||Just One Breath Away-AN FF~VM pg 122|| - Page 22

Nikki entered Vishal's cabin during her break to check on him. She saw him sitting on the bed, propped up on a pillow, reading what appeared to be a car magazine.

"Hey Vishal!" she greeted him enthusiastically, and he set the magazine down, giving her a wide smile.

"Hi Nikki…aren't you on duty now?"

"No, I've a break for half an hour now", she grinned.

"Wow…your strict boss even agreed to give you a break?" he smirked. "I'm impressed."

She managed a small smile at the mention of Abhi. They had been avoiding each other as much as possible for the past few days following their kiss in his office. It felt too embarrassing to even face him these days.

She was missing him though…a lot. Every night, before going to sleep, she would type a message for him, but just before sending it, she would change her mind, and try to sleep. Waking up in the middle of the night, she would check her phone for a missed call, or even a message…but there never was one. It made her feel so pathetic, waiting desperately for a call from him every night…didn't he miss her enough?

They hadn't talked to each other apart from work. It felt so strange, to be in his office and see him sitting opposite to her, with the table in between them. It seemed like a barrier…and she missed him sitting close to her, squeezing her hand gently whenever she was nervous.

Their hands had touched yesterday, while exchanging a file. The spark was still the same…and she had withdrawn her hand as fast as she could, and looked down, missing the hurt look in his eyes.

What confused her was that she seemed to like being near him…talking to him…and even kissing him. But she was supposed to love Armaan, wasn't she? Not her arrogant, uptight, irritating, teasing, rude, annoying…short-tempered…sweet…nice…understanding…loving…boss.

Why was this happening to her? There wasn't one moment when she wasn't thinking of him…she and Abhi had become good friends since after the boxing match…and maybe…maybe he was closer to her than Armaan! But he always confused her with his mixed signals…she didn't know what to do around him… But the thing right now was that she missed him…too much.

"Hey! What're you thinking?" Vishal snapped his fingers in front of her face, shaking her out of her thoughts and bringing her crashing back to earth.

"Huh? Oh…nothing" she managed a smile.

"What happened? You two fought again?" he frowned. He had become accustomed to their everyday quarrels, pointless arguments and of course…making up. One of them would always sulk after a fight, and go to the basketball court. The other would soon follow after their temper cooled, and they would return smiling and teasing each other. And the next day they would again fight, and everything would be repeated all over again.

He never understood what it was with them. They could hardly ever agree on anything, and were at each other's throats for almost everything. Yet, whenever in trouble, they would always run to each other. If he wasn't mistaken, these two spitfires were in love with each other.

Shaking her head, she changed the topic. "So how was therapy?"

"No different than every other day", he shrugged.

She smiled at him.

"You know, this therapy business…it's really boring", he scowled.

"Well, you'll have to tolerate it", she looked at him sternly. "And it'll soon be over with."

"Ugh, I can't wait for that day to come", he looked heavenwards. "I hate this hospital."

"Why's that? It's a nice place."

"Not if you're a patient", he made a face, and they both laughed.

"The food is terrible, and then I can't even get out of here", he grumbled. "And this stupid hospital gown is horrible!"

"You're laughing!" he looked incredulous when she sniggered.

"I can't help it…and the look on your face!" she grinned.

"Well you can't help it perhaps, but tell Abhi to improve the food here…what's he trying to do? Get us admitted for food poisoning?" he complained.

"Is it that bad?" she laughed.

"Taste it if you don't believe me!"

"No thanks, I don't need that", she winked.

"Then tell him to do something", he asked her.

"You tell him, it's your problem", she advised him, sobering up.

The change in her tone not going unnoticed by him, he raised an eyebrow at her, but decided not to say anything.

Abhi walked in the cabin to see both Vishal and Nikki laughing at a joke unknown to him. It felt so good to see her smile…he hadn't got much of a chance to see that in the past few days.

He leant on the doorframe and watched them gossip animatedly. They both were very talkative people, and he was sure, that if they were left to themselves, their conversations would go on forever.

He watched her talk, smile, and poke Vishal in his shoulder and tease him. He missed her…after she's walked away from him that day in his office after their kiss, they had hardly talked. Every night after that, he had wanted to call her before going to sleep, but hadn't had the courage to do so. Sometimes he even woke up from a fitful sleep, and checked his phone for a message from her, but none came. It seemed as if she had forgotten him. Didn't she miss him enough anymore?

Sighing, he walked towards them. Standing right behind Nikki, he greeted them, "Hey guys."

