FF: MIRAGE part 41pg53Updated 20/04 - Page 37

Hi Ezther,

MY APOLOGIES PEOPLE...............SO SO SO SORRY I COULDN'T GET THIS OUT SOONER AND EVEN NOW IT IS NOT AS LONG AS I WOULD NORMALLY HAVE IT. AS SOME OF YOU KNOW I WAS UNABLE TO SIGN IN FOR A WHILE AND EVEN BUSIER WITH SCHOOL. THIS IS JUST SOMETHING TO LET Y'ALL KNOW I AM STILL ALIVE, AND WILL BE UPDATING MORE FREQUENTLY IN A FEW WEEKS FROM NOW AS SCHOOL GETS OFFICIALLY OVER. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND HAPPY READING.............I HOPE!😃

It had been a tense few hours in the hospital as they all stood listlessly, wondering what the outcome of this night would be when Rano woke to the reality of what had happened to her. Aparajeet sat with Rano, having insisted that everyone else leave, promising to stay with Rano and to call them if she woke up. She had stirred sometime around three in the morning but the potent anaesthesia had overcome her and she had fallen back into deep dreamless sleep. She would be sedated the first few days to delay whatever the side effects this ordeal had on her.

He clasped her hand in a reassuring gesture as he looked down at her bandaged face in the dimly lit room, noting that the first rays of the sun were kissing the morning skies. What another day held for the woman he loved was beyond him. He kissed the back of her palm and watched as she stirred again in acknowledgement of his presence, but still her eyes did not open..............

3 MONTHS LATER.......................

Bani watched Rano through worried eyes as she dressed to go to work. Rano caught her eyes in the mirror and sighed heavily.

"I'm not going to fall apart you know," she said to Bani, hlding her gaze in the mirror.

It was Bani's turn to sigh, "Honey, you know we all worry about you."

"I'm fine Di!" she nearly shrieked, "Gosh for the last month, everyone has been walking on eggshells around me, treating me like I am going to freak out or something!"

"Can you blame us?!" Bani shouted back defensively, hurt at Rano's tone, "It may have happened to you but did you once ask what all of us had to go through watching you in the initial stages of this whole thing?! Did you?!"

Rano made to open her mouth but then stopped, her gaze fixed on Bani as she paused thoughtfully. Her eyes closed in realization of the truth that yes, although she felt smothered by their overly protective attitude towards her and all, she never stopped to see how this did affect them. She had ended up distancing herself from Aparajeet, knowing on some subconscious level, she blamed him for what had happened. He had stopped calling after the initial stages where he was practically glued to her side because not surprisingly, he was the only one who was able to calm her when the bouts of hysteria and nightmares hit. At one time during her recovery, Kiran had had to let Karuna and Aparajeet take her with them so that she had round the clock care.

Once the bandages had come off and her face was properly healed, she had moved back home and for the last three weeks had remained holed up as her family had been too scared to let her out of their sight. She had been insisting for the last six weeks that she was fine and could now go about her normal life but they were not listening. She had finally snapped and today was the result. She was going to work and that was that- there was nothing and no one going to stop her.

"You don't get to act like this didn't affect us at all," Bani said more quietly, then turned and left her room. She however stopped in the doorway, "I really hope you know what you're doing."

With that she was gone, a pensive Rano watching her retreat in the mirror.

Bani sat in her car outside a few minutes, trying to calm her nerves. Yes she admitted they had smothered her since she got back from the hospital but for heaven's sake they were entitled to na? She remembered the week after it happened and Tarun had come home, managing to convince the Coach of the urgency of the matter as they were smack dab in the middle of their season and it didn't make sense to endanger the whole team because his mind was elsewhere. His presence had been good for all of them put together. Their father had become tired and worn, Kiran was hanging on to sanity by the skin of her teeth and well, even though Jai had been there for her every step of the way she still felt some kind of animosity towards her. Even today there was an aloofness in him she didn't understand and quite frankly, was not in the mood to as Rano was her top priority.

Tarun had done all he could in the week he had been there and Rano had freaked when he was about to leave, so much so she had had to be sedated. She wanted to go out, and that was fine,but at least she needed to let someone take care of her...go with her if necessary. Sighing heavily,she inserted the key in the ignition, started the car and drove out of the house towards the office, every turn and stop made possible by a brain that was on autopilot.

Jai sat in Natchiket's office, watching his brother occasionally smiling as he went through one of their newest acquisitions. It was really grating on his nerves now....this sickly happy feeling his brother exuded every time he was within a mile of him.

