FF: You & I...Collide 2 Prt21 Pg132 Oct26 - Page 12

The next morning Geet woke up to the vibration of her phone. Groaning as she checked to see what it was, she was surprised to see a text message from Adi.

Rise and shine cry baby.

As furious as Geet was for being called a cry baby, she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips. Getting out of bed with a renewed sense of self, she quickly showered and changed before calling in a favor from a friend. A half hour later she stood nervously at the front door of the Phi Kappa Delta, the fraternity that Adi was part of.

"Can I help you?" a blond man asked sleepily.

"Umm…Adi…I'm looking for Adi Mehta," Geet said.

"Sure…come on in," he said as he opened the door further allowing her to come inside.

Geet stepped inside after thanking him.

"Yo Jared…tell Adi a girl's here to see him!" the man yelled unexpectedly causing Geet to jump.

He guided Geet to what looked like a living room but she wasn't sure. There were pizza boxes, soda cans and beer bottles all over the floor, not to mention piles of books, clothes and shoes as well. Geet shuddered at the mess.

"Can I help you?" she heard Adi call from behind.

"Morning," Geet said softly.

"Geet…what are you doing here?" Adi asked, clearly surprised to see her.

"Hey Adi…nice," a brunette called as he checked Geet out.

Suddenly, Geet felt her strapless summer dress was leaving her too exposed. She knew Adi was not happy with the comment because of how he rolled his eyes.

"They aren't all pigs…I swear," Adi said in defense of his other frat brothers. "How about we go outside?"

Geet simply nodded as she followed Adi out onto the front porch.

"So what brings you here?" Adi asked. "And how did you know where I lived? Are you staking me?"

Geet giggled at the teasing tone of his voice.

"I just wanted to say thank you for yesterday," Geet said as she played with her fingers nervously. "It really meant a lot."

"Don't mention it. It was nothing really," he said with a smile.

"No, it was," Geet said. "I was a mess and you helped me."

"Happy to do it," Adi replied.

"And thank you for not asking questions."

"If you wanted to tell me you would," Adi said. "Maybe not today or tomorrow but I hope that one day you feel comfortable enough to tell me."

Geet sat silently as she debated whether or not she wanted to tell him, and what to tell him if she did.

"It would have been our anniversary yesterday," she said softly.

"I'm sorry," Adi said as he squeezed her hand.

Saying it out loud suddenly brought a wave of emotions that she wasn't expecting. Taking her hand out of his grasp she wiped her tears before they fell and he knew she was crying.

"Wow, cry baby was the right nickname," Adi teased.

Geet chuckled as she wiped the last tears from her eyes.

"Would you like to go to breakfast?" he asked. "I know a great Jewish deli in the Valley…they have the best omelets!"

"Sure," Geet said with a smile.

That was the beginning of a true friendship between Adi and Geet. After that incident, they would keep in touch mostly through text messages and phone calls here and there. If they could manage some time they'd go for dinner or a movie or something. However, the OC Fair had turned into a tradition for them. Every year on what should have been Maan and Geet's anniversary, Adi took Geet to the OC Fair to make sure her mind wasn't on anything but fun. He never asked her what happened with Maan or why they broke up. He was there for her as a friend, cheering her up when was down.

--------Present--------

"You don't have me because he let me go," Geet said. "You have me because you caught me when I was falling."

Saying that she leaned up just slightly and placed a soft kiss on his lips, before falling silent again.

A few minutes later, pulling herself away from him slightly, she sat up straight and pulled her knees up the chest as she looked out the window back at the skies in front of her.

"You ok?" Adi asked softly, concerned.

"I have a great career," she began. "It's a career that I've wanted since I was a little girl. It's a career that I love and one that I'm proud of."

"But…" Adi asked.

"But…I feel like that's all I have. Everyone around me has a family and loved ones," Geet said sadly.

"You have me," Adi said almost in a whisper.

Geet looked at him as the gravity of it all hit her. She'd been so caught up in her emotions and her drama that she never once thought of how it must be for him to see her like this. Not just that, but the melt down she had when she'd cried about the life with Maan that she'd lost. He didn't complain that she was crying over another man, instead he understood her heartache and comforted her.

