shattered whatever semblance of hope remained. "Blood cancer. Stage 4," she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I only have five months left," she added, her words echoing in the cavern of Karan's heart.

The glass slipped from Karan's trembling fingers, crashing to the floor in a symphony of broken dreams. In that moment, as the shards scattered around him, Karan felt his world crumbling, consumed by the relentless tide of despair.

Karan stumbled towards the direction of the washroom, his mind a whirlwind of disbelief and anguish. Tiya's words echoed in his ears, each syllable driving a dagger deeper into his shattered heart. His hand trembled as he reached for the door handle, his fingers closing around it with a desperate grip.

Inside the washroom, he leaned heavily against the cold wash basin counter, his chest heaving with the weight of his grief. Tears streamed down his cheeks unchecked, his body convulsing with silent sobs. The walls seemed to close in around him, suffocating him with the unbearable weight of reality.

With a broken cry, Karan sank to his knees, the weight of his anguish too heavy to bear. He pounded his fists against the wall, each blow a futile attempt to drown out the pain that threatened to consume him whole. "This can't be happening... please tell me this is a dream," he pleaded the universe, his voice choked with raw emotion. “Please don't take her away from me,” he cried out, pulling on his hair.

But there was no solace to be found in the silence of the washroom, no respite from the cruel truth that now loomed over him like a dark cloud. As the echoes of his anguish reverberated off the walls, Karan knew that this nightmare was all too real, and that he was powerless to escape its crushing grip.

He emerged from the confines of the washroom, his eyes fell upon the glimmering gold band adorning his finger – a symbol of the powerful holy union he shared with Tiya, an union that he refused to relinquish to the clutches of fate. Wiping away the remnants of tears from his eyes with the sleeve of his sky-blue shirt, he steeled himself with a newfound determination.

Surveying the modest bedroom, adorned with delicate flower wallpapers, Karan's gaze was drawn inexorably towards a collaged frame adorning the wall. As he drew nearer, his breath caught in his throat, his heart skipping a beat at the sight before him.

Within the confines of the frame lay a poignant collection of memories – the ultrasound scan capturing the tender promise of their unborn child, the post-pregnancy test photo symbolising the hope that once filled their hearts, and a small, cherished image of Tiya cradling her burgeoning belly, a snapshot frozen in time just before tragedy struck.

The weight of grief and longing washed over him as he stood before the collage, each image a painful reminder of the happiness they had once shared, now tinged with the unbearable ache of loss.

Karan vowed to defy the cruel hand of fate, to stand unwavering by Tiya's side in the face of adversity. For he was not one to surrender to despair – he was a man fueled by love, determined to reclaim the happiness that had been torn from their grasp.

His gaze swept over the room, he noticed another frame, this one containing a small ultrasound picture. Beside it stood a photo of Tiya, Meera, and their mother, radiating warmth and love, followed by a picture of himself on their wedding day. Tears welled up in Karan's eyes once more as he took in the poignant images.

He sat on the edge of the bed, his hands trembling as he dialled his mother's number. With a deep breath, he waited for her to pick up, his heart pounding with anticipation. As soon as she answered, he wasted no time in delivering the news.

"I found her," he said, his voice quivering with emotion.

There was a brief moment of silence on the other end of the line before his mother's voice filled his ears, brimming with hope and relief. His sister, Meera who was with their mother also expressed joy and relief. However, the joy was short-lived as Karan continued, his next words shattering the fragile semblance of happiness.

"She has blood cancer. Stage 4," he choked out, tears streaming down his face. "She only has 5 months, Maa."

The weight of his words hung heavily in the air as Karan struggled to contain his anguish. The pain of his revelation seemed to echo in the silence that followed, leaving him feeling utterly broken and defeated.

"Why does God want to punish me like this?" he cried out, his voice raw with despair. "Why make her suffer even more? She's already been through so much."

His mother, Rekha, was speechless, her own shock mirroring his. As the news sank in, she felt her strength falter, and she slowly collapsed onto the bed, overwhelmed by the weight of the situation.

"Bhaiya... Maa fainted," Meera's voice trembled over the phone, her words barely audible through her own tears. "Please take care of Bhabhi," she pleaded, her voice filled with sorrow and concern.

Leaving the room, Karan found Tiya seated, immersed in reading the holy Bhagavad Gita. Her fragile form seemed to blend with the surroundings, her presence a stark reminder of the fragility of life. As he approached, Tiya looked up, her eyes reflecting a mixture of surprise and anticipation.

Instead of taking the seat across from her, Karan settled beside Tiya, their shoulders almost touching. A heavy silence hung in the air, each lost in their own thoughts. But she almost immediately scurried away from him. This did not go unnoticed by him nor did it fail to hurt him.

Finally, Tiya spoke, her voice soft and fragile, like a whisper in the wind.

"I hope Sanjana and you are doing well. How are Meera didi, Adit, Atharv ji and Maa?" she asked, her words tinged with concern.

Karan met her gaze intently, his heart aching at the sight of her frailty. "They are fine," he replied softly, his eyes never leaving hers.

Tiya nodded, a hint of sadness clouding her features. "Give me the papers. I will sign them," she said, her voice barely above a whisper thinking he was here to get her to sign the divorce papers. Maybe he and Sanjana were planning to get married, she thought.

Confusion flickered across Karan's face. "What papers?" he asked, taken aback by her words.

"Divorce papers... aren't you here for that?" she questioned, her voice trembling with uncertainty and weakness.

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I cried a lot writing this chapter. Fate is cruel... isn't it?

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Hare Krishna