It was finally the day of Divyash’s discharge. Over the past few days, Vivek and Rishab had taken turns staying by his side, while Avni and Ridha were constant fixtures in his hospital room, ensuring he was never alone.
When Vivek finally brought Divyash home, the house was alive with a nervous, relieved energy. Arti and others welcomed him with tearful smiles and worried glances, hovering as Vivek helped him settle back into the comfort of his own room. It wasn't until a week later that the house grew quiet enough for Avni and Divyash to truly be alone.
Avni was in a state of constant motion—fussing over his pillows, checking the timing of his medication, and asking incessantly if he was comfortable or if his injuries were throbbing. Her anxiety was a tangible thing until Divyash finally reached out, caught her hand, and gently forced her to sit on the edge of the bed beside him.
"You haven't looked at me properly all day, Avi," Divyash said softly. Her eyes darted everywhere—the bedside table, the bandages, the floor—everywhere except his face. "Look at me, Jaana. Bhai told me how distraught you were when I was in the emergency room."
Avni slowly raised her gaze, trying to maintain a mask of composure, but Divyash could see right through the cracks.
"I know you hate hospitals," he continued, his voice dropping to a tender whisper. "I know they remind you of the night your parents died. And I know you’ve been blaming yourself for all of this. But Avni, it was an accident. Look at me—I’m sitting right here in front of you, still gaping at how beautiful you are."
"I was scared, Divyash," she confessed, her voice trembling. "I was terrified. Every worst-case scenario was playing on a loop in my head. When my parents died... that one hour of waiting was the most crucial moment of my life. If something had happened to you, I would have never forgiven myself. I am a jinx to your life. I’m a curse; wherever I go, bad luck follows me."
"No, Jaana, no," Divyash interrupted, pulling her into a firm embrace. "You are not a jinx. You are my luck. Throw those thoughts out of your head. I thought I was the one who talked nonsense, but you're clearly trying to outdo me today."
Avni pulled back slightly, her expression hauntingly serious. "I think we should get divorced, Divyash."
The silence that followed was deafening. "We’ve only been married two months, and already you are covered in bandages," she sobbed. "I cannot let anything else happen to you because of me."
Divyash’s expression shifted from tenderness to a flash of hurt and anger. "That is the most absurd thing I have ever heard. You think I would divorce you just because you think you’re a curse? Do you know how much that hurts? More than that disco ball ever could. Stop thinking I’ll ever leave you."
Realizing the weight of her words and the pain she had caused him, Avni’s resolve crumbled. "I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I know it’s absurd, but I’m losing my mind with fear. I could never actually leave you, Divyash. I'm so sorry."
"Apology accepted," he said, his voice softening again. "But never let me hear that talk again. Now, look at me. I’m fine. By the way, did you ever find out what actually happened?"
Avni leaned into him, hugging him tightly. "The hotel staff said they checked the equipment before the party. They don't know what went wrong, but they were very apologetic. They offered to pay the hospital bills, but I refused. We’ll handle our own."
Divyash pulled back with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Well, what happened, happened. But I think I need one specific thing to speed up my recovery."
"What?" she asked, falling for the trap.
"A good kiss from my wife," he said. Avni rolled her eyes, a small smile finally breaking through. "Even when you’re broken, you can’t be serious, right?"
"Being serious isn't my style, Avni," he winked.
"Well, if it helps your recovery..." she whispered, leaning in to press a soft kiss to his lips.
"God, I missed that," Divyash breathed. "You know, we missed so many 'practice sessions' while I was in the hospital, we’re going to have to increase the frequency to catch up on the backlog."
Avni laughed, her cheeks flushing. "Well, Mr. Singh, I think you’ve had enough practice for today."
"I don't know, are you not going to test if I'm still good at it?" he joked, leaning in for another when a sharp knock at the door startled them.
"Does everyone in this house know exactly when we’re about to kiss?" Avni muttered.
"Shush," she told Divyash as she went to open the door. It was Vivek.
"How are you, Divu? I thought you might need some assistance," Vivek said as he entered.
"If I need help, Bhai, I’ll ask Avni, but thank you," Divyash said with a cheeky wink. "I know you must be busy."
Vivek laughed, shaking his head. "As you say. I thought helping you to the bathroom would be more comfortable, but it looks like you’re plenty comfortable with your wife."
"No, no! I forgot I still need help with that part!" Divyash called out as Vivek turned to leave, stopping him in his tracks.
A Shadow in the House
While the Singh household began to settle into a newfound calm, a different scene was unfolding across town. Amol sat sipping tea, listening to his mother, Arti, discuss the recovery.
"It was so unfortunate, what happened," Arti sighed.
Amol remained silent, his mind racing. It wasn't that bad, he thought bitterly. It’s just a disco ball. He’s making a big deal out of nothing. Deep down, however, Amol was paralyzed with fear. He had expected the ball to cause a minor injury, perhaps a scare—he hadn't realized how heavy the fixture actually was. Divyash had almost died. The weight of that reality had forced Amol to pay the mechanic a small fortune to keep his mouth shut about the "malfunction."
If his father ever found out that he was the reason for the accident, he would be kicked out of the house instantly. Even after seeing Divyash nearly lose his life, Amol found himself more scared for his own future than for his cousin’s husband well-being.
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