Ananya sat down on the couch and switched on the TV. She was exhausted. Too much was happening in her life at the same time. Ronnie's death, her health and the war in the office had taken a toll on her. What troubled her most was the battle between her heart and her conscience. After Rajveer had told them the entire story behind Kabir's silence in the Sudhir Kashyap murder case, and his misunderstood involvement, Anita had forgiven him, but she showed that in her own way. Armaan's perspective about his jeeju had not changed a bit; he still loved and trusted him more than anyone at that point. Ananya was now in a dilemma. The daughter in her advised her to maintain the things as they were till she was ready to accept him once again. Her heart, on the other hand, screamed and screamed to let go of anything that held her behind from forgiving Kabir. He had lost his family because of this case. But now, with Ananya by his side (even though professionally), nothing held him back and he would leave no stones unturned in bringing justice to Ananya's father. Ananya knew that, and this is why, she had started to take baby steps towards accepting him and trusting him once again with all her heart.
She surfed through the channels until she heard Armaan usher Baby and Sunny in. Ananya felt the atmosphere getting tensed as they walked towards her with worried faces.
Ananya: Kya hua? Tum log itne pareshaan kyun dikh rahe ho? Sunny?? Baby??... arrey hua kya hai?
Sunny: Oye sun, ek... ek buri khabar hai tere liye. Lekin tu chinta mat kar sab theek ho jaaega...
The first thing which struck her mind was Kabir. She gasped his name and picked up her phone and was about to call him when Baby interrupted her,
Baby: Ananya ji, aap phone mat karo... aapka phone voh nahi uthaaenge abhi
Ananya: Arrey aise kaise phone nahi uthaaenge? He will never ignore my call... and where is he that he will not pick up my call??
Baby: Voh Operation Theatre main hain... aur vahan toh voh aapka phone chaahkar bhi nahi uthaaenge...
Ananya: Operation Theatre main kyun? Kya hua hai unko??
Getting no answer from them, she shouted,
Ananya: WILL ANYONE TELL ME WHAT IS WRONG WITH KABIR?!?!
Sunny and Baby looked at each other before Sunny finally spoke,
Sunny: Ananya, Kabir's been shot.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
** Flashback **
Kabir stopped his car in front of RG's office. He was seething with rage. RG had crossed all limits. He had sent Ananya to jail, had killed Ronnie, and had threatened Ananya's family. Despite all this, he was roaming freely.
Kabir slammed the door behind him as he entered his Office. RG spun around and faced an unusually calm and composed Kabir Sharma. He didn't know that the sky was the calmest before a storm. And hence, he was also unaware that he was playing with fire until Kabir, very calmly threatened to destroy RG's empire with just one bulletin because by now, he had gathered enough evidence against him and no one could stop him now. RG quietly pressed a button under his desk which summoned two of his men into his office within a minute.
Kabir: Tum jaante nahi ho tum iss maidaan main kisse panga le baithe ho. Tumne jo Sudhir Kashyap aur unn 50 bachchon ke saath kiya, uski saza tumhe zaroor milegi. Ab tum apne din ginna shuru kar do, kyunki tumne jo meri Ananya ke saath kiya hai, uske liye tumhe meri personal sazaa milegi... Somvaar raat 9 baje, taiyaar rehna.
As soon as he finished, he felt something cold at his temple of his forehead. He realized it was a gun.
RG: Kabir, mere din ginne se pehle tum batao, tumhaare iss akhri waqt main tum kya chahte ho? Ananya ko? Kaash, yeh ichha main puri kar deta, lekin kya kare, uske bina hi marna padega. Ananya ko main baad main dekh lunga.
RG motioned the guy with the gun to take aim. But Kabir had nerves of steel and thanks to his reflexes, he took the gun from the guy and threw it away. He beat both the guys black and blue and would have probably killed them if RG hadn't aimed the gun at Kabir.
RG: Enough! Leave my men at this instant, and if you the guts, face me. It would be much more pleasurable to kill you myself rather than having you killed by someone else... Come on!
Kabir: I never thought it would end this way, RG. I preferred using the media to destroy you. But if it has to end this way, then the pleasure is all mine, RG.
Saying so he grabbed RG's hand and what followed was a struggle between them until 2 gun shots were heard. Both of them stood still, not realizing what happened. Kabir took a few steps backwards until he collapsed on the floor, clutching his stomach, with a horror stricken face, for both the bullets had hit him.
RG called one of his men and gave him some instructions. The man dragged Kabir into his car and drove him to KKN. He dragged Kabir out on the road and left him and his car like that and went back. The watchman saw all this from a corner and rushed to inform the people. Manav was the first to rush down the stairs (he didn't care for the elevator) and come out to the parking, with others just behind him, to see their Editor In Chief staggering on the ground with a pool of blood around him. All of them rushed to him while Richa called the ambulance in a frenzy. Kabir just managed to narrate the entire thing before he fell unconscious in Khalid's lap.
The ambulance arrived and he was rushed to the Hospital, while Baby and Sunny ran to Ananya's house to inform her, because even in this state, Kabir was constantly asking for Ananya.
** Flashback ends**
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Ananya could no longer hold herself back. She collapsed on the floor crying continuously, while Baby consoled her.
Ananya: Sunny, please arrange for a cab... I want to go to the Hospital... I want to meet him... How is he now?? He is out of danger, right???
Sunny: But you are too weak to take any stress yaar... I don't think it will be right for you to"
Ananya: Don't tell me what is right or wrong!!! I can't sit here while Kabir is fighting for his life out there... And that too for me! I have been the most stupid girlfriend and a fiance to walk this Earth and now I can't handle it anymore. I should have apologized a long time ago but now since the damage is done, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't mend it! To hell with my health!!! Call a cab Sunny!!!!
