||Just One Breath Away-AN FF~VM pg 122|| - Page 4

Nikita walked into the cafeteria for lunch, where her friends were waiting for her. He was staring…and he blushed when I caught him! She smiled to herself. He can be so cute at times…

Riddhima pulled her into a hug and Muskaan immediately asked, "Oye yaar, where have you been?"

"Duty", she replied, shrugging.

"That Modi makes you work day and night, doesn't he? We hardly see you these days!" Anjali chimed in.

Nikki shook her head at them and pulled up a chair and sat at the table, smiling slightly while reminiscing about how Abhimanyu was blushing the other day when she'd caught him staring at her.

"What're you thinking?" Riddhima asked her, a knowing smile on her face.

"Huh?" Nikki's head snapped up at her. "Oh, nothing, just…" her voice trailed away feebly.

"Arrey guys let's order! I'm hungry!" Atul announced, saving her from embarrassment, and they placed their orders.

As they were eating, their discussions gradually moved to the topic of Abhimanyu Modi, and all the interns except Nikki and Riddhima started insulting their boss.

"He can get so bossy…struts around the hospital like he owns the place!" Muskaan started.

"Yeah…he's such a beast! You know, he threatened me with a red mark today just because I turned up 5 minutes late in the OPD!" Atul grumbled angrily.

"I can't stand him!" Anjali piped up.

"Arrey no one can stand him…he kicked Dr. Keerti out of the hospital and now he's acting like he can control our lives…he's so full of himself! And on top of that he's got no shame after using Nikki like that!" Armaan said furiously, gathering fuel.

"He didn't use me", Nikki spoke softly, and everyone turned to look at her.

"What?" Armaan looked at her stunned, while Muskaan choked on her sandwich.

"He didn't use me", she repeated, raising her voice slightly. She had no idea why she got so angry when Armaan said that, but all she knew was that Abhimanyu had never used her or meant her any harm. She knew in her heart that he was a nice guy.

"Nikki what are you saying yaar? Have you gone mad or what?" Armaan questioned her incredulously.

"I'm serious Armaan. He never used me", she clarified to her best friend.

"Oh! So you mean he wasn't trying to use you when he took you for that meeting with that leech Patil!"

"It was a misunderstanding Armaan, please stop blaming him!"

"Blaming him!" Armaan's voice began to rise. "I'm not blaming anybody Nikki, I'm just stating the truth!"

"What truth?" Now Nikki started getting angry. "I was there, not you! I know what happened. It was a misunderstanding, he never used me! He always helped me."

"Helped you!" Armaan almost choked on the words and let out a sarcastic laugh. "Help…he never had any other intention other than to use you, Nikki. Believe me, I can see right through him."

"Armaan stop it…that's enough", Riddhima urged him from his side to stop what was turning out to be a full-fledged argument, but Armaan brushed her off.

"He's a nice guy Armaan, I know him-"

"You don't know him Nikki! You're too innocent, and he's a really bad guy…he's just building up your trust on him to use you even more…and I won't let that happen!"

"He's not like that Armaan! You refuse to see sense! He's helpful and understanding, and we just had a small argument. We would have resolved it ourselves!"

"Why are you defending him damn it?"

"I'm not defending him. I'm just telling you the truth. I know he's a nice person…we could have cleared all our misunderstandings ourselves had you not stepped in!"

"I stepped in to protect you from that…that Modi!"

"I can handle him myself Armaan! I never asked for your help." Nikki's eyes were starting to tear up now.

"You don't realise what he's doing! You should stay away from him, Nikki…you should never have agreed to work with him."

"What? Where does that come in here?"

"No seriously, I think Armaan has a point", Anjali nodded her agreement.

"Wha-?"

"Yeah, you should have declined to work with him in the New Sanjeevani Project Nikki," Atul told her.

"Who knows what he might do next?" Muskaan too chimed in.

At a loss for what to say, Nikki looked desperately at Riddhima for help, who looked equally bewildered herself at the turn of events. "Guys, I think you're going too far with this," she said quietly, giving Armaan a hard stare.

"We're not going too far, she is refusing to understand!" Armaan argued hotly. "She doesn't know what's good for her!"

"Armaan I'm telling you-" Nikki tried to put forth her point to Armaan but he cut her off.

"You don't know what his intentions are, Nikki. All he wants to do is to use you. And he thinks you're a soft target…that mean, twisted-"

"Stop it!" Nikki was at the end of her tether.

"That's enough Armaan!" Riddhima told him off crossly. To her surprise, she saw a furiously blinking Nikita pick up her lab coat and leave the cafeteria before she could do anything about it. The others stared after her retreating back, stunned at her reaction.

"What happened to her?" Armaan asked no one in particular.

"You went too far with this, Armaan." Riddhima told him in a stern voice.

"Riddhima why are you taking his side now?" he asked his girlfriend exasperatedly.

"I'm not taking anyone's side, but I know for a fact that Dr. Modi isn't a bad person. He might be strict and a little tough, but that doesn't necessarily mean he's a bad guy", she explained to him, a shuttered expression on her face.

"Oh Come on Basket! He was using Nikki, I was just protecting her!"

"Nikki can take care of herself Armaan", Riddhima gave him a cold stare, "It's not your job to protect her. Stop fathering her."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you're suffocating her. Give her some space Armaan. It's her life. Let her live it."

"And by doing that also let her be used by that leech!" he countered her words incredulously.

