Samaira slowly held her best friend's baby like a precious thing made of fragile glass. The baby girl was fast asleep with a cringed forehead.But still she looked cuter than ever.

She cradled the little thing in her arms and she felt light and happy. The baby smiled within her hold making her melt like ice.

"Meheheheheeeeeeeee! "Reyan who had arrived at the hospital with his grandmother a few hours before, shrieked in annoyance.

"My jealous chub! "Samaira chuckled and lifted him with her other hand. She held both her babies close to her heart.

Reyan smiled and caught hold of the newborn's fingers. She felt contented seeing the sight.

After a long cuddling,she kept both the babies who were sleeping soundly on the bed.

She saw Kevin sitting in a corner of a room, his face clearly demanding attention.

She scooped him up and placed a kiss on his forehead while he wrapped his hands around her neck.

She felt that the kids and herself needed rest as their journey was quite tiring.

She sat beside Praniti who too was fast asleep.

Suddenly, the door of the room opened and Ayush slided in followed by Praniti's parents.

"Go home child! You should be tired and especially your cute chubs. Their eyes are drooping ."Praniti's mother said.

Samaira smiled back and nodded her head.

She gestured her mother that they could go and held Kevin who had dozed off on her shoulder tightly.

Her mother picked up a sleeping Reyan.

"Ayush! Please call me if you need anything. Don't think that Iam jet lagged, I'll come flying if you are in need. Okay? "She said and Ayush responded with a charming smile.

"Sure! "he replied after a few seconds.

The ladies walked out and got inside a cab.

Praniti woke up an hour after their dispersal. She felt very weak and tired.

She slowly sat upright and noticed Ayush staring at his sleeping daughter. She smiled wholeheartedly as she saw the baby's lips bend upwards.

Ayush diverted his glance to his wife and arose from the chair he was sitting on.

He walked to Praniti as a subtle smile captured his lips. He sat down beside her and his smile grew wider.He caught hold of her hands and kissed them softly making her feel peaceful.

"Thank you so much Praniti! You have gifted me with the most precious thing in my life. My baby. No... Our baby! "

Praniti smiled softly and wound her hands around his waist.

"You were saying something would happen to you after delivery. Did something happen ma'am? "Ayush asked sarcastically.

"Honesty speaking, I still have the feeling. "Praniti replied to which Ayush smacked her head.

"Bhakk! "he said and chuckled.

--**--

Samaira laid on her bed in tight slumber. She stirred vigorously and shot up from the bed. The nightmare she witnessed a few seconds before shocked her beyond limits.

She saw herself in room that was engulfed in utter darkness. There was not even a tiny source of light. All she could hear was unmeasured silence that disturbed her highly.

She then saw a silhouette of a man.She narrowed her ears as she heard the man saying something again and again.

She slowly walked to him and she was just a feet away from him yet she couldn't make out who he was.

"Samaira... I need you... Please come to me.... Shoulder me Samaira.... Help me out of this.... I cannot live this way.... I want you Samaira. "the man whispered again, audible only to himself and her.

She tried hard to see his face but all she could see was a hoodie that covered his face. As she neared closer, he hugged her tightly as if he needed her the most, as if he was holding onto his last drop of life.

She was shocked initially but something made her hug him back and caress his head with all her love.

She had then suddenly jolted up from sleep.

He.. He... sounded like....

She brushed off the entire dream from her mind and spared a quick glance at the clock. It was two in the morning.

She laid back again but her eyes kept fluttering slowly.

Why? Why this dream all of a sudden? Which man on earth needs her,especially when her own husband who was behind her like a shadow left her for good?
Who could even find happiness in her? The man who she dreamt sometime before? Absolutely not! He is the happiest man on earth now.

Looking back at the sleepless nights she spent,contemplating her former husband's words, she felt she did not know how to love.Or was it him who failed to realise her love for him?

These questions of hers would never get an answer.

She then got out of the bed and sat on the couch beside. Three years before, her husband had kissed her for the first time sitting in the same room, on the same couch.

At that time she felt peace radiating through each cell of her body. A sense of being madly loved had ignited her heart on fire.

Thinking about it now, just made her feel like throwing up.

Even if she had not loved him properly, no genuine husband on the face of this earth would leave his pregnant wife with whom he had lived with for four long years.

She closed her eyes tightly to control the saline that was about to drop out of her orbs. She was not going to cry for the coward, she had promised to herself an year back.

She took out her phone and downloaded the PDF of a novel.Only she knew how she missed reading. Be it anytime, nothing could make her think twice because reading something.

She clicked open the file and it read,

The Remains of the Day

-

-**--
Praniti pressed her forehead with her long fingers. She had a splitting headache and she thought it was due to lack of sleep and exhaustion.

She had been discharged from the hospital a day or two before.

She closed her eyes tightly feeling the pain increase. This was no normal headache. This was something else.

She felt like breaking everything around her. The intensity of the pain made her clutch a fistful of her loose top.

She then felt like vomiting and threw up everything in her stomach into the washbasin which stood before her.

Samaira who had been noticing her for a while barged into the washroom and massaged her back.

