Shivani sat motionless, her hands curled into tight fists on her lap. The air in the hospital room was stale, thick with antiseptic and something heavier—something suffocating. Her gaze was locked onto them, unwavering, unreadable.
She didn't move. She didn't speak.
The silence stretched so long that the men standing before her began to shift uncomfortably. It wasn't hesitation on her part. It wasn't even shock. It was something colder. Something final.
Rudransh swallowed hard. "Vani—"
Shivani's fingers twitched against the bedsheet, her nails digging into the fabric as if trying to anchor herself. Her heartbeat was steady, but her breath hitched for just a second.Her expression didn't waver. But when she spoke, her voice was razor-sharp.
"Don't .you .dare .call me that."
The weight of her words crashed into them.
He flinched. A beat of silence. Then he tried again. "Shivani, please, just listen—"
A humorless chuckle slipped from her lips. It wasn't amusement. It was disbelief.
"Unbelievable," she murmured, her fingers tightening into her palms. "Tum log sach mein aaye ho?"
Shock. That was her first true reaction. Then confusion. But above all—hatred.
There was no warmth in her voice. No nostalgia. Just raw, unfiltered resentment.
Ayaan, desperate, let a hopeful smile slip. But the sheer coldness in her stare extinguished it instantly.
Ayaan took a step forward. "Humein pata hai humne bahut badi—"
"AAP LOGON KO YAAD AAYI MAIN?KI MAIN ZINDA HOON?"
Her voice cracked through the air like lightning. For the first time, her mask slipped—just for a second. Then she clenched her jaw, locking the emotion away.
Rudransh's lips parted, but the words wouldn't come.
Shivani's laughter was quiet, but it dripped with venom. She leaned back against the pillow, her body rigid with tension.
"Wah! Kamaal kar diya. Aath saal… aath saal! Jab mann kiya, mujhe chhod diya, aur jab mann kiya, wapas aa gaye. Main koi mela hoon jo jab chahe aa jao?"
Vanraj tried to hold her gaze, but his throat was dry. "Beta, hum—"
Shivani's head snapped toward him. "Mujhe beta mat bulao."
His breath hitched.
She sat forward suddenly, eyes burning. "Kya soch rahe ho? Ki ek 'sorry' bolne se sab theek ho jayega?"
Rudransh hesitated before answering, his voice barely above a whisper. "Nahi… lekin—"
"Lekin kya?" she cut in. "Lekin aapko laga main samajh jaungi? Maaf kar dungi?" She let out a bitter sigh. "aap log toh Durr kar diye the na? Toh phir wapas kyun aaye ho?"
Veer stepped forward, his voice desperate. "Kyunki tu important hai!"
Shivani's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Important? Oh." She tilted her head. "Aath saal tak main important nahi thi, aur ab achanak ho gayi?"
"Agar aaj warden phone nahi karti, toh kya aapko kabhi yaad bhi aata ki main iss duniya mein hoon?"
Ayan, the one who had always understood her the most, pleaded, "Shivani, please… aise mat dekh."
For the briefest moment, her breath hitched. But she masked it quickly, her expression hardening once more.
"I thought you were dead." Her voice was eerily calm. "Kyunki jo insaan zinda hote hain, woh dikhai bhi dete hain."
Their hearts sank.
"We had no choice—"
"You had a choice," she spat. "You just didn't choose me."
Silence.
Vanraj inhaled sharply, his voice growing firm. "Tum ab bhi wahi purani baatein leke bethi ho?"
For the briefest moment, Shivani felt something in her chest tighten. But she crushed it down, forcing herself to breathe through the anger, to stay cold.
Shivani let out a low, bitter laugh, shaking her head slightly. Her shoulders tensed, like a predator ready to strike. Her voice, when it came, was like ice—deadly and unyielding."Purani?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Main bhi ek purani yaad hoon jo kabhi yaad aayi, kabhi bhool gaye?"
The room felt colder.The room was suffocating. Tension thickened the air, pressing against them all.
His jaw tightened. "Maine hamesha tumhari khushi chahi hai."
She scoffed. "Haan, tareeka thoda hatke tha—mujhe akela chhod ke dukh dekar dikhane ka!"
