Waiting for you#3 ArHi FF - Chap 31(a) - Pg 20 - Page 8

Another two days later, Inspector Rajesh came with James' parents. He asked Arnav's and Shankar's permission to meet Khushi. He explained the situation to Khushi and waited for the situation.

Khushi turned to Arnav and asked, "Is this what was wrong with you?" She smiled and muttered, "Idiot."

Arnav turned his gaze away from hers.

"I agree with Arnav, Inspector. I am not going to press charges against James. Sorry for the trouble."

"No problem. Get well soon." He turned to James and said, "Don't think you are off the hook. After you get your license, you will be watched to see that you don't cross your limits."

"I understand, Sir," James told him.

After the Inspector left, Richard said, "Thank you so much. You have helped my son by not filing a case."

"Forget about it, Sir," Khushi told him. "Just make sure he doesn't take the car until he is eighteen and knows how to drive well without panicking. James, you are young and you have a life ahead. Don't let your little crazy ideas and rebel attitude spoil your future."

James apologized to her. "Saying sorry will not undo this accident. But still I am so sorry. This will not happen again."

The three people walked out of the room leaving behind Arnav and Khushi. Arnav was standing near the window far away from her.

"Arnav, come here," she said and tapped her bed.

He stood in the same spot without moving. After one full minute, he moved and sat on the bed facing her but he refusd to see her face.

"So my neurosurgeon is back, huh?"

He didn't reply.

"I told you, didn't I? That I will be the one to help you with returning."

"That doesn't mean you had to become my first patient." He wrapped his arms around her in a gentle hug and asked, "Do you know what I went through for the past few days? It was hell, Khushi. Don't ever do that to me again. I just got you in my life and I almost lost you. Please, Khushi. I can't live without you."

She put her uninjured arm around him and said, "Arnav, you are my life and I am not leaving you."

He nodded and pulled away from her. "For your information, I did not operate on you. You were alright with just medicines alone."

"But still you did that, didn't you?"

He nodded.

"Arnav, it is just a coincidence that both their names were James. I know that a part of you is still guilty for that James and that is why you didn't press charges against this guy. I can understand. If I were in your place, I would have done the same thing. You don't have to feel as if you have let me down."

"Khushi..."

She pressed a finger on his lips and said, "You did the right thing, Arnav and I will always support you. Just because you didn't press charges does not mean that you don't love me or that you have betrayed me. Let me tell you for the last time. I am not disappointed or angry with you. So, throw away your guilt and give me back my Arnav."

"Your Arnav?"

"Yeah... Any problem with that?"

He kissed her hand and said, "Never."

"That's what I thought. Anyway when are you going to discharge me?"

He frowned. "Not for a few more days."

"That's going to be too boring. So how good or how bad is my condition?"

"You are a fast healer. Your shoulder and your leg will need physiotherapy. With your fractured ribs, I think it will take a while before we help you with the walking."

"I am in a pretty bad condition?"

"You will be back to normal in a few weeks."

She pressed her hand against her ribs and asked, "Is there anything you can do with this?"

He raised one of his eyebrows.

"I know. I know. Studying about broken ribs and experiencing them first hand is a whole lot different."

"Bandaging the ribs is not going to make any difference and you already know that."

"I know," she said with a sad expression.

Arnav knew that he should not run away from what happened anymore. He decided to face his demon. He went to the cenetry where James was laid to rest. He placed a bouquet near Jame's head stone and knelt before it.

"It has been a long time. I never had the courage to face you. Soon after you left, I stopped being a surgeon. I thought I failed you and I figured that I didn't deserve to be a surgeon. A few months back, Khushi came into my life. You don't know about her. I'll bring her to meet you sometime. She is a sweet person who is mature beyond her age. I fell in love with her. We have had our fights, misunderstandings, a small separation... Still our love has come out of it unharmed. She tried to make me understand that I should not stop what I was good at. I told her I would think about it. Honestly, I didn't give it much thought." He paused for a few seconds and said, "A few days back, I saw my Khushi in the hospital on a stretcher. Her pulse was so weak that we thought she would have a relapse. She had injured her head and they needed a neurosurgeon. The guy, Dileep, who operated on you stopped by. I didn't want to lose Khushi and I made a split second decision that I would be the doctor she needs. Before wheeling her into the operation theatre, I decided that whatever happened with Khushi, I would not stop being what or who I am. I realized that I was selfish and I held back my expertise which could have helped a lot of people. Then there was other guy by the name James. He was driving the car which caused her accident. When I heard his name, I couldn't file a case against him and Khushi understood my situation." He placed his hand on the cold granite stone and said, "I will not go back to being selfish. This is who I am. I couldn't help you. I promise, James that I will help anybody who come along my way. I am sorry, James. I am also a reason for your death. I wish I wasn't drunk at that time."

"No, Arnav. I'll repeat this for even a thousand times," a voice said from behind him.

Arnav turned around to see James' father.

"You were not the reason for my son's death. You will be the reason for giving a lot of other people a second chance in their life. Don't feel guilty. You have a life ahead. Khushi seems to be a very good choice. How is she?"

"She is recovering."

"Nice to hear that. Don't forget to invite me to your wedding."

He nodded.

Arnav took care of her very well. He made sure she had her medicines and her food in time. He stayed by her side every night until she fell asleep. He stayed in the hospital and used his private room in his cabin instead of going home so that he could be with Khushi every minute of the day.

A week later, Arnav filled out Khushi's discharge papers and gave her the news that she was being discharged. He told her that he would take her to his house rather than to her apartment. Khushi had been adamant that she didn't want to impose on anybody in his house. After a lot of discussions, Khushi won the battle and Arnav drove her to her apartment with a scowl.

"Arnav, don't be mad. Please."

"I can take better care of you if you stay with me. Why can't you see that?"

"Because if I stay with you, you will never go to work. You will always be by my side. There are other patients who might need you."

"Do you think I will drop you in your apartment and just leave?"

She touched his arm and said, "Arnav..."

He shrugged her hand away and said, "Fine. That is what I will do."

He helped her into her apartment and kept her phone near her.

"Call me if you need anything."

"What if I need you?" she asked slowly.

"You have lost your chance, Khushi. You could have had me." He stopped himself from leaving and sat on the bed beside her and rubbed his hand over his face. "Why wouldn't you come with me?"

"Arnav, I like your family very much but I do not know them well. Payal and I have still not spoken about what happened. I will not be comfortable around them without having an honest conversation."

He thought for a while and said, "Okay. But I have to tell you that Payal does not hold a grudge against you. She was there when I spoke with her father and she knows who is right and who is wrong."

"I'll talk to her soon."

"Take your own time. And Jo will be with you for a couple of weeks. She spoke with her manager and he told her that she could have a holiday."

"Two weeks?"

"Yes. Looks like the manager has a soft spot for you."

"He is a kind man."

"Jo told me." He kissed her forehead and said, "Don't forget to call me if you need anything."

She smiled and asked, "Even if I need..."

"Yeah. Even if you need me. Prem will bring Vaishu home. You don't have to worry about that."

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