A Moment of Awakening

Ever since Adrijay had heard that Sarika had fainted, his heartbeat had quickened. For a moment, he stood frozen in place, stunned. But quickly pulling himself together, he drove his car at full speed, muttering to himself, "No, no, nothing can happen to Sarika… After all this time, I've finally realized my mistake, and now she can't leave me… No, she won't… I won't let anything happen to her." With these thoughts racing in his mind, he pressed the accelerator even harder.

A while later, Adrijay arrived home with the doctor. By then, Devansh had also returned from his firm. Devansh was a well-known lawyer in Lucknow, working for one of the city's best law firms.

The doctor checked Sarika for a few minutes, then set up a glucose drip for her before addressing Adrijay. "Her blood pressure has dropped significantly, and her body is extremely dehydrated, which is why she fainted. When was the last time she ate or drank anything?"

Looking at Sarika, Adrijay replied, "Since last night's dinner… She was observing a Nirjala fast."

The doctor shook his head disapprovingly. "How can you people be so careless? If she was fasting, she should have been allowed to rest. She must have exhausted herself, which led to this condition. Listen, Mr. Chaudhary, when someone observes a Nirjala fast, they should avoid overexertion because their body is already dehydrated. Overworking in such a state can lead to serious complications. I hope you understand what I'm saying."

Adrijay nodded dejectedly. "Yes, doctor. Thank you."

The doctor nodded back. "This is my duty. For now, her drip will take about one to two hours to finish. You can remove it yourself, but if you can't, call me—I'll come over."

After instructing Adrijay about Sarika's medications and diet, the doctor left.

Once he was gone, Adrijay knelt beside Sarika, carefully observing her pale face. His heart was now heavier with guilt, and his eyes reflected deep regret.

At that moment, Yamini ji scoffed. "Just a little bit of work, and Madam has fallen ill? Back in my days, we worked so much more, but we never fell sick."

Hearing this, Adrijay, slightly irritated, responded, "Maa, please, I don't want to discuss this right now."

Then, turning to Vishakha, who was standing there enjoying the spectacle, he said, "Vishakha, you'll cook dinner tonight. Sarika isn't well, so she won't be able to."

Vishakha looked at Yamini ji in surprise, but before she could protest, Yamini ji quickly intervened. "No problem, Adri… Dev will order food from outside. Now, how can Vishakha cook at this hour? It's already late. Who knows how long it will take? The kids will get hungry soon, so Dev will handle it. Right, Dev?"

Understanding the hint, Devansh nodded. "Yes, Bhaiya, I'll order food. Don't worry."

Adrijay didn't respond to them, his attention entirely on Sarika.

Meanwhile, little Tanishq had been silently watching his mother with teary eyes. He tugged at Adrijay's sleeve and asked, "Papa, when will Mumma get better? Won't she play with me anymore? Won't she talk to me again?"

Hearing this, Adrijay's eyes welled up, but he quickly masked his emotions with a small smile. "Of course, she will, Tanu. Your mumma loves you so much, right? Just wait and see—she'll open her eyes soon, and the first name she'll say will be yours. She'll talk to you and play with you. Just give her a little time; she's unwell, just like you sometimes get sick."

Tanishq blinked innocently. "Oh, so it's like when I get a fever? That means Mamma will be fine soon, right, Papa?"

Adrijay gently nodded. "Yes, beta (son)."

Tanishq placed his tiny hand on Sarika's forehead. "Mumma, don't worry. I'll take good care of you, just like you take care of me. You'll be all better soon."

Adrijay felt a wave of emotion hearing his son's innocent words.

Just then, little Adhik woke up from his nap and walked out of his room. Seeing his mother lying unconscious on the couch, he rushed to her side and asked, "Papa, what happened to Mumma?"

Before Adrijay could answer, Tanishq spoke up. "Nothing, Bhaiya! Mumma just has a little fever, like we sometimes get. We just need to take care of her so she gets better soon."

Adhik looked up at Adrijay, who nodded in agreement. He then sat beside his father, took Sarika's hand in his tiny palms, and whispered, "Mumma, don't worry. You'll be fine. Papa, Tanu, and I will take very good care of you."

Yamini ji rolled her eyes at the "drama" and massaged her forehead in frustration. Turning to Devansh, she said, "Dev, just go and bring the food yourself. If you order, it'll take too long. Meanwhile, I'll see what's already made in the kitchen." With that, she walked off to the kitchen.

Devansh left the house, while Vishakha hurriedly sneaked off to her room, fearing that Adrijay might assign her another chore.

About an hour later, Sarika slowly regained consciousness. She blinked a few times before weakly whispering, "Tanu…?"

Tanishq quickly grabbed her hand. "Yes, Mumma! I'm right here. Look!"

Sarika fully opened her eyes, looking at him lovingly. In a faint voice, she asked, "Are you okay, my son?"

Tanishq nodded vigorously. "Yes, Mumma, I'm fine! But you're not… So you need to rest. Now, I'll take care of you, just like you take care of me."

Tears welled up in Sarika's eyes. Indeed, her little Tanishq loved her deeply. She took his tiny hands in hers, kissed them gently, and whispered, "My sweet Tanu! Thank you so much, my love. Just having you by my side is enough for me. With you here, I'll recover in no time."

Tanishq smiled, but then suddenly frowned. "From now on, you're not doing any work until you're completely fine. And if you do, I'll be very angry!" He narrowed his little eyes, trying to look intimidating.

Sarika couldn't help but laugh at his expression. But his words made her nervous deep down. Still, she masked her emotions and gently explained, "But sweetheart, I have to work. Otherwise, how will you all have breakfast? How will you take your lunchbox to school? Work is important, but don't worry. I'll take my medicines and do everything properly. That way, I won't get sick, and you'll be happy too."

Tanishq pouted. "No, Mumma! You won't do any work. If you do, I'll never talk to you again. Katti !"

Before Sarika could respond, Adrijay, who had been silently watching and listening to them, spoke up. "Tanu is absolutely right. You won't do any housework until you're completely fine."

Sarika was startled upon hearing his voice. Until now, she hadn't even noticed him. But what shocked her even more was his concern for her. In nine years, Adrijay had never cared for her, but today, for the first time, he had thought about her and shown genuine concern.

As Sarika was lost in her thoughts, Yamini ji suddenly stormed in, gritting her teeth. "Adri, call Dev and ask if he's bringing the food today or next year!"

Hearing her voice, Sarika instinctively lowered her gaze, as if expecting a scolding.

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