||Just One Breath Away-AN FF~VM pg 122|| - Page 40

She dejectedly sat in the back seat of the car with Riddhima, and watched Akash get in the driver's seat. Riddhima gave her a small smile, which she tried to return. But unfortunately she couldn't bring herself to be happy.

The scene in Abhi's office the previous day repeated itself in her mind.

Abhi had asked her to stay. She didn't want to go. Not with Akash. She knew he didn't like Akash and she didn't want to hurt him anymore.

But just then a nurse had entered, breaking the moment. They had shot apart immediately, stealing secret glances at each other. She had been called to a meeting regarding the camp, and Abhi had watched her longingly as she left his office.

She hadn't even called him before leaving. She didn't have the heart to listen to his voice. It was hard enough that Akash was with her.

Akash started the car and drove off, with Nikki staring glumly out of the window, her previous trip to Sanjeevani floating to the forefront of her mind.

It had been so much fun. Even arguing with Abhi was an entertainment of sort. They had ended up getting lost in the woods. Fighting over who'll sleep in the car, Abhi had decided that he would tie her up for his own sake.

After making sure she was bound and gagged, he had gently placed her on the back seat, making sure she was comfortable…well, as comfortable as one could be in that state. She had writhed and almost tried to kick him, but he had shouted at her and glared with those beautiful eyes. That had been enough to shut her up.

They had played terrible pranks on each other all through their stay. She remembered seeing him shirtless…she had tried to hide her blush in her laugh, but the truth was he had made her heart flutter.

The first time he had ever cracked a joke…she never knew that he was even capable of doing so. She had genuinely thought that he was interested in her…the way he had cornered her, she had expected he would say something. But he had fooled her. She remembered the self-satisfactory smirk on his face…which had afterwards turned into a cute smile which she adored.

***

Abhimanyu glared at his cell phone which lay innocently on his bed. He was lying on the bed in a black T-shirt, his elbows propped up on a pillow as he sifted through the newspaper which he was not really interested in.

He had deliberately chosen not to go to work today. He had called up Dr. Shashank and told him that he wanted a day off. He didn't cite a reason, but the senior doctor readily allowed him to stay at home due to the fact that he reported to duty almost every day of the week.

She didn't even bother to call. He thought angrily.

He had asked her not to go, knowing fully that she wouldn't be able to decline Dr. Shashank. But he had wanted her to stay. He'd said whatever had come to his mind.

He knew she wouldn't stay. But he had expected a goodbye at least. A minimal phone call.

He unlocked the keypad, and pouted at the screen, hating the fact that he had no unread messages or unattended calls. It was highly frustrating.

Didn't she even care enough to call? She was always with Akash…okay, so maybe it was work. But still, they used to spend so much time together previously. What happened to that?

She spent all her time with her friends and with Akash, and when they tried to talk they ended up kissing. She could kiss him and hug him and run to him when scared but she couldn't call him to say bye.

So maybe she wouldn't even miss him. He thought morosely, and threw a nearby cushion to the opposite wall, from where it bounced back to the ground.

"Aaargh", he groaned. It was so stupid of him to decide to stay at home today. He didn't even have the distraction of work to keep his mind off Nikki.

*****

The next day, Nikki walked towards the tent after vaccinating a few children. The kids were really hard to contain. They screamed, kicked, cried, and basically wore her out.

She sank into the makeshift bed, and sighed, looking around at her surroundings. This place had many beautiful memories attached to it. Life without Abhi was really hard.

While they had been avoiding each other, she could at least see him every day…that was enough. Even though she still wanted to go closer, to reach out, take his hand and make up.

But now, it was far worse. Not even getting to see his face was like torture. She wanted to be near him, and having Akash around was making her even more depressed.

Riddhima had been understanding. She gave her the space she desperately needed. It was good to have such a nice friend with her.

Armaan had been calling almost every alternate hour. He had even talked to Nikki for a few minutes, even the gang had taken part in the conversations. They had laughed, teased, chatted, complained… But her morose mood had not improved.

The phone call she was waiting for never came.

Frustrated, she dug into her pocket for her phone. Not finding it there, she felt her other pockets. It wasn't there either. Worriedly she checked her bag, looking for it desperately. But it was nowhere to be found.

Suddenly something struck her, and she lifted her pillow on the bed and to her immense relief, there it lay, under her pillow.

She remembered placing it there sometime after midnight, after waiting for Abhi's call and being disappointed. She had shoved it under the pillow angrily and let sleep overtake her. She had dreamt of him again.

She pulled out the phone and unlocked the keypad.

16 missed calls.
Abhi.

Her eyes widened and her heart fluttered when she saw it. He called me sixteen times? She couldn't believe her eyes.

Feeling extremely cheerful all of a sudden, she dialled his number and listened to the ring.

***

His phone rang, and he jerked awake from where he had fallen asleep with his legs half-dangling off the bed and his phone right under his ear with a pillow balancing over his head.