Sunny rushed outside to hail an auto or a cab while Baby had a small smile on her face. "So once Kabir Sir gets better, everything will be back to normal between them!! Thank you so much Bhagwaan ji!" She thought. But the next moment Kabir's condition frightened her. One fact that they didn't tell Ananya was that Richa had messaged Baby saying that the doctor told them that he had lost a lot blood and was in a critical condition.
The trio reached the hospital and Ananya jumped out of the cab and rushed inside.
Ananya ran through the corridors, thinking of every moment she spent with him. All the office nok-jhoks, their first date, their engagement. She smiled at these fond memories until the night when she slapped him hard on his face crossed her mind. She stopped as a moist film of tears clouded her eyes. The enormous guilt she had was too heavy for her to carry.
Suddenly, she remembered what Kabir had told her. "Always remember Ananya that no matter what happens, I will love you. Whether you trust me, hate me or love me back, I will never go away from you. You are the best thing that could ever happen to me, and I am in no mood to let you go. And I mean it" he had said. She wiped her tears and with a new found energy she resumed running until she spotted Richa, Khalid, Malvika and Manav pacing outside a room. They noticed Ananya running towards them.
Malvika (whisper): Don't tell her about Kabir's current condition. Tell her you guys don't know. We can't stress her out.
Ananya (panting): Richa, what happened, what is the situation now? Is Kabir alright? Where is the doctor??? Why are all of you so silent??? How long have the doctors been inside???!?!?! God damn it, Richa! Answer me!
Before Richa could open her mouth to speak, the doctor came out of the OT and addressed them,
Doctor: Look, he isn't in a good condition. We have removed the bullets but one of them has touched past the diaphragm. He will be alright if he starts responding to our treatment. We have shifted him to the ICCU where he will be kept under observation for 24 hours before we make any decision. You can meet him, but don't expect him to interact. He can listen to you, but can't answer. And by the way, is anyone of you Ananya here?
Ananya came forward and introduced herself.
Doctor: I have a request... Can you please convince Mr. Sharma to respond to our medication? Despite a heavy dose of anesthesia, he kept mumbling your name when we were shifting him. Look, I don't know what you mean to this man, but you are our only hope... Please.
Ananya nodded and followed the doctor into the room. She sat down on a chair beside Kabir's bed. She carefully took Kabir's lifeless hands into hers and spoke softly,
Ananya: Kabir, see it's me... your Ananya. Main aa gayi, Kabir, chalo ab uth bhi jaao. Aaj docor ne kaha ki you are not responding... aisa kyun Kabir? Yeh sab, meri vajah se ho raha hai... Maine hi tumhaara yakeen nai kiya aur tumhaara saath nahi diya, please mujhe maaf kar do. Ab dekho, main aa gayi hoon, sab theek ho jaaega... Please utho na, tumse itni saari baatein karni hai, tumse mujhe dhang se maafi mangni hai, tumhaare saath ek nayi zindagi shuru karni hai, tumse dobaara pyaar karna hai, tum... Tum sun rahe ho na Kabir?? Kabir??? Wake up Kabir! Talk to me! Mujhe daanto, mujhse behes karo par baat toh karo Kabir! (now crying) Itni bhi sazaa mat do mujhe Kabir, meri galti ka... Uth jao... uth...
She couldn't finish as she felt something move between her hands. It was Kabir. He was moving. She jumped up and rushed outside, screaming "Doctor!!! Doctor!! Please come here!! Kabir is responding!!"
The doctor rushed to his room and checked on him for almost an hour. The doctor came out and, heaving a sigh of relief he said,
Doctor: Congratulations! He is out of danger now... But we need to observe him for a few days for an official announcement. But you can take him home after a week... Ms. Ananya, thank you so much for bringing him back, we had lost hope, but you have done it... If you don't mind, can I ask you who you are to him?
Ananya: I... I am his fiance... And thank you so much doctor!
**** After 5 days ****
Kabir had recovered to a great extent. Since he hadn't heard Ananya's confession, he was completely clueless as to why Ananya was behaving in such a caring manner. He couldn't take the suspense anymore and asked Khalid
Kabir: What has happened to Ananya?? I mean, she isn't the same Ananya who cursed me every day to office a week ago, and today all she does is sit beside me and just be there. Not that I am complaining, I kinda like it... hell man, I love it!... But what is this change?
Khalid gave him one of THE smiles and said,
Khalid: Oh Kabir, I guess she has just realized that she is incomplete without you. You know, when special people are snatched away from us, their emptiness is felt, and I think, this emptiness got the better of Ananya... and about that change, well, some things in life are best unexplained...don't you think? Anyways, it's about time she came here, ask her yourself. I better get going! Take care!
Saying so, a grinning Khalid left the room, leaving a more confused Kabir behind. After sometime Ananya came in the room, bringing life with her. Her lively, chirpy and a happy self, made Kabir's day. And why not? Ananya was free of the guilt, she had accepted Kabir and had promised herself never to repeat this!
That day witnessed the most heartwarming sorry session between the two lovers bonded for life. Ananya apologized for everything possible, right from the slap till the time he got shot... and Kabir very gently handled his fiance. Then it was Kabir's turn to say sorry and all Ananya did was kiss him like it was their last day!
After he was discharged, Ananya took him to the beach where they both walked into the sunset, hand in hand, laughing, blushing, romancing and free from every misunderstanding in the world.
P.S. Do let me know how it was!!
Cheers
Anandi
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