Love story Part 22 Updated/Pg 66 May 15 - Page 29

Part 19

Meera walked into the Meeting room and started working. She had to keep her mind off what had happened. Work was the only thing that kept her together. She was good at it and it took her mind off all her frustrations. She was aware that Varun was watching her. She didn't understand why he was so interested about her. During the past few weeks, after that kiss, he had suddenly started caring about her. On a more personal level. She knew that he was not a bad person. He had commitment issues but he was different. Different from other man. Not all men from the army were the same. She had to convince her mind. He had seen Varun hold that girl the other day, offering her his comfort, murmuring reassurances. She felt a pang in her heart. There hadn't been anyone for her. She had been left to face it all alone.

"Meera are you fine?" Varun asked coming to sit besides her. "You look tired!"

"I'm fine!" She replied looking at the screen in front of her.

"You don't seem so. Since that night you rushed away, you've been having dark circles under your eyes. Is there anything I can do?" He asked, voice full of concern.

He had watched her coming and leaving the headquarters more often these past couple of days. She looked tired and maybe a little bit sick.

Meera felt something in her heart hearing his concerned voice. She turned her face and met his eyes. They looked so sincere. Then she shook her head in denial. "There's nothing you can do." She whispered.

The vulnerability he saw in her eyes shocked him out of his breath and varun felt a tug in his heart. He wanted to wrap her in his arms and tell her that whatever it is, it will be fine. But he knew that she was going to push him away. She continued to work. But he did not want to let this go. He needed to know what was bothering her. So he pressed further.

"Tell me. You have no idea whether I can fix it or not!" he said confidently.

Meera did not have a chance to respond back when her phone rang. She took it and went into the lounge to speak. Shutting him off completely. Varun gained his senses. Why was he trying to get involved in her stuff? They were colleagues. Even if they felt attracted to each other, nothing was going to happen. But he couldn't understand the protective urge that went through him when she had looked at him with those vulnerable eyes.

Meera walked back into the meeting room. Her eyes were burning. She had left her car for repairs in the morning and now she had no means of transportation to go to the hospital. But it was important. She had to be there. That's the only reason she was asking Varun for help right now. "Can you please drive me to the hospital? I...I need to be to be there urgently." She said.

Varun's face turned into concern "Are you fine?"

"Yes I am. But I need to go to the hospital." She replied.

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They reached their destination. The hospital she had to go to was 15 minutes away. Meera hadn't told him whom she was going to see. As soon as he parked the car she spoke breaking the silence "Don't wait for me. You can go. Thank you very much."

She leapt out of the car before he could say anything. But he wasn't going anywhere. She could not expect him not to be curious and not want to find out whom she had come to see. He locked the car and went behind her. She had entered a room. It looked like it was the children's ward. He looked through the blinds and there she was. Holding a beautiful girl on her lap. The girl, around 5 years old, was a spitting image of Meera. He didn't have to try hard to realize that she was her daughter. Without his senses, he walked into the room and met her surprised eyes. Then her look changed to anger. But that didn't stay long as she quickly lowered them with shame. Why?

Meera stared at Varun. What was he doing here? She had told him to go back, not wait for her. But he had followed her. She felt anger seep into her. But that didn't hold long and then she realized. She will have to deal with the shame now.

Still shocked she asked him "What are you doing here Varun?"

Having no other answer he said the truth. "I followed you."

Then his eyes rested on the little girl on her lap again. She was tiny. Looking at them confused. Her hand had an IV attached to it. Then a nurse entered the room with medicines in a tray. Varun felt that it was better that he left. He continued watching them through the blinds though. The little girl took her medicines after a lot of time. He understood that Meera had rushed to the hospital because the girl was not having her medicines. Then meera made her sleep in her arms. She was fast asleep within few minutes. She glanced at him as if she was aware that he had been watching her. She started walking towards the door.

Meera sat down on the bench besides Veer. Looking straight, she spoke. "She is my daughter." Varun was staring at her. "Does captain Ram know?" She knew he was going to ask that. Before joining the team, everyone had to bare out all their secrets. But captain Ram knew everything about her. She nodded. "Yes he knows. No one else was supposed to know though"

Varun sighted. He could hear the accusation in her voice "I know I should not have followed you. But I was curious and I could stop myself." Still looking intently at her, he said. "You don't owe me any explanation"

She din't reply for a long time and then she spoke "Thank you." Varun realized that he was not going to get any explanation. But he couldn't expect anything. There was nothing between them. Not even friendship. But why he feel that there was something.

"Do you have a ride back home" He asked her.

She nodded in denial.

I'll drop you then!" he said

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The ride from the hospital to her house had been silent. Both she and Varun had kept quiet. He had not asked her anything. She was glad. But at the same time she could not help thinking about what he thought about her. He knew she wasn't married or engaged or divorced. She felt a lump in her heart. She realized that she didn't want him to think about her in a bad way. But was she prepared to tell him the truth? No she wasn't. She already knew that. Things were going to change in her life now. Her work atmosphere in which she found her peace had been shattered now. Nothing was going to be the same. The car stopped. She said thank you and went out.

