Chapter 16: New Feelings
Rishabh didnât sleep well at night. The plaster around his chest made him feel uncomfortable and he couldnât turn to his side because of the bruises on his arms. His head felt heavy because of all the medicines and he just lay there staring at the hospital ceiling. He couldnât even look at his wife because of the damn cast on his chest. He sighed.
How life had changed in a day for him. He was so happy about them shifting to London. He was going to surprise Prerna by renovating the house. He would make sure a room was specially designed according to Snehaâs likes and dislikes so that she felt at home. He had made so many plans. Prerna had started making efforts towards him and they had reached the stage where it wasnât taboo to share a bed. Rishabh wondered how all that had changed in 24 hours and here he was lying in a hospital bed, not being able to make sure if his daughter was okay. He was still a little shaken about all of it. The thought that Sneha was kidnapped from under their noses and was probably missing for a few hours before he was informed really frightened him.
Rishabh decided that he wouldnât let Prernaâs past affect the one shot he had got at a good future. He could picture their small little world in London. Prerna & him working together. He could imagine Sneha studying in the best school there was, Kukki finishing college and joining them at work, in a few years they would get Kukki married off, maybe telling Prerna more about his life, letting his guard down. He imagined her in his arms, looking at him with love and with dreams of their life together. He wanted to travel the world with Prerna. He wanted to live a good life. He felt more and more determined as he pictured what his life could be. He had decided what he had to do and once Rishabh Bajaj decided something, he would make that happen.
Next morning the nurse came in to check on him. He requested her to recline his bed up so he could sit. His eyes were slightly droopy as he hadnât gotten much sleep. But his face was lifted with a smile as his eyes fell on Prerna who slept peacefully on the sofa in front of him.
âAapko aur kuch chahiye?â the nurse asked.
âShhâ Rishabh said, signalling the nurse to keep her voice low. He didnât want to wake Prerna.
The nurse muttered to herself as she left the room. Rishabh didnât waste any time. He picked up his phone and called the one person he trusted completely - Mehra. He asked him to come over by 8:30 sharp. The only thing left was to figure out how to send Prerna home before that. He needed to speak to Mehra in private without any questions from Prerna.
Prerna woke up at 7 with a stiff neck. She hadnât even opened her eyes completely when she heard Rishabhâs voice. âGood morning!â he said.
She sat up on the sofa and looked at Rishabh. âGood morning, when did you wake up?â she asked.
âJust some time back.â he said, brainstorming on how to send Prerna away.
Prerna drank a glass of water and went to the washroom to freshen up. She came out and went to check on Rishabh. âHow are you feeling? Neend achi aayi?â she asked.
âIâm fine.â he said again, something completely different going on in his brain.
âFir aap wahi keh rahe ho?â Prerna stated.
âBut I am fine.â Rishabh said.
Prerna rolled her eyes. There was no point in arguing with him.
âWese, aap Sneha ko laane waali thi.â Rishabh said.
âHaan, par abhi toh woh so rahi hogi?â she said.
âOh. Right.â Rishabh said. Now what should I say? He had one hour to get her out of here.
Prerna sat next to him checking one of his reports that had just come in. The nurse entered again and greeted both of them.
âSir, doctor ne aapko sponge bath dene kaha hai. Woh apne rounds pe jaane se pehle aapke reports discuss karenge.â she said.
Prerna nodded and got up. Rishabh uncomfortably cleared his throat. âSponge bath kyun?â he asked.
âSir, aap plaster ke saath normal shower nahi le sakte.â She said moving towards him.
âStop!â he said. âI can clean up on my own.â he announced.
âMr. Bajaj, nurse apna kaam kar rahi hai. Aap khud nahi kar payenge!â Prerna tried to make him understand.
âI donât need help.â he said with a stern face.
The nurse went to the washroom and filled warm water in a small tub. Dipped a towel in it and brought it outside. She was used to stubborn patients.
She shut the door and locked it from inside.
âYeh aap kya kar rahi hai?â Rishabh said a little loudly.
