22. Nightmares (Part 2)

Dhvani was resting her head in her mother's lap! Her mother kept stoking her hair, her mother sat on the soft grass in their garden while she lay on the ground! Cool breeze made her shiver a bit and few rose petals made their way towards her face through wind, her mother smiled and gently removed them! She giggled, and soon aroma of baked came and coffee reached her, making her lick her lips as she looked up, her father reached them with a tray, two cups of coffee, a cup of milk with three plates of baked blackcurrant cake! She soon lifted her head sitting up, her mother and father chuckled at once! "Here comes your favourite cake!!" her father said with a smile, "Thank you papa!!" she smiled wide, and her father sat on the ground too, they three smiled and had a good time together! Her mother caressed her hair while his father's hand cupped her cheek.

"Do you like it?!" her father asked, she bobbed her head as she kept the spoon in her mouth and licked her lips again! And without even completing the cake, her hands hurried to take the glass of milk which was still hot, she flinched as the hot wave passed down her throat when she took a sip, hurting her tongue!

"Careful!!" her mother scolded in a very sweet way, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her father smiled!

"Do you love me mah?" she asked! Her mother smiled with a nod, "Ofcourse dear!!"

"Papa! What about you? Do you love me?" she asked again!

He shook his head as if she asked something silly, "Who cannot love you my dear?! You are such a lovely cutie pie!!" he said stroking her cheek!

"Then who loves me the most?" she asked with the same wide smile, hope in her eyes along with curiosity.

"Mother" "Father" they both said in unison and soon exchanged glances, she looked them both as well! They smiled looking back at her, "Mother loves you the most!" said her father!

Her mother shook her head, "Father loves you the most!"

Her grip over the plate loosened and it fell on the ground with a crackling sound, her smile which was wide now narrowed and finally her lips formed a thin line, tears streamed down her face, "Then why had you both left me??" she sounded painful, both her parents hands withdrew as a frown settled on their faces which soon turned turned into concern then sad! Her fists clenched, "Why??" she yelled now, more tears streaming down her face, soon the flowers and even the grass on the ground started to burn, her parents figure started to glitch as even their eyes shedded tears, her mother shook her head and her father kept a hand on her shoulder in a consoling way while they kept observing her in pain, fire raised even more looking like a wildfire, and her parents seemed to be now pulled by some force, distancing her, and soon they disappeared, she looked at their disappearing figure as more tears streamed down and the fire spread all over, she didn't care and looked down, crying while the heat made her feel more suffocated!

She kept sobbing until she felt some small hands on her shoulder and cheek, making her look up! Dhruv! He shook his head, wiping away her tears, "Don't cry!! I will never leave you!" he said with an assuring smile, she looked at him in silence before a faint smile appeared and he took her into his embrace and stroked her back, letting her breath and gather her calm, and slowly the fires disappeared, he pulled himself away and he was no more Dhruv, it was Ajay now! "Are you leaving?" he asked, tears swirling in his eyes, she shook her head, "I don't want to!" she yelled but she hadn't had any control and though she held his hand tight, even he started to glitch now, she shook her head, "Don't leave me!!" she yelled again!

He shook his head, no tears visible anymore, he looked rather confused now and he soon withdrew his hands from her grip, "Who are you?" he questioned!

He was no more a kid, grown up, and she was old now too! "I don't know you!!" he repeated! She looked at him in disbelief. He started to glitch again and soon he disappeared, her hand flew to stop him but she couldn't, she cried in pain, it slowly turned into anger as her hands now clenched, she looked down as the darkness surrounded her, "I know you would end this way!" a voice made her look up, Reena! "Only if you have choose to stay in my shoes wouldn't you have suffered this all!" she smirked! "See, you have no one as yours!!" she chuckled! Anger rose within as she looked at her standing figure in the darkness, only light falling on her! Slowly everyone appeared again, Ajay, Dhruv, her parents, and Reena, they all surrounded her while she kept kneeling! Everyone's words started echoing everywhere!

'We loved you!'

'I will never leave you!'

'I don't remember you!!

'You are regretting!!'

'You are alone!'

'Mother loves you!!'

'Father!'

They all started to move in circles around her as their voices echoed, she started feeling suffocated, her hands now covering her ears, their figures now moving even faster, unable for eyes to notice, she downed her head, their words continued to tear her apart! "Don't!" she screamed!

"Stop!"

"Stop!!" she yelled and with a snap everyone disappeared!!

***************

Ajay and Dhvani shot their eyes open with a gasp! Suffered for breath, their hearts racing up, and they took long breaths, staring the ceiling in silence, while the echo of their racing heartbeat silenced the silence! They took minutes to adjust with the reality, calming and gathering themselves before daring to get up, sitting up leaning against the bed wall! The very same question that striked their minds, making them question themselves!

"What was that.....?"