"Yeah. It's good. She needs to rest." Veer replied

After a long silence Veer spoke. "She was supposed to tell at least one of us when she gets her periods. But she's too stubborn. She never listens to me. If I knew, we would not have started out journey back until she was better."

Maan could feel the anger in Veer' voice. But more than that, he could see the concern on his face.

Some times later geet woke up. She was feeling weak and she was hurting. She needed to lie down. The ride in the car was making it difficult. Aashi saw her awake. "How are you feeling geet?" She asked her with concern.

Geet gave her a not so reassuring smile and before she could say she was fine, a wave of pain hit her and she let out a cry. She closed her eyes and clutched her lower abdomen and pressed her back against the seat.

Maan and Veer heard her. "Veer, Maan! Geet is not fine. We need to stop for a while." Aashi said pulling geet on her side and making her lie down on the car seat.

"Veer! Stop the car at the next hotel that comes. We can stay there itself. The other one is too far. She's in pain." Maan said. His voice full of concern and panic.

Veer glanced at Geet from the mirror. His face hard "Yes. I'm stopping."

5 minutes later Veer stopped the car at one of the hotels. "Stay here with her Maan. I'm going to book a room."

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Aashi got out of the car and maan sat in her place taking geet's head in his lap. Her hands were clutching her stomach tightly and her face was looking pale and full of distress.

He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead.

Eyes half closed, geet spoke slowly. "I'm fine Maan. It's not that bad. I'm not continuously in pain. It just comes in waves and will stop in a while." Geet said getting up from the seat.

Maan pressed her back to lie down. "I'm sorry but I'm not like your brother Geet. He controls his anger but I cant. If you knew that you got your periods in the morning, you should have told us. We would have stayed in the bungalow for a couple more days until you felt better." Maan said with a calm voice

Soon after veer came and opened the door. "Take her inside Maan. Here are the room keys. I will come in a while."

Maan took geet in his arms before she could protest. The movement made her wince and she clutched him harder. "Shh, it's ok...let's take you to the room"

When they got into the bedroom, Maan placed her on the bed. "Do you want to take a shower? Change and everything?" He asked.

"After I take my medicines" Geet replied.

Veer then entered the room. He sat on the bed besides geet and shuffled into his bag taking out a syringe.

He stroked her hair slowly. "You should have told me in the morning itself baccha. If you don't tell maan or me about things like that, we wont be able to take care of you. You make me so worried all the time." He said

I'm sorry" Geet whispered. Then she looked towards Maan who was lying in the bed besides her, shaking his head.

"Spoilt kid" He murmured while geet gave him a glare.

Veer chuckled while filling the syringe.

Maan looked at her scared face and dragged her on him so that she was lying on her side, her head on his chest.

He glanced down at her and asked jokingly "My baby is scared of injections?" But he knew better.

Geet whispered quietly. "This one is painful. It hurts." Her voice was heavy. She was already in so much pain

Maan hugged her tight and pressed a kiss to her forehead. He glanced at Veer who also gave him a sad expression. Geet was never a weak girl. She never complained about anything. Seeing her like that broke their hearts.

Maan nodded at Veer. He lifted her shirt and inserted the needle in her waist. She winced letting out a cry.

"Shh...it's ok baby. It will be over soon." Maan rubbed her back continuously. She was gripping his shirt tightly. When Veer was done, he threw the syringe away, swabbed the cotton on her waist and asked maan to hold it in place. "It's over baccha. See it's over." He said stroking her hair.

Geet released maan and settled back on her side, on her stomach while maan swabbed the cotton a last time before pulling her shirt down.

Veer stood up and kept the bottle of pills on the table. "Take care of her Maan. Call me if you need anything. Try to make her sleep now."

Maan nodded and he went away.

Maan lay down on the bed and looked at geet. She was giving him her back. He went closer to her and hugged her from behind. Slowly he whispered into her ears "Mishti!"

Surprised, Geet turned back and faced him. "You still remember this name?" Her eyes lit up.

Maan smiled and replied. "Of course I do" He wanted to take away her attention from the pain. "I still remember. Even when you were small your were already my sweetheart." He said kissing her nose.

Geet giggled. Maan wiped the remaining tears and she buried her face in his chest.

"Are you still angry at me for not telling you in the morning itself?"

Maan felt sorry for scolding her. He realized how sensitive she was. "No baby, I'm not. But next time you should tell me ok?" She nodded

"Ok. Sleep now before your brother comes. He ordered me to make you sleep. I am still wondering how to do that."

Geet smiled "He still treats me like a baby sometimes!" She closed her eyes and maan hugged her. She fell asleep soon after, the medicine already taking effect.