~ 8 ~
Nandini shrieked as a shocking blow struck her squarely over the fingers and sent a jolt of excruciating pain coursing through her. "Ahrrghhh! Grrr!!! You f*****g bas***ds!" she gnashed her teeth with intense fury and cursed at the top of her lungs. Aryaman wrapped himself around Nandini, rolled over onto her and took the shower of blows that rained down on them.
WHACK - WHACK - WHACK - WHACK!
Besides the shouts, curses, and the loud thwacks that rang in the air, Aryaman's tortured groans reached Nandini's ears. He was taking it all! Every single one that was aimed at her. "Aryaman! Get off! Stop hitting him!" she cried out and stuck her hands around to protect him but ended up getting more burning thrashes on her nails and fingers. Tears of pain and fury shot out of her eyes as she let out a deafening scream of agony. She had probably never been hit so badly before.
"Nandini! Stay in! Don't move! You'll get hurt!" Aryaman warned and sandwiched her even tightly. The intense agony from the thrashing was beginning to take a toll on him. Anymore and he would probably end up with a popped blood vessel. From the burning pain on his skin and flesh, it felt like he had already burst a few.
After beating up their victims to a pulp, the cops grabbed hold of whatever they could get their rock-hard hands on - the "protesters" smashed limbs, collars, anything... They were dragged like an overstuffed garbage bag and thrown into the police bus to be taken away. Aryaman and Nandini were amongst them. The stuffiness... the moans of agony... the confusion... and the silence amidst all the noise... felt like hell. She tried to register what was going on around her. But all what she could see was Aryaman's cold, sweaty chest plastered against her face. Half of the buttons had been ripped off from his shirt in all the manhandling. Like cattle being transported for slaughter, one by one, man and woman were tightly packed into the bus before moving off. There was hardly an inch of space left to set foot on the ground. The air smelt of diesel, mould, sweat and blood. Unwilling to accept defeat, some of the protesters began to shout slogans once again.
Nandini looked up at Aryaman as she felt his ravaged body shiver against hers. "Aryaman! Aryaman... Are you okay? Just say something! Please talk!" She nudged him gently but he seemed to be in shock.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Meanwhile, the news had reached Raghav's ears. He continued to be on call after call, blasting left right and centre at the person on the other line in a struggle to get his people out from behind the bars and to make the lives of those involved... miserable. "Find out the cops who were responsible for this! Don't spare them! Screw them all!"
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
By evening, Nandini was roaming around the corridors of City Hospital in a bid to find Aryaman's room. She had a dark lash across her face and a bruised lip, right where she had been struck by the cops. Three of her fingers looked blue and swollen. She cradled them with her good hand whilst she searched for the room in which Aryaman had been admitted.
When she was getting tended to by the nurses, her boss Raghav had dropped in to meet her. He had assured her not to worry and that he would "unleash hell on those who dared to touch my kids." With this, her heart had just grown fonder for him. He was a very cooperative guy as it was, but this incident and the way he was taking things forward had really touched her. He had just exposed how protective he was about his staff. He was genuinely upset and wanted to avenge those who beat up his team for nothing. But what worried her the most was the information she had got from Raghav about Aryaman. He wasn't doing too well. Doctors had determined the extent of his injuries, most of which were internal. Crushed muscles as if hammered with a meat mallet. A cracked knuckle, a ripped tendon and smashed blood vessels.
As she walked into his room, she found him awake in bed and being tended to by a nurse. She administered an injection before moving out. Aryaman looked up at her weakly and smiled. "Hey... damn. That looks bad." He had his eyes on the lash that ran across her cheek.
"I'll live," she replied and looked a bit flustered. "But what about you? Why did you do that?"
"Do what?" he asked innocently.
"Come on! Don't play innocent! Were you out of your mind? Why did you take all those hits? Just look at you!" She was pissed.
"Whoa! Just chill," he grinned. "I did what I felt was right."
"Really?" Nandini crossed her arms. "And what was that? Trying to be a hero!!?"
"Erm... maybe..."
"Wh..." Nandini started off but paused abruptly as the deeper meaning of his words hit her.
