On the other side, the doctor arranged morphine shots, anti- septic ointments and the like, preparing himself for the worst possibilities.
"Hope he is alright," he said, still dazed from the conversation he had a few minutes ago.
FLASHBACK CONTINUES (ON ABHIJEET'S SIDE):
"I am sorry Abhijeet," she whispered loud enough for him to hear, "ho sakey toh mujhe maaf kar dena."
"khaa lena," she took a few minutes to compose herself yet failed miserably to keep her voice from choking, "m….mein…"
She stopped. Her eyes studied his face, as though they were entrapping each detail. His hair – those strands she had just played with, those lips she always loved to feel against hers, that nose she liked pulling when she was bored, those eyes that confessed everything that wasn't verbalized – those eyes that looked at her with love, with hope.
They still looked at her in hope, brimming with tears.
She looked away. She couldn't say it while still looking at him.
"Abhijeet," she took a deep breath, trying to speak again because she knew she had to say it, "mein….. m….mein ab chalti hu."
She walked towards the door, unable to find the courage to look at him one final time. Her hands reached for the door knob only to be met by a strong pull.
He held her wrist and pulled her, making their bodies collide slightly.
"Tarika koi problem hai toh hum mil ke solve kar saktein hain… tum aise achanak – "
"please Abhijeet – mere liye ye sab aur mushkil mat banao"
"toh Tarika, kya ye sab jhooth tha? tum aur mein – kya sab kuch jh-"
This time she covered his mouth with her palm and tears escaped her eyes. Her free hand grabbed his right hand and kept on her chest.
He could feel her heart pounding in her rib cage.
INCEPTION FLASHBACK (flashback within a flashback)
It was a fine Friday evening. The case had been solved and everyone was leaving after finishing the necessary file work, excited for the weekend. It was after months, that a case was not being carried over to Saturday.
Abhijeet peeped into the parking lot from the window of his cabin. Damn, she had already left.
"kaha ho?" he texted her, sad that they didn't get to spend the Friday night together. Damn that old doctor – he had certainly ensured that she didn't wait for him.
"anti Cupid," he muttered.
"ghar pe hu," came her reply almost instantly.
He almost dialled her number and pressed the green call button on his phone when something stopped him.
He smirked. He had the most brilliant idea.
"kya hua?" he grinned on another text from her after 20 minutes, "everything alright?"
After about another five minutes, she called him. She sure must be getting worried.
"bas 2 minute Tarika ji," he smiled.
After his phone stopped ringing, he typed sent her another text.
"nahi Tarika ji."
"kya hua tumko? Aur phone kyu nahi utha rahe?"
"Mujhe pata nahi kya hua hai – dil tezi se dhadakne lagta hai, raat ko neend nahi aati, bin wajah hasta rehta hu… ab aap hi mera ilaaj kar sakti hain doctor."
"oho – ye toh urgent hai. Aap turant mere ghar aa jayiye."
He drove to her house and smiled on seeing her with a stethoscope around her neck in her doctor's coat.
"wow," he thought, "she must have looked so cute in medical school too."
"dekhte hai aapke dil ko kya hua hai," she inserted the ear tips into her ear and placed the chest piece on him.
"mein theek toh ho jaunga na doctor?" he feigned concern
"ghabrayiye mat…aapki jaan ko koi khatra nahi hai."
"aapko yakeen hai na doctor?"
"aap khud hi dekh lijiye."
She grabbed his hand and placed it on her chest.
He could feel her heart pounding in her rib cage.
"mera dil bhi waise hi dhadak raha hai," she continued, "mujhe toh kuch nahi hua."
"ye toh wahi bimari hai na jiska ilaaz bhi wo khud hai – I mean," he wrapped his arm around her waist, "isn't the disease its own medicine?"
"hmm," she muttered, blushing Scarlet
"doctor salunkhe sunenge toh kitaab khol ke baith jayenge – bolenge ki bhai Abhijeet tumko kaha se aisi bimaari ka maalum pada jiska naam tak maine nahi suna."
They laughed and she finally managed to say "tum bhi na Abhijeet."
INCEPTION FLASHBACK OVER
She looked at him, her eyes begging him to not let such thoughts cross his mind.
"mat jao Tarika," his words died in his throat.
He wanted to hold her, to stop her. But he didn't know how. Helpless, he watched her go away.
He moved towards his table and held on to the tiffin box she had brought.
Her last gift…
Hey guys – still confused? Patience, my readers, the story is unravelling. Hope you guys had fun reading it
Please do leave a review.