The words in my throat died as my voice chocked in. I never thought that the most awaited moment of my life, will turn out to be my biggest nightmare. I gathered my courage and dragged my body unwillingly as my legs gave up in the war between my mind and heart. I could hear my heart thumping against my chest a million times every minute as my eyes blurred due to a thin layer of glassy liquid covering them. I sat down on my knees with a jerk beside her bed, scared to touch her fragile hand as a set of needles made their way into her soft skin mercilessly. The beep of the machine that connected various tubes to her petite frame made me blink my eyes that were longing to not leave her image, in front of them. A lone tear rolled down my cheek and landed on her thin hand, as if they wanted to feel her. I touched her dry, brittle hair with my shaky hand, my fingers trembling as they came in contact with her fragile skin. "So..na..k..sh..i..", I whispered as if she would hear me and hug me up tight, saying all this was my bad dream. But.. She remained motionless.. in her deep slumber, as I stood beside her, yearning to get a glimpse of her dark brown orbs teasing me, her never ending smile that has the power to pump back my life into my body but alas.. "Sonakshi.. I'm here.. Your Dev.. Open your eyes..", I pleaded but she didn't even budge a little. "Sona.. Wake up.. You can't do this to me.. Don't be adamant.. Sona please..", I begged holding her hand in mine, but she remained silent.

"Dev Dixit!", a person shouted from my back making me startled. I turned behind and saw elena standing at the door step, her eyes full of rage. "What are you doing to her?", she shouted on the top of her voice. She took long strides towards me and tried to remove my hand from sona's. "Elena.. Elena.. What are you doing? You might hurt her", I tried to explain but she looked unaffected. "I will never hurt her... Like you did", she shouted back as I left her hand. When did I hurt my sona? "Just get lost from here", she shouted placing sona's hand securely on the bed while I stood numb. "Nurse! What are you doing here? How can you allow any stranger to touch sona?", she lashed out at the nurse, who stood shocked, confused by the events taking place before her. "Mam.. He is our new doctor, Dr. Dev Dixit. He is the one going handle your sister's case from now on", she stuttered looking at elena's angry form. "What?", elena asked shockingly. "I don't want this man to treat sona... We will shift her to some other hospital. We want to discharge her within two hours", she shouted back. Is she even in her senses?

"Elena.. Please calm down..", I tried to explain her but she didn't listen to me. "Just get out of here Mr. Dixit", she shouted again. What did I do that made her so angry? "Elena!", another voice echoed inside the room. "Is this the way you behave to others?", her mother shouted at her. As she averted her towards me, I saw her expressions changing into a serious one. "Dev!", she asked shockingly. Should I be thankful that she still remembers me or should I wonder about the reason for her shocked expressions. "Maa.. Ask him to get out of here", elena shouted again but this time her eyes pooled up. "Asha, what happened?", Mr. Bijoy asked from behind, entering in. I wondered how he is going to react now seeing me. But he stood silent, unlike elena.

"Aunty, what happened to sona?", I asked panicked but she lowered her gaze from me. "What happened to sonakshi? Why is she like this?", I asked again walking towards sonakshi but elena shouted again. "Don't you dare touch her Mr. Dixit! Maa.. Baba.. Let's discharge shona from here.. This man will try to kill her again", she said sobbing as I stood numb. "Again?", I whispered in shock. "Yes.. You are the reason for her state.. You are the only reason..", she lashed out at me as my heart broke into million pieces.

"What did I do elena? I never saw her after the night before the day I went from darjeeling. Infact I have been searching for you all for so many years. There is not even a single place that I didn't go in search of you all. At last, after seven years, I found her.. But in this state.. ", I said as fresh tears made their way down my face. "This state?.. only you are responsible for her state", she shouted again. "Elena.. It was not his fault. It's shona's mistake", her mother spoke. "Yes.. Everything is shona's mistake", she shouted at her mom. She turned towards me as I stood stunned, "And do you know what was the biggest mistake she had done.. She loved you", she spoke. "She loved me?", I asked more of a surprise than a shock. I so waited to hear this from sona since the past seven years, but at this point.. I couldn't believe it. "Yes, she loved you.. She trusted you.. She waited for you.. But you never came", she said as I gulped down. I wasn't wrong.. Sona waited for me all these years, the same way as I waited for her. But what happened then? "She left us all in misery for you.. See her now.. See what you did to her..", she shouted but I couldn't understand anything.