"Will you quit smiling and hurry up?!" he snapped finally, "The rest of us actually have work to do."

Natchiket raised a brow as he regarded his younger brother, "And what pray tell, is eating you today?"

Jai glared at him, "I have a lot of work pending Nattu, I need to get going."

"So have I," Natchiket said slowly, still regarding him through thoughtful eyes, "Have you spoken to Bani lately?"

Clearly he wasn't expecting that question and it showed on his perplexed face, "Wh...what?"

"You heard me," Natchiket continued, "When was the last time you spoke to her?"

Jai muttered something under his breath and got to his feet, "It's none of your business Natchiket. Just hurry up and..."

"Oh but it is my business Jai," Natchiket said, getting to his feet and coming to stand in front of him, "I know it cannot be easy with what Rano is going through but your job, if you care about that woman at all, which I know you do, is to be there for her."

"You have some nerve..."

"Jai, I don't know if the two of you are having a fight or not, but I do know that if you want any kind of relationship with her you better learn to not poison your happiness. Not again."

Jai turned to look at him, a familiar anger and hurt flaring in his eyes for a brief few seconds and then as if of its own volition, slowly abating.

"You're happy Jai, the last six months, you have been happy," Natchiket stated, "I never thought I'd see the day but....Jai, don't mess it up. She is a good woman and you know it. Perhaps the only one who can take all of your nonsense."

"Hey!" Jai said indignantly.

"Alright!" Natchiket raised his hands in surrender, "How about you go to her. I'll finish up here and say we meet over at Palak Offices to finalize this?"

Jai hesitated a moment, not sure if he wanted to go see her now, as he admitted to himself he had indeed been a bit of a cad the last few weeks. Yes, he knew it showed as he could feel her coldness towards him, inspite of his being with her, he might as well have not been there.

"Go on now, all you need is an apology," Natchiket encouraged him, "Doesn't take much to win over a woman like her, especially one who knows she's got you in the palm of her hand."

"I am not in the palm of her hand," Jai insisted, the small smile that curved his lips belying his announcement.

Natchiket threw back and laughed heartily, "I'm sure. Now off you go, and take your time."

Nodding ever so slightly, he turned on his heels and strode from the office, a telltale spring in his step as he headed out. Natchiket shook his head ever so slightly and smiled at the door through which his brother had just disappeared. The silly man was not admitting even now that he was sprung. Bani Dixit had his brother tied up in so many strings the man couldn't see straight. Well, hope he didn't go there and blow it all over again. The silly man had a habit of hiding behind his hard as nails persona when things got uncomfortable.

Shaking his head he returned to the file he had been going through.

Bani was staring at her computer screen as she had been for the last few hours, unable to concentrate as she had this 'feeling'. She didn't have a name for it but she knew it was something that wasn't about to lift until she could say for sure that Rano was safe. The girls chose the most inopportune times to be stubborn! But she couldn't blame her too. She wanted to act like the last few months didn't happen and it didn't leave a scar. Well for her sake she hoped Rano could handle herself out there. She was swaying from side to side in her chair when her intercom buzzed.

"I'm sorry to disturb you Ma'am but you have a visitor," her secretary said.

"Who is..." the words were barely out her mouth when there was a light knock on her door and before she called for the person to enter, the door opened and Jai stood proud and tall in her doorway.

She blinked as if to make sure he was still there, then realized that was what the secretary had been reluctant to tell her in the first place. She sighed and disconnected, looking up and fixing him with a cautious gaze.

He came and stood in front of her, just looking at her with those intense gray eyes that caused most people to quiver in their suits. She didn't flinch, just stared back at him. Having satisfied himself he finally spoke.

"How are you Bani?"

His voice washed over her like a velvet blanket. She looked at him for a few seconds more before exhaling a deep breath that seemed to sap all the energy from her as her shoulders slumped further down. Her buried face in her palms explained to him how she felt.

He covered the distance between them and taking her hands, pulled her to her feet. She stood before him, all the vulnerability washing over her and finally coming to a head. As a dam would, her face crumpled in one fell swoop and the next thing he knew, she was in his arms, literally bawling. All the pent up emotions flowing freely from her, pouring in the guise of tears down her face, the huge racking sobs muffled by her face pressed into the crook of his shoulders. He held her tight, drawing from the pain that wracked her small but supple frame.

He let her cry for a while to gain her release. She needed it if the strain on her face was anything to go by. After a few minutes he hushed her.

"Shhh, it's okay darling. It's okay," he assured her, stroking the softness of her fragrant hair, "It'll all be alright."

