Note - in the above post.
As realization hit her, her heart stopped and she felt herself being engulfed by darkness, unable to take it...losing all sense of being. She had fainted!
Chapter 24 - And So...Goodnight!
She became aware of the hospital smell 1st. Next came the sound of the a calm, grave voice, speaking to a sobbing woman.
''It's ok, Maaji, she's fine. Sometimes the brain is unable to deal with the pressure and the body shuts down in defence. There was an overload of emotions and shock. She's absolutely fine. All her vitals are fine too. ''
''Doctor, she's coming around.'' Said a younger female voice.
She saw a man clad in white clothes, check her wrist and eyes.
''Geet, how are you feeling now?'', said the grave voice again.
She murmured something incomprehensible.
Why was she here? What was she doing there, in the hospital in the first place.
She suddenly saw the warm image of her father loom in front of her, followed by Raina and Sid. The image of Sid, brought back memories of the party and her brain finally comprehended the gravity of the situation!
Images of a blood-soaked Nik came up as, she began hyperventilating.
''Paapa, Nik...'', she started, he voice catching.
''Yes, Beta, chalo I'll take you to him.'', he said grimly.
Fear was bubbling like an acid in her as she half ran to his room.
She shoved the door open and called out to him.
He turned to see her and smiled.
''Hey gorgeous!'', he said in a weak raspy voice.
She sighed in relief. He was alright. He was smiling. She had feared the worst, thinking he was dead. She didn't give another thought to Sid and Vicky's worry. He'll get better, she convinced herself.
The bed sheet was pulled up to his chin and a drip was attached to his arm. He looked uneasy, and tensed, but Geet's entry blew all that away.
Nik looked at Mohinder, who nodded imperceptibly and left the room.
'He held out, with effort, a bandaged arm to her.
She came and sat next to him on the bed.
''OMG, baby are u ok?, she asked. ''I was so scared, pata hain? But, I wasn't ready to accept that anything could happen to you. Never!!'', She rambled on, while he listened to her. Her relief made her forget to ask the extent of his injuries...she concentrated on his OK-status only.
''Geet...weren't you scared that something would happen to me?'' he asked teasingly. His voice was still weak. It was barely a whisper. But his eyes shone as he looked at her.
''Shut up'', she said warningly. ''I don't like such jokes. Nothing can happen to you.'' The air was suddenly serious and filled with tension.
He lifted his good arm and caressed her cheek. She still looked miffed, but she lay down next to him on the bed.
''Where does it not hurt?...''she tentatively put her arm on his tummy. ''Is it ok if I keep my arm here? Does it hurt??''
He shook his head. Turning his face seriously,towards her, he said. ''Geet if something happens to me, you won't stop dancing will you? You'll keep the dream going, wont you?''
The question was out of the blue. Something she hadn't expected at all. She shivered involuntarily as a cold feeling clasped itself around her, but said firmly. ''Nothing's gonna happen to you, ok. Now get some rest and lemme also get some rest. You missed the hottest party of the year, you know that? Kitne dinoh se plan karke rakha tha maine. Chalo sleep'', she ordered.
He smiled sadly at her stern expression. But shut his eyes. He fell asleep with his hand around her, a smile on his face. It was the first time he'd hidden something from her. But he couldn't see her cry.
What Geet didn't know, was that Nik knew he had hours to live. The bed sheet hid the gruesome extent of his injuries. He didn't want to see her cry, but wanted to see her laugh and be normal, when he took his last breath. He hadn't even winced when she'd hugged him, even though the pain was unbearable.
She was the closest thing to a family he had. He barely met his uncle once a month, but he knew he wouldn't be able to meet him before he died. He was grateful that God had given him Geet. Mohinder had cried at his bedside. As had Naanima, but he had made them promise that they wouldn't cry as much in front of Geet. His last wishes had all been confided to them. He was surprisingly at peace...the biggest reason being that she was in his arms. But, he was scared of how she'd take it? He was worried she'd return to the horrible life she had been living. Of their friends , he trusted only Vicky. He prayed in his last moments for her. Prayed she'd carry on without him. Prayed she'd find new life, something to live for. He prayed like he had never prayed before!
Nik died in his sleep, with a smile on his face; his love in his arms.
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Geet was awoken by a commotion. Nurses rushed in, a machine beeped steadily and she turned to see her father looking at her with a strange expression. Was it pity?
''Paapa??''
''Beta, I'm so sorry.''
She looked at him perplexed. She turned to see what the commotion was. Unable to conclude the source of the chaos, she turned to Nik. He looked asleep. She wondered how he'd slept through the noise. He was a light sleeper. She shook him, but he didn't budge. She wondered again, how heavy a sedative he'd been given.
''Nik,'' she shook him again. She turned to caress his face, but it was cold. There had been only one time she had felt a human that cold...a long time ago. She turned terrified, to her father.
Paapa...??the words died on her lips.
He had silent tears pouring down his face, as he looked at her. His expression scared her more.
''Beta, I'm so so sorry'', he said pitifully.
She looked at his face, and turned back to Nik. She frowned at him, wondering what was going on. She caressed his face again.
Comprehension dawned on her face, as she kept looking at Nik. Her heart constricted, as she looked at her father, the pieces fitting together. She had begun to understand the situation.
''No'', she choked, looking at Mohinder's tears. ''No, Paapa, No,...not him''!! His face crumpled as she looked pleadingly at Mohinder, hoping he could prove her fear wrong. He just looked at her wretchedly.
''I'm so sorry , beta,'' was all he could say as he enfolded her in his arms.
Mohinder ushered her out. He felt helpless. His child was breaking and there was nothing he could do about it.
Mohinder made sure Geet was not disturbed. But she didn't cry. When they left the hospital, Mohinder looked at her, expecting her to burst into tears soon. She didn't.