Wincing when his ear hurt, he groggily looked at the screen. He stared at the name flashing…"Nikki".

***

She waited impatiently, listening to the phone ringing. He picked up on the third ring.

"Hello?" he sounded as if he was sleeping.

Bewildered, she answered, "Hello…Abhi?"

"Who else?" his morning voice sounded, a deep longing hidden not so well behind his irritation.

"You…were you sleeping?" she asked. It was hard to even talk to him.

"Yes I fell asleep…"

"At work?" she gasped.

"No…why would I sleep at work?" he snapped. "I'm at home. I didn't go to work today."

"You…didn't go to Sanjeevani?" she was shocked. "Are you okay? Are you ill, Abhi?"

He hardly ever was absent, and she was extremely worried thinking that perhaps he had fallen sick.

"No…I'm fine, Nikki, it's nothing", he explained.

"But if you're fine then why'd you-"

"I just didn't feel like going, Nikki", he sighed.

"Abhi…are you sure you're okay?" she asked tentatively.

"Yes!" he sounded angry now. "I'm fine. You didn't worry so much yesterday, in fact you didn't even bother to call!" he burst out. "So why're you so concerned now?"

Puzzled and feeling extremely guilty at his outburst, she bit her lip slightly.

"I'm sorry I didn't call…" she apologised quietly.

"You don't have to say sorry when you don't feel it", he replied. She could picture him pouting into the phone.

"I do feel it Abhi…and I'm really sorry", she said. "I wanted to call but…" she drifted away, not knowing what to say.

"But?" he repeated. "But I guess you forgot, right? You're having so much fun with Akash in Paligaon that you forgot all about me", he scoffed.

"That's not true!" she said incredulously.

"Then why didn't you even think of saying bye?"

"That's 'cause…" she faltered.

"Why?" he prompted, softening his voice.

"Because I didn't want to say bye", she admitted in a voice barely audible.

Her words were met with silence from his end. She didn't say anything, turning redder by the minute, thinking of what she had just said.

***

Abhi smiled softly, her words repeating themselves in his mind.

A small voice in his head had constantly been telling him that it wasn't that she didn't care…it was just that she probably couldn't bring herself to say bye. So it was right.

He cleared his throat in an attempt to break the silence. It was pretty uncomfortable, but he somehow liked it. Knowing that she cared enough to think so was heart-warming.

***

"Yeah", she responded to his throat clearing, fidgeting with the bed sheet.

"Um…right", he said, clearing his throat once again to indicate a change of topic.

"Err…so…" she bit her lip, thinking of what to say.

"Uh huh…"

"Why did you call?" she asked. Such a lame question, Nikita.

"Err…me? I…I didn't call", he replied.

"Yes you did…I got sixteen missed calls from you", she countered, grinning, knowing that she had caught him.

"Six…sixteen?" he gulped.

"Yes. Sixteen", she confirmed, enjoying his embarrassment.

She was sure she heard him murmur something that sounded like "Sixteen? I didn't know I'd called her so many times…"

"Oh…uh…I didn't mean to call, it was…it was just a mistake", he said loudly.

"A mistake? Repeated sixteen times?" she asked, raising her eyebrows in incredulity.

She lay down on the bed, her legs dangling off sideways, grinning while she listened to him stammer.

"Admit it Abhi", she laughed. "You were missing me. And so much so that you called 16 times!"

"I was not!" he denied.

"Think who you're lying to, Modi. I know you like the back of my hand", she chortled.

"Yeah right. So why do you even need to ask me if you know me so well? You can read my mind, can't you?"

"I just wanted confirmation."

"You've got proof", he replied softly. "How much more confirmation do you need?"

The subtle change in the tone of his voice touched her. She knew that he missed her. It felt wonderful to hear him.

"Yes, I think I've enough of that…" she smiled. "Now I just need…"she stopped midway, catching herself just in time. Should she say it?

"Need?" he implored.

She didn't answer, debating whether to say what was still on the tip of her tongue.

"Tell me Nikki…isn't it enough that you left while we were still on fighting terms that you're hiding something now?" his question was soft, gentle. Yet it hit her hard. She knew the truth in it.

'Fighting terms'…she grinned at his coining of words.

"Now I just need you", she finished.

***

His smile disappeared from his face when he heard her answer. He hadn't expected that. Yet, despite not expecting, he had wanted to hear something like it.

Her direct answer was like music to the ears.

"Why?" he asked after a while.

***

"You know why", she replied, deliberately not giving him satisfaction. She needed to hear from him first…at least a solid hint.

As if the kisses aren't enough, she thought with a smile.

All that met her reply was silence from his end. She could only hear him breathe. It was a calming sound…made her feel close to him.

Closing her eyes, she listened quietly till Riddhima came to call her for some work.

She said a small bye and waited for his reply before cutting the call. But he never said anything. Yet his silence spoke volumes to her.