Inaaya's POV
The apartment felt suffocating as I walked in, the walls closing in with the weight of my memories. Stuti's comforting words lingered in my mind, but they were drowned out by the torrent of emotions swirling within me. I barely acknowledged her presence as she left me to rest, her concerned eyes tracking my every move.
I couldn't eat. I couldn't think. All I could do was replay the scene at the office over and over again in my mind. Atharv's face, the memories of Dhruv, the guilt—it was all too much. I lay down on my bed, hoping for sleep to claim me, but it remained elusive. Every time I closed my eyes, the past came rushing back, taunting me with its vivid clarity.
Hours passed, and the despair only deepened. I felt trapped in a never-ending nightmare, my chest tightening with a pain that refused to subside. The hopelessness weighed down on me, and I couldn't see a way out.
In a daze, I found myself walking to the bathroom. The harsh white lights flickered, casting an eerie glow. I opened the medicine cabinet and stared at the bottle of antidepressants. They were supposed to help, to numb the pain, to make it all go away. But nothing had ever worked. Not really.
With trembling hands, I unscrewed the cap and poured the pills into my palm. They felt heavy, like tiny anchors pulling me deeper into the abyss. Without thinking, I swallowed them all, the bitterness coating my tongue. I didn't care anymore. I just wanted the pain to stop.
I stumbled back to my bed, feeling the world blur around me. My head swam, and darkness crept in at the edges of my vision. A distant part of me registered what I had done, but the overwhelming need for release overshadowed everything else.
As the room spun, I thought I heard the front door open. It must be Stuti. She would find me soon. But it was too late. I felt my body give in to the pull of unconsciousness, the last remnants of awareness slipping away.
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Stuti's POV
When I entered the apartment, I immediately sensed something was wrong. The eerie silence was unsettling, and a chill ran down my spine. "Inaaya?" I called out, but there was no response. My heart began to race as I made my way to her bedroom, dread pooling in my stomach.
The sight that greeted me almost brought me to my knees. Inaaya lay sprawled on the bed, her face pale and lifeless. An empty pill bottle lay on the floor beside her. "Oh my God, Inaaya!" I screamed, rushing to her side. My hands shook as I checked for a pulse. It was faint, but it was there.
I grabbed my phone, my fingers fumbling as I dialled emergency services. "Please, hurry! My friend... she's taken a lot of pills. She's not responding!" Tears streamed down my face as I relayed our address.
In a flurry of panic, I tried to keep Inaaya awake, shaking her gently and calling her name. "Inaaya, stay with me! Please, don't do this. Help is on the way." But she remained unresponsive, her breaths shallow.
Minutes felt like hours until the paramedics arrived. They quickly assessed the situation, moving Inaaya onto a stretcher. I followed them, my mind numbs with fear and guilt. How had I not seen this coming? How had I failed to help her?
At the hospital, I paced the waiting room, my thoughts a chaotic mess. Nurses and doctors rushed in and out, their faces grim. I clung to hope, praying that they could save her.
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Inaaya's POV
I floated in a dark void, aware of nothing but an overwhelming sense of peace. The pain was gone, replaced by a numbness that felt like a reprieve. Voices echoed in the distance, but I couldn't make out the words. I was too tired to care.
Slowly, the darkness began to lift. I felt a pressure on my hand, warmth seeping through. A voice, familiar and desperate, pierced the haze. "Inaaya, please wake up. Please."
I wanted to respond, to reassure Stuti, but my body wouldn't obey. The effort was too great. The pull of unconsciousness was too strong.
As I drifted in and out of awareness, fragments of memories flashed through my mind. Dhruv's smile, Atharv's eyes, the laughter we once shared. The guilt and grief that had haunted me for so long. I realized, in that moment, that I wasn't ready to let go. Not yet.
With a monumental effort, I forced my eyes open. The harsh lights of the hospital room came into focus, and I saw Stuti's tear-streaked face hovering above me. Relief washed over her features as she saw me stir.
"Inaaya, thank God," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You're going to be okay. We're going to get through this together."
Tears blurred my vision as I squeezed her hand weakly. I didn't have the strength to speak, but in that silent exchange, a promise was made. I wasn't alone. I had Stuti, and with her help, I would face the shadows of my past and find a way to heal.
As the sedatives took hold and sleep finally claimed me, I felt a glimmer of hope. It was a small light in the darkness, but it was enough to guide me forward. For the first time in a long while, I felt like I had a chance to find my way back.
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Stuti's POV
I sat by Inaaya's bedside, relief flooding through me as she finally fell asleep. The doctors had assured me she would be okay, but I couldn't shake the fear that had gripped me since finding her. I watched her chest rise and fall, each breath a reassurance that she was still with me.
Suddenly, her breathing became erratic, and her face contorted in pain. "Inaaya?" I called out, my heart leaping into my throat. Her eyes fluttered, and then she was still. Too still.
"Help! Someone help!"Â I screamed, panic surging through me. Nurses rushed in, their faces a mask of urgency as they began to work on her. I was pushed aside, left to watch helplessly as they tried to revive her.
Minutes stretched into an eternity. The steady beep of the heart monitor became my only focus, its rhythmic pulse a lifeline. And then, without warning, it flatlined.
"No! Inaaya, please!"Â I sobbed, my legs giving out beneath me. The doctors didn't give up, their efforts becoming more frantic. I couldn't breathe, couldn't think. All I could do was pray, plead for a miracle.
Then, a weak, stuttering beep. Another. And another. She was back.
"Inaaya is slipping into a coma," one of the doctors said, their voice grim. "We've stabilized her for now, but she's not out of danger."
I nodded numbly, tears streaming down my face. I took Inaaya's hand in mine, squeezing it tightly. "I'm here, Inaaya. I'm not leaving you. Please, fight. Fight for us."
As the room settled into a quiet hum of machinery and muted voices, I sat vigil by her side, refusing to let go. The road ahead was uncertain, but I was determined to see her through it. For Inaaya, for Dhruv, and for the future we all deserved.
Together, we would face whatever came next. And I wouldn't let her slip away again
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