C7 Episode 6
A month later:
It has been a month since Hridhaan is regularly coming to the orphanage at lunch time and having lunch with the girls.Though Aavya never eat with them saying that she is not hungry and soo Hridhaan also just eat a little.
But today it was already evening and Hridhaan hadn't visited them yet, which did bothered Aavya a little, reason unknown her also.
She was sitting on bench keeping eye on the little girls playing in the garden, but her heart was just thinking about only one person, again the reason was unknown to her.
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It was past eight in evening when Hridhaan decided to visit orphanage as today he was having back-to-back meetings even at lunch time and that is why he could not make it up for lunch at orphanage.But now when he was on his way back to his home, he thought of having a glimpse of his girl.
Hridhaan reached orphanage to get welcome by unusual silence which made him frown but nevertheless he entered further into the orphanage to see it all vacant, but then suddenly he heard a loud screams of some girl.
He immediately recognise the voice and fastened his steps towards the direction from where the indistinct voices of screaming was coming.
And then , the scene in front of him made him shocked to the core.
Aavya was sitting all curled up like a ball in one corner of a room with mother Michiel by her side consolling her about something.
She was sitting with knees folded near her chest and her face had marks of dried tear.Her head digged in her knees, she was muttering something incoherently.Her body was shivering vigourously and rocking to and fro giving an idea that she is scared of something.
Hridhaan then looked around the room to see each and everything broken and messed up on the floor.
"Girls get back to your room.It is time to go to your bed.", Mother Michiel's voice bring Hridhaan's attention back to Aavya.
"But mother mich--", One girl in the age of around fifteen tried to stay there but mother Michiel dismissed her saying curtly, "She is fine.I am here to take care of her.You take all the other girls and make them sleep."
All girls immediately vacant the room and that is when mother Michiel's gaze fall on Hridhaan who was standing there at the threshold of the door and looking at Aavya with painful eyes.
"Mr.Mehra?", Mother asked and Hridhaan looked at mother Michiel with lots of emotions at same time in his eyes.
Hridhaan walked towards them but Aavya sensing someone coming near her, just shouted loudly on him.
"NOOO JUST GO AWAY FROM HERE.JUST GO, GO AWAY.PLEASE LEAVE ME PLEASE LEAVE ME ALONE.", She screamed at top of her voice while her state was so messy and disheveled that it pained Hridhaan to his core.
Mother Michiel immediately took her in her embrace and started caressing her hair to comfort her, whereas Hridhaan could only look at her with teary eyes.
"Shh!! Everything is fine, my child.No one is going to harm.", Mother Michiel kept on caressing her hair and comforting her.
"No, they-they kill my baby.It was so small but they-they killed They killed him, my baby, they killed him.", Aavya murmured looking at mother Michiel embrace with her hands forwarded in front of her as if she is holding a child in her hands.
Hridhaan looked at Aavya with wide eyes after hearing about 'A baby', and immediately his questioning eyes went to mother Michiel who was already looking at his for his reaction, but then she immediately avert her eyes back to Aavya.
Composing himself and with some strength he walked towards both the ladies with slow steps, before crouching down beside Aavya, and keeping his shivering hand on her shoulder, he lovingly called her, "Aavya?"
Sensing some unknown touch, Aavya immediately took a piece of broken glass lying beside her and gave a sharp cut on Hridhaan's palm causing blood ozzing out of it, but still he didn't move even an inch from his place.
"Dont--dont come near me.I know you--you want to take away my baby and you will kill him.But i won't let you take him away.I will protect him.Yes, i--i will protect him.", Aavya started screaming at Hridhaan but atlast her voice slowed down to some meer murmers.
Hridhaan completely sat beside her, and forcefully took her in a bear hug with tears flowing down his eyes while his hands continuously caressing her hairs and him murmering soothing words in her ears.
Whereas for Aavya, it was first time that she felt an unknown peace in his hug.She kept murmering about baby snuggling in his arms more and more, while mother Michiel looked both of them in shock.
"Shh!! No one is taking your baby away from you.No one will do that.calm down Aavya, please calm down.", Hridhaan kept on comforting her, untill he felt her going all relax in his arms.
Mother looked at them in shocked as it was first time in this whole one year when she saw Aavya getting calm after such panic attack.Till now even Mother Michiel herself can't get proper control on Aavya, specially when she have this sudden panic attacks.
After few minutes, Hridhaan looked down at Aavya who was fast asleep with frowns on her forehead.Her face was all red and had tear stains.She was having many bruises on her arms which she might have got while she was breaking the things and messing up the room.
