||Just One Breath Away-AN FF~VM pg 122|| - Page 9

After lunch, Shehnaz walked into Abhimanyu's office to see him deeply engrossed in a file. The knitted eyebrows, the concentrated expression, the pursed lips…she remembered it all. Hiding a small smile, she went up to his desk and sat down. He didn't look up.

"Abhi?" she called his name, only to have his head snap up to her in annoyance.

"Dr. Modi…please", he ordered.

"Err…" she fumbled, recalling how irritated he used to get if anyone referred to him by his first name during work. "Dr. Modi…"

He nodded his approval at that and went back to poring over the file. "I've received some new proposals, and am going through them now…I'd like you to read them thoroughly and add details in the presentation accordingly", he told her, still reading the file.

"Okay", her soft voice hardly reached his ears.

He still has that anger…he's so short tempered. Many memories came back to her from her college days.

For a fleeting moment, she wanted to relive those days…but then the reason they'd broken up resurfaced, and she shook her head to rid her mind of the thoughts.

"Anything wrong?" he asked her, peering over the top of the file.

"No…I'm fine", she assured him, feeling uncomfortable under his intense scrutiny. How did he do that? He always made it seem as if he was x-raying her. She wished she could block out the thoughts that had floated to the forefront of her mind.

He shrugged and started to tell her about the new additions to the project. All the while, her eyes never left his once. His eyes still had that captivating power. They were so enticing that they could trap you in them and leave you helpless, unable to look away.

"Dr. Akhtar?" his voice sounded from far away.

"Yes…" she answered softly, still mesmerised in the hypnotizing quality of his eyes.

"Dr. Akhtar!" suddenly he sounded so close and she blinked to realise he was sitting still in his chair, glaring at her.

"Yes…yes, Abhi…I mean, Dr. Modi!" she stuttered embarrassedly at being caught staring.

"What was I saying?" he asked her, a wry smirk on his face.

"Saying…? Uh…oh, you were…umm…" he mumbled incoherently, unable to find a proper excuse for not listening to him all this while. She couldn't tell him she'd been lost in his eyes!

"I don't like inattention!" he growled at her, and unconsciously she leant back in her chair.

"Y...Yes…s…sorry," she stuttered an apology.

*****

Nikita sat on one of the benches in the locker room, pondering over the day's events. She had actually admitted that something had changed for the better between her and Abhimanyu, that too while sitting on his lap! Never had she imagined that she would say that…and never had she even dreamed of imagining that Abhimanyu's lap would be such a comfortable place to sit in. Oh! There she went again! She needed to stop thinking of him! And his lap…and the way his hand felt on her waist…nice and warm and…she needed to see a psychiatrist.

She started massaging her temples tiredly just when Riddhima walked in to put a few things in her locker before her break.

"Nikki?" she asked, concerned for the girl who appeared so…dazed. She sat beside her gave her a one-armed hug. "What's wrong?" she questioned curiously, watching the expression on her friend's face.

"Don't ask…" she sighed.

"Are you worried about Armaan?" she asked her tentatively, knowing very well that it was a sensitive topic.

"No, not really…"

"Don't worry Nikki…he will come around. He's your best friend", Riddhima assured her.

Nikki gave her a feeble smile. "Abhi said the same thing."

"Abhi…" Riddhima smiled at Nikki's way of addressing their hard-headed boss. "So…Nikki", she said slowly, finally touching the issue she had suspicions about.

Nikki looked up at her, and she went on, "Do you…is Dr. Modi special to you in any way?"

Nikki's expression changed to one of confusion in a split second. "Special", she mouthed, and Riddhima nodded, looking expectantly at her to go on.

"No…" she told her, still looking bewildered. "Why?"

"It's just that…you seem to be spending more time with him than with us these days, Nikki", Riddhima told her, and it dawned on Nikki why her friend had asked her this.

She looked down, wondering what to say…Armaan was closest to Riddhima, and admitting the true reason for her actions would hurt her. She fidgeted a bit, twisting her hands on her lap, as her friend looked on in anticipation.

"You can tell me, Nikki", Riddhima assured her, and when she looked up with pained eyes, added, "I won't tell anyone, promise."

"It's not that, Riddhima…" Nikki sighed, looking a tad depressed. "It's just that…" her voice trailed away feebly, and she looked down once again.

"If you're worried about hurting me, Nikki…" Riddhima understood her fear and she snapped her head up to look at her best friend, relieved at the reassurance she saw in her eyes. She nodded quietly, and Riddhima squeezed her hand in hers. "Tell me", she implored.

"Spending time with you guys would mean that Armaan would be there", she hesitated, seeking her friend's permission to go on.

"And you don't want to face him right now", Riddhima completed the sentence for her, and she looked up surprised.

Riddhima nodded sadly and went on, "I've tried to talk to him, Nikki. But he's too adamant to listen...he's being so stubborn these days…" her disapproval was evident in her voice.

"He doesn't see sense, Riddhima…" Nikki's bitter voice intruded her thoughts. "He keeps on hurting me all the time …" she looked at her helplessly, unable to put her feelings into words.

"Armaan is a bit overprotective, Nikki. But I agree, this time he's going too far", Riddhima admitted.

Then she put forward another question to Nikki. "Then why do you prefer spending time with Dr. Modi even outside work now, Nikki?"

"It's better than being with Armaan", Nikki admitted softly. "And Abhi gives me a sense of security, actually…"

Riddhima frowned in deep thinking. "How is that?"

"I don't know. I just feel…safe with him. I can talk to him, and he just listens…he never judges, and doesn't comment much unless I need him to…" she stared into space, talking as if in a reverie. "That's a nice change", she finished.

