Friends I am on a holiday and therefore haven’t yet written the manan ff part. I had written this one so publishing out of schedule. Hope you like it.
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Recap: Niti met with an accident. Parth rushed to Mumbai from Pune as soon as Veebha informed him.
After about 3.5 hours of operation, the doctors stepped outside and informed that she was fine but needed extra care and medication since the injuries were too deep.
Parth: Can we meet her?
Doctor: No I’m sorry. We’re shifting her to the ICU as of now and she would be kept under observation for the next 12 hours. After that, you can all go and meet her.
Charlie: We haven’t informed her parents.
Utkarsh: Yeah but why to disturb them back in Delhi?
Ayaz: We wouldn’t have if it weren’t this serious. But now I feel we should let them know. I’ll call her dad and talk to him.
Parth wasn’t involved in the conversation all this while as he was sitting on a bench far away praying for niti’s well being.
Ayaz excused himself to call niti’s dad while the others stayed there in silence hoping for her to get better soon.
The next 12 hours passed with Parth constantly pacing up and down corridor outside the ICU waiting to go in and see her all hail and hearty. Everyone asked him to go home and take some rest for a while but he didn’t listen to anyone. He had been awake for more than 15 hours and still wasn’t moving. His eyes had started turning tired and gloomy, full of hope of seeing Niti all well in front of him.
Niti’s parents arrived soon enough and tried to comfort Parth but he wasn’t aware of his surroundings. He was simply waiting for the 12 hours to come to an end so that he would get to see her.
At the end of 12 hours, the doctors went in to examine her and conduct a few tests. The test results indicated that she was much better and recovering and therefore they need not worry. But Parth still hadn’t taken a sigh of relief. He needed to see for himself if she was alright. The doctor allowed one person at a time to enter and niti’s parents put forward Parth to go see her first. They were her parents but they could see how restless Parth had been all the time and therefore thought it wise to let him go first.
He put on the safety robe and mask as instructed by the nurse and followed her on the path that led to his true life.
It had been such a long time since he had last seen her and destiny seemed to be playing with his emotions then. He had been dying to meet her, see her all this while and when the time finally came, he saw only a part of Niti. Just her body lying there in front of him. He missed his real Niti who would never stay without giving him a tight hug once he came in front of her. He saw her there lying lifeless for the first time since he had known her. For what he knew of Niti, she had always been the bubbly and chirpy girl spreading love, happiness and positivity all the time. He had seen her sleep peacefully as well a several times, but never did she seem so dull even in her sleep. It hurt him really hard to see her in that condition which he blamed on himself. “Had I let my ego aside and surrendered to her wishes, she might not be lying here in this hospital room probably because then I would have been around to protect her.”
He stepped forward and settled on a stool placed beside her bed. He took her hand in his and wept.
“I’m sorry Niti. I know I’ve been a jerk. I was so…so self consumed and selfish, I never thought about anyone else, not even you. I should have at least tried to make you understand my situation instead of shouting at you and letting these problems step in between us. Please wake up and give me a tight slap. But just don’t be mad at me anymore. I don’t want any more problems between us now. I want you like before and always.”
After meeting Niti, he moved outside and saw all the others waiting for his reaction. Her parents had been around for quite some time now but Parth noticed them just then. Only after he got a sight of Niti, could he realise his surroundings.
Niti’s mom: How is she? Would my daughter be alright? Tell me Parth, how is she?
Parth: (trying to force a smile) She’s going to be just fine Aunty. You see she’s taking some rest since the shoot has been been going too hectic. This is just another break for her. But you don’t worry, she would soon be alright.
He took her into a hug while niti’s mom kept weeping in his arms. He looked at her dad standing at a distance with tears forming in his eyes and suddenly a wave of guilt flooded his heart. He released her mom aside softly and walked away. He moved to a far bench and seated himself there, all alone.