"Elena, tell me clearly. What happened?", I tried to be polite but she turned away from me. But her mother spoke, "That night, when you were about to leave darjeeling, we had an emergency in Kolkata. So we had to shift our house to Kolkata. For the next three years, we lived there only. But then one day, Shona had a trip to Delhi. In that trip.. the train from Kolkata to Delhi crashed.. That was the train she was travelling in. We heard the news lately and it took more than a day for us to reach the spot. At first we thought that we lost her.. It was then we came to know that thankfully she was alive and admitted in the hospital. But, our happiness short lived as doctors declared that she went to coma. They said that if she woke up within a few days, then she may recover. But alas.. She didn't wake up from that day. We treated her at various hospitals all over India but nothing helped. And finally, we came to know about this hospital, but never thought that you will be the doctor here", she completed as I listened carefully.

"Don't worry Aunty.. I'm sorry.. Mrs. Bose. We have so many facilities here. I can assure you that our sonakshi will be back. Even if I can't, I will bring the best doctors here. Sonakshi will be fine", I said convincing myself and her. "You don't want to Mr. Dixit. We don't need your help", elena said angrily. "Elena, I still can't understand what your problem is. Why are you angry on me? It was an accident", I said trying to be calm. "It may be an accident. But you are responsible for that", she shouted again. "What are you saying? How can I be responsible for the train crash?", I spoke out harshly. This girl is blaming me without any reason. "You may not be responsible for the train crash Mr. Dixit.. But you are the reason for which shona travelled in that train. She went to Delhi to find you.. To meet you..", she said angrily as I stood numb. She went to Delhi in search of me the same way I went to Kolkata to search her. Directly or indirectly, I'm responsible for her state. And a mere thought of that, killed me million times.

"Elena, try to understand. What is Dev's fault in it? It was an accident", her mother tried to put some senses into her mind but she was adamant. "No Maa.. If not for him, then shona would have never travelled in that train. She would have been with us.. She would have lived with us happily. It was this man, who ruined her life, our life, our happiness", she broke down. I have no idea how to calm her down. Infact she was right, if I wasn't there in sona's life, she would've been living a happier life now. I'm responsible for everything..

"I'm sorry elena..I never thought that something like this will happen.. I had no idea that sonakshi will be searching for me the same way I was searching for her.. I loved her more elena.. I still love her.. I will love her throughout my life. But if you think that I was the one responsible for her state, let it be. But don't shift her from here. Instead I'll go from this hospital. I want her to be fine.. I want her to be back, back to her ownself.. If that might cost even my life, I'm ready to give that.. This job.. It's nothing compared to her.. I already lost my mom, my dad.. I can't lose her.. She is the only one in my life.. And she always will be.. So, I'm leaving.. ", I said walking out of the room as my voice choked in.

"Stop", Mr. Bijoy finally spoke as he saw me walking out of the room absentmindedly. "Elena.. He is a doctor. Let him treat shona", he shouted. "But..", elena was about to begin but he interrupted her. "Be quite if you want sonakshi back", he yelled at her. "Dev", he called me making me stop in my traces. "Dev Beta, there is no fault of yours. Everything happened coz of fate. We trust you.. We trust your love for her... Only you can cure her, please", he folded his hands in front of me as I quickly pulled it down. "Thanks for trusting me. I promise you.. I will give your sona back", I said assuring him. "Our sona", Asha aunty said giving me an assuring smile. I nodded my head promising myself that I will never let her go.. Again..

