As soon as she twitched her eyes shut to accept her fate, Sharanya felt a sudden force pull her from the cold hard cemented sidewalk into a pair of firm brawny arms. Her soft bosom hit a sturdy panting torso with a thud.
Almost on an impulse, she leaned into the colossal frame that held onto her with a strange protective keenness and buried her face in his chest. She felt the skin on her exposed forearms prickle and tighten, going rough with goose flesh as she felt two strong fists secure tightly around her slender waist. She inhaled his scent, her fingernails dug deep in the flesh of his biceps. His arms gripped around her tighter this time, pulling her close enough as the speeding car passed against them, missing from ramming into her by less than an inch.
A sore hiss escaped Sharanya's lips as cold blazing winds passed against her satiny skin. It was going to snow sooner this year. Trying to gather herself up, she peered down the length of her body noticing how she had scooped in this stranger's amorous grip. But before she could drift her eyes fully open and check upon this person who she had almost ran down, she felt the warmth of his heaving breaths tickle the skin below her neck.
His voice was right by her ear and she dipped her head down at the sound of his hoarse tone. "Shushh" he sighed again, as if trying to calm her down. Sharanya drew in a sharp breath. She had never heard anything of this sort, Ever! His voice thick with concern and warmth had felt as if like an echo from a million past lives. How was it possible to be so attached to a voice when they had never met in person?
Startled at her own sudden drift of emotions, Sharanya looked up at him slowly, and saw his eyes closed as if he were actually going to fall unconscious. Blood ran down in a steady stream from his head, down his cheek and dripped off his chiseled jawline. A sudden fear welled up in her. She had actually ran down someone fatally.
"Please get up...Are you Ok!!...Please stay awake" she gasped in concern. But he didn't budge.
"Please stay awake...Please!!" she patted his cheek begging and this time noticed his lashes flutter a bit. Sharanya glanced over her shoulder with a little smile, eager to see the man back in his senses. She saw his eyes open slowly and he stared back up at her, those chocolate orbs meltingly intense. Their eyes met. The connection flowing between them jolted her.
+++
She hadn't even noticed his trunk leave her bosom, too hypnotized by the undercurrents that flowed between them to even realize what just happened with her. The man pulled the two of them up into a sitting position, she still at the edge of his lap. She heard his back hit the pavement. There were blood marks on his crystal white shirt and bruises all over his chest and shoulder blades.
As her life zoomed back into focus, it struck Sharanya suddenly, she hadn't been driving alone. There was someone else with her. A figure stepped into her line of sight as she looked above, a bleeding forehead hung against the side pane of her car.
"Papaaa!!!" this time it was a groan...an agonized sound that surprised him too as he saw her running towards her car. It was then that he realized he wasn't the only one hurt in the accident. There was someone else too. He stood up almost with a jolt totally ignoring his own injuries and ran by her side as she tried to pull out someone from the jammed door of the car.
"Please, someone. God, please. Please help me." she sobbed helplessly
"Oh goddd"!! painful virile voice hissed beside her seeing the middle aged man bleeding profusely from the forehead. The feet moved closer behind Sharanya and she glanced up to see the figure crouch a little, his body angled toward her. Her eyes met his brunette ones another time and her breath hitched. Before she could even fathom what to do next she noticed him pull her dad out of the front seat and lie him down on the back of the car.
"Quick! There is a hospital in the next lane" Sharanya heard the guy hush in an urgent tone and this was the first time she had noticed him fully. She was surprised at how intimidatingly tall he was with bare bulging biceps and chiseled abs. Slender like a willow, sinewy but strong. He had a messy hairdo and his bangs fell freely into his eyes at times. Sharanya had only seen such men on the cover of fashion magazines she read in her teens.
Safely putting her dad in the back of the car Sharanya noticed him make his way to the front but before he could step in the driving seat she held him by the wrist this time.
"Wait! You can't drive in that condition" she commanded with half concern and half disapproval to let anyone else drive her dad's car. Their eyes met for another split second and then she looked away.
"Well, much better than you any day Miss" he spoke in no time, his unyielding tone allowing for no room of discussion on the matter. Sharanya's eyes narrowed with anger at the briskness in his voice. "All good-looking men are jerks. Aditi iss always right!!"
"Loser!" she hissed under her tone securing the seatbelt opposite him.