"She is asleep.Let me put her back into bed.", Hridhaan whispered to mother Michiel who nodded at him to go on.
Hridhaan slowly picked up Aavya in a bridal style and immediately keep her delicate figure on bed, covering her properly with duvet.
Aavya stirred a little due to movements but Hridhaan immediately patted her head slowly slipping her back to sleep.
"Come let me treat you hand.It has got quite a deep cut.", Mother Michiel said pointing at Hridhaan's hand which got cut when Aavya attacked him with glass piece.
Thats when Hridhaan remembered the cut otherwise he was soo much into Aavya's messed up condition that he did not even felt the pain even when Aavya gave him that deep cut on his palm.
"We can't leave her alone.She might wake up and again get frighten.", Hridhaan said looking at Aavya's sleeping figure.
"Ok, then you stay here and i will get a first aid box.", Mother Michiel said knowing Hridhaan won't leave Aavya alone now for even a minute.
Hridhaann nodded and mother left to get first aid box while Hridhaan sat beside Aavya's sleeping figure.
"What has happened with you that you become like this!?And whose baby you were talking about!?What exactly had happened with you Aavya back then!?", Hridhaan kept asking this questions to himself while looking at her now serene and calm face with his hands continuously caressing her smooth long hairs.
His trance was broken by mother Michiel who came there with first aid box in her hand.She came and sat on bed opposite to Hridhaan taking his hand to do proper dressing of it.
"Mother,Which baby Aavya was talking about?, "Hridhaan asked, now his whole attention was on mother Michiel.
"her own baby!", Mother Michiel replied blankly as she continued treating his wound, while Hridhaan frowned and asked, "What?", as he thought he heard something wrong.
"Aavya was pregnant a year back but she had a miss-carriage and reason--well that is her right to tell you everything in detail.She has gone through a lot in her early age.She has bared a lot of pain in this small age.", Mother said after keeping the first aid box aside, and said the last line while looking at Aavya with pitty.
"She--she was preg-pregnant??" Hridhaan murmered more to himself, still trying to digest this new found information.
"Yes, she was pregnant.I hope soon she opens up to you.I have a hope that you can get her back.", mother Michiel said with a small smile.
"I will try my best.I will get her back from her darkness.I will become light to her darkness.I will take her out from her depression.", Hridhaan said looking at Aavya lovingly, before looking back at mother Michiel and asked, "Does she frequently have this kind of panic attacks?
"Almost every alternate day she get this panic attacks.Infact it becomes very difficult for me also to handle her and calm her down.But today i was also shocked when for first time she calmed this early in your arms, otherwise it takes whole night for me to just put her back to sleep.", Mother Michiel replied shocking Hridhaan as well.
"Mother, can i stay back here with her for tonight?i don't want to leave her alone.What if she again get this panic attacks.", Hridhaan asked sincerely looking at mother.
"I am sorry my child but this is against the protocol of our orphanage.And moreover if she will get up in night and if she will see you, she might again freak out and also might hurt u.", Mother Michiel tried making Hridhaan understand that he can't stay back in the orphanage.
"I don't care mother if she will hurt me.But i can't leave her alone, plzz mother just for tonight.", Hridhaan pleaded this time, as he can do anything to stay back with her.
"Ok. i am letting you stay here but jst for tonight.", Mother Michiel replied after a short brief, and Hridhaan thanked her with a wide smile.
"May god bless you, my child.You are doing really a good deed.I will send you your dinner.have it.", Mother michiel said while Patting Hridhaan's head.
"I just came from dinner meeting so i dont need dinner.I will just be here with her.", Hridhaan politely denied and mother nodded in understanding and then walked out of the room leaving a Broken Soul with her Saviour.
Hridhaan first message Mihika about his stay back in the office for an urgent presentation and then slowly come to Aavya's side and settled on bed.
He was looking at her innocent face which was shining due to moonlight but still had tear stains and frown.He started caressing her hair lovingly and in sometime even he was also fast asleep.
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Next morning:
It was four in the morning when Aavya's sleep broke and she blinked her eyes to adjust the light when she felt someone sitting beside her.
She abruptly got up nd looked at Hridhaan who was sleeping peacefully while in the sitting position with his back taking support of head-rest.
Aavya looked around to see the whole room devasted and thats when the flashes from last night came in front of her eyes, and her gaze immediately travelled to Hridhaan's hand which had dressing around it.
