Late night.
Aarav lay unconscious in the hospital room.
Machines beeped softly around him.
Ananya sat beside him.
Quiet.
Broken.
Her fingers gently held his hand.
"Why did you do that?" she whispered.
Her voice trembled.
"You always do this… take all the pain on yourself…"
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
"I tried to hate you," she continued."I really did."
Silence.
"But I couldn't."
Her grip tightened.
"Because I never stopped loving you."
The words hung in the air.
Soft.
Honest.
True.
Ayaan, sitting beside her, held Aarav's other hand.
"Papa… wake up," he whispered.
"We're waiting."
As if hearing their voices—
Aarav's fingers moved slightly.
Ananya froze.
"Aarav?"
Slowly…
His eyes opened.
Weak.
But alive.