"Thanks but I am yet to shift your dad to the hospital safely. Reserve your gratitude for later lady" he taunted back and stepped on the accelerator permitting no respite for the next few minutes until they reached the hospital.
He stood next to her waiting patiently for more than an hour until the doctor stepped out of the ICU.
+++
"We have given him the necessary first aid Ms. Bisht. You can meet him once he gains consciousness and we shift hm to the room" the doctor informed about Ram's condition causing Sharanya to heave a breath of relief.
"Well It's good that you and your friend bought him here in the nick of time, it was a close call" as the doc spoke, she suddenly felt extremely guilty for being rude to the guy. She couldn't even think what could have happened had he not been there to her rescue. Apologetic at her own behavior she slowly turned to face him but was left surprised to notice him no longer by her side.
"Doctor have you seen him?" she enquired as palpable worry laced her tone. "I mean the guy who came with me. He was hurt too"
"Ms Bisht rather I was about to ask the same. He needed medical attention so I thought you must have sent him for dressing"
That meant even the doc didn't know about him! Where had he gone?
Worried, Sharanya walked down the corridor searching for him in all the rooms but he wasn't to be found anywhere. She thought if he had left on his own but that seemed a far-fetched of a possibility given his condition. Sharanya was about to step down to look for him at the reception when her eyes turned dark suddenly as she saw him walk towards her with an inspector. She hadn't really expected him to lodge a complaint.
Sharanya gulped in fear as the two towering men stopped near her feet. She glanced up at him with hurtful eyes but his stoic ones left her baffled.
"Inspector please let me explain..." she fumbled in a panicked voice.
"No need of it Ms. Bisht...this gentleman has told us everything" the inspector declared haughtily.
"Please please I am really sorry!!" she cried in fear " It was my first time...I never knew..."
"Why are you saying sorry??...Rather I must say being a young girl you have a great sense of driving" the inspector told without even letting her complete. She looked at the inspector perplexed, totally clueless at what he said.
"Please sir I know you are joking with me...Just like those shrewd sarcastic cops in movies" a sudden chuckle escaped the lips of the guy who stood next to her as she uttered those words but he chewed his lip trying to hold back his laughter as she gave him a sharp unforgiving look.
"What are you saying mam...It's not your mistake. Rather this guy has accepted he had his earplugs on which is why he didn't hear the horn from your car. And it was to save him that you rammed your car in the tree. I must say you are very brave" the inspector patted Sharanya on the shoulder and this time all she could do was switch glances between the two men totally puzzled.
+++
"What are you even smoking dude" she called him from behind noticing him stumble towards the dressing room. "Yes I am talking to you Mr. Six footer...Why in the world did you even call the cops if you had no intention to lodge a complaint. Just to show how merciful and great you are..." she asked disapprovingly.
Hearing her words, he turned to face her and flashed a cheeky grin at her "I understand you don't have road sense but using some common sense won't do much harm Ms. Bisht" he mocked. "Had I not informed them, the doctors would have and seeing Mr. Bisht's and my injuries, they would have surely put the man, oops I mean the woman behind the wheel behind bars in no time. So use some brains woman"
Sharanya contracted her eyes realizing he did have a point and looked away from him pouting her lips cutely. "But you could have informed me before pulling that stunt" she demanded.
"Why? Are you my mom? Or my girlfriend?" he chided and started to walk away. Sharanya tapped her feet in anger. What a nonchalant jerk.
+++
Moments later, a little smile finally graced her lips as she watched over her dad resting peacefully. Had anything happened to him today she wouldn't have been able to forgive herself her whole life. Wiping her tears she looked around at the eerie hospital hall. It had started to become dark and it felt very weird to be all alone in that cold gloomy place. It was still some time for her mom and brother to reach the hospital. Sighing, she thought to get herself a cup of coffee when suddenly someone held a mug of steaming cappuccino in front of her.
She hesitated at first but finally accepted it as he took a seat by her side. He had got his wounds bandaged by now and looked much better. It was strange he hadn't left despite his own injuries as if he didn't want to leave her alone. Not that she had any complaints either.
"You know I am sorry for being such a snob. I was just too scared" Sharanya spoke after a pause. "And thanks for all what you have done for me and papa today...I can't tell you what it means" she exhaled taking another sip from her mug. She noticed his pink lips curl up into a sweet smile as she spoke. "Well in that case I am sorry too Ms. Bisht, I should have told you before informing the cops." he spoke.