âSir, aap please aaram se baithiye, bas 10 minutes mein--â
The nurse wasnât allowed to finish. âEk hi baat kitni baar kehna padega?â he said seriously. His voice was calm and he was in full control. âI donât need help.â
Prerna couldnât believe the way Rishabh was behaving. âMr. Bajaj please.â she said glaring at him.
The nurse tried to move towards him but he stopped her. He used his left hand and struggled to open the top part of the hospital down. The nurse tried to help but he stopped her with his glare this time.
Prerna sighed and helped him herself. âPrerna yeh aap kya kar rahi hai?â Rishabh said trying to do it himself. But Prerna was as stubborn as him. She didnât back off and took off the top robe. Rishabh rolled his eyes. He pulled the towel out of the tub and splattered water everywhere.
âSir, towel se paani toh nikaaliye.â the nurse said in an irritated tone. He had just increased her work.
Rishabh was getting very annoyed with this nurse. What was this way of talking to a patient?
Rishabh ignored her.
âSir, please mujhe karne dijiye,â the nurse said, extending her hand forward.
Rishabh stopped her again. âYou can leave. Main yeh kar lunga.â he said.
The nurse looked at Prerna for help. Prerna nodded at the nurse. âAap rukiye.â she told her.
Rishabh winced as he tried to wipe his other hand. Prerna jumped a little watching his wince. She couldnât see him in so much pain. His arms were so bruised. With his gown open she could clearly see the bruises on his neck and arms. His whole chest was plastered. She angrily snatched the towel from Rishabh.
âFine, aap nahi chahte ki nurse kare, then I will do it.â she said, dipping the towel in the water and twisting it to take out all the water. Rishabh wanted to protest but she had already started. âPrerna--yeh-- yeh aap kya kar rahi hai-- main kar lunga.â he said but she paid no heed.
The nurse took a step back as Prerna went over to the other side and dabbed the wet towel over his arm. She was careful of his stitches and lightly dabbed where there were bruises. Rishabh sat still in his place unsure of what to say.
âMaam, peeche plaster ke upar bhi.â the nurse instructed.
Prerna did as she said. Rishabh winced as Prerna dabbed on the bruise.
âIâm sorry!â she said immediately. The anger in her demeanor being replaced by care and worry. Her eyes softened as she lightly dabbed the back of his neck. Next she wiped the front part above the plaster. She wiped his shoulders. Rishabhâs eyes never left Prerna once. He watched her work diligently. Her eyes fixed on his body. He suddenly felt conscious of being without clothes in front of her. The plaster was blocking most of his chest but still his body stiffened. Prerna didnât think, she just wanted to help. She couldnât see Mr. Bajaj in pain and his stubbornness was only increasing his pain. She wondered why she felt so bad. She wondered why her heart thudded so loudly.
âMaam, ab pant utaarna hoga.â the nurse said. Both Prernaâs & Rishabhâs eyes shot up at the nurse.
âNahi!â he said immediately.
âSir, sponge bath zaruri hai.â the nurse said.
Prerna gulped. This is not something she was prepared for. Her brain went blank.
Rishabh was not ready either to be completely naked in front of his wife. He had never imagined it would happen like this.. He knew Prerna would be awkward too. She nervously moved her hand towards the knot on his pants when he stopped her.
âMain yeh khud kar sakta hu.â he said looking at her with his general straight face.
âAapko karne ki zarwat nahi hai.â he added.
He could feel her awkwardness or maybe it was his. He didnât know. But he wouldnât let her do something she wasnât willing to.
Prerna wanted to agree and run away, she was so embarrassed. Rishabh was more embarrassed of Prerna being there than the nurse. He didnât understand why he felt this way. Everything felt so chaotic suddenly.
âSir, aap kese karenge? Aapko plaster laga hai aap bend nahi kar payenge.â the nurse said, trying to knock some sense into her patient. She looked at the watch. She had little time. She had to go tend to other patients as well.
âUh--woh--main-- um aapke saamne pant nahi utaar sakta.â he told the nurse fumbling for words. It was better than saying that he couldn't get naked in front of his wife.
The nurse smirked. Prerna awkwardly stood in her spot trying to figure out how to manage the situation. She could feel that even Mr. Bajaj was very awkward and she couldnât think of any solution.
The nurse turned around and said, âAb chalega?â she asked.
