I Marked Her Mine

28 years ago

Outside one of the rooms that looked VIP, with security guards standing outside it, a small girl wearing a peach barbie knee-length frock was sitting on one of the sofas.

She had no idea what was going inside that particular room except the fact her aunt was there.

She even did not what that room was.

How could she? She was only one and a half years old.

She kept playing with her barbie doll, oblivious to the running doctors, her parents, uncle Shiv and the weeping grandma.

She was tired of staying there. She wanted to go home and enjoy the party, which had somehow stopped.

But, none of them told her the reason and, she hated it.

"Avni bcche?" she heard her mom calling while coming to her and, she smiled.

Finally, someone knew she was alone here.

It had been more than an hour now.

"Mumma...." she answered when she saw Mrs Shakti engulfing her in her arms.

"Let's go home. You are sleepy. It's almost your sleeping time." adjusting little Avni's hair, Mrs Shakti spoke while kissing her on the forehead.

It was already nine in the night.

A week passed and, Avni did not saw her aunt, her favourite Chaya Aunt, anywhere.

She was not old enough to express her feelings, but deep down, she was missing her.

"Good morning, princess" engulfing her in her arms, Mrs Shakti kissed her on the forehead and then on the cheeks.

"Maa....chaya aunt?" speaking in her broken yet understandable language, Avni tried her best to ask where her aunt had gone.

Mrs Shakti smiled. It was the smile a mother passed when she finds her child doing something amusing.

"We are going to see your, Aunt, today. " pouring her love, Mrs Shakti continued, "Your aunt is waiting to see you. Let's get ready, should we?"

It took half an hour for Mrs Shakti to reach the hospital.

Yes, it was only a week and, yet for her, it felt like a year.

They might have been in-laws, but they had never behaved like it. Instead, they had always been a sister to each other.

And, she was as happy as a sister would be on knowing her little sister was finally awake.

"How is she?" she enquired immediately the moment she saw Shiv and Surya discussing outside Chaya's room.

Shiv turned his attention toward Chaya and answered," Doctor said to take care of her. She is depressed with no will to live."

Taking her palm in his hand, Shiv spoke softly, hiding his broken state," We need to take her out of the depression. It will harm the baby."

"The baby is in danger, Shakti."

Mrs Shakti almost sobbed, but she stopped herself while looking at Surya.

He was acting all tough, but deep down, he was worried about his baby.

But, it was not about the child being first. They would have the same excitement for their second child. It was about them being parents for the first time.

Shakti knew that feeling and, she could not imagine feeling her little sister devoid of that feeling.

No, she was not going to do anything to make her recover. She was definitely going to find a solution for it.

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"How are you, Lil sis?" patting her hair like an elder sister, Shakti looked in the lost eyes of chaya lying down in the hospital bed.

Her skin had lost all the glow, her once red nails were no longer shining, her healthy and perfect body was nowhere to be seen, instead, all left was a soulless body with no intention of living.

Chaya did not speak anything. Instead, she just smiled at Shakti.

She was lost, in her own world, the world of sorrow, pain and without parents.

She was unable to comprehend the situation.

How was she going to live? How was she going to overcome the pain? How was she going to stop the yearning of meeting them?

She felt void without her parents. Maybe she had heard correct too much love hurt a lot.

And that love could be with anyone, just like she loved her parents more than Surya himself.

Shakti was about to say when she heard the door of the room opening only to see Avni rushing inside it.

"Avni, stop bcche," she spoke immediately and with horror when she saw Avni running toward Chaya.

But, Avni was already lying above Chaya, hugging her closely and with full warmth.

"Aunt, where were you! I missed you." with her tiny body above Chaya, her small hands cupping her face, her pure eyes looking in her eyes, She asked.

Chaya did not know what happened, but next, she knew her eyes were wet, leaving the trail through her cheeks, neck and stopping at the collar bone.

Shakti was left speechless when Chaya hugged Avni with her full force as if feeling her presence, her warmth and her pure love.

Sobbing like a child, Chaya knew she needed Avni in her life. She needs the pure love of her, the love of a child for her mother, or her aunt.

She wanted to be a mother to her.

She needed it. She knew she needed it.

She needed it for her baby, her ray of light, and the younger brother of Avni.

And at the moment she decided she was going to name her baby, Vihaan, Vihaan Singh Rathore, the first ray of light.

Looking at her all cheery, Shakti could not control herself and patting her hair again, she spoke softly, hiding the pain in her voice" Do not worry Chaya. You have a daughter, now. She is going to make you happy."

Shakti knew Chaya was going to be a great mother for Avni and she was ready to sacrifice a little of her something.

Chaya knew Avni was going to be a great sister to her unborn child, Vihaan Singh Rathore.

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