He sat bolt upright, his eyes fixed on her face. "Bondita?" he whisper-shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "Can you hear me? Please, open your eyes."
Her eyelids fluttered again, and her face scrunched up slightly, as if she was trying to respond. Anirudh held his breath, his heart slamming against his ribcage.
"Please," he whispered, leaning in closer to her. "Wake up, please."
He reached out and took her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Come on, Bondita. You can do this."
Her hand twitched in his, a response to his touch. Her eyelids continued to flutter, and she let out a soft moan, as if she was struggling to pull herself out of unconsciousness.
Anirudh felt a flicker of hope grow inside him. He could see the subtle signs that she was waking up, fighting her way back to consciousness. He squeezed her hand tighter, willing her to open her eyes.
"Doctor! Doctor!" The sound of Anirudh's frantic shouts echoed through the room, and the doctor rushed in, his eyes wide with alarm.
"What is it?" the doctor asked, hurrying to her bedside. "What happened?"
Anirudh pointed at her face, his breath ragged with excitement. "She's waking up," he gasped. "Can't you see? Her eyes are fluttering, and she just squeezed my hand."
The doctor leaned over her, his brow furrowed in concentration. He shone a small flashlight in her eyes, studying her response. She let out another soft moan, her face screwing up in discomfort.
"She's coming to," the doctor said, a note of surprise in his voice. "But we need to take it slow. She's still severely injured, and we don't want to overdo it."
Anirudh nodded eagerly, his grip on her hand never loosening. "I understand," he said, his voice thick with emotion. "I just want her to wake up. I need to talk to her, to tell her..."
Before he could finish his sentence, her eyelids fluttered again, and her eyes slowly opened, revealing a glimpse of deep, chocolate irises beneath. Her gaze was unfocused and hazy, like she was trying to get her bearings.
Anirudh's breath hitched in his throat as he saw her eyes open. He let out a shaky exhale, relief washing over him. "Bondita," he whispered, his voice filled with emotion. "You're awake. You're really awake."
Her eyes flickered over to him, her gaze hazy and unfocused. She blinked a few times, trying to clear her vision. Her lips parted slightly, as if she was trying to speak, but no words came out.
Anirudh moved closer to her, his heart pounding in his chest. "You don't have to try and talk," he said softly. "Just rest. You're safe now. You're going to be okay."
She tried to lift her hand, but her movements were weak and clumsy. Anirudh quickly took her hand in his, guiding it to his chest. He pressed it against his chest, right over his heart, so she could feel the steady thump, thump, thump of his heartbeat.
"Do you feel that?" he asked, his voice low and comforting. "That's my heart. It's beating for you. Because I was so worried about you."
She looked up at him, her eyes still hazy but filled with confusion. She tried to speak again, her voice a raspy whisper. "Anirudh?"
He felt a thrill go through him at the sound of his name on her lips. It was the sweetest sound he had ever heard. "Yes," he replied, his voice soft and soothing. "It's me. I'm right here, beside you."
She tried to sit up slightly, her movements sluggish and uncoordinated. Anirudh quickly stopped her, gently pushing her back onto the bed. "No, no, don't try to move," he said firmly. "You're still injured. You need to rest."
She looked at him with a mixture of helplessness and frustration. He could see the confusion and fear in her eyes, the realization of her situation sinking in. But despite her injuries, she still tried to speak again. "What... happened?" she asked, her voice hoarse and raspy.
Anirudh hesitated for a moment, wondering how much to tell her. He didn't want to overwhelm her or upset her even more. "There was an accident," he said finally. "You were hit by a truck. But you're in the hospital now, and you're getting the best care possible. You're going to be okay. I promise."
Her eyes widened at his words, the memory of the accident starting to come back to her. She let out a soft gasp, and her hand clutched at his shirt, seeking reassurance. "I... I remember," she whispered.
"Shh, it's okay," he said quickly, trying to soothe her. "It's okay. Just relax and let the doctors take care of you. You don't need to worry about anything right now."
She shook her head frantically, her eyes filling with tears. "No, I... I need to get up," she said, her voice growing stronger. "I need to move. I can't just lay here."