Riddhima processed the whole thing, and then asked one little question that made Nikki's head snap back up and a blush crept up her cheeks. "You like 'Abhi', don't you?" There was a hint of laughter in her voice and she emphasised on "Abhi".

Nikita gulped uncomfortably, the kiss in the gym room flashing in her mind. "I, uh…no! Um…." She spluttered, the memory of the feeling of being in his secure arms in his office rushing back to her and making her situation worse.

Riddhima got the answer she was looking for from her friend's obvious discomfort. She quickly changed the topic. "Oh…", she said in an as disinterested voice as she could manage. "Anyway, so…what were we saying? Ah yes…Armaan…Nikki, I tried to talk to him, but…" she trailed away apologetically.

"It's okay, Riddhima. Don't feel bad about it. I know Armaan very well…he's stubborn, but I guess he'll come around", Nikki told her.

"I know he will. It's just that, he's being too rude about Dr. Modi."

"Yes…"

"Does he know?"

"Huh?" Nikita was very confused. "Who knows what?"

"I mean, does Dr. Modi know about the argument?" Riddhima treaded the path again, looking for giveaways in Nikita's expression.

"Yes…I told him", she replied, staring ahead. "He's been nice, though. Much more helpful than Armaan."

"Really?" Riddhima tried her best to hide the curious excitement in her voice.

"Yes…he even promised not to fight with Armaan anymore…" she smiled. "He' not that bad, you know."

"Oh…so now he's 'not that bad', eh?" Riddhima's voice took on a teasing tone. "You were all praises for him in the cafeteria!"

"Well…" Nikki blushed slightly, looking away. "I just said all that so that Armaan would understand."

"So you mean you were exaggerating on purpose?" she laughed.

"No…I mean, yes, yes I was…"

"So you don't think he's nice?" she bumped her shoulder with her friend's, grinning.

"When did I say that?" in her embarrassment she spluttered out the truth. "He's…nice, I guess. A bit sadu, but nice…he makes me laugh", she smiled as if remembering a fond memory.

Riddhima smirked at her expression. "Hmm…so you've started to know him now?"

"Yes", pat came the reply.

"Are you friends?" she asked softly, knowing that this was a sensitive question.

Nikita stared into space, and answered her just as softly, "I don't know…"

*****

Abhimanyu was on his rounds, and as he was passing the general ward, his eyes fell on two people, obviously enjoying each other's presence. They stood in close proximity of each other, and smiled a lot, sometimes stealing shy glances. They were working well, no doubt, but Abhimanyu's temper flared for a reason unknown to him.

He stood there, outside the ward, watching them as they happily walked around each other and treated the patients.

"Dr. Mathur, this patient is suffering from dehydration..." Nikita asked her handsome senior, moving towards him.

"Please, call me Akash", he smiled at her, and she gave him a sweet smile in return.

"Okay, Akash, about this patient…" she went on, and he offered her his undivided attention.

Abhimanyu stood outside the ward, having overheard their two-line conversation. "Please call me Akash", he sneered under his breath, glaring at the doctor whose smile was getting on his nerves.

He stomped off to resume his rounds, trying hard to ignore the beautiful smile that had graced Nikki's face when she had turned to face Akash. Dr. Mathur, he corrected himself.

*****

The next day, Nikita walked towards Abhimanyu's office with a few files related to cardiac patients. Without bothering to knock, she entered the cabin, and saw him looking daggers at her.

"Um…hello?" she greeted him feebly.

"Have you been taught how to knock?" he shot at her, and she grimaced at her tone. I've never knocked before…why is he shouting so much now? She confusedly mumbled an apology.

"Well?" he glared.

She gulped and placed the files on his table.

"I need your help with these…" she stated, trying to keep her tone professional. His angry expression was starting to irk her. "These are complicated cases…in this one", she opened a file and pointed it out to him, but he continued to glower at her.

Trying her best to ignore his gaze, she looked down at the file and started briefing him about the case. "This patient has diabetes, and I've also gone through the case history…diabetes runs in his family and so does high blood pressure. I was thinking that…" she trailed away, realising her eyes were back on his.

His expression was angry, but restrained. It looked as if he was trying to hide it unsuccessfully. Obviously, he was upset about something, but she couldn't fathom why he was taking it all out on her.

He watched her eyes roam over his face, saw her search for a clue as to why he was so angry. If only he knew… He had no idea why he felt so irritable…with her. Yesterday's scene in the general ward with Akash flashed in his mind for a brief moment, and his anger intensified.

"What?" he asked.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked him, matching her glare with his.

"How am I looking at you?" his voice was thick with sarcasm and anger…and perhaps a little bit of hurt as well.

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. So if you would be so kind as to enlighten me…" he sneered at her.

"What's your problem?" she threw at him hurtfully. "You were fine yesterday, and sweet also…why are you being so insufferable today?"

"I'm insufferable?" his eyes blazed. "Oh, then please…don't take the trouble of being with me!"

"To answer your question, yes you are being insufferable today. Why are you glaring at me like that?"

"If you can't take it then just go away!" he argued hotly, unthinkingly shouting at her.

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean you should go to Akash…he's always so sweet, na? If I'm so unbearable then why bother to come to me? Go!" he threw at her and turned away, feeling guilty for having said such things without thinking once. He couldn't understand why he felt so angry. He just wanted her to leave, but he didn't know why. It hurt after he spoke the words, but he was too stubborn to take them back.

"You…fine!" she spat, turned on her heel and stomped away, banging the door behind her.