Chapter 10

Chapter 10

A fresh breeze of cold wind hit my face, as I lay on the sofa..  the cold winds made me get goosebumps.. I was forced to wake up.. the sun had filled the room completely.. I could see the nurse placing a fresh bunch of flowers into the vase.. she looked at me and said,”his vitals are fine now.. he should be waking up in some time..” I smiled.. she then said,”do you want something to eat”..  I smiled again and nodded..  I got up and walked close to shake, “hey..! hows he doing”, Achu came into room slowly.. carrying few bags in his hands..  he threw the bags on a chair kept in the corner of the room and said,”did the doc say anything else..” The nurse left the room smiling,signaling to stay quite.

Achu walked close to me, while i looked down on abhi..Rubbing my eyes,”hey achu..!! what happened about the photo did you get them”.

“yeah !..  its in one of the bags”

He continued,”anyways I got some fruits for you, staying awake all night.. my head is killing me”

*cough *cough..

“I fell asleep on the sofa.. so I don’t even remember how long I was awake”

“its fine man.. one of us is here”

“ahh!! Hey.. what about your store”

“all of them are shutdown today, I don’t feel like opening them up today”

*cough *cough.. “achu”.. a faint murmur was heard..

“ah man you are depriving the chicken lovers of your kabab’s.. shame Abhi caused this”

“meaning??”

“its Dry DAY.. no Chicken..”

Achu gave a small smile .. and looked at abhi..

“BEWAKUF !!! “ Abhishek pulled out the bunch of flowers and threw it at us..

The Nurse came rushing in,”what are you two doing”

Abhi stopped when he stretched his arm too much,”Ahhh! You idiots.. mein yah par marr raha hoon and you chicken…”

Achu trying to catch hold of the flying flowers .. I tried calming down the screaming nurse..

Abhi screamed again,”your friends or what.. bewakuf..”Achu walked from the left.. I from the right.. we went to the yelling monster and hugged him tight..

Then the nurse replied,”you two get out of here,.. disturbing the patient”

Neither of us paid any heed to her..

Abhi looking at both of us,”you idiots my wound..”

“im calling the doctor” The nurse left disgusted..

“doctor … doctor” was clearly heard outside..

With a tear in our eyes,Achu said,”heyy... your alive..” I laughed and said,”yes hes alive.. im sure he wont be bewakufing if hes dead..”

        Sir and the Doctor came rushing into the room, sir screaming,”what the hell are you two fellows doing.. leave him already..”The doctor enjoying the commotion ,stepped in when neither of us let go of abhi..  the doctor took out a torch checked his response.. felt his abdomen..  the cold hands of the doctor made abhi move awkwardly as the doctor touched him.. looking at him sir said,”hey abhi stop moving so much.. hes a man only..”Abhi gave one of his classic stares’ at us.. as we stood behind sir grinning in the latter dialogue and enacting his body movement as the doctor touched him..

Achu and I were pushed out of the room.A more serious examination had begun..

The examination got over.. Abhi was put on a separate set of drips.. he was to be given a mild sedative every few hours to ease the pain..

        Sir ,achu and I sat with abhi while he dozed off and on the whole morning till afternoon..

Achu opened the bags he got and handed me my jacket.. he then gave each of us some juice tetra paks he had brought.. why opening one of the bag a photo fell down.. sir picked it up and said,”hey RK, whose this..”

I looked at the photo.. the smiles on our faces changed into frowns.. I made eye contact with achu.. no word was said..  prachi and someone else was in the photo.. how prachi was related to him neither of us knew it..   

I pointed the bracelet in the photo and said,”sir I think it was him..”

“Shes the girl “

“yeah.. that’s prachi” achu replied..

“hey she looks full innocent yaar.. I don’t believe it”

“Its not the face .. it’s the devil inside that matters sir” I said

“nice one.. rk.. Italian job I think right” shake commented..

All of us smiled and got up to move close to abhi.. sir hid the photo in his pant pocket.. and asked,”how you feeling now..”

“yeah sir im fine..  its just”

“bath time..” two nurses came in.. one with a sponge , the other with a bucket..

Achu and I took quick glances at each other.. the smile he had was very evident of the thought running in our heads.. sir asked me,”whats it rk.. tell me”

“ah nothing sir.. let the man take his sponge bath…” .. as soon as I finished the sentence achu burst into laughter.. sir looked at me puzzled..  I continued..,”abhi you take your bath.. *cough *cough “ we’ll go eat something.. come on sir..”

“aye.. rk.. you not telling me whats happening..” sir walked out along with us still confused..

One of the nurse covered the bed behind green curtains.. and the dipped the sponge into the water..

An hour had passed since the sponge bath had begun, sir achu and I went to the clinic top floor  cafeteria..  and met the doctor here.. he said that abhi was feeling better now.. he can get discharged in the evening.. or by next morning.. achu and I were excited on hearing the good news.. the news of him being hurt was still not given to his parents.. so this news was a pleasant one to hear it.. achu said,”sir.. we’ll go and let abhi know about this..”

The doctor replied,”yeah sure..  once you finish talking ,speak to the nurse.. she will give you the papers to sign off”

Achu and I started walking back to the ward.. Sir and the doctor ordered a tea to catch up for a while..

We laughed around.. and peeked into the wards on the way to see if anyone needed extra attention..

“ahhhhh….”

