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Hey guys..
well it seems like not too many posts for the last chapter.. hmmmm.. where are all my faithful readers huh..? lol..!
Anyway here is the next chapter. and since i'm getting engaged on Sunday.. will be posting the next chapter only next week..
Dedications.. To everyone who reads my FF.. luv you all..!
Chapter 56
Milind splashed cold water on his face, the chill wiping away any trace of sleepiness that may have been there. The sights and sounds of his surroundings overwhelmed his senses though they would have normally seemed calm and bleak. He walked back to the chair that he seemed to have occupied for days but in reality it had only been hours. He looked up at her sleeping form and his guilt stabbed him further. He rubbed his face with his palms and let his hands mask his face almost as if in shame. "I shouldn't have let this happen. I should have protected her." The thought ran through his head for the millionth time. The beeps and alarms pierced the silence and only made it seem deafeningly loud.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mru with two cups of coffee. "Milind I know you said you didn't want anything to eat from the cafeteria. But I thought you might like some coffee." She extended one of the cups towards him. He grateful took the hot thermacol cup careful not to spill any of the hot liquid on himself. Mru sat down next to him.
"Thanks Mrudula." He said earnestly.
"You are very welcome. Milind I know you think you are responsible for us all. But believe me when I say you really aren't to blame for this. It was an accident." Mru had not only seen concern and worry in his eyes she had also seen guilt. "You couldn't have seen this coming If you had we all wouldn't be here I'm sure. Don't be so hard on yourself." She placed a hand on his shoulder and hoped he would hear her words.
He took a sip of the hot liquid, almost burning his throat. "I know that. Well at least the reasonable part of me does. But I still keep playing the scene over and over in my head, from every angle. Maybe I could have done this or done that. I just can't seem to stop." He leaned back and let his head rest on the wall. He closed his eyes and saw the entire scene flash behind his lids. He could still clearly see the fear in her eyes and he felt the same in his heart. "Anyway where are the others?" He had seen the three of them head down to the cafeteria.
"Let me give you a hint" Mru grinned. "One wanted to eat some more."
"Neev" Milind guessed.
Mru laughed and nodded, "And she decided to keep him company. Neev is just very uncomfortable. He does want to be here more than anywhere else. But he is still very jittery and anxious."
"Well, I feel extremely uncomfortable in these places as well. Always have." He took another sip of his coffee now fast becoming cold.
"Milind I promise you everything is going to be alright. She" Mru nodded towards the bed, "is tough. And she will be ok. I just know she will."
"I hope so Mru. And she damn lucky to have you as a friend." Milind had been genuinely impressed with Mrudula. She had been the calm one through out the entire ordeal. Even he had given into panic a couple of times but she had kept her cool head. She had made sure they remainned rested and ate something at regular intervals. She had even made the necessary calls to people back home.
"Yeah and I am lucky to have a friend like her." Mru grinned again. "But you are right she is luckier one in this equation."
Milind laughed for the first time that day and it felt good.
"Mru what happened to your office though? Did you tell them you won't be coming back on Monday?" Milind knew her boss was a tough nut and he really didn't want her losing her job over this.
"I did call him and he was a complete ass. But then I called his boss Sameer. Now he is an understanding man. He told me to take all the time I needed and I told him I fully intended to. And anyway whats the worse that can happen? They'll fire me. Hey I got three great friends who can get me a job."
Milind noted she had said three and not two and it he was really touched. He placed the coffee near his feet and turned in his chair to give the girl a hug. She was taken aback for a split second but she returned it warmly. "If you do need a job at any time I'd be honoured if you'd come and work with me. And Mru thank you for making all those phone calls."
"Milind there is no need to thank me. You know that." She playfully swatted his arm.
The alarm in some other room sounded and it was heard all the way down the corridor. As he heard hurried footsteps of, he assumed doctors and nurses, rushing down the hall he couldn't help but be reminded of his dislike for hospitals. He picked up his coffee and finished it in one long gulp. He got up to dispose of the cup. He threw it in the dustbin and walked towards the large windows. They were on the seventh floor and the view was spectacular. Milind thought it was ironic that the person who would have appreciated the view the most was the one sleeping peacefully.
He had always hated hospitals. He hated the fluorescent lighting and sterile smell. He remembered all those nights he's spent in such a place when his mother had fallen sick and then quickly and quietly passed away. He'd always seen hospitals as places that had let his mother die. Of course the only good thing he associated with hospitals these days was Geet but even her presence didn't give him any comfort today.
He turned to see Mrudula still nursing her coffee. He saw fatigue in her eyes yet she resolutely sat in her chair. Milind absently glanced at his watch. They had all been here for the past several hours. And barely a day ago they were all on the beach laughing and having fun. It might as well have been another lifetime it seemed so far away.
"Milind I think you need to get some rest. You have been up the whole time." Mru voice cut through his thoughts.
"No Mru I'm ok. You should get some sleep though. Why don't you use the couch?"
Unlike Milind, Mru was ready to admit she was tired. She grabbed a spare sheet from the foot of the bed and settled down onto the couch.
He turned back to face the window. He saw a dome of a temple, distinct in its southern style and architecture. He said a silent prayer. He promised to be a be a better person to donate more to charity, anything to make sure she'd be all right.
He heard rustling of some sheets and assumed it was Mru shifting on the couch. He turned around and saw movement on the bed. He hurried over and woke Mru. "Mru, Get up. Get the doctor. I think she's waking up."
Mru awoke alert instantly and ran out of the room while Milind stood over the bed.
He watched as her eyes fluttered open and heard her first words, "Where am I? What happened?" She looked up dazed and confused into Milind's worried eyes. And then just sunk right back into the darkness.
well it seems like not too many posts for the last chapter.. hmmmm.. where are all my faithful readers huh..? lol..!
