CHAPTER 11
She saw men firing up the nearby vehicles and though the last 24 hours had been surprising the surprise that why this handsome goon’s men were not saving their vehicles was above all.
And that’s when it hit her,
They would be coming for the one carrying her as well.
True to her imagination a man ran and threw something burning on the vehicle and she shouted at the top of her lungs…
“Abba…”
The next few moments went into anticipation and when the nearby crackling of dry leaves firing up didn’t warm around her she opened her eyes…
In the darkness of atmosphere, someone was running to her, she had heard about knight in shining armours but there was not a single time she had believed she would be this helpless and would be rescued like that… as the person neared it was the same soft kind hearted man she had noticed a lot in the last few hours, someone who was genuinely concerned for her.
Suddenly the dark night was lit and started dancing around her,
She could not hear crickets, burning logs, she could not smell the charred green the only reality was this man whose sharp intake of breaths told her he was as restless as was she.
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“Pallu, where were you… Raghav told you guys left in hurry.” Sharda asked her as she could not ignore the sick feeling she had all night.
“Haan Aai, it all happened in a hurry, and then when we were free it was late so I thought I would talk to you guys later…sorry Aai. I could not come last night.” she lied and apologized.
“arey Pallu, kaam sabse pahle baki sab bad me… aur ye sab Party varty bas yuin hi.” Sharda was relieved and that was visible in her voice.
“Aai…” she called her mother after a brief moment
“Haan bol..” Sharda stopped sipping her coffee Nikhil had handed her.
“Kuchh nahi… jaldi milne aati hu.” Pallavi wiped the silent tears.
“koi bat hai Pallu…” Sharda was alarmed. “ Raghav se koi jhagda hua hai?”
“arey Aai…” Pallavi smiled.
She wanted to tell her mother there was not anything to worry about when she saw the nurse making her way inside the room and she excused to her Aai.
“Mrs. Rao… any development?” she asked her as she checked the IV and other machines around him.
“No Sister…” Pallavi walked to the bed. “Doctor said he would be asleep for a while so I think..”
“Yes, but it has already been a few hours.” and then she looked at her watch. “it’s about to be 11, he should have been awake by now but anyway let him get rest, it seems he needed this break.”
“yeah.” Pallavi smiled at the elderly nurse.
Checking his charts and other things The nurse made her way out of the room and Pallavi recalled something.
“Sister…
“yes..
“his lips look so dry and chapped… is he thirsty or something?” She asked innocently and the nurse smiled at her.
“he was sick for two days and then I don’t know what kind of actions he has done before coming here… don’t worry, we are already giving him everything he needs for now.” pointing towards the drip the nurse smiled at her.
“oh…” Embarrassed about the question she tried to smile in response.
“by the way, you should be having a lip balm in that bag…” eyeing her handbag the elderly nurse gave her a teasing smile.
After the nurse left the room she contemplated about what to do and then sat beside him,
The serenity around him was priceless but the way his fingers jolted every few moments made her think what it was that was going through his mind that was playing with his peace.
Moisturizing her finger she leaned at him and carefully touched his lips, they felt chapped and burnt… this was the first time she was touching him like that but he had felt smooth every time they were … Now that was not what she needed to think at this moment.
She wanted to let him sip a few drops of water suddenly concerned about that parched throat feeling of not having something to drink for hours but then she brushed it all away… she was worried about him and that was making her think a lot.
She so wanted to hug him and have him hug her back… that feeling of fullness was such a distant thing in this moment. It seemed so many years have past since they felt each other.
she didn’t know when did a lone tear fell on his hospital sheet and then another but A knock came and she parted away from him wiping her eyes.
“Vahini… Farhad peeped inside.
“haan,” she recovered and answered him.
“i bought Anna’s clothes and other essentials… Rama had cooked the light lunch you had instructed him.” Farhad extended the bag to her.
“thank you… ab chot kaisee hai Farhad…” she asked him.
“ye sab chhota mota to hota rahta hai Vahini…” Farhad replied never accepting he was injured or hurt.
“ab aap aisa kahte ho to man liya.” Pallavi smiled at him.
“ok Vahini, the driver is waiting for you out of the room, please go home and get changed till then I am here with Anna.” Farhad requested her.
She looked behind and her husband seemed sleeping soundly so she thought it was better if she went home and returned in time.