Prerna and Mr. Bajaj exchanged looks. Rishabh hid his face in his hand. He couldnât believe this was happening with him. He couldnât ask Prerna to do this for him.
Prerna looked at her husband and decided to go for it. This was nothing compared to everything Rishabh had done for her. She would do everything she could to help him. She untied the knot on his bottoms. Rishabh looked up at Prerna shocked. She was really going to do this? Rishabh froze.
Prerna turned slightly red as she slowly pulled down his pants. She tried to focus on her work but couldnât help but notice how stiff Rishabh had suddenly become. She lifted his leg and took off his pants. She dipped the towel in the tub and started wiping his legs.
Her heart thudded loudly in her chest. Rishabh couldnât believe she was actually doing this willingly. He hadnât even told her once to do it, then why? Prerna didnât want to look at Rishabh. She wondered what was going on in his head. She hoped he wasnât feeling too awkward around her. She tried being as gentle as possible. His legs also had a few bruises, they probably kicked him several times on his shin. Her eyes welled up. So many bruises, so much pain, and yet here he was, thinking about moving to London for her. How did he always do this? How could one person be so selfless?
Rishabh mirrored her thoughts. How could she always be so selfless? He knew that she wasnât comfortable in giving him a sponge bath but yet she didnât even flinch once. Why? Rishabhâs thoughts became fuzzy as her hands touched his bare skin. As she wiped his upper thigh with the wet towel her hand brushed against his private parts by mistake, making him jump a little. Rishabhâs face turned red as he started to get hard. Prerna realised what had just happened and pursed her lips. She did not dare look up at Rishabh in that moment. Her ears felt hot as she continued to give him a bath like nothing had happened.
Rishabh was so embarrassed. He just hoped that Prerna would realise that he was already slightly hard. Prerna on the other hand only wanted to calm her heart. She felt so shy she could feel her cheeks burn.
Prerna properly finished giving him a sponge bath and made him wear his pants again. She felt shy to look at him. She looked away the whole time. She was about to turn away when he caught her hand. She slowly turned back around.
âPrerna,â Rishabh said. He didnât want their relationship to get awkward again. Finally they were becoming comfortable. He hoped this didnât change anything for her, and thatâs all that he wanted to confirm.
Prerna, who was staring at the floor, raised her eyes to meet his eyes when he called out her name. She didnât know what he was thinking, and her brain was completely blank. Their eyes met and something about his eyes pulled Prerna. She could feel something magnetic, she couldnât take her eyes away from his.
He slowly tugged at her hand and she moved closer to him. âPrerna,â he said again, lost in some other world. He had so much to say, yet he couldnât find any words. Her face turned red again.
âHo gaya kya?â the nurse said, breaking their moment. Rishabh shut his eyes with exasperation.
âYes. Thank you very much!â he said, sarcastically.
Prerna turned away with a small smile, she had indeed realised what affect her "mistake" had had on Rishabh while she was trying to make him wear his pants again. He was obviously turned on. Rishabh was about to try and talk to Prerna again when his eyes fell on the clock. 8:15 am. Mehra would be here in 15 minutes.
âPrerna, can you go home and make me some breakfast?â he asked very casually like it was no big deal.
The sudden change in his tone surprised Prerna. The nurse started cleaning up.
âWhat?â she asked, wondering if she heard him right. He had never asked her to make him anything! Did he just want her to leave because things had gotten very awkward?
âKal paranthe bohot tasty the.â he muttered. Did she not want to make breakfast? He wondered.
Prerna smiled, folded her hands on her chest. âSprout salad?â she asked.
For the first time Prerna saw Rishabh making a face. She had always seen him with a straight face and sometimes an occasional smile. This was absolutely new! But he looked so cute that it made Prerna laugh.
âMain aloo ka paratha le aungi.â she said.
Rishabh smiled and nodded. âToh fir, aap chaliye, Sneha aur Kukki ko lekar aiyega.â he said. He needed her to take her time.
Prerna found this very strange but nodded. She stopped on her way and realised, âMain Kukki ke aane tak wait karti hu, warna yaha koi nahi hoga,â she realised.