When she had sufficiently calmed down he guided her to the sofa on the left side of the wall and sat her down, pulling her in so she could lean into his side, snugly tucked in.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he began softly, a soft disbelieving laugh escaping him as he thought, "All seems so stupid now."

The only reaction from her was further sniffing as she revelled in the simple fact that he was there now. She somehow felt that everything would right itself.

"How is she?" he asked softly.

He felt her shudder a bit and tightened his grip a little around her, as she readied herself to speak, "She went to work. She won't listen to anyone... she just....went off this morning...like..."

Her voice trailed off and he rubbed her upper arm as if to reassure her, "If she says she's ready then...maybe you ought to let her out."

"But she isn't," Bani raised herself to look in his eyes, "I know she isn't."

"Then let her see that for herself," he said softly, cupping her face in a bid to reassure.

She shook her head in the negative, refusing to believe him, "I know she's going to hurt herself out there, I just know it."

"Doesn't help that you're being this pessimistic," he said quietly, but before he could go any further, his cell rang. He ignored it.

"It's okay, You can take the call," Bani said, sitting further away from him as he fished out the phone, mumbling an apology.

He stilled momentarily when he saw the number. He answered it, "Hello?.....yeah....slow down.....I can't...... where are you?"

He caught Bani now giving him a funny look as he seemed to be projecting tension as he sat concentrating to hear the person on the other end.

"I'll be right there," he said curtly and was about to hang up when he paused again to listen, and then glanced at Bani for a split second, "Yeah....okay. I'll be there shortly."

He got to his feet, "Where are you going?"

"Something important just came up," he said, his face going into poker mode, a look he knew Bani had mastered by now and was sure meant don't ask, or at least don't ask right now, "I'm so sorry I have to run off again but I promise,I will be seeing you later on today. Okay?"

She nodded numbly as he enveloped her in a warm hug. There was nothing to be said right now. Nothing at all.

He sped across town as fast as he could and got to her office, taking the elevator straight to her floor. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where she would be as the employees stood staring listlessly in the direction of the Conference room. They automatically parted as he approached, as if acknowledging it was in their best interest to move aside. He pushed open the door and stood filling the doorway, looking intently at the three people who occupied the room.

Relief washed over her and mild surprised registered on his face as she flew out of her chair and ran to him, enveloping him in a tight hug, only to break down again, huge wracking sobs shaking her small frame as she held on to him. He hugged her back, his own breathing slowing down as he registered that she was okay. He was somewhat confused to see the other occupants in the room.

"I'm so sorry," she kept saying against the fabric of his chest as she cried, "I didn't mean....I'm so sorry."

"Shhhh," he held her close, letting her cry anyway. It was good for her after all.

His attention shifted when Jai Walia got to his feet, "She called me earlier on. Apparently she had a big scare. Some woman apparently looked a lot like Meera, she freaked and passed out. Woke up to find a nurse hovering over her and lost it again."

Aparajeet nodded in grave understanding and looked down at his once fearless fiance. This started to feel like it was never going to end. It pricked him that she hadn't called him first...Jai Walia got to know before him. Was that a sign of something?Did she still blame him? Did she no longer feel they belonged together? Had he lost her to this ordeal?

"It's okay sweetheart....it's okay," was all he could come up with around the clog that had formed in his throat.

God please, don't let me lose her, he implored, looking heavenward.

"We'll leave you two alone," Jai said with a telling glance at Rano's boss who stood watching the scene in front of him.

Outside, he could understand why Rano would not want to call Bani or her family at all, but to call him had come out of the blue. He had had to lie to Bani to come out here. He would tell her later tonight when he stopped by the house. He somehow didn't see Rano going home early. It niggled at him the look on Aparajeet's face. He knew it too well...... being the last person to find out something really important about the person they loved beyond measure was not an easy thing to swallow.

He knew all too well that feeling and he wished for Aparajeet's sake Rano had called him instead. This was going to be a long process for her to come back from the trauma but well, he wished it would all be over soon so everyone could stop walking around on eggshells and they could all get back to their normal lives. It was a selfish thought he knew, but he couldn't help it. He didn't even know how to approach the thing with Bani because their fight plus the strain of this incident had eaten a hole in their relationship.

Whatever it takes, he thought, getting into the car while the driver came around to get in, I can't lose her.

"Where to Sir?" the driver asked politely.

"Back to the office," he said curtly.

The driver nodded and started the car.

glad ur back with ur update, it surprisin that rano called jai first,, it was nice to see jai taking care of bani ,, pls do update as soon as u can