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She fed her mom her medicines and when she slept Aiza walked to her room, her father and brother had to answer her questions but both had locked themselves to their rooms.
She had no idea whether they were ashamed of getting her involved or ashamed of not being able to kill him.
She could not believe this was the reason her brother was training somewhere, she could not believe they had conned her.
All the information she was collecting all these years about target R along with her career as a freelancer was about the Raghav Rao… she still had to tie a few loops in series but for that she needed her father or brother who had not came out after they returned… after her saviour’s longing eyes looked away rather unwillingly.
“Farhad.…
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There were so many things they had to discuss after this fateful night but right now the priority was she had to get him healed properly… she still remembered his body going limp in her arms, then his temperature dropping on the way to the hospital, the blood smudging the police van.
She had the right to ask him questions but deep down she had the hope he would have the right answers to her worries.
With such things running in her mind she entered his hospital room and found Farhad packing something in the bag and Raghav was nowhere in sight.
“Farhad… kya hua, Raghav ?” she walked hurriedly and Farhad turned.
“Anna is in washroom, he awoke a few moments after you left, the nurse checked his vitals…” Farhad explained her.
“oh…” was it the effect of last night or she was always this much concerned about him but now was the moment she was feeling it.
“Mr. Khan… the other man is making a fuss about the injections, we were thinking you might help us.” the male nurse asked from the still open gate.
“Anna had given him the right name..Gorilla,” Farhad muttered under his breath. And the washroom door clicked open.
“kisko injection nahi hona…” Raghav’s weak still authoritative voice echoed in the room.
“arey , Relax Anna… I’ll see Harish,” Farhad walked to him and supported him.
“pahle ye gorilla theek ho jaye fir ise batata hai main,” Raghav whispered struggling with his steps as the weakness was still there.
“pahle khud to theek ho jao.”Pallavi eyed him and whispered under her breath but she had been heard as was evident in Raghav’s eyes.
helping him to sit on the bed, Farhad leaned to button up his shirt when he stopped him.
“abhi mara nahi hai mai, jake us gorilla ko dekh Farhad.” turning his hands away Raghav himself started working on them.
“theek hai Anna.” Farhad said and accompanied the male nurse out the room.
After the door was closed behind Farhad and only they were left in the room she looked at him struggling with the buttons.
“help mangne se 6 feet me se ek do inch kam nahi honge…” she taunted him.
“suna nahi Farhad ko kya kaha.” he mumbled still working on the buttons and though his pace was slow he was still efficient.
“Ghamandi Rao…” scrunching her nose at his arrogance she walked to him and grabbed the towel he had thrown beside him.
“Shahnshah… please ruk jayen taki aapke baalo se paani sukha dun,” she spoke in the fakest sweet voice.
“i’ll manage.” he tried to grab the towel and winced as the injury on his back shouted inside.
“what happened..let me see.” afraid his stitches got undone or something she started backing when he held her.
“dry it.” he looked up at her telling her to continue.
“but your injury…” she was hesitant but started rubbing his hairs gently.
“nothing… it is not that bad,” he mumbled softly and her hands stopped working when he closed his arms around her.
“Raghav.” he didn’t show such emotions often but then they were together for just a few months.
“those were again the toughest hours of my life..” he confessed and she felt a cold breeze heated her whole body.
The water from hairs started touching her saree, her blouse, and her bosoms…
Her senses came to her as she shivered on the sensuality of this moment in the most awkward setting… she had to be angry with him, on his childishness but here she was already melting away.
“i didn’t know you would be this restless…” she whispered taking control of her emotions.
“lunch karen…” suddenly he changed the topic and she felt incomplete in terms of the serenity of this moment.
He was changing the topic because of so many things that were still hanging between them but they were husband and wife they could talk about anything, this thought gave her power.
She took a step back and sensed his arms slacking away, keeping the towel away she tangled her fingers in his hairs and bent slightly to face him.
After she was eye to eye with him, she noticed the surprise in his still tired but sharp features,
“your confession doesn’t make you weak,” she stared at him for a few moments as his eyes changed the color of emotions running through them. ” Ardhamainda?”
He needed to know he could find his confidante in her . She was about to turn to set the table for lunch when he stopped her… “I thought I lost you when I saw disappointment and accusation in your eyes.”
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Hey everyone !, thank you so much for all the love, and here is the next chapter.
i hope you enjoyed it.
take care of yourself and stay safe.
with love
Morusya.