She stiffened when she heard his voice. He was standing right behind him…she could sense him for a long time, but she had thought that it was just her…missing him as she was, she imagined him everywhere.

Feeling afraid to turn around, she sat there, and muttered a hello. Vishal greeted him enthusiastically, and gestured to him to sit on the bed.

Abhi walked around her and settled himself at the foot of the bed, half facing Nikki. His heart was beating fast, and he could tell from the way she was twisting her fingers mercilessly in her lap that she too was nervous.

"Err…how was duty?" he asked her in an attempt to break the ice. Stupid question Abhimanyu! Couldn't you come up with anything better?

"As usual", she gave him a short reply. Small talk and that too with Abhi? What's wrong with you Nikki?

"So…" he wondered what to say next, and Vishal watched them both with bubbling enthusiasm. "Your duty was with Dr. Mathur today, right?"

"Yes. I had duty with Akash."

He raised an eyebrow at her reply. "Nikki, don't you think you're getting too personal with him?"

There was a tone of disapproval in his voice. She raised her chin in defiance and replied, "Well, you call me Nikki. Isn't that too personal?"

He stiffened when he heard her reply. "That's not the point, Nikki…this is different."

"No it isn't! In fact, I should be calling you Dr. Modi and you should be calling me Dr. Malhotra! You're senior to everyone here, aren't you?"

"What are you trying to say?"

"That you should think before you speak."

"Okay guys, forget it na…why are you two fighting over such a small issue…" Vishal tied his usual futile attempts to stop their argument, but he already knew it wouldn't work.

"You don't like me calling you Nikki?" he put his hands on his hips and geared up for a full on fight.

"I never said that!" she shot back.

"You have a problem with everything I do! And Akash is just perfect, right?"

"You guessed right!"

The jealousy in his swelled and immediately, he hated Akash Mathur. He had no idea that Nikki was just agreeing to his first statement.

"Then why don't you just go and spend time with him? If he's so good!"

"You know something?" she glared at him, getting up. "That's exactly what I'm going to do!" she stormed away, banging the door behind her and he scowled at the bed sheet, seething.

"You two need a life, you know that?" Vishal sighed, leaning back on his pillow.

Abhi glared at him.

"No use looking at me like that mate! You started the fight!"

"Why're you siding with her?"

"Hey! I'm not siding with anyone…just calm down Abhi!"

"What calm down? She always finds something wrong with everything I do!" Abhi exclaimed angrily.

"Maybe she's just in a bad mood…" he tried to explain. But Abhi moodily picked at a stray thread in his bed sheet, not replying.

After a long while of silence, Vishal tentatively asked, "Abhi…can I ask you something?"

He looked up at him annoyed. "Since when have you been asking my permission?" Then he proceeded to check out the magazine that was lying near Vishal's feet.

After a few minutes' contemplation, he asked, "Do you love her?"

His head shot up and he stiffened immediately.

Vishal could tell from Abhi's body language that he was going in the right direction, and had most probably guessed right. He waited for him to respond, and slowly Abhi turned his head towards him, expression unreadable.

"Well?" he asked again.

He pondered for a while. He trusted her so much…too much, actually. He could trust her with his life, blindfolded. And he didn't know why. She was special to him…and the way he'd been missing her these days was definitely saying something. He loved being with her, and jumped at every excuse to spend time with her. He loved it when she smiled…when she laughed…heck, he even loved it when they fought. He at least had an excuse to talk to her and look at her. And the best part was making up…somehow they always ended up kissing…their kisses. He'd never felt anything like that before. He'd heard of sparks, but it was no less than fireworks with her! He loved the way she fit so perfectly in his arms…the way she held on to his neck while sitting on his lap. He loved how small she was…she seemed so delicate, but yet she was so strong. He loved it when she teased him, no matter how embarrassed he was. He loved it when she paid him all her attention. He loved it when she fussed over him for some reason or the other. He loved it when she ran up to the basketball court during break to meet him, rather than chat with her friends. He loved the way her small hand felt in his, the way she clung to him when she was afraid…he…he…he loved her.

"Abhi…" Vishal's amused voice broke his reverie. He was grinning at him. "Stop dreaming about Nikki and tell me…do you love her?"

As if in a trance, he answered, unhesitatingly, "Yes."

"Ha! I knew it!" he exclaimed triumphantly.

When he realised what he had just admitted, he blushed a deep red.

"Oho! Dr. Modi the Hitler is blushing!" Vishal was openly laughing at him.