          A loud scream was heard coming from direction where abhi’s ward was located.. achu and I rushed quickly towards the room.. we were stepping off the steps as quickly as possible..  abhi’s ward was in the end of the corridor..a doctor and few nurses from the lower floor also came rushing into the corridor.. a man came out of a ward.. he was holding a knife in his right hand.. the blood on the metal gave both of us a bad feeling.. achu increased his pace.. the man looked at achu and lifted his arm to attack him.. achu quickly bent over and speared the man onto the floor..  both of them slided on the floor for a few feet and then halted.. I was behind them.. jumping over achu and reaching directly over the man’s face and i gave him a hard punch .. ..  achu quickly got up and kicked his hand to disarm him.. another scream was heard from the ward.. achu quickly responed,”rk check what happening”  

I rushed inside the ward to see prachi next to abhi.. her right arm was bleeding.. the blood was over the cushions and the floor.. the nurse came upto her and held her arm.. abhi woke up when a drop of blood fell on him.. he looked up and said, “what happened…” Looking at her he continued ,”what are you doing here”.. his eyes moved onto the the bleeding arm.. “yeah… what … kya??” I moved upto shake to prevent him from making any sudden movements..  I held him .. sir and the doctor rushed in..,”nurse take her to the other ward..Dr.Mehra see to her first please “ I was amazed on seeing how calm he(sirs frnd) could stay and concentrate on what needed attention.. Dr.mehra took prachi out.. “you wont get away from this “ prachi screamed again.. as the man tried catching hold of her..  A loud noise was heard outside the ward..Abhay and Achu came into the ward.. “hello abhi ji.. im gonna take care of him.. ill leave “Abhay walked out.. Achu stood close by and dusted his shirt.. abhay was heard  again,”oye you two.. at this ward.. at all times.. three more at the entrance.. another three in the jeep.. rest of you come with me..”

Achu and I were explaining what had just occurred.. Prachi came inside with a bandage on her arm.. she walked upto abhi and started crying.. Abhi who I presumed lacked emotion for a girl.. lifted her and asked,”why… why did you do this…”

“hes my uncle..  i… he… oh… that.. “.. She started crying again…

Abhi wiped her tears ,”I trusted you..”

Prachi dint speak anything after this..

He looked deep into her eyes..  Achu came upto me and whispered,”he really loves her a lot doesn’t he”

Sir and I smiled ..  and left them in the ward..

I looked at the time..It was time to leave.. I knew abhi was now safe.. his NGO members were all over the place..  I looked at achu and said,”k.. you here tonight.. ill get back.. tell me if you need something”

Giving a quick shake,achu replied,”yeah im here tonight.. no issues .. ill  handle it..”

I started walking out.. “hey RK!!” Achu called me..

“yeah..?”

“do you know about Abhay “ Achu continued..  “its not…”

Sir stopped him,”Rk its nothing.. good night.. “

Puzzled I walked out.. I know sir would tell me some other time..

Walking down the stairs of the clinic I wore my jacket.. many things came to my mind,how strangers in the beginning of college.. moved into different careers.. some harmless.. some (after abhi’s incident) harmful..people change.. but we dint.. we just grew stronger..  ”things have changed..”  I ended saying,”Good things take time..” 

Walking out of the clinic.. I looked up at the gloomy weather..  I said,“huh !! good things.. rain… “

The sun was almost to set.. Bangalore evenings can get marvelous.. the shade of orange.. in one corner.. dark clouds everywhere else..  I shrugged the jacket , and wore the hood over my head..  I tapped my feet and hopped to the next safe spot on the road.. my first hop .. seemed to threat the existence of the small puddle I leaped over.. the heavens burst.. things dint seem to matter now.. I hopped on.. getting wet in the rain.. the trees moving to and fro.. the cold winds hitting me hard..the water triclking into my shirt.. leaving a shiver in me.. I looked up.. with the big rain drops falling on my face.. I hopped ahead.. the rain got harder.. visibility had gone down drastically.. I could barely see the puddles in front of me.. I took my right hand to wipe the water off my face..i jumped across a big puddle to reach the other side..i could see a bright light in the corner of my left eye.. a car went past me.. splashing water from the puddle all over me..  I looked at the car .. and it dint seem to matter.. things have changed.. my shoes were all dirty and wet.. they were new shoes in a rainy season no more..

I smiled .. and looked at the last puddle in front of me.. and thought of jumping right into it.. I tried looking around to avoid any more cars.. I walked a few steps back.. and ran towards the last puddle.. the 3 steps I took.. before I wanted to leap across.. one….Good things take time…  two…. My time will come soon…. And three….. I took a big jump and jumped into the puddle…

In the middle of the puddle.. with water seeping into my shoes.. I looked up.. another pair of legs jumped simultaneously into the same puddle.. .. the rain was hitting hard on our face.. as I straightened my bent knees.. I stood up straight along with lifting my hand to shield my eyes from the rain..  the legs in front of mine were not of a man.. and I knew I was too close for comfort if its not a guy.. the white chudidar seemed to get wet in the rain.. the splash of the puddle left few brown drops on the chudidar the white salwar.. with tiny embroidery look nice in the rain.. the droplets sparkled in between the designs.. the red and green dupatta.. seemed like the icing on the cake.. I looked at her..  she looked back at me.. ,”hi rohit…”

“hi.. salonniii.”

I dint get to finish my sentence.. her arms were around me.. and mine around her.. the cold felt warm now...  I dint believe she was next to me.. the hard hitting rain was heard on the puddle.. the wind seem to make her duppata fly..everything went numb..reality kicked in when another car went by us.. saloni moved out of the puddle.. I held salonis hand tight.. while saying,”Hey.. sal.. ummm.. … i… ahh.. umm …. i….lohve you..”  she pulled me by my hand.. held it tighter.. smiled,”I love you too…now chaloo.” .. we walked into the rain.. and I said to myself,”my time has come!!”

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Yes this has taken some time.. but i dint know few things.. dunno how would you like it.. still paranoid about Shakes ending.. 

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