"Who are you and why are you doing all this for me!?why do i always feel connected to you!?Why you want to come near me, near s girl who is no less than a curse!? Don't do this please.It hurts to ignore you.Only i know how i ignored you in this whole month when all you were trying is to talk to me.", Aavya murmured looking at Hridhaan as if she is asking questions to him.
She tried getting up from bed only to hiss in pain as a broken glass on the floor pierce her delicate legs.
While hearing her painful hiss, Hridhaan woke up with a jerk.He look around to see Aavya on other side of bed, having pain on her face.He immediately got down from bed and came by her side.
"Hey, are you ok?", Hridhaan asked while crouching down to check the injury in her left leg.
He took her injured leg in his hand despite of her protest and keeping it on his one knee, he started checking out.
Blood was ozzing out from her delicate skin whereas glass was still stuck in her skin.
"You sit here i will get first aid.we have to get this glass out of your skin.", Hridhaan said and then without waiting for her reply he picked Aavya into a bridal style before sitting her back on her bed.
Taking the first aid box fro mside-table, he came to her and again taking her leg in his hand he started taking out the glass while hissing as if the glass is stuck in his own leg instead of Aavya's.While Aavya just kept looking at him with blank expression.
"Don't keep your feet down and give it proper rest because cut is already deep and if u will strain then it will worsen.", Hridhaan said as he continued dressing her wound.
He then picked her both legs and made her sit confortably on the bed.
"Why are you doing this??", Aavya for first time spoke something, while Hridhaan frowned not understanding her words and asked, "What?"
"Why are you coming to the orphanage everyday from last one month and eating this normal food with us??Why are you doing all this.Why are you always trying to talk to me and become friends with me.", Aavya asked with blank and serious face.
"Because i can't see you in pain.", Hridhaan replied sincerely but Aavya was uneffected rather asked again, "Why?"
But Hridhaan choosed to ignore her question and rather asked looking at her wounded leg, "Is it still paining??"
"huh?", Aavya asked frowning at sudden change of topic and Hridhaan pointed at her wounded leg and asked again, "Is your leg still paining?"
Aavya simply nodded her head in no and Hridhaan then got up and sat beside her.
"I don't know what had happened in your past but i want to help you.I sincerely want you to come out of your dark past and i mean it.Please give me a chance--Give me a chance to help you and heal you.", Hridhaan said sincerely looking deep in her eyes, as if trying to convey his each and every word directly into her heart.
Aavya chuckled sarcastically before ssying, "huh!!trust?I can never trust anyone and i don't want your help.And if you still want to help me then just leave me alone.", Aavya said blankly while Hridhaan just sighed at her insecurities.
"Ok fine, if you don't trust me then let it be.Don't trust me but atleast we can become friends, right?i promise i will never harm u.", Hridhaan asked with raised brows.
He forward his hand towards her to encourage her for their friendship.Aavya first looked at his forwarded hand, then up at his face and again at his hand.
After a minute, she hesitatingly held his hand for hand-shake and Hridhaan immediately held it tightly in his grip.
"Thank you for accepting my friendship.I promise i will never hurt u.", Hridhaan promised with a smile.
"I don't know whether i should trust you or not.", Aavya said looking at her fidgeting fingers in her lap.
While hearing this from her, Hridhaan's heart pained a little but he immediately composed himself as he know that he has a long way before he finally earns her trust.
"Don't worry, i promise i will never break your trust on me.And you don't have to trust me untill you are confirmed of my sincerity.", Hridhaan comfort her by taking her hand in his', but Aavya immediately withdraw her hand back from his grip.
"I am sorry.", Aavya apologize while Hridhaan frowned at her sudden apology and asked, "Why?".
"I--i hurted you on your hand.", Aavya said guiltily pointing at his wounded hand.
"It is alright.If this can calm you down then i am ready to take more wounds of this type ", Hridhaan said with a smile but all Aavya felt was sincerity in his words.
"I guess you should go back as it is almost dawn time now.", Aavya said after looking out of the window at faint sun rays slowly emerging from the rising sun.
"You even know how to speak.", Hridhaan humoured while Aavya just shifted unconfortably and seeing this Hridhaan decided not to tease her.
"I think you are right.I should leave now but please you take rest and dont get up from bed.", Hridhaan instructed after getting up all ready to go back to his home.
Nandini simply nodded in understanding and Hridhaan after bidding bye to her, left for his home.Whereas Aavya just kept looking at his retreating figure, still poundering about whether to trust him or not.