Chahat
She turned around from JNU’s gate and took a Metro back to Moolchand and was at the ICU by three. Raanav did not look happy. Rajeev was polite tho, “You missed my call Ma’am”
“I am sorry… I am sooo sorry I am not even sure how it happened” she was devastated
“That’s OK”
“How is Sir?” she asked
He chuckled when she used the term
“Hes fine Ma’am” she paused and let outa whimper
“Oh good… are his vitals good?”
“Umm.. better than yesterday Ma’am”
“OK… I will be there in an hour”
“Sir was saying we can pick you up?” “We can send a car”
“Umm.. no worries I am a block from the Metro station I can hop on a Metro”
“Yeah that might even be better” he acknowledged
“Can I talk to Raanav if he is around?”
“He is hang on”
A few minutes of hold
“Sorry he will call you right back”
“No worries”
She called him 10 minutes later, 20 minutes later, 30 minutes after
Nope!
“raanav phone to uthao”
She arrived after 3 PM, and sprinted down the hallway
The whole family was there, she was the last one to arrive it looked like, her stomach churned as she speculated if Rajeev had lied to her so she could make to the hospital fine
Smrita was smiling and nobody was crying
Viveka tried not to cry
She found Raanav in the corner talking to 3 or 4 guys
Kalyani found her and ran over to give her a hug
“Is everything OK” she whispered
“Oh yeah, in fact Doc said he can be fed something today” she squeezed her
“Yayyy” she whispered kissing Kalyani on her cheek
“Can we watch another movie tonight? Pleez Pleez?” she begged and jumped up and down like a teen
She reminded her of Diya and Karuna, she held her face and whispered “Sure” “can I now go see your Bhai?”
“I will go with you so I can tell him” Kalyani decided
She approached Raanav
“Hi!” he nodded
“He is doing OK?”
“Now yeah!” he nodded
“You must be Viveka Mathur” “swastika Vohra” “Bhabhi” a guy introduced himself
“Darpan” “Darpan Chawla” said the other
“there must be a rule book some place that hot guys only have hot guys for besties” she thought
She smiled and greeted them
“Were you at the wedding?”
“Nope, we both were out of town, he got home last night I got in about an hour ago” Darpan laughed
“I heard he asked for me” Viveka mumbled to Raanav
“Well… he is asleep now”
“Oh…. Umm.. Oh I am sorry”
“That’s fine” he nodded
She wished he would lose his friends but he wouldn’t
Not until she left for home
She met Satyen around 5ish
He had eaten patli daal and some juice
“raanav se naraaz ho ya humse” he greeted with a smile
He was growing a beared now, but looked handsome as usual she noted
“Kisi se bhi nahi… I went to see off my parents and didn’t see your text”
“Ah”
“I mean Rajeev’s text” “And Raanav’s call”
“How is your Papa?” he asked
“He is OK, they headed out today”
“Kidhar?”
“For my cousin’s wedding in Bangkok”
“Oh yes Harsha Shrivastav” he nodded and closed his eyes
“You remember!!” she nodded gasping
“haath pair toota hai, I am hoping the brain works” he teased
She turned red in embarrassment
“How is married life treating you?” he enquired
“Oh? Umm… the first 24 hours have been great” she laughed
“Kidhar hain aapke shohar?” he smiled
“HHes outside, his best friends are here”
“Ah” he nodded
“Bulaoon?”
“Sure” “Unse bhi sun lete hain”
She stepped out and walked over to Raanav who was sipping coffee
“Pap… your Dad is asking for you”
“K” he said unmoved
“Chalogey nahi”
He followed her
“How are you?”
“I am great” Raanav was joyous now
“Honeymoon ka kya plan hai?”
“Nothing much I am goingt o Aurangabad tomorrow”
“Ms Mathur ko lekar jao”
“That’s not a honeymoon” he argued
He hadn’t even told her
She felt hurt
“He owes me a big amazing honeymoon” she nodded agreeing with Raanav anyway
“Go to the wedding in the family beta” he said softly breathing audibly
“That’s OK I will watch the live stream” she promised
“No no” “You mus”
The nurse kicked them out
Rakshit and Raanav had a meeting with the Doc at 5, they were gone, she waited and hung out with Kalyani, and then his friends and then headed home
He returned at 7 ish
“How is he?” she got up from her now fave spot on the couch in his bedroom and went after him
“the same” he nodded
“Matlab good right?” she asked earnestly
“If you can say that” he nodded ripping his shirt out a little exhausted
“Hes not then?”
“Hes fine Viveka”
“Hmm”
“Too busy to show up at the hospital?” he growled
“Sorry maine dekha nahi, I went to the airport and then went to the Uni to do the quick update”
“Forgot he was in the ICU?” he asked silkily
“KAISE bhool sakti hoon main Raanav?” she asked in agony, he saw in her eyes, raw pain
He looked away still not pacified
“Then you chose not to be there?” he continued
“NAHI raanav… I tucked my phone in my bag, when I got to T3” “I had already told you I was goingt o see you at the ICU at 2”
“So you cannot be requested to visit sooner” he nodded
“Don’t twist my words Raanav” “PLEEASE” she begged agitated
They both were tired and exhausted
It had been a long day
“Can you please check your phone and text messages regularly? I am hoping you can meet him when he wants to see you?” he asked politely
They both stood staring at each other in what yesterday seemed like a rather compact walk in closet, to what seemed like a football field today
“Jaanti hoon Raanav humne shaadi ek doosre ko CHAHKAR nahi kee” she said quietly
He looked furious for a second and then just picked up his dirty clothes flung it inbnto the laundry basket, his phone was ringing too off the hook
He peeked at it bending over into the shelf
That made her really sad
She swallowed with difficulty, and exhaled and turned around and went back to the couch to read
He went into the shower
Her parents had arrived in Bangkok and texted her, Harshu had sent her many event links
She truly wished she wasn’t married, at this moment, just single and at the wedding
A text popped in her in-box
It was from the help Mahesh
“Ma’am I am Mahesh kitchen staff” he texted in English
“Hello” she responded
“Ma’am what will you have for dinner?”
