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Nitya was practically sprinting through the hospital like she was in a marathon she never signed up for. Abhinav's call had driven her in full panic mode. Tears were streaming down her face, turning everything into a blurry mess.
Adwait was trailing behind her anxiously.
After bombarding the receptionist with inquiries about the ward, they hurried to the mentioned area only to be greeted by a heart-stopping sight. Arushi was slumped in a chair, hands covering her mouth, shoulders shaking with tears, while Virat was pacing the corridor back and forth.
"Bhai, where's Avirat? Please, tell me he's alright," Nitya pleaded in a voice full of fear and desperation.
Virat mustered his strength to speak, "He's still inside. We haven't received any updates on his condition." his voice was strained.
That was the last straw for Nitya. "He's just five months old, for God's sake! How could you two be so reckless?" she exploded in anger at them.
Virat didn't utter a word. He was unable to offer any defense against her justified anger. Both he and Arushi were responsible for the accident that had befallen their child. They should've been way more careful, no doubt about it.
Arushi's sobs wracked through the air. Nitya eyes flitted in her direction. Her anger melted away, replaced by a cold knot of worry at the sight of her usually fiery friend who was now reduced to a weeping mess. She plopped down beside Arushi and pulled her into a tight hug. Soon, she felt her friend's tears soaking into her shoulder.
"It's all my fault, Nitya," Arushi confessed through her tears. "I shouldn't have left him alone even for a moment," her voice was thick with self-blame.
"What exactly happened, Aru? Tell me everything," Nitya urged. She gently stroked Arushi's back as they huddled together. "Abhinav didn't provide clear details. He only mentioned that Avirat is at the hospital."
Arushi disengaged from the embrace. She took a moment to compose herself. Taking deep breaths, she was at last able to quiet down her sobs before recounting the harrowing events. "I was playing with him in our bedroom. Then, I received a call from my client. They needed details from a file, so I hurried to the study to retrieve it. When I returned, I found Avirat lying unconscious on the floor, his head bleeding," she choked out, "I even placed a pillow around him before I left. I don't understand how he ended up at the edge."
"Of course, you wouldn't get it," Virat scoffed intruding on their conversation, "A baby nearing six months can move and sit with support. But that's knowledge you'd only have if you had an ounce of responsibility, damn it," he snapped.
He'd been eavesdropping the whole time, and now his frustration boiled over, forcing these words out of him.
Arushi flinched at Virat's harsh tone. She casted her gaze to the floor in a mixture of shame and hurt.