A memory crossed his mind,
Niti’s dad: Son, as far as you are there with her, my daughter cannot fall into any sort of trouble. I trust you with her now and I know you would never let me down. Just be there for her all the time, in any tough times she might face.
Tears rolled down his cheeks as that memory crossed his mind. He remembered the time when he visited Niti’s parents in Delhi and her dad put that faith in him. He had promised him that he would always take care of his daughter and would never let anything cause her any harm. Shame and guilt covered him all over and he started losing the guts of facing her parents ever again.
He talked to Ayaz about it and asked for his help.
Parth: Ayaz please. You have to help me out in this. I cannot face them anymore. But I can’t even leave Niti alone. Just do me a favour. Let me know whenever they are not around. Any time when they might have gone to take some rest, I would come over to be here with Niti. I’ll be in the hospital but won’t face them.
Ayaz: Buddy you’re taking it all in the wrong sense man. They aren’t blaming you at all. In fact they care a lot about you. More than their own pain for their daughter, they are concerned about your feelings towards her condition. You weren’t in your sense so never realised that they even let you see her first when the doctor said only one person could go in and meet her. They are her parents and technically have the right to meet her first, but they made you be the first one because they could see your condition. They knew how vulnerable you’d been towards Niti and how badly you needed to see her.
Parth: I don’t know all of that. I just know that I can’t face them anymore. I am at fault and have broken a promise given to a father regarding his daughter. This in my opinion, is a big big crime. Please just let me know when they’re not around.
Ayaz finally had to surrender to his friend’s wish and he agreed to let him know whenever Niti’s parents weren’t around. He would be in the hospital, far away from Niti’s room and as soon as Ayaz would inform him, he would rush towards her.
It was the third day after the accident and Niti was still in the hospital. Luckily they had been shooting quite ahead of schedule and so the shoot wasn’t disturbed due to her injuries. She was till recovering and the heavy medicines did not grant her enough consciousness. Most of the time, she would be asleep because of the medicines. Whenever Parth would visit, she would be asleep and that kind of relieved him because he did not have the guts to face her. He could not imagine her reaction had she found out about his presence in the hospital since the day of her accident.
Usually while he visited and found her asleep, he would vent out his feelings towards her or sometimes read her some story.
He was again sitting by her side while her parents were away, the third day from her accident. He first decided of reading her some story but then remembered the time from the past when he hadn’t been keeping well and Niti had been taking care of him. She used to be there with him all the time ready for any help he would need. And he was being such a coward, not even able to face her or her parents.
He took her hand in his and started speaking,
“Niti, I know you must be thinking what a coward I am. But I want you to know that my love for you has never reduced. In fact if it’s possible, I love you even more than I used to before. It’s just that, I am at fault, to be blamed for your condition and don’t know how to face the situation. Your parents, they trusted me on you and what did I do? Disappointed them by hurting you. I still love you Niti and I miss you, but I don’t even know if you’re still there for me. You might have moved on and which is the right thing to do after what I did. But, just in case, that was my misunderstanding and you’re still there, waiting for me, I want you back, I really do! Please forgive me Niti.
He joined the back of her hand to his forehead and wept. Niti slowly opened her eyes and moved her hand. That sensation made him realise it and he quickly looked at her to find her trying to open her eyes.
Before she could open her eyes completely and react, he immediately left the room like a coward. No matter how badly he wished to stay in there with her, to tell her how much he loved her and missed her and also that he was ashamed and apologetic of his behaviour, he moved out. He informed the doctor about her consciousness and left.
Precap: Niti’s father to ask about Parth and Ayaz to reveal about his feelings. What would be Niti’s parents’ reaction to Parth’s actions? Would he be able to face them or Niti? Would Niti accept him back in her life and forgive him?
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Thank you!
Lots of love❤️
#behappy
#spreadsmiles
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My works-
PaNi – a story we wish were true (Season 1)
PaNi – a story we wish were true (Season 2)
Manan ff – Unconditional Love