"You're her best friend Armaan, you mean a lot to her. But please, let her be." Riddhima told him calmly, her tone still cold. "She'll ask you for help if she needs it. But before that, don't spoil her life by interfering in it." She finished, and giving him one last angry look, walked away.

"What the…?" Armaan watched her leave, feeling very confused and angry.

"Did you guys fight?" Atul asked him carefully, wary of his reaction.

Armaan shook his head and sighed, indicating Atul had guessed correctly. She still hasn't forgiven me for what I said after the match…I'll have to make up to her.

*****

Nikki sat on the stands in the basketball court, Armaan's harsh words echoing in her mind. She had no idea why she had become so agitated when he had said all that against Abhimanyu. All she knew was that he was wrong in accusing him of using her. But why does it matter so much to me what he says about Abhi? Why do I care? But then…Abhimanyu…he never hurt me…always was there for me, even when Armaan wasn't. Why can't Armaan see? Why is he being so rude and insensible?

Seeing Nikita rush up the stairs that led to the basketball court, Abhimanyu knew something was wrong. Her eyes had been glistening with tears, and she hadn't paid the least attention to him when she ran past him in the corridor. His mind wandered back to the time when she had been crying in his arms, complaining about how he and Armaan never listened to her. Should I go to her? No…he shook his head, deciding not to interfere in her personal business. But she seemed so agitated…and she was crying… He remembered the incessant flow of tears from her big beautiful eyes, which, for some reason gave him a heartache.

I guess Armaan might have said something…otherwise why would she be all worked up? The memory of their kiss in the gym room suddenly resurfaced, and he looked towards the staircase, debating whether to follow her. He didn't even realise when his legs stopped listening to his brain and started walking upstairs of their own accord. He found himself staring at her small form on the stands, walking towards her apprehensively, not knowing what to say.

Sensing his presence, Nikita looked up, and silently watched him come and sit beside her, mimicking her position. They sat there for a long time, none of them speaking, his presence calming her down, easing her pain.

He watched her through the corner of his eye, thinking about how she had bared her insecurities to her. She put up such a faade that she was very strong…and he believed her, not guessing once that there could be a woman hidden deep inside, who so desperately needed to be loved, to be helped, to be comforted. The tears…the tears which flowed so freely when she let her guard down, the soul that needed to be told that everything would be okay in the end, the heart that begged to be mended…so carefully concealed inside the stone walls she had built around her. And she had let him see it. The realisation overwhelmed him.

The afternoon breeze lazily blew through her hair, and the sunlight made her face glow. She looked like an angel, and he watched her mesmerised, drinking in every detail of her appearance…beautiful.

His silent company gave her the support and comfort she had craved for. No judgement, no harsh words, and no comments…just someone she could lean back on. She knew he was there…that's all she needed. Why she trusted him so much…why she knew she could count on him…why she felt so safe right now…she didn't know, and she didn't want to know. All that mattered to her at the moment was that someone cared. And he didn't need a reason to do so. He wasn't her friend, no. He was just…there. Whenever she needed him.

She let out a deep breath which broke the spell. He blinked at her, and she shifted her position so that she was hugging her knees, and placed her chin on her knees.

"Do you want to tell me?" he offered her softly.

"Armaan", she answered shortly.

"You fought?"

"He was insulting you…he said that you were trying to use me for the Project", she said, finally looking at him.

"So? You fought because of that?"

"I told him the truth…" her eyes reflected her pain. "You didn't do anything of the sort. And he refuses to understand…" her voice trailed away.

"You didn't have to fight because of me, Nikki", he told her, his insides feeling very warm thinking she had defended him…she cared.

"I didn't start it. He said so many things…that you were using me for you own benefit…and that he was protecting me from you," her tone was laced with bitterness. "I don't need protection." She looked into the horizon.

He smiled at her statement. So she wanted to be independent, to be strong. He let out a deep breath and said, "I know you don't need protection…you're my Nikki pehelwan. You can take care of yourself. It will pass, don't worry."

She ignored his feeble attempt at humour and, looking back up at him, asked in a voice barely above a whisper, "Why are you being so nice to me?"

His heart pained at her honest question. "No one else seems to have the time to do that…" he told her softly, his voice barely audible.

She remained silent for a while, and looked away. "Armaan…he will never understand…he's too stubborn."

"Oh don't worry…he will. He's your best friend after all," he told her. "He cares…you mean a lot to him."

"No, he won't. But you do…" she met his eyes again. "You understand, and you're not my friend."

Abhimanyu sighed softly and looked into the horizon. Her words had reignited the fire in him which he had doused with so much effort. 'You're not my friend'…the truth in her statement hurt.

Silence once more prevailed between them. It wasn't awkward, neither was it uncomfortable. But it lacked comfort in it. It re-established the confusion in their relationship…they had no idea who they were to each other. Their sudden softness, their sudden sensitivity to each other's feelings was alien to them. They didn't know how to react, what to say.

After what seemed like ages, but was only a few minutes in reality, Abhimanyu spoke.

"What changed between us, Nikki?"

The question he had placed before her was the one she had been running from.

The stark difference they both had noticed in their attitude ever since the boxing match surfaced, bringing them face to face with something they'd been avoiding with all their might…defining what existed between them. What it was, that caused their hearts to beat faster when they were together, that drove all sense out of them, that brought them closer and made them hungry for more…

Her answering silence seemed to echo in his ears.