"Shut up!"

"She seems really miserable without you these days", he frowned. "So…why don't you tell her?" his frown quickly changed to a dimpled grin.

Embarrassed as he was, he thought over it. He did love her…or so he thought…no, he was thinking right. Yes, so that was confirmed. He was in love with Nikita Malhotra. One confusion cleared. But…

"I can't", he sighed, head in his hands.

"Why not?"

"Because I…" he struggled. "I just…can't!"

"Abhi…you're one scaredy cat!" he looked at the young doctor incredulously. "Come on! You can tell her!"

"No…no, I can't…" he moaned.

Amazed at the condition of his normally raring friend, his mouth fell open.

"Okay…let's give it some time…" he reasoned. "But just for my sake, give me a better reason for not being able to tell her."

Abhi looked up from where his face had been buried in his hands, and Vishal saw him staring at him helplessly.

"I won't let you go without a proper reason…if you have one, we'll wait for another week before you tell her…you'll be able to gather some courage by then", he winked. "But if you can't come up with a valid reason", Vishal gave him a stern smile, "You will tell her today!"

"Nooo…"

Vishal was really enjoying this. In the 27 years of their friendship, this was the first time he saw Abhi act like this. He was going to use this opportunity to its fullest.

"You have to tell me…or I'll tell Nikki your little secret!" he grinned.

Shaking his head vehemently, he ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Aaargh…yeh main kahan phans gaya!"

As he glumly picked at a thread on the bed sheet, his thoughts strayed back to Nikki. He used to hate her, right? But now…it was all different. He hated it when she cried, he hated it when she wasn't talking to him…like now… He hated it when she didn't call him at night. He hated it when other guys checked her out, when she talked about Armaan. He hated it when she spent more time with her friends than with him. He hated it when she ignored him. He hated it when she lied to him. He hated it when she called him Dr. Modi… when she didn't call him Abhi. He hated it when she ran away from his touch. He hated it when she said she loved Armaan…she loved Armaan…

"I found it", his voice came muffled from behind his hands.

"What?"

"I found a reason…and I can't tell her", he sighed dejectedly.

"And what's that?"

"She loves someone else…"

Vishal looked stumped. "Love…someone else?" he gaped like a goldfish. "Who?"

"Armaan…Dr. Armaan Mallik", Abhi explained distastefully.

"You mean that tattooed doctor whom all the girls in the hospital swoon over?"

"Yeah…that's him."

"And what makes you think that she loves him?" Vishal asked him, eyes popping.

"She herself told me…I know it", Abhi said sadly.

"But he's got a girlfriend!" Vishal threw his hands up in the air.

"Yes, I know that. But still…she loves him..." Abhi confirmed. Or she thinks so.

"You've got to be joking!"

"I'm not joking…she…she does love her", Abhi told him.

"Have you seen the way she looks at you?" Vishal raised an eyebrow, leaning back on the pillows.

"What?"

He closed his eyes tightly, praying for patience. What was he going to do with these two? Opening his eyes, he questioned him, "Have you seen Nikki's eyes?"

"Yes…why shouldn't I?" he appeared thoroughly confused.

"Good", Vishal spoke, as if explaining to a very small child. "What do you see in her eyes? When she looks at you?"

"Err…haven't thought of that as yet…" Abhi shrugged.

"Have you not seen the love in her eyes for you?"

"No…" Abhi answered, and Vishal rolled his eyes.

"You know you-"

"I…I've to go…meeting…" Abhi got up abruptly and left, leaving Vishal hanging in mid-sentence.

Watching his best friend almost run out of the door, Vishal crossed his arms over his chest and leant back on the pillows.

Shaking his head and smirking, he commented wryly, "If you can't see the love in her eyes, then you need new glasses, Abhi."

"And if she thinks she loves someone else, then she needs a reality check", he sighed.

*****

Akash watched her chewing the end of her pen mercilessly as she went through a prescription. She was in a bad mood, which he could see. But what was the cause of it, he didn't know.

"Didn't you have lunch?" he asked her sarcastically.

"Huh?" she looked up, the end of the pen still in her mouth.

"You could eat food you know…I'm sure it would taste better than this", he gestured towards the pen, and she embarrassedly took it out of her mouth.

"That's better", he smiled.

She didn't say anything but nod at him with a small smile as she sat down to measure the blood pressure of a patient.

He walked over to her and said thoughtfully and equally tentatively, "You know I was wondering…if you're so hungry, then maybe…"

"Maybe what?" she looked up at him.

