By the time the car came to a halt outside the house, Sidharth didn’t wait.
The engine had barely gone silent when he stepped out, moving quickly to her side and pulling the door open.
For a brief second… he just looked at her.
Unconscious. Too still. Too pale.
Her head had tilted slightly toward the window, strands of her hair falling across her face. Her breathing was uneven—there, but not steady. And her face…
Fragile.
That was the word that didn’t sit right with him.
Shehnaaz was never fragile.
Not in the way she spoke.
Not in the way she stood.
Not even in silence.
But right now… she looked like she could break.
His jaw tightened.
Without wasting another second, he slipped one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees, lifting her carefully into his arms.
Her body didn’t respond. No instinctive movement. No resistance.
Just… weight.
And that stillness pressed somewhere deep in his chest.
He walked toward the entrance in long, quick strides.
The door opened before he could reach it.
“Sidharth—” his mother’s voice stopped midway, her expression shifting instantly when she saw Shehnaaz in his arms. “Kya hua?”
“She fainted,” he replied shortly. “Doctor is coming.”
“What? Kaise..” his father stepped forward, concern evident.
“I don’t know,” Sidharth cut in, his tone controlled but firm. “She was fine when i last saw her. And then she wasn’t..i dont know what happened..”
The lack of knowledge only made things worse.
“Room,” he said, already moving past them.
He didn’t stop until he reached the bedroom passing by drawing room,stairs,corridor.
Pushing the door open with his shoulder, he walked inside and moved straight to the bed.
Carefully,far more carefully than he had ever handled anything,he placed her down.
Adjusted the pillow. Moved her slightly so she was comfortable. His fingers brushed her arm.
Cold.
His brows pulled together slightly.
“Shehnaaz…” he called, his voice lower now, closer. No response.
His mother came closer, sitting beside her, placing her hand on Shehnaaz’s forehead.
“She’s cold…” she murmured, worry instantly deepening. “Itni thandi kyun lag rahi hai…”
Sidharth stepped back half a step, running a hand through his hair. Restlessness. Unfamiliar. Unwelcome.
“Shehnaaz, beta… aankhen kholo,” his mother tried again gently.
Nothing.
The room grew quiet. Not calm. Heavy.
As if waiting. Minutes passed like that until the door opened again.
“The doctor has come,” his father said.
The doctor entered, his presence calm, composed.
“What happened?” he asked, moving closer.
“When I saw her She was loosing her consciousness..” Sidharth said immediately. “She was not even responding when i try to wake her up.”
The doctor nodded, setting his bag aside and beginning his examination. He checked her pulse. Her breathing. Her eyes.
The silence in the room deepened with every passing second.
“Shehnaaz,” the doctor called gently, tapping her cheek lightly.
No response.
Just a faint shift in her breathing.
He straightened after a moment, thoughtful.
“She’s unconscious,” he said calmly. “But her vitals are stable.”
Sidharth’s jaw tightened. “Then why isn’t she waking up its been an hour already?” asked him in a frustrating tone which is because of his concern which is coming out in a anger.
The doctor glanced at him briefly before answering.
“It could be due to a stressful experience,” he said. “Or even weakness. The body sometimes shuts down temporarily when it gets overwhelmed.”
The word lingered. Overwhelmed.
“We can’t assume anything right now,” he continued. “We’ll have to wait for her to regain consciousness.”
His mother looked worried. “Koi danger toh nahi hai na?”
“No,” the doctor reassured. “Not physically. For now, the best thing is to let her rest.”
He looked at all of them, his tone firm but gentle.
“Don’t try to wake her forcefully. Don’t pressure her when she wakes up. Let her rest tonight. Rest will help her recover.”
Sidharth didn’t say anything.
He just stood there, his gaze fixed on her.
Still. Quiet. Unreachable.
After a few more checks, the doctor packed his things.
“Call me if any emergency happened or her conditon worsens..” he said.
His parents nodded, slowly stepping out of the room, though his mother turned back once more, her eyes lingering on Shehnaaz before leaving.
Sidharth didn’t move. He didn’t even look away.
The doctor paused at the door. Then looked at him.
“Sidharth,” he said quietly. Sidharth finally turned.
The doctor stepped closer, lowering his voice slightly.
“I didn’t say this in front of your parents because I don’t want them to get unnecessarily worried…”
Sidharth’s expression sharpened slightly.
“But this doesn’t seem like a normal fainting.”
A pause.
Sidharth’s gaze darkened.
The doctor continued, measured, observant.
“Her body language, her pulse fluctuations, the coldness… they indicate something more.”
Not physical. Something deeper.
“You should take care of her,” he added softly. “And try to understand what exactly triggered this. But most importantly Be There For Her. She needs Someone. ”
The words settled. Heavy. Real.
And then the doctor left.
The room fell silent again. But this time, it felt different. Not just quiet. Loaded.
Sidharth stood there for a long moment. Then slowly, he walked toward the bed. And sat down beside her. Close enough to watch. Far enough to not disturb. Hours passed. The house grew quieter. Lights dimmed. Voices faded. But he didn’t move.