"Oh Yes! that you definitely should have" she nodded convinced making him giggle another time. This girl was a masterpiece.
As the two continued to chit chat and exchange pleasantries, Sharanya noticed a nurse walk toward them with a tray in her hands. "Sir why did you come out of the dressing room without getting complete treatment. I told you need a tetanus shot before you can leave. Your wounds are dirty" as the nurse spoke Sharanya noticed an expression of fear spread across the man's face. She could not believe herself...all these men are the same.
"Don't tell me you too!!" she giggled at him.
"What do you mean by you too?" he made a face.
"Kya what do you mean? As if you don't know. Just look at yourself. You are scared of that little needle!! LIke look at yourself and just look at that tiny little thing" she could not control her laughter this time. "All you men are the same by god"
"Oh really! Have you done PhD on all men of the world" he sulked in irritation.
"Well not all, but surely I know the one sleeping inside and now another one sitting right in front of me" she teased.
"Please hun! Stop assuming okay. I am not scared of anything. It's just that I don't need it" he gloated.
"Really? Are you superman?" she chided. "Nurse just don't listen to him, I will see how he doesn't take the injection" she held his hand forcefully.
"What the hell! Tum to gale hi pad rahi ho yaar" he tried to yank her arm away.
"Acha! Aur jo tum subah se mere gale pade ho. Raat ho gayi jaane ka naam hi nahin le rahe. Uska kuch nahin!"
"Oh god! You are right tum jaisi pagal ladki ki help karna hi bahut badi galti hai"
"To ab to kar di na galti...to thodi si saza bhi bhugat lo" this time she signaled the nurse to go ahead and he didn't even notice when the shot was done.
"Ouch! That's so mean woman" he winced cutely rubbing his arm as the nurse finished the shot.
"By god kitna drama...tum kisi drama company ke lead hero ho kya" she chuckled. He didn't speak anything for a while, totally mesmerized by her breathtaking laughter.
"Well I am a musician...and a slam poet" he told after a pause looking straight into her eyes. This time, Sharanya couldn't help but feel her heart race in her ribcage. There was this unwavering passion in his voice as he spoke about his music, as if it was something he lived for. A slam poet with such born to kill looks, that had to be one hell of a combination' Sharanya thought to herself.
"Slam poet! Huh! Shakal dekhi hai apni" she tried to mock.
"Han but jitni shiddat se tum dekhti ho waise nahin"
"What did you say?"
"Nothing! Itna hi shak hai to aa jana kal shaam ko, Rajpur Amphitheatre, sharp at 7! " .he told and yanking his blazer on his shoulder walked with a smug.
Sharanya shook her head with a smile.."Jerk!!"
As she stood up to take a look if her dad was doing fine or not, a nurse walked up to her with something that looked like a men's wallet. "Mam where is that guy who came with you today" the nurse asked.
"He left just a moment back...But why? I mean is there anything urgent?"
"Just that he forgot his wallet in the dressing room...we had asked him to take off his shoes and other accessories while dressing. Can you please hand it over to him the next time you meet?" the nurse requested.
Thinking for a while Sharanya took the wallet hesitatingly. She had found her reason to be at the Rajpur Theatre the day after.
"Thankyou mam" the nurse smiled back at her and took her leave and Sharanya knew how much hard she tried, this one thing she would never be able to resist.
Looking around sneakily she opened his wallet, eager to check out the contents. There was a driving license with a nerdy pic of his. She couldn't believe someone could look so cute even in a passport size picture. Other than that there were a few IDs that informed her that he studied in the same college she was about to take admission in. Rest there were a few cards and some keys.
At last she found a chit, folded nicely in the last sleeve of his wallet. As Sharanya opened the piece of paper she saw a few urdu scribblings on it written in a beautiful cursive handwriting. She began to read the contents of the chit slowly.
"Koi nahin tere mere darmiyan hoga. Teri har saans pe haq sirf mera hoga.Tere badan pe silvatein meri mohabbat ki. Tere zehan mein bas har khayal mera hoga" ~Shiv
She read and re-read his name in the chit for an umpteen times. The name that she had not heard in centuries, but which stirred in her soul some deep, ancient emotions. Just the ringing sound of his name brought back to her the smell of a distant land - a land of lush tress and fragrant stargazers, a land of snow and mythical creatures, of magic and all things holy.
Itti Si Khushi Sab TV
Anupamaa