Aryaman flashed a really broad close lipped smile at her dumbfounded expression to which Nandini quickly recovered and stammered "d-don't be ridiculous!" with a noticeable blush creeping into her cheeks. "How numb-skulled can you get? You could have got killed! Do you know that?"
"Chill-chill..." he chuckled. "But jokes apart, I'm just waiting to get out of here. They've messed with the wrong people. Those guys are going to learn a very important lesson. What happens when you play around with the media." He wasn't smiling anymore.
"I suppose you won't be around for a while..." she asked in a low voice after a brief silence. As she said this, she felt really guilty.
"Ah! I don't know," he replied. "Doctor said around fifteen days, but something tells me that I might pop in earlier."
Nandini felt really awkward seeing him in this condition. She was really grateful. If it weren't for him, she'd probably be banged up in some hospital room with multiple injuries. "I'm so sorry," she said quietly.
"Shush! That's the last time you're going to apologize. Get it?" he raised a serious eyebrow.
"Okay. I'm sorry," she blundered again and bit her lip as she realized this. "Oops... my bad."
Aryaman snickered. "Why are you standing over there?" he asked and gestured towards the empty visitor's chair. "Make yourself comfortable." As Nandini settled down, Aryaman raised the next question. "By the way... saw you at the club last night. And dude... you were explosive. I never knew that you could be so good. I mean like so-sooo good! Incredible!"
Nandini blushed at his praises. "You were there at the Overdrive?" she stumbled with her words. "What were you doing there?"
"Just came in with a friend of mine," he replied. "And that's when I saw you! Man! You were like... mind blowing! I mean... one could never guess that you... can play a guitar. And that kind of music! Boy! You are full of surprises."
"I guess I am," she mumbled foolishly and felt more smitten as he praised her work.
Just then, a man and a woman in their fifties walked into the room followed by a girl of Nandini's age. "Mom? Dad! Soha?" Aryaman looked worried. Nandini rose to her feet at their presence with a perplexed expression.
His mother was already in tears. "Where did they hit you? Tell me!"
"Mom! Just relax!" Aryaman shot sideway glances at Nandini. He looked uncomfortable with all the waterworks and so was Nandini. She wanted to slowly slither away and give them some private time. "Dad! Why did you bring her here?"
"What to do! She wouldn't listen to me," Roshan justified himself.
"Guys. Just relax!" he urged again. "Mom! Get a grip. Do you want to drown me? Like seriously? And Soha. Just stop with all the sniffling. Okay? I'm not a corpse. Dad! You should have just..."
"I tried!" Roshan protested sadly. "But you know your mother, right?"
"Oof! Good Lord!" That was when he spotted Nandini slithering her way out. "Nandini! Just wait!" Nandini braked in her tracks at Aryaman's call. She was already at the door and almost outside the room. "Where are you going? Come back here." Nandini crept back slowly, wishing that she could just run away from there. "Guys... meet Nandini. We work together. She erm... was with me when it happened."
"Oh dear," his mom gasped and held Nandini gently by the shoulders. "So you are Nandini. Manu tells me a lot about you!"
"Manu...?" Nandini was perplexed and her eyes darted across the room.
"Um... that's me," replied Aryaman awkwardly. "Cheesy, right?"
"Erm... Oh! Ah! Ha-ha!" Nandini just grinned sheepishly. She wasn't even sure how to react. All what she knew was that she felt really awkward. She wasn't really much of an extrovert. So all this socializing business was freaking her out.
As his mom continued to enquire about her injuries and other matters, she just nodded, smiled or gave short uncomfortable replies. She just wanted to run away from there!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Manik bustled along the corridor as he kept chanting "three-oh-two... three-oh-two... three-oh-two..." under his breath. Manik worked at City Hospital, the place where Nandini was admitted now. He had just come to know what had happened and he was very much worried, not to mention angry. The very thought of some fat ass cop mercilessly hitting his friend was eating away at him. He was burning with rage as his mind showed him horrifying and painful visuals of what could have happened there. Of how they could have circled around her. Trapped her. Hit her... He wanted to inflict the same kind of pain on them. He wanted them to feel what she felt. He wanted revenge.
As he walked through the door of Room #302, he spotted Nandini standing around with Aryaman's family. But his eyes had filtered out the rest of them. He was only concerned about her.