Naani sat with her all night on herbed...she didn't sleep at all. She was lost. When spoken to she responded quietly...she caught her frowning from time to time. But she never uttered a word. When Naani tried to feed her dinner, she very gently moved it away. She went to her room and lay down, pretending to sleep.
Nobody disturbed her the next day. Preparations for the funeral had begun. Nik's parents had been Christian and he had wanted a proper funeral. Mohinder made sure nothing was left undone. His uncle managed to make it, but he left early after the funeral, brushing a hand on Geet's cheek and blessing her in a teary voice. Geet stood stock still, kissing Nik's cheek only once and then staring into space.
Days past and Geet barely said enough to anybody. Sid and Raina stayed on to make sure she was ok. She never cried ' the thing that scared Naani the most. She tried to induce tears by talking about Nik to her, but Geet always left the room...or walked away.
Mohinder asked Naani to leave her alone. He didn't want Geet to be stressed. He openly grieved for Nik and had a wake in his honour. Geet preferred to be away from the people who paid their respects and asked Vicky, Sid and Raina to greet them for her. They were scared that she had never said much about his death, much less cried. They gladly obliged.
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Geet sat in her room while the guests filed in for Nik's wake. It had been ten days since his death. She sat motionless in her room. The room hadn't been touched. It had been the same for the past ten days.
She could hear the guests outside asking for her, crying tears, expressing their grief, giving their condolences. She wondered how many were from their heart. Then she silently admonished herself. Nik had been a great guy...
'had!!''... it was hard to accept he wasn't there anymore. The guy who had loved her, through all her madness, her drunken days, he crazy moments. He had become a part of their fold...she never realized how and when she'd fallen in love with him.
Nik...his face always shone when he looked at her. His lovely dark crinkly eyes.
He had been loved by one all. The proof was in the number that came to pay respects. Had they shed tears for him? Must have. Were they important to him? She didn't think so. She knew who all he valued. She knew she was the most important person in his life. She had no doubt about it. Why then could she not shed even a single tear for him?
Why? Why did he leave? Would anything have changed had she stopped him from racing that day. She cursed herself.
She had felt her world crashing around her ears, when she had felt his body. It had been so cold. She had always felt him warm...warm in his embraces, warm when he hugged her, kissed her, danced with her. It had been perfect.
She felt betrayed. Just when she had thought life was giving her a clean slip, it had come back in the form of a whiplash. She tried hard to shed tears but they never came.
He had loved life. He had done whatever was right...WHY Him?? His blood soaked image swam in front of her eyes. Naanima had told her that Nik had known about the extent of his injuries. That he had known he was going to die. Why had he not let her know??? Didn't she deserve to at least say goodbye? Why had she been left out in the cold. She couldn't come up with an answer.
The thoughts continued to flow...She didn't realize when she fell asleep on her own bed.
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She woke up when it was dark. She'd just had a horrible dream...There was a light on in the passageway. She breathed in relief. It was just a dream... She couldn't sleep. What time was it? She looked at her phone and saw One Unread Message. She flicked open the phone. It was from Nik...she smiled and opened it.
''Hey gorgeous. Wish your lover boy luck. This has gotta be the race of a lifetime. Wish you were here, but the meeting's gotta be important. Still a good luck kiss would've been just the ticket...Nik''
She smiled. She hadn't seen this message before. She immediately dialed his number. A phone began ringing in her room, on the table. She got up to see and saw it was Nik's...
Why had he left it here?
He never parted with his phone...and he always always, answered her call...
Unless he was away for some genuine reason...!!! Unless...
It hadn't been a dream!!!!
Geet started hyperventilating.
She picked up her phone and opened his message...it was dated ten days ago...the air was suddenly very heavy...the room began to squeeze in on her. She couldn't breathe...suddenly it was very suffocating in that room.
She ran out, and stopped in the hall. The passage light was glinting off a large photo frame. It was Nik...he was laughing over something...the camera had brought the happiness in his eyes alive. The very liveliness that contrasted starkly with the garland of flowers that adorned the frame.
Reality pounded down on her ...as she realised he was never coming back. Never going to hold her, kiss her anger away, joke with her family, dance with her, smell her hair or stay the night over just to be with her.
An animal like cry reached her ears...it sounded like it was wounded !
It took her a while to realize that it was from her own mouth. Anger and pain discharged itself from her as she took the first object that reached her hand and smashed it...the cry becoming louder.
Running feet reached as they grabbed her hands and removed the objects from them. She was turned around to face her father...
''Paapa...Nik...paapa...Nik,'' she howled, her voice catching in between her tears.
''He's not coming back papa...get him back to me...please Paapa...he's never coming back. ''
'Shhh, shhh,''he comforted, pulling her in his arms. He just stodd stroking her hair, trying to comfort her.
His warm embrace tried to shield her from the cold reality, but she only sobbed loudly in to his shoulder. The anger, the pain, the grief finally finding expression in her tears.
Did I disappoint you or let you down?
Should I be feeling guilty or let the judges frown?
'Cause I saw the end before we'd begun,
Yes I saw you were blinded and I knew I had won.
So I took what's mine by eternal right.
Took your soul out into the night.
It may be over but it won't stop there,
I am here for you if you'd only care.
You touched my heart you touched my soul.
You changed my life and all my goals.
And love is blind and that I knew when,
My heart was blinded by you.
I've kissed your lips and held your hand.
I know you well, I know your smell.
I've been addicted to you.
End of Season 1!!!!
Precap:
He looked at the girl next to Nida...she had a pretty face, but her eyes caught his attention. The were deep and dark...reminding him of an endless light-less dark tunnel. They hit a note somewhere...had he seen her before?...He was captivated...!
Edited by mechantefille - 14 years ago
Ishaani