His voice broke. "Beta, jo bhi hua usme meri koi galti nahi thi… halat hi aise the!"
"Oh wah!" she clapped mockingly. "Aapko toh 'Father of the Year' award milna chahiye!"
Her words struck deeper than she intended.
The tension in the room became unbearable.
"Shivani…" kabir's voice was almost broken. "Jo bhi ho, tu hamesha meri behen rahegi."
She exhaled shakily, looking away.
"I don't have a brother."
Something inside him shattered.
Shivani's bitter laughter faded into silence. She turned her face away, unwilling to meet their eyes anymore. The weight of their guilt pressed against her, but she refused to let it in.
Vanraj took a deep breath, steadying himself. Then, in a voice that left no room for doubt, he said, "Hum tumhe lene aaye hain."
The room went deathly still.
Even Rudransh and the others turned to stare at him in shock. They had assumed they were here only to see her, to mend things—not to take her back.
Ayaan blinked. "Dad... aap kya keh rahe ho?"
Kabir, who had been standing in the corner, straightened. "Hum bas Shivani se milne aaye the na?..."
Vanraj's expression remained firm. "Nahi. Hum apni beti aur tumhari bahen ko lene aaye hain."
For the first time, Shivani's composure cracked. She looked stunned. But a second later, her features twisted with anger.
"Tum logon ko samajh nahi aa raha kya?" Her voice rose, sharp as a blade. "Mujhe tumhare saath nahi jaana!"
"Shivani, ghar chalo," Rudransh pleaded, stepping forward. "Sab waisa hi hai jaise pehle tha. Sab—"
"Sab waisa hi hai?" She let out a sharp laugh. "Kis duniya mein jee rahe ho tum log? Mera sab kuch badal gaya hai! Meri aab dusri duniya hai tum sab se bahot durr"
Veer's voice softened. "Par tu ab bhi hamaari behen hai."
Her hands curled into fists. "Aap log ab aaye ho, jab aapko laga ki wapas aana chahiye. Mujhe mat batao ki main kya hoon."
Vanraj's voice turned stern. "Beta, yeh zid mat kar. Hum nahi jaayenge. Tumhare bina nahi."
Her nostrils flared. "Theek hai, baitho yahan. Poora hospital bhar do. Koi bhi fark nahi padta."
Despite her sharp words, none of them moved.
The door creaked open.
A nurse entered holding a water bottle , her stern gaze sweeping over them. "Be a little calm. This is a hospital, patients need peace here and The patient needs rest. Taking so much tension can worsen her condition.
They stiffened.Stepping back slightly
She turned to Shivani, her voice gentler. "Dear child, the doctor has said that stress can increase fever… you just take rest."
With that, she left.
Shivani let out a slow breath, then turned back to them. Her lips curled into a mocking, hollow smile before she looked away.
One by one, they left, their faces pleading, their hearts heavy with words unspoken.
That night, they didn't sleep.
Shivani did.
That was how much the tables had turned.
One of them sat outside her room, waiting, hoping.
One of them punched a wall in frustration.
The father tossed and turned, unable to escape his own thoughts.
Regret shackled them, held them captive in a loop of 'what ifs' and 'if onlys.'
In the silence, the truth settled over them like a cruel whisper—they had lost her.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. And then another.
They stared at the ceiling all night, waiting for morning, praying for a miracle.
The cold night air bit at their skin, but the real chill came from within. The hospital lights flickered, casting long, distorted shadows on the wall. Ayaan rubbed his palms together, restless. Rudransh paced. Vanraj sat on the bench, staring at the ground, as if waiting for it to swallow him whole. Kabir leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his jaw clenched tight. Veer sat on the steps, his elbows resting on his knees, hands clasped together as if in silent prayer. None of them spoke. None of them dared.
They stayed outside.
All night.
Waiting.
Hoping she would talk to them again.
Did you feel connected to Shivani's emotions? Which moment hit you the hardest?
If you were in Shivani's place, would you have reacted the same way?
What do you think happened eight years ago that led to this situation?
Among Vanraj, Rudransh, Ayaan, Veer, and Kabir, who do you think is the most guilty?
Why do you think Vanraj suddenly wants to take Shivani back now?