"Nandini..." he said breathlessly as he came in to which she looked up in shock.
"Manik?" she mumbled in surprise.
"Shhhit..." He hissed as he spotted the lash across her face. "Shit-shit-shit-shit..."
"Manik... just relax..." she said quietly as she noticed angry tears spring into his eyes.
But his horrified eyes were on her swollen fingers which were a fiery purple now. "Oh no... Oh my God no... no-no-no-no-noo... Dammit... goddammit... goddamn those f****ng losers... How dare they..."
Nandini was surprised to hear Manik swear at his very best. He wasn't a regular curser like she was. But when he did curse, it meant that he had crossed his highest level of tolerance. Aryaman smiled at the scene before his eyes whilst his family just watched on dumbstruck.
"Manik... just calm down yaar," she said softly. "Listen..."
"I'll kill those f*****g bas***ds! I'll kill them! How can they..." Tears were streaming down his face at will. Unable to contain his pain any longer, he just pulled her into his gentle embrace and began to cry. Nandini was dumbstruck and embarrassed at the same time.
"Manik?" Her voice was barely audible as she gave a couple of gentle pats on his back. "Um... listen... buddy? Just stop crying. Please?"
He quickly pulled off from her. "Enough of this retarded job of yours!" he spat angrily. "Put in your resignation this minute. And f**k out of there. Do you recognize the guys who hit you?"
"Manik... just... just calm down."
But he was mad with rage and repeated "do you or don't you?" he spotted Aryaman. "Is this the guy who works with you?"
"Yes. Aryaman. He..."
But Manik cut her off and lashed out at him. "You! You were with her, right? Couldn't you have just at least watched over her? What were you doing!! Huh? Itching your balls?"
"Manik!!!" Nandini reprimanded him. But he was off the hook.
"Bro..." Aryaman began in vain.
"Just shut up!" he snapped. "How can you be so bloody irresponsible dammit?"
"How dare you talk to my son like that!" spat Aryaman's mother. "You'd better do your research before throwing up in here! My son bore the entire brunt and you!!! Bloody idiot! One more word and I'll slap the shit out of your stupid face!"
"Entire brunt my foot!" Manik was senseless. Nandini knew that she had to snap him back on. She grabbed the glass of water on the desk and FLUNG it at Manik's face. He stumbled back sputtering and looked up in shock.
"Just hold onto your horses for a moment..." she said grimly before turning to Aryaman and his parents. "Guys... I'm... um... I'm so sorry. I also apologize on Manik's behalf. He just got a bit too emotional. We're quite attached so..." She turned back to Manik again. "Um... Manik... truth is that I should be there on that bed now... if it weren't for Aryaman. I don't know how to thank him... and nothing I do or say can ever repay him... but... he protected me. He saved my life. Like a true hero."
Aryaman smiled at her and so did she. "Ahh! I'm not that great," he blushed. On the other hand, Manik felt something drop into his gut. He felt so dumb. So guilty and foolish. He was surprised at his own behaviour. He usually never lost it so bad, but seeing her with all those bruises and fearsome marks hit him like a tornado. He still stung from the realization of what she could have been through.
"So... I got to make a move now," she grinned at them. "Dad could pop in any minute. So..."
"Hey no problem," Aryaman smiled at her. "Drop me a message if anything."
"Will do, bye..." she felt surprised at the uneasy feeling that was bubbling over in her stomach as she gently held a dumbfounded Manik by his arm and dragged him out and away from that room.
As soon as they reached a stone's throw away, Nandini let go and turned to face him. "Manik! Have you lost it!!? What the hell is wrong with you? Do you have any clue of what you said back there?" she began irritably. Her nostrils were flaring with intense fury and exasperation.
Manik looked flushed and speechless. "Buddy. I thought..."
But Nandini cut him off and the stress in her voice grew more intense with each word. "You thought what!!? That he got me beaten up!!? Didn't you see his plight? Were you blind? Manik! You're a nurse! I thought you knew how to spot these things out! That guy won't be able to live a normal life at least for two weeks just because he tried to save my ass. And you just conveniently put the blame on him instead of appreciating him?"
"God... I'm such an idiot..." he screwed his eyes shut and hissed quietly.