Anirudh's heart ached at the sight of her distress, but he knew he couldn't let her move around too much in her condition. "You can't move yet, Bondita," he said, gently but firmly. "You're injured. You need to rest and let your body heal."
She let out a sob, her frustration and fear reaching its peak. "But I need to do something," she cried, tears streaming down her face. "I can't just lay here like this. I feel weak and helpless."
"Hey, hey," Anirudh said softly, his thumb stroking her cheek to wipe away her tears. "You're not weak or helpless. You're strong, so strong. You survived an accident that could've killed you. That takes strength and resilience. You're the strongest person I know."
"W-why? W-why D-do you c-care?"
Anirudh felt a pang in his heart at her words, the vulnerability and confusion in her voice breaking his heart. "Why do I care?" he repeated, his voice almost a whisper. "Because you're the most important person in my life. Because I can't stand the thought of losing you."
Her eyes widened in surprise, her tears still falling silently down her face. She stared up at him, her expression a mix of disbelief and hope. "You... you care about me?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"You said y-you hate m-me"
Anirudh's heart twisted at her words, the memory of his harsh words and cruel behavior towards her flooding back to him. He knew he had hurt her deeply, and seeing her pain and confusion now made him feel like the worst person in the world.
"I didn't mean it," he said, his voice ragged with emotion. "I told myself I hated you because it was easier than admitting the truth."
"Truth? "
He took a deep breath, his eyes locked on hers. "Yes. The truth is, I've been lying to myself for months. I told myself that I hated you and that I didn't care about you, but that was all a lie. The truth is, I care about you more than anything in this world. I care about you so much it scares me."
Her breath hitched in her throat as he spoke, her eyes growing wide with shock and disbelief. "You... you can't mean that," she whispered, her voice trembling. "You've been so cruel to me, so hurtful. Why would you care about me after all that?"
Anirudh felt a wave of guilt crash over him at her words. He knew she had every reason to doubt him, to think that he was just playing games with her. "I know," he said, his voice thick with remorse. "I know I've been terrible to you. And I don't deserve your forgiveness, not after everything I've done."
He paused, his hand still holding hers tightly. "But please believe me when I say that I do care about you. More than I ever thought possible. I've been trying to deny it, to bury it deep inside me, but I can't anymore. Seeing you hurt and scared like this, it's tearing me apart."
She stared at him, her eyes filled with a mixture of hope and skepticism. She desperately wanted to believe him, but the pain and hurt he had inflicted on her for so long made it hard for her to trust him. "Why should I believe you?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
Anirudh let out a shaky breath, his heart aching at the doubt in her voice. He knew he had earned her distrust, and he had no one to blame but himself. "You're right," he said softly. "I haven't given you any reason to believe me. But all I ask is that you try. Just give me a chance to prove it to you."
Her eyes searched his face, looking for any sign of deception or falsehood. She wanted to believe him, to trust him, but her heart was still guarded and fragile. "How?" she finally whispered. "How can you prove it?"
Anirudh took another deep breath, trying to choose his words carefully. "By doing everything I can to make up for what I've done," he said firmly. "By treating you with kindness and respect, the way you deserve to be treated. I promise I'll do everything in my power to show you how much I care about you, and earn your forgiveness."
Her eyes widened at his words, hope sparking in their depths. She wanted so desperately to believe him, to trust that he was being sincere. But she was still so scared, so unsure of what to think. "What if... what if you hurt me again?" she whispered, her voice so quiet he almost didn't hear her.
Anirudh felt a pang of guilt and remorse at her words. He knew he had hurt her so many times already, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her more pain. "I won't," he said firmly. "I won't hurt you again. I know I don't deserve your trust, but please, please give me a chance to prove myself to you. Let me show you that I'm serious, that I really do care about you."
She searched his face again, looking for any hint of insincerity. But all she saw was earnestness and regret. Her heart softened ever so slightly, her defenses weakening. "Okay," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I'll give you a chance."
Anirudh felt a wave of relief wash over him at her words. He had been expecting more resistance, more doubt and skepticism. But her decision to give him a chance, no matter how small it might be, filled him with hope. "Thank you," he said softly, taking her hand tightly in his. "Thank you, for giving me this chance. I won't let you down, I swear."
The End
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One of the longest chapter I've written.
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Epilogue is left.
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