âPrerna Iâm hungry!â Rishabh said sternly. âAnd main bacha thodi hu ki thodi der akele nahi reh sakta.â he said.
Prerna raised an eyebrow. What was this reaction about? She always failed to understand this man. âFine!â she said. Her brain was still clouded as she left the room. Rishabh took a sigh of relief.
*
Mehra was bang on time, as usual. He knocked and entered Rishabhâs room.
âHow are you feeling sir?â he asked.
âIâm fine.â Rishabh said. âAnyway, maine tumhe yaha bohot important kaam se bulaya hai.â he started not wasting any time.
âI need all information about the movement of Mrs. Komolika Basu.â He started. Mehraâs eyebrows knotted. He realised this was about the kidnapping. He hadnât expected his boss to let go of the matter easily either.
âSure sir.â he replied.
âEveryone she talks to, every word she utters, everywhere she goes, every person she meets. I need all of it.â he clarified.
Mehra nodded. He felt like a private investigator more than a lawyer these days.
âAnd what about Snehaâs passport?â he asked.
âIâve spoken to the manager of the passport office and paid him extra also. Bas aaj form fill karke submit karna hai, they will complete everything on priority basis.â he informed.
Rishabh nodded. He needed all this to be done fast.
âSir, why donât we involve the police in this? Ab toh Sneha bhi humare paas hai!â Mehra suggested.
âNo.â Rishabh said immediately. âKomolika ke paas abhi bhi ek chiz hai jo mujhe chahiye.â he said. âJust collect all the proof we have about Komolikaâs hand in kidnapping Sneha and keep it ready.â he said.
âOkay sir.â
âAlso one last thing.â Rishabh said, âMrs. Bajaj ko inn sab ke baare mein kuch bhi nahi pata lagna chahiye.â he said very clearly.
Mehra nodded. He had always been loyal to Rishabh so he didnât ask any questions.
âGood, you can carry on now.â he said.
âBas sir, kuch documents mein aapke signature chahiye the.â Mehra added.
*
Prerna reached home tired. She decided to take a quick shower and then make breakfast. She was about to enter her room when Kukki stopped her. âPrerna!â she exclaimed. âTum yaha? Toh dad ke saath kaun hai?â
âWoh, Mr. Bajaj ko bhuk lagi thi toh main unke liye breakfast banane aayi.â Prerna said, explaining herself.
âToh tumne unhe akela chod diya?â She exclaimed.
âKukki, nurse hai unke paas aur--
âToh? You could have just told me to get something?â
âKyun ki he wanted me to make something for him.â Prerna explained again. She was feeling bad about all of Kukkiâs questions. It felt as if she was accusing him indirectly.
âPrerna mere aane tak wait toh kar leti!â
âMr. Bajaj--â
âStop it Prerna! Har chiz dad pe ku daal rahi ho?â Kukki said.
âKukki!â Prerna scolded. âMain tumhare har question ka answer de rahi hu doesnât mean that youâll keep questioning me. Main bhi unki care karti hu! Aur main bhi unka bhala chahti hu, whether you believe me or not.â Prerna said with full force. She wasnât going to stand and listen to Kukki baselessly question her.
âDekhne se toh aisa nahi lagta.â Kukki commented.
âBecause mujhe tumhe kuch prove karne ki zarwat nahi hai.â Prerna said angrily. How could Kukki even think that she doesnât care about Mr. Bajaj? What was wrong with her? Suddenly, she was behaving so badly. Prerna stormed off to the washroom with these thoughts. She felt bad instantly as she entered the washroom but she suppressed her emotions. This wasnât the time. She had to take Sneha and go to the hospital also.
*
Precap: Sneha Visits Bajaj
Hellooo guys!
I just thought of this one scene and I had to include this in the middle 𤣠Sorry if it was bad đ I generally do well with intense stuff. Less with light stuff, but well I tried.
The best part of this chapter is that you can absolutely skip it and you won't make much difference to the story. So if you didn't like it and are going to throw flying jootas my way then I can just delete the chapter đ¤Ł
Really waiting for some feedback đ P.S. You will need tissues in the next update. This was more like a filler because I wasn't in the mood to write something super emotional.
Ready for all kinds of feedback
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