"Well, it is very hot these days…why not go for an ice cream?" he asked.

"Ice cream?"

"Yes."

"That's a good idea! Okay!" she smiled, and went back to work. At least Akash is nice…not like Abhi, always arguing with me…stupid boss!

Akash was over the moon. He went about his work with a grin on his face, waiting for Nikki's duty to end.

***

Shehnaz watched Abhi as he fidgeted around with a few files. He seemed a bit nervous right now. Even though to an outsider it wouldn't be visible, but she knew him well enough to understand that something was bothering him.

"Abhi?" she called him carefully, hoping he wouldn't blow up.

"Yeah?" he replied, not looking up from a file.

"Do you want to go for some ice cream?" she asked him, knowing that he loved ice cream very much and would rarely ever deny it.

As she expected, his head shot up and he vigorously nodded a yes, a grin on his face. She didn't know what it was with ice cream that made him so happy. Seeing him grin like that, she too broke into a smile.

*****

Abhi and Shehnaz walked into the ice cream parlour, and settled themselves at a corner table. He loved the ice cream here…it was delicious!

He sat on a chair opposite to Shehnaz, and looked around the place. It was a pretty place, small but beautiful.

"Which flavour?" Shehnaz's voice sounded.

"Chocolate", he replied without looking at her.

"You always eat that!" she laughed.

"What's so funny? I love it!"

"Yeah, but…you could try out something different once in a while…"

"I tried strawberry…yuck!" he made a face.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I'm taking butterscotch."

"You haven't changed your flavour either!" he looked at her incredulously and she grinned.

She watched him lick his ice cream cone enthusiastically, looking every bit like a little child. A few memories of their college days came rushing back, and she gazed at him fondly, wishing to get those days back.

He never talked much, but these days he tended to avoid her as much as possible. Sighing softly, she spooned a bit of her ice cream scoop into her mouth. She wished they had never broken up…

Her eyes roamed around the parlour, and she watched the many couples sitting hand in hand and eating ice creams…remembering herself and Abhi in the same situation quite some years back, she smiled.

Suddenly her eyes fell on someone she knew. Akash. What was he doing here? He was sitting across from their table, with a girl who looked strangely familiar. A passer-by blocked her view, and she strained her neck to see who she was.

Abhi saw Shehnaz trying hard to look at something across from them.

"What're you peeking at?" he asked her, amused.

"Akash", she replied, still trying to look past the man blocking her view. "He's with a girl…I can't see her."

"You'll never change Shehnaz", he sighed exasperatedly. "So what if he's sitting with a girl? Stop peeking!"

"No…I'm his best friend, he should have told me if he's got a girlfriend!"

"Maybe it's his sister, forget it Naz!"

"He doesn't have a sister!"

"Then maybe it's his friend…"

"Whatever, I still want to know. No one but couples come here normally!"

"We're here, and we're no couple Naz…" he reminded her grimly.

She looked at him offended. "We were once, in case you remember."

"That was years ago!"

"Whatever", she said shortly, ignoring his jibe, and went back to waiting for the man to move.

"You're being too nosy Naz…leave him to himself, he'll tell you later on!" he told her.

"I know it's his girlfriend…the way he's looking at her, there's no way she's just a friend!" she said impatiently.

"You need therapy", he commented wryly, and went back to concentrating on his ice cream.

She rolled her eyes at him, and the man moved just then.

"Oh, finally he's moved! Yeah I can see her...NIKKI?" her mouth fell open, and she immediately regretted saying her name aloud, for Abhi had straightened up and was following her gaze like a hawk.

such a cute update......

finally abhi confessed to himself and vishal that he loves nikki......

hope armaan and nikki become best friends soon......

and the twist was so rocking......

now abhi will all the more be jealous of akash........

update soon.......

luv

mahima

@Jyothi...hehe...I told you na that this part's gonna be different and I'm throwing in a twist! 😃 😉 About ending at that crucial point...I took a leaf out of Honey's book 😆 I was gonna take it a step further and leave you all hanging but decided against it! 😛 Next update will be soon coz I'm gonna be a bit busy in the next few days! So I'm gonna write up half of it tonight...and let's see when I manage to post it! 😉 Keep reading! 😃

I m speechless!!!!

It is too twisted to be true...

great job!!!!

Waaw!!! I tell u what, itna bhi twist mat lana ki fir AN ko milana mushkil ho jaye....BUT still it is fabulous!!!!

Waaaaw.....

It's too twistwd to be true...

FABULOUS!!!