"Since when did you start acting like a nut case!!? I mean... like seriously? Did you fall down the stairs and land on your head?"
"No. At least just hear me out..." he pleaded but when Nandini was pissed, she was damn pissed.
"Just shut up," she spat with an angry finger pointed at his face. "I don't want to hear any of your stupid stories or explanations! Alright? You know what Manik? I seriously felt like a dumbass in front of them today! Do you know that?"
Manik buried his face in his hands for a moment and took a deep breath to calm himself down. "It wasn't on purpose," he said in a low voice as he looked up again. "It's just that... When I saw you... like that... I just... lost it."
"So? You'll pick on anyone and everyone?" she questioned grimly. "You lashed out at the wrong guy yaar. Just tell me this... He's going to work with me again after a few days. How will I even look at his face without feeling stupid?"
"What do you mean work with me again?" asked Manik in disbelief. "Don't tell me that you're going back to that confounded place!"
"Actually I am!" she spat stubbornly.
"Oh no you aren't!" he snapped back.
"Hah! Look who's talking!" she chuckled sarcastically. "You couldn't even change your goddamn shift for me! And you're asking me to quit my job!!?"
"What the hell has that got to do with this!?"
"Everything!!" she snarled viciously.
"Hello listen," snapped Manik in a husky voice. "Is the hospital my father's property? Huh?"
"No! The channel's CEO is my great granduncle!!" And with this, she quickly spun around and prepared to bustle away.
"Oh! We're not done yet! Where do you think you're going?" growled Manik and accidentally grabbed her swollen hand to stop her.
"Ahhhooowwff! Shit!!!" It was quick. Her hand shot back like a spring.
"Oof! Shhhit! I'm so sorry." He hissed and panicked as he realized what he had done. He ogled at her cradling her battered fingers in the good one. Her head was hung low as she clenched her lips and moaned in excruciating pain with her face contorted into a painful grimace. "God! I'm such an ass! Just show me... Let me see that..." He gently pulled her hand off and took a close look whilst continuously apologizing under his breath. The injury seemed to be on the greyish black side now and it looked very painful.
"Damn... did you get some meds for that?" he asked in a low hiss.
She nodded in the positive, her face still screwed shut. Tears had begun to trickle down her cheeks as the agony had crossed way beyond her tolerance level. She wondered how Aryaman was putting up with his condition.
"Hey... Hey-hey shh..." He leaned forward and gave her a quick hug as she began to heave in an attempt to stop herself from sobbing with pain. "Listen. Don't cry alright? It's going to be okay. Trust me. Come on."
He hastily took her to the hospital's dispensary and got some ice on to it. "Feels better?" She bit her lip and nodded. "Gonna give you a shot for the pain," he said as he painlessly poked her skin and got the meds running in her veins. "You're going to be okay soon, alright buddy? Don't worry. I'll be back in a minute."
"Okay," she croaked in reply.
Manik went behind the counter and disappeared into the stores to pick out the meds prescribed by the doc. He wasn't alone. Rose was there too. Watching him closely as she lazed around with a few boxes. "Is she your girlfriend?" asked Rose out of the blue.
Manik was startled out of his wits. He hadn't realized that she was in there. "God! Rose! You scared the shit out of me!"
She giggled like a chicken that had just laid a fresh egg. "Guess I should be doing it more often then... you looked really cute when you freaked out."
Manik smirked sarcastically at this and continued to browse the shelves.
"Was she your girlfriend? I've seen her a couple of times," Rose asked curiously.
"Yeah Rose, she is..." sighed Manik wearily. Hopefully that should keep her far-far away! Rose did on various occasions try to get dangerously close to Manik. With the sole intent of exploiting his ahem... virginity.
"Aww," crooned Rose with a huge smile. "You guys are just made for each other!"
"Uh huh," he mumbled and walked out as quickly as he can. But tried as he may, he couldn't run away from the impact of her words. This isn't the first time that people rumoured about us being in love. Are we?
He was back to her again. "How's it feeling?" he asked but stopped mid-way as he saw a face he hadn't seen in years. A face that sent an eerie chill down his spine. Nandini wasn't alone. Her father was in there too. And he was glowering right at him.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Next: Chapter 9
Edited by Alohomora - 9 years ago
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Anupamaa
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