Anyway here is the next chapter. and since i'm getting engaged on Sunday.. will be posting the next chapter only next week..
Dedications.. To everyone who reads my FF.. luv you all..!
Chapter 56
Milind splashed cold water on his face, the chill wiping away any trace of sleepiness that may have been there. The sights and sounds of his surroundings overwhelmed his senses though they would have normally seemed calm and bleak. He walked back to the chair that he seemed to have occupied for days but in reality it had only been hours. He looked up at her sleeping form and his guilt stabbed him further. He rubbed his face with his palms and let his hands mask his face almost as if in shame. "I shouldn't have let this happen. I should have protected her." The thought ran through his head for the millionth time. The beeps and alarms pierced the silence and only made it seem deafeningly loud.
He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see Mru with two cups of coffee. "Milind I know you said you didn't want anything to eat from the cafeteria. But I thought you might like some coffee." She extended one of the cups towards him. He grateful took the hot thermacol cup careful not to spill any of the hot liquid on himself. Mru sat down next to him.
"Thanks Mrudula." He said earnestly.
"You are very welcome. Milind I know you think you are responsible for us all. But believe me when I say you really aren't to blame for this. It was an accident." Mru had not only seen concern and worry in his eyes she had also seen guilt. "You couldn't have seen this coming If you had we all wouldn't be here I'm sure. Don't be so hard on yourself." She placed a hand on his shoulder and hoped he would hear her words.
He took a sip of the hot liquid, almost burning his throat. "I know that. Well at least the reasonable part of me does. But I still keep playing the scene over and over in my head, from every angle. Maybe I could have done this or done that. I just can't seem to stop." He leaned back and let his head rest on the wall. He closed his eyes and saw the entire scene flash behind his lids. He could still clearly see the fear in her eyes and he felt the same in his heart. "Anyway where are the others?" He had seen the three of them head down to the cafeteria.
"Let me give you a hint" Mru grinned. "One wanted to eat some more."
"Neev" Milind guessed.
Mru laughed and nodded, "And she decided to keep him company. Neev is just very uncomfortable. He does want to be here more than anywhere else. But he is still very jittery and anxious."
"Well, I feel extremely uncomfortable in these places as well. Always have." He took another sip of his coffee now fast becoming cold.
"Milind I promise you everything is going to be alright. She" Mru nodded towards the bed, "is tough. And she will be ok. I just know she will."
"I hope so Mru. And she damn lucky to have you as a friend." Milind had been genuinely impressed with Mrudula. She had been the calm one through out the entire ordeal. Even he had given into panic a couple of times but she had kept her cool head. She had made sure they remainned rested and ate something at regular intervals. She had even made the necessary calls to people back home.
"Yeah and I am lucky to have a friend like her." Mru grinned again. "But you are right she is luckier one in this equation."
Milind laughed for the first time that day and it felt good.
"Mru what happened to your office though? Did you tell them you won't be coming back on Monday?" Milind knew her boss was a tough nut and he really didn't want her losing her job over this.
"I did call him and he was a complete ass. But then I called his boss Sameer. Now he is an understanding man. He told me to take all the time I needed and I told him I fully intended to. And anyway whats the worse that can happen? They'll fire me. Hey I got three great friends who can get me a job."
Milind noted she had said three and not two and it he was really touched. He placed the coffee near his feet and turned in his chair to give the girl a hug. She was taken aback for a split second but she returned it warmly. "If you do need a job at any time I'd be honoured if you'd come and work with me. And Mru thank you for making all those phone calls."
"Milind there is no need to thank me. You know that." She playfully swatted his arm.
The alarm in some other room sounded and it was heard all the way down the corridor. As he heard hurried footsteps of, he assumed doctors and nurses, rushing down the hall he couldn't help but be reminded of his dislike for hospitals. He picked up his coffee and finished it in one long gulp. He got up to dispose of the cup. He threw it in the dustbin and walked towards the large windows. They were on the seventh floor and the view was spectacular. Milind thought it was ironic that the person who would have appreciated the view the most was the one sleeping peacefully.
He had always hated hospitals. He hated the fluorescent lighting and sterile smell. He remembered all those nights he's spent in such a place when his mother had fallen sick and then quickly and quietly passed away. He'd always seen hospitals as places that had let his mother die. Of course the only good thing he associated with hospitals these days was Geet but even her presence didn't give him any comfort today.
He turned to see Mrudula still nursing her coffee. He saw fatigue in her eyes yet she resolutely sat in her chair. Milind absently glanced at his watch. They had all been here for the past several hours. And barely a day ago they were all on the beach laughing and having fun. It might as well have been another lifetime it seemed so far away.
"Milind I think you need to get some rest. You have been up the whole time." Mru voice cut through his thoughts.
"No Mru I'm ok. You should get some sleep though. Why don't you use the couch?"
Unlike Milind, Mru was ready to admit she was tired. She grabbed a spare sheet from the foot of the bed and settled down onto the couch.
He turned back to face the window. He saw a dome of a temple, distinct in its southern style and architecture. He said a silent prayer. He promised to be a be a better person to donate more to charity, anything to make sure she'd be all right.
He heard rustling of some sheets and assumed it was Mru shifting on the couch. He turned around and saw movement on the bed. He hurried over and woke Mru. "Mru, Get up. Get the doctor. I think she's waking up."
Mru awoke alert instantly and ran out of the room while Milind stood over the bed.
He watched as her eyes fluttered open and heard her first words, "Where am I? What happened?" She looked up dazed and confused into Milind's worried eyes. And then just sunk right back into the darkness.