It has been two days since I met sona. Her condition was thankfully not bad as I thought. Today is an important day, coz Dr. Louis from UK examined her. He is an highly qualified and experienced neurosurgeon. I have a strong hope that he will cure her. After the reports were out, I was waiting to discuss them with him. "Hello Dr. Dixit", he greeted me as he entered in. "Hello Dr. Louis. I hope you have gone through the reports", I said as he sat opposite to me. "Yes Dr. Dixit.. The patient is in permanent vegetative state for the past 4 years. Though it is a long period to be in, I suggest to do a surgery. We can expect good results", he said with an assuring smile as I sighed in relief but he continued, "But we can't do it now as the patient is extremely weak. I think we should wait for two to three months and then examine her later. Doing a surgery now in this condition is highly not recommended. It may even risk her life", he completed as I stood numb. "No problem doctor, we can wait", I replied nervously as he nodded.

My duty time is already over. Dr. Louis left to UK and I retired back to sona's ward. In these two days, I spent most of my time in hospital only. I don't want to go to my home.. No that's not my home. This is my home.. Home is there where she is. I sat beside her, caressing her hair. How much I longed for this moment...but now, how can I be happy when she is not responding to me. I know.. She is in a deep sleep.. But I'm sure.. One day, she will wake up. And I'm waiting for that day. I bent down and pecked her forehead, with the hope that she is listening to me. "Sona.. This is the first time you are silent and I'm talking.. Funny isn't it? It was always you among us, who was talkative. You never closed your mouth even for a minute.. But I never thought that there will be a moment in my life, in which I will beg you to talk.. Open your mouth sona.. I'm waiting to listen to your words.. I will listen to everything you say for my whole life.. I will never complain.. I will never call you as chatter box.. You can call me anything.. Call me Devil.. Call me Obhodro.. Call me anything you want... But speak up.. I'm living only to hear my name from your mouth. I don't have anyone else in this world other than you.. You are my world.. You are my everything. Just look at me once.. Open your eyes.. Wake up. I want to hug you.. I want to tell you how much I missed you... I want to tell you how much I love you.. Please wake up.. Do you remember that night when you told me that you felt it was our last hug.. By that time, I was teasing you.. But now it pains. I'm scared to lose you.. I have nothing to lose..except you. If I lost you.. I will lose myself. I lived all these years only with a hope to see you. I can't live in this world without you. I want you back.. Come back to me.. ", I said trying not to spill out my tears. I don't want sona to think me as a cry baby. I know she is listening to everything and she will scold me one day for talking like this, for crying in front of her. But I'm waiting for that day only..

I went back to my cabin to pack my things.. Definitely not for getting back to my house. I can't leave sonakshi alone for a long time. Uncle and aunty trusted me a lot and left her with me. Elena was still the same, she is very much angry on me. She still thinks that I'm responsible for sona's condition.. I can't blame her. She is correct in her point.. She loves her sister immensely. As I was about to lock my cabin, I heard a familiar voice screaming from the pediatric ward. I rushed in and saw someone forcefully dragging arohi with them. I didn't know what got into me, I hurried towards them and pulled her towards me. She hugged my legs, weeping, not ready to leave me. I scooped her in my arms as she hid herself in the croon of my neck, clutching on to me tightly. "Dev.. Dev..I won't go with them", she said in between her sobs. I rubbed her back, calming her down and glanced at the nurse angrily.

"Who are you?", I asked a lady in her mid 30s. She was the one who was dragging arohi with her forcefully. "Doctor, arohi's treatment was over by yesterday. But still no one came to get her back. So dean asked us to send her with them... She is from orphanage", the nurse said pointing to the lady as my anger raised. Orphanage? How can they send her to orphanage? She is not an orphan. "Dev.. Dev.. I don't want to go with them.. Take me to my mumma..please", she weeped as my heart broke. "Arohi is not coming with you. You may leave", I spatted at her vigorously. "But doctor..", the nurse interrupted but she immediately shut her mouth looking at my rage. "She will be with me. I will take her responsibility", I said to the nurse walking out of the room, with arohi in my hands. I don't know what got into me.. But I can't see her in pain.

"This is sonakshi", I told arohi pointing towards sona. "But why is she lying silently?", she asked innocently. "She is sleeping", I said placing her on my lap. "When will she wake up?", she asked me the question to which I myself didn't know the answer. "Soon", I said as she adjusted herself comfortably on my lap. "So hereafter arohi is going to be with Dev", I said as she looked at me confusedly. "But you told me that you will take me to my mumma?", she asked sadly. I don't know what should I tell her now. "Your mumma went to meet god", I said but she was quick to ask, "Why?". "Your mumma sent me here to take care of arohi.. So that she will take care of God..", I said to which she thought for a while. "Don't God have a mother? Why is he always taking other's mothers. First he took your mumma.. And then mine..", she said pouting sadly. What can I answer her now?