"These symptoms do not look good at all Praniti. Let's go to hospital. "

"I'm thinking of the same, Sam! But what about our babies? Ayush too left to hospital as there was an emergency. "

"The babies could adjust with bottles for a few hours. I can't risk your health.Your parents will take care of Reyan and Doll. What say? "

"You're my guardian angel! "Praniti exclaimed and then cupped her head again. The pain was not allowing her to speak.

Praniti ran upto her bedroom and yanked open the door of the cupboard. She quickly wrapped her neck with a stole and pulled out her diary too.

She swiftly moved out and informed her parents about them going out.

She handed the diary to Samaira.

"What is this Praniti? "Samaira was confused.

"Open this if the right time comes. "she replied.

"This girl! Get into the car. "Samaira chuckled and dropped the book into her handbag.

She then got inside the car and occupied the driver seat.Sparing a quick glance at Praniti, she started the engine and rode out of the house.

They were caught up in a traffic jam after a few seconds.

"Sam..... I.... I... can't take this...."Praniti's indistinct words cautioned Samaira.

She managed to get out of the traffic and then sped to the hospital. In between she called up Ayush and informed about their arrival. She also called her friend who was a neurologist.

As they reached the hospital, she was horrified to see a motionless Praniti on the passenger seat.

She exited the car and called for a stretcher. The staffs came running and carried Praniti to the doctor.

Samaira didn't know what to do. She hold on to one side of the stretcher and she was allowed inside with the doctor.

The neurologist examined Praniti and asked Samaira to get a scan done.

Samaira felt her knees weakening. Was her friend in danger?

She hurried to scan with Praniti on stretcher and some other staff.

Praniti was laid down to scan and she waited at a corner of the room.

She then felt her phone buzzing and without wasting much time,she picked up the call.

"Where are you guys? "Ayush literally yelled from the other side.

"We are here for a CT scan. Come fast."

"I'm coming... I'm coming. "his voice trailed off as the line died.

Samaira waited, hoping for the best. After a few minutes,she saw Ayush rushing into the room. His chest heaved as drops of sweat rolled down his head.
He saw a part of Praniti's body through the glass wall that separated the system and the room.
He felt as if he was loosing himself. Never in his life, he imagined to see Praniti in such a vulnerable state.

Samaira placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Relax Ayush. It's just a CT Scan. Nothing will happen to your wife. We are there for her. You are there for her. "

Ayush nodded his head as anxiety gushed through his veins.

After waiting for fifteen minutes, a man handed Ayush her scan reports. Ayush looked at it and the rate of his heartbeat increased. His vision was blurred and hands shivered as anxiety took over him.

The man who scanned,hesitated to tell what actually the problem is.

Suddenly,the neurologist hurried into the room and snatched the reports. He viewed it carefully and his eyes emitted tension.

"We have to rush! It's an emergency! "

Ayush who was not able to see the report clearly was not able to react. The staff rushed Praniti to the operation theatre.

Ayush dragged himself and stood right infront of the theatre.

Samaira couldn't move from her position. She had seen scan result clearly while Ayush held it. She had seen what was wrong with her friend.

Hot saline fluid rolled down her cheeks.
There was no hope for retrieving her friend's life back.

'Ruptured Brain Aneurysm' she whispered.

A bulge or ballooning in a blood vessel in the brain.
A brain aneurysm can leak or rupture, causing bleeding into the brain (hemorrhagic stroke).
It has no specific cause and most of the people ....die...

She somehow carried her numb self to Ayush who was now standing still.

Tears made its way through his cheeks.

He suddenly caught hold of Samaira's shoulders tightly.

"You saw the report,didn't you? "Ayush snarled as if she was the reason for his wife's condition.

"Na... No... "she choked.

"Then why on earth are you crying? Tell me what's wrong with her."he yelled, gaining the attention of the staff and other people.

"It's nothing. She will be fine. You'll be alright. "

Ayush clutched her tighter and then suddenly withdrew his hands. He caught hold of his head and sat on a chair. He didn't know what to do.

Was he going to loose her forever? That would mean his death too.

'You can't leave me Praniti. You love me and our daughter too much to leave.'he yelled in utter silence.

After an hour,the doctor came out. Displeasure and hesitation was evident in his face.

Samaira closed her eyes.No.This was not she wished to happen.She didn't want to hear what she was going to. She held a chair for support.

Ayush stood up and stared at the doctor intently.

The doctor shook his head.

"She... had a ruptured brain aneurysm. I tried my best.....But she bled a lot. I could not save... I'm sorry Ayush....and... Samaira.. She.... is... gone. "the doctor said sadly.

Ayush Hari Verma lost his balance and crumbled down like pieces of glass on the floor.

Samaira's eyes showed no emotions. She just stared at the wall before her,like a wax statue.

Her friend had left her....forever.

You never said I'm leaving
You never said goodbye.
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why.

A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried.
If love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died.

In life I loved you dearly,
In death I love you still.
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill.

It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.

Poem credit : Google

That was a long chapter. Do spread a few words.

Love,
Chris
~♥~