"You're right, I do…I do have you," Geet said as she placed a hand on his cheek. "And thank God that I do."

Adi smiled and her heart smiled.

"I'm sorry for everything these past few days. I've been a mess…it's just that…seeing the people my past moving on shows me that I haven't moved on myself," Geet said.

"But you have…" Adi argued.

"In my career yes…but my personal life…I haven't really moved on," Geet said. "A family…kids…"

"I didn't know you wanted all that," Adi said.

"I didn't either, not until I saw what I was missing," Geet said.

A part of her had pushed the idea of getting married and having children out of her mind when she started medical school. Then between finishing her schooling and setting up her career, those things just disappeared from her mind. It wasn't until she saw that the people tied to her past had moved forward that she realized that she hadn't.

"Geet…" Adi called.

"Hmm…" she replied absentmindedly.

"Marry me…" Adi said.

"What?" Geet said shocked. "Where did that come from?"

Adi took her hands into his before he spoke.

"Don't think I'm proposing because you put the idea into my head," he said as he sat on his haunches to face her. "I've wanted to marry you since that first night at the OC Fair. Over the years, you were so career oriented I didn't think you wanted what I wanted from our relationship."

"Adi…" Geet began.

"But now, hearing you say that you want these things, I finally have the courage to ask you without the overwhelming fear that you'll say no," Adi said. "So marry me Geet…let me give you what you've been missing."

Geet felt tears sting her eyes as she cupped his face in her palms before leaning in and kissing him.

"I love you Geet…always have always will…so marry me," he repeated.

"No," Geet said.

Her response shocked him so much he gasped.

"Don't get me wrong Adi," Geet began. "I want you to ask me later, when I'm not so emotionally charged. I don't want there to be any doubt that I'm saying yes for any reason other than wanting to spend the rest of my life with you."

"So your 'no' is a backwards yes," Adi said.

"Maybe," Geet replied. "Now shoo…you have to get ready for your lecture Dr. Mehta."

Adi smiled as he got to his feet and headed towards the showers on the other side of the locker room. Geet watched him disappear and couldn't help but smile.

Many people are not lucky in love, but she had all the luck. After one heart break, when she thought loving again was impossible, God had sent this great man into her life. A man who understood her and her dreams. A man who put her back together when she was broken.

It was almost twenty minutes later that she heard the water turn off in the shower and saw Adi emerge from the steamy room. He was dressed in a pair of scrub pants that hung low on his waist while another towel he used to try his hair rested on his shoulders.

"Geet...you're still here," he said surprised.

As he got closer, Geet looked at his eyes and realized she's forgotten how beautiful they were. He always wore his black rimmed glasses – always. That's why when she saw him without his glasses, it always surprised her at how soulful his eyes were. His eyes could tell you everything about him. Maybe that's why he hid behind his glasses.

Another thing that Geet forgot every now and then was the fact that Adi was a very well built man. Something that the two of the like to do was exercise. That is why many times after a shift or something, they would find themselves at the gym. While Geet liked the cardio classes, Adi preferred the weights. Years of weight lifting and weight training led to him having rather sculpted muscles on his arms, shoulders, abdomen and back. Looking at his chiseled abs now, Geet felt herself blush as she tried to look away.

"Geet…hello…Geet," Adi called to her as he shook her slightly.

"What...what?" she asked coming back to reality.

"You seem dazed, are you ok?" he asked.

"Yes of course," Geet said slightly flustered.

He gave her a funny look but didn't say anything. Instead he walked away and went towards his locker to get changed into his outfit for the lecture he was going to be giving.

"So you were really never going to propose to me because you didn't think I wanted that?" Geet asked.

"I always hoped that you would," Adi said from behind the set of lockers, "But was never sure…"

"But Adi its what you want…why would you disregard

"And you want me to believe that you didn't propose just because I put the idea into your head a little while ago?" she inquired.

"You didn't put that idea into my head Geet," Adi replied. "That idea has been there for a while…such a long while that I have a ring."

