8 PM…
There was a knock on Aditya’s cabin door. As soon as he said “Come in,” Aniket walked in.
Seeing him, Aditya raised an eyebrow and said, “What’s going on?! Since when do you knock before barging in!?”
Sitting on the chair, Aniket replied, “Thought I’d respect your personal space for once!”
Aditya chuckled, “Wow! Look at you! I wish you always thought like this!”
Loosening his tie, Aniket smirked, “Don’t get your hopes up! Anyway… are you coming for dinner with me?”
Aditya: “Dinner?!”
Avoiding eye contact, Aniket said, “Yes, dinner! Why are you thinking so much… just say yes already!”
Aditya scratched his head, “Umm… I’ll come, but you’ll have to wait a bit.”
“Why? You got another meeting? Or need to visit some production unit or something?” Aniket asked.
Aditya replied, “No, no… I just have to drop Anamika home.”
Hearing that, Aniket smirked and said, “Oh ho! Look at you! And what about that witch? She actually gave you permission to do this?!”
Aditya’s smile faded a little. He sighed and said, “She’s staying for the night shift... that’s why.”
Seeing his downcast expression, Aniket said, “Then why do you look so gloomy?! You should be happy! At least that witch trusted you enough to leave your Gulabo with you for a while!”
Aditya smiled faintly, “Yeah… I’m happy about that. But there’s something else bothering me.”
Aniket looked at him intently. “What is it?”
Aditya told him about the phone call between Saaniya and Anamika that morning and said, “Because of Saaniya’s behavior, Anamika felt really bad… and I don’t know what to do!”
Aniket recalled the night before, when he had bluntly told Saaniya she didn’t even deserve to be anyone’s friend.
After a brief silence, Aniket asked, “So, you want to make your Gulabo happy?”
Aditya looked at him with hopeful eyes, “Do you have a plan?”
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Getting up, Aniket said, “Plan?! Do you need a plan just to take your Gulabo to meet that witch? Get your car, put her in it, and drive straight to the hospital!”
Aditya looked away and muttered, “As if Anamika would agree to that so easily…”
“Just try it, man!” Aniket urged.
Aditya stood up and walked toward Anamika’s cabin, telling Aniket, “You wait here… I’ll go talk to her.”
Aniket sat back and waved him off, “Yeah yeah… I have no interest in being the third wheel anyway!”
Aditya left, and Aniket drifted into his thoughts.
He could still see Saaniya’s emotionless eyes from last night—eyes that, maybe, wanted to say something to him.
Shaking his head, Aniket mumbled, “No! I didn’t say anything wrong. Besides… a stone-hearted girl like her wouldn’t care about such things anyway!”
And then… just a moment later, Aniket whispered to himself, "It really doesn’t matter to her… right?"
But something about that silence… haunted him.
Elsewhere, in the stark white corridors of the hospital…
Saaniya stepped out of the operation theatre, her scrubs still stained with the weight of what just happened.
Before she could even process her breath, a middle-aged woman ran toward her, desperation flooding her eyes.
She clutched Saaniya’s hand tightly, trembling—almost collapsing—under the fear in her voice. “Doctor… my son… please tell me—he’s okay, right? He’s alive, right?”
Saaniya looked at her.
Straight in the eyes.
Unflinching.
Emotionless.
And then gently tried to pull her hand away as she began, “I’m… sorry. We tried everything. But your son—”
SLAP.
A loud crack tore through the hallway.
The woman’s hand came down hard across Saaniya’s face, and the echo of it rang louder than her sobs.
“NO! You’re lying!! You’re lying!” she screamed, her voice shaking.
“You’re the best, aren’t you?! The best surgeon in this city! They all say it! And you’re telling me you… couldn’t save him?! No. That can’t be true. That’s not true!! SAY IT! Say he’s alive!! Please…”
Tears streamed down her face as she clutched at nothing but shattered hope.
Saaniya didn’t flinch.
Didn’t wipe the blood that had gathered near the edge of her lip.
Her eyes… still blank. Her voice… steady.
She spoke softly, but with an unshakable finality— “If hitting me… if calling me a liar… could bring him back, then do it.
Scream. Shout. Break me into pieces if it helps.
But when you're done—when your hands give up and your throat goes dry— You’ll have to face the truth. Your son… is gone.”
The woman collapsed.
Her knees buckled under the weight of her world falling apart.
She crumbled to the ground, her cries shaking the air, begging for time to reverse.
People rushed to her aid—nurses, doctors… voices trying to calm her.
But Saaniya…
She turned and walked away.
No glance. No second thought.
Just words—cold, but somehow… heartbreakingly honest:
“Cry all you want… later. Right now—go.See him.
Hold his hand. Kiss his forehead. Because this is your last chance.
No matter how many tears you shed… he’s not coming back.
Your tears will dry.
But he… he will not return. So do what he would’ve wanted… not for him to die, but for you to live.”
And with that—she disappeared down the hallway.
The silence left behind wasn’t just of loss… it was filled with confusion, judgment, whispers.
"If she couldn’t say something comforting, then why speak at all?"
"Why was she so heartless…?"
But far away, leaning against a wall where no one could see his clenched fists… stood Rudra.
He had seen it all.
And unlike the others, he didn’t judge her.
He whispered inwardly, *"No one else would dare say the truth the way you did.
They’ll try to soothe her… cover up reality with soft lies. But you… you gave her the mirror.
They’ll say you didn’t care. They’ll think it didn’t hurt you. And maybe… it shouldn’t have. He was a stranger, after all.
But I know better. I know… this was your second failure. And it’s breaking you inside."*
Back in her cabin…
Saaniya sat down slowly.
The slap mark still burned on her skin.
But what hurt more… was what she couldn’t save.
She stared at the nameplate on her desk.
Dr. Saaniya khan — carved in gold.
But all she saw… was a lie.
She placed a trembling hand on it, her voice barely audible—almost like a child apologizing to someone who couldn’t hear her anymore.
“I didn’t deserve the chance to try… But I still hoped you’d survive.I’m sorry.I’m so… so sorry.I couldn’t save you…”
And then, finally…
A tear escaped.
The only tear she had allowed herself all day.
Because that’s the truth about people who look the strongest— The ones who never cry in front of the world… cry the most when they’re alone.
Saaniya didn’t break because someone yelled at her.
She broke… because she failed to save someone she didn’t even know.
Will Saaniya ever allow someone to see this side of her?Or will every emotion… every ache… remain buried within that stone-cold silence?