Not once.His eyes remained on her. Every breath she took. Every slight movement. Every change. At some point, he adjusted the blanket over her. At another, he checked her pulse himself, unnecessarily, but still. Careful. Precise. As if doing something would keep everything under control. But it didn’t. Because control wasn’t the problem. Not knowing was. What happened? What did she see? What made her like this? His jaw tightened slightly.
Time passed. Night deepened. And somewhere between watching her breathe and waiting for her to wake up, exhaustion caught up.
He was still sitting beside her. Back slightly against the headboard. Head tilted just enough. Eyes closing. Not fully asleep.
Not fully awake.Just somewhere in between.
And then, A sound.
Soft. Faint.
Almost like it wasn’t real.
“…no…”
His eyes opened instantly. His head snapped toward her.
“Shehnaaz?”
Another whisper. Broken.
“…please…”
His body went still. Completely. Her brows were furrowed now. Her lips barely moving. But the fear in that voice. It wasn’t imagined.
“Please… no…”
This time, clearer. Fragile. Trembling.
Sidharth leaned forward immediately.
“Shehnaaz…”
But she didn’t wake up. Her fingers tightened weakly over the bedsheet.
Her breathing turned uneven again. Like she was running. From something. From someone. Her head moved slightly side to side, as if trying to escape something invisible.And then, Her body tensed.
A sharp, sudden jerk.Her breath hitched.
A faint whimper escaped her lips. And then another.She started sweating. Fine droplets forming over her forehead, her temples, sliding down slowly. Her murmurs grew louder. More desperate.
“No… please… don’t…”
Her voice cracked. Trapped.
Like she was screaming somewhere far away but couldn’t reach her own voice.
Sidharth’s expression shifted instantly.
This wasn’t just unconsciousness.
This was-A nightmare.
A bad one.
“Shehnaaz… wake up,” he said, his voice firmer now, leaning closer.
No response. Her hands clenched tighter.
Her body trembled slightly. A tear slipped from the corner of her eye. Then another.
Her breathing turned erratic. Shallow. Fast.
Like she was suffocating.
“SHEHNAAZ.”
This time, sharper. His hand moved to her shoulder, gripping lightly.
“Wake up. Shehnaaz, wake up.” Her head jerked slightly. A broken sob left her lips.
And suddenly, Her eyes flew open.Wide.
Terrified. For a second, She didn’t see him.
Didn’t recognize anything. Her gaze darted wildly, panic flooding every inch of her expression.
And then, A soundless cry. Her hand flew to her mouth instantly. Covering it.
As if stopping herself from making a sound. As if she was scared someone would hear her. Her body curled slightly inward. Shaking.Trembling. Tears spilled freely now. But no voice. No sound.
Just silent, broken crying. The kind that hurt more to watch.
Sidharth froze.
For a fraction of a second, He didn’t move.
Didn’t understand. Because this, This wasn’t fear. This was terror.
Raw. Deep. Uncontrolled.
“Shehnaaz…” his voice dropped immediately.
Soft. Careful. But she flinched.
At the sound. At him. That didn’t sit right.
Not at all.
His jaw tightened slightly. Slowly… cautiously he moved closer.
“It’s okay,” he said quietly. “You’re safe.”
No response. Her hand stayed over her mouth. Her shoulders shaking. Her breaths breaking. Like she was trying to breathe without being heard. He reached forward,hesitant for just a second.
And then pulled her into him. Carefully. Gently. One arm around her shoulders.
The other supporting her head. Hug her.
She flinched. For a second, it felt like she might push him away.
"Main hoon, Sidharth.. and feeling her relaxing a bit... he again started comforting her patting her head.. "..its okay.. it was a bad nightmare. I am here."
“It’s okay…” he repeated, softer this time.
“I’m here.”
No command. No authority. Just presence.
Her fingers which was going to push him, clutched weakly around his shirt. Barely.
Like she needed something to hold onto.
Her silent sobs continued. But slower now.
Less frantic. He didn’t realize how close they were. Didn’t think about it. Didn’t question it. For the first time, There was no distance. No wall. Just him. Holding her like she might fall apart if he didn’t.
“It’s okay… nothing’s going to happen,” he murmured, his voice low, steady.
“Just breathe… slowly…”
His hand moved to her head, gently brushing her hair back.
Careful. Soothing. The way you calm a child after a nightmare. Her grip tightened slightly. Her breathing still uneven but not panicked anymore.
Minutes passed like that.
Slowly… gradually…
Her body started relaxing. Her trembling eased. Her sobs faded into soft, broken breaths. Her hand slipped weakly from her mouth.And after feels like decade. Her eyes closed again. Not from fear this time.
From exhaustion. Sidharth didn’t move immediately. He just stayed there. Holding her. Making sure she was actually calm.
Actually okay. When he finally eased her back onto the bed, it was slow. Careful.
He adjusted the blanket around her again.
His fingers lingering for a second longer than necessary. Then he picked up his handkerchief and gently wiped the remaining sweat from her forehead.
His movements quieter now. Thoughtful.
Measured. He sat back beside her. Patting her head lightly.
But not as distant as before.
Closer. Watching. Alert. Present.
Because now he knew,
This wasn’t small. This wasn’t weakness.
This was something that had shaken her deeply. Something that had followed her even into sleep. His gaze didn’t leave her face. Not for a second.
Because whatever had happened, He was going to find out.
And this time..
He wouldn’t be late.
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