Now it was Geet who was shocked.

"You're bluffing," she tested.

There was silence for a minute before she heard rustling coming from where Adi was. Soon he came around the corner dressed in his slacks, his shirt hanging loosely unbuttoned and a sneer playing on his lips.

"You call this a bluff?" he asked as he presented her with a black velvet box with gold rim.

Geet got to her feet as one hand went over her mouth that was now gaping open.

"You didn't," she said in a whisper.

"I told you Geet…I've know for a long time that I wanted to marry you," Adi said.

"But…but…when did you…" Geet said as she took the small box from his hand and caressed it against her own.

"I bought the ring the day you graduated from med school," Adi answered, "But then you dove head first into your career and I didn't want to derail that…and I was scared that if I proposed it would mess up what we already had."

Geet looked from the box to his smiling face as she sighed. "Oh Adi."

She threw her arms around his neck and held him tight for a few seconds before breaking apart.

"Well…see if you like it. Take a look at the ring," Adi said.

He took the box from her hand and was about to open it but Geet put a hand on top of his to stop him.

"No…not yet…I want to be surprised for when you really propose," Geet said as she kissed his cheek.

He looked at her adoringly before going back to his locker to finish getting ready, taking the ring with him.

"How come you're still here?" Adi asked as he came back around the corner.

Turning her head, Geet watched him as he was draping his tie around his neck, while his suit jacked was slung over one arm.

"No patient to see yet," Geet said as she got up.

She took the jacked and placed it on the back of the sofa before putting her hands around his tie so that she could knot it for him. Once that was done, she fixed his collar and helped him with his jacket. Smoothing everything out she stepped back to look at him.

He wore a tailored black suit with a navy blue shirt and black printed tie.

"Perfect," Geet said.

"Oh wait, one thing is missing," Adi said as he pulled his glasses out of his pant pocket and placed it securely on his face.

"Well aren't we just a regular Clark Kent," Geet teased. "Nerdy on the outside and oozing sex appeal on the inside."

"What?" Adi asked as he caught Geet winking at him.

"Clark Kent…Superman," Geet reminded.

That caused Adi to laugh out loud.

"I'm no one's superman," he said.

Geet stepped closer and put her arms around his neck as she leaned in to whisper, "You're my Superman."

Adi smiled as he quickly pecked her cheek.

"How do I look?" he asked.

Geet looked at him from head to toe. "Too good for a bunch of young female med students."

"Someone jealous," he teased.

"You bet," she said.

"Don't be," he answered with a wink before stepping away.

"I mean it Dr. Mehta," Geet said in a mockingly serious tone as she walked back up to him. She took his tie in her hands and pulled on it making him bend slightly, "You're my Adi Kent…and don't you forget that."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

He sat quietly in the holding cell of the LAPD's main downtown station with a handful of other criminals. A million and one questions and concerns raced through his mind as he waited for them to do something with him.

"You Abercrombie," an officer yelled, "You can get your one phone call now."

He looked around to see who the officer was referring to. It wasn't until he saw all eyes on him that he realized that officer was talking to him, probably referring to him as Abercrombie because of the shirt he wore.

He got to his feet and waited while the officer unlocked the cell so he could step out. Once he was out, the officer led him to a phone in the corner which he could use to make is mandatory one phone call that all arrested individuals received.

With a shaking hand he dialed the number from memory.

One

Two

Three rings.

Finally someone answered.

"Hello?" the voice boomed from the other end.

"Hello," he replied, "It's me…I got arrested."

A colorful curse came through the phone.

"I told you…I told you to be careful Arjun!" the person yelled. "I told you she was going to be trouble."

"I know but…" Arjun began only to be cut off.

"Don't say a word," the person ordered. "Not a single word to anyone until I get there with the lawyer."

"Ok," he agreed.

"I mean it…not a word…you've made a mess of it all as it is," the person said before hanging up.

For the first time since being arrested Arjun breathed easy knowing that someone was on their way to help them. However, that relief was short lived as the worries took over his mind once again.

They can't know. No one can know. It will ruin everything – everything.