"He didn't leave you alone. He has sent another mumma for you", I said as she looked at me surprised. "Where?", she asked excitedly and I pointed towards sonakshi. "Is sonakshi my new mumma?", she asked innocently to which I nodded. "Then who is my daddy?", she asked. "If you wish you can call me daddy", I said smiling one sidedly. Soon she burst out into laughter, "What? Why are you laughing?", I asked while she stopped giggling. "But I will call you as Dev only", she said pulling my nose as I growled. She giggled making the room fill with her innocent laughter.

It has been two months now.. This is a day that I never wanted to face even in my dreams.. This morning, asha aunty stayed with sona as I took arohi's responsibilities, I couldn't spend my entire time with sonakshi leaving arohi alone at home. Most of the time, arohi will accompany me to the hospital but sometimes I should stay with her at home. And today was such a day that I happened to spend my night at home with arohi leaving sona to asha aunty. At early morning, asha aunty called me panicked as I rushed to the hospital. I came to know that sonakshi's body started shivering heavily, all of a sudden making her startled. On examining her we found that she had a stroke.. The same disease that separated my mom from me, leaving us alone.. No.. I can't lose sonakshi too.. I called Dr. Louis again and he agreed to come a day after.. But I don't have any time to wait till then..

After further tests, we learned that her organs are becoming too weak and they may fail one after the other.. This is extremely a serious problem.. "She is still too weak. There is no use of any surgeries now. She can't bear it. It's better to let her be. Even if we did a surgery there is not even 10% chances for her survival", Dr. Louis stated as her family broke down. I knew it.. I came to know that from her reports itself.. But still I don't want to give up. "Dev beta.. We know you tried a lot.. But we can't hurt sonakshi more.. May be this is what it is in her fate.. I don't want to see my child suffer anymore", Bijoy uncle broke down before me. "Instead of leaving us after a painful process later on.. Please let her go now.. I can't see her suffer.. Now it's your choice Dev.. ", Asha aunty spoke as I stood numb. Elena didn't even look at me she was too much shocked to register the ongoing events.. I sat there in a corner holding my tear stained face in my palms as I went down my memory lane..

Dev was standing in Jatin's room, talking to someone through phone. When he stood by the window side he saw sonakshi standing in her backyard, talking to her parrot and his lips curved up into a smile. He ended the call, glancing her from there. But what she did next, shocked him more. He rushed down to her house calling her, "Sonakshi, why did you do that?", he asked shockingly as he saw an empty cage in her hand. She made her babloo, the parrot, fly away. "It was my gift to you.. How can you leave it just like that?", he shouted disappointedly but she looked calm. "Dev.. Relax", she said smiling. "How can you smile sonakshi? Do you know how much I struggled to train him", he said dejectedly. "Dev, I know but..", she tried to explain him but he wasn't listening to her. "What you know? Stop behaving like you know everything", he spatted back at her vigorously and tried to walk away but she grabbed his hand stopping him. "First listen.. Sit here", she said making him sit beside her. "I know that you trained him with a lot of struggles but we can't put him in a cage for all his life", she said. "What do you mean?", he asked looking at her. "Even he has a life outside dev. We shouldn't put him and lock him up in a cage. It will make him suffer more. He won't be happy here sitting in one place all the day. He needs to fly.. He should fly with his own wings.. He should see the world through his eyes. We can't force him to be here.. It's injustice to him. So I let him free. Now, he will go wherever he wants.. He won't suffer inside this small cage.. He don't need to suffer due to pain.. Let him be happy.. Outside this cage.. ", she said smiling at him to which he looked convinced. "How do you manage to convince me anyhow and make me dance to all your tunes?", Dev asked raising his brows. "That's my talent.. Sonakshi's special talent", she said raising her invisible collars to which he shook his head smilingly.