Ridhimma tried to speak to Armaan about Nikki but he ignored it and left with the excuse of getting late for work. Ridhimma turned toward other member of the group and asked "Armaan dosen't want to talk about it but what have you all decided about it?" All looked at each other for an answer, Anjali said "She lied to us" and Muskaan nodded in agreement. Ridhimma explained "I know that Di but she is our friend, we can't leave her to suffer alone. She needs us all, have you fotgotten how she is always ready to help us when we need it. Now its time for us to support her and assure her that we friends are always there, no matter what". Atul and Rahul agreed with Ridhimma and tried to make their partners understand. Muskaan asked "What about Armaan? What will he say to us for supporting Nikki?" Ridhimma told them "Its not about Armaan, its about Nikki. You all don't worry about him. He will take time to understand it but he will come around soon because he really cares about Nikki ". All agreed with her and supported her in this decision.
Nikki decided to busy herself in her work so that no thoughts disturbed her. She didnt know why she had exploded on Sid. Something inside her had shattered into pieces beyond repair. She didn't understand why it was so painful to be separated with your loved ones. It always happen to her, who ever she loved was bound to go far away from her. She knew it from the beginning but still she couldn't stop herself for falling for Abhi. This time her pain was much bigger than the pain she get from other loved ones, may be because they never loved her back like Abhi . But Abhi was different. This was the reason she had lied to her friends, she didn't want to loose Abhi at any cost. She had told Abhi that she wanted to move ahead ,but didn't know where to go without him. She knew very well that where ever she would go, his love and her feelings for him would always there , binding her with him. She wanted to get so engrossed in her work that she would be left with no time to think about other things. She decided to preoccupied herself with extra duties and night duties as well.
All gang members except Armaan had gathered in the locker room after their duty and found Nikki who lost in her thoughts and didn't notice their presence. All stood in a circle around Nikki staring at her ,but she was still lost in her thoughts. Ridhimma's voice "Nikki" brings her out from her musings, and she notice 5 pairs of eye on her. She got up immediately, collected her stuff and started to leave the room when Ridhimma held her hand. Ridhimma asked her "where are you going?" and Nikki replied hurriedly "Actually I have to go to check the patients". Ridhimma tuged her back and said "You don't have time to have a little talk with your friends ?". Nikki replied in low voice "Ridhimma!" but was interrupted by Muskaan "Oye Nikki yaar! We come here to talk to you and you are running. Leave it sweety. Lets patch up and we are sorry for behaving like this". Anjali joined Muskaan "Yes we are genuinely sorry. We all are stupid". Atul defensivly said "No Anjali you are not stupid. It's me who is stupid". Anjali rolled her eyes and Muskaan replied with a grin "Yes, actually It is all Atul fault". Both Rahul and Anjali agreed with Muskaan and eyed Atul. Atul said "Why did both of you put your blame on me? I am just saying that Anjali is not at fault". Rahul replied "Anjali was also with us at that time. So if she is not to be blamed then neither are we" and Muskaan also agreed. Atul asked "Since when did you two become a team ". Rahul and Muskaan realized that they were actually supporting each other. This brought a small smile on Nikki face as she remember the old days with these guys and thought that whatever may happen but they will never change.
Ridhimma interrupted all of them "Guys, you all started again. We are here for Nikki and you started your own old world war". Muskaan irritably replied "See he is distracting us all by taking Anjali's side". Atul asked "Arey! What have I done? Did I say anything to you for taking Rahul's side". Rahul ran finger on his temple and spoke in a hardly audible voice "So what you are doing now? If friends are like this ?,then who needs enemies". Muskaan turned and asked "What have you said?" Anjali interrupt Muskaan "uffo Muskaan will you please be quite". Muskaan replied furiously "yes now you want me keep quite. Why? Because your boyfriend is supporting you. There is no one who's going to support me" and threw a glance at Rahul. Ridhimma again tried interrupting them but Nikki stopped her this time and said to all with tears in her eyes "Guys! If anyone is at fault then it me not you. I am sorry guys". Anjali and Muskaan come forward to hug her and Atul replied "In friendship there is no sorry and no thank you". Nikki smiled with teary eyes and replied "I wish that we always remain like this". Hearing this all came together in a group hug.
Armaan came into the looker room to find everyone hugging Nikki. He marched forward shouting loudly with his steps and avoiding everyone. He opened his looker to put his stuff in it, this broke the group hug and everyone turned in his direction , while he was still busy with his looker, Atul said happily "Armaan we have all forgiven Nikki , she is back with us like before". Everyone looked at Armaan expectedly , he turned toward them and replied without even once looking at Nikki "good champ! May be you guys are great and can be friends to those who dont even know what friend are for? But sorry champ, I am not that great". Armaan words hurt Nikki a lot, bringing tears in her eyes and she left from there silently. Ridhimma threw an angry look in his direction but he ignored it and left in the direction opposite to the one Nikki had taken.
Next day
Sid found Nikki at the nurse station and approached her to apologize. He said politely "Nikki". Nikki who was engrossed in her file, had not noticed him beside her and was a bit alarmed by his voice. She looked up startled but before he could say something she closed her file and marched in the opposite direction in order to avoid conversation. Sid followed her and put a hand ahead of her to stop her and said "Please atleast listen to what I want to say". Nikki turned to him and said "Listen I am very busy plus I am not interested in what you have to say". Sid pleaded "Please just two minutes ,not more than that". Nikki took a deep breath and said "Fine Shoot".
Sid let a breath out in relief , atleast she was ready to listen and said "I know you are upset because of me. I hurt you and I am really sorry for that. I had no intention to hurt you but my big mouth never understands as to where it should open and in front of whom. Even my mom is irritated by this habit. She is right that one day it will bring big trouble for me. See what this small tongue of mine does, it has upset you and in return it has upset me. I feel like cutting it with a knife and throwing it in deep inside a well. Mom told me many times to think before speaking but I don't know why my head works a little later than my tongue. Nikki you have full right to scream at me and be angry with me. Even my mom '". Nikki interrupted him by rising her hand to stop him and said "Take a breath! You have said a lot in one breath. I understand what your mom said to you. Its ok, I forgive you".
Sid look at her with wide eyes , still not fully convinced that she had understod how sorry he was. He recovered from his thought and asked "You forgave me so easily". Nikki looked perplexed at him and asked "Why? shouldn't I ". Sid said "No. I mean you were so upset with me that you didn't even want to look at my face and now you have forgiven me so easily". Nikki asked irritatingly "what do you want? Should I forgive you or not". Sid replied "Of course I want you to forgive me that why I am here". Nikki replied ,trying to control her irritation "I have already forgiven you". Sid asked again "Have you? Really!". Nikki replied in agitation "Yes Sid. Now can I leave?, I have an emergency" and she left Sid still lost in analyzing what had happened just now.
After 5 hour
Sid's eye caught Nikki walking in the corridor,he approached her and started walking with her and said "Hi, So if you have forgiven me, then we can be friends ?". Nikki looked at him astonished and said "Sid, I am sorry but I can't". Sid replied "This means I m right ,you still haven't forgiven me". Nikki said in desperation "Sid please don't start it again. I forgive you but can't be your friend". Sid asked "Why?" this question stopped Nikki in her track and she turned towards him. She said "Sid, I can't be a good friend". Sid narrowed his brows and said "Nikki, how can you say that. It's my right to say that after being your friend". He laughed but Nikki watched him silently, he stopped laughing after realizing her eyes were fixed on him and said hesitatingly "Bad joke". He smiled guiltily and continued "Nikki, everyone has flaws but it dosen't mean they can't have and be someone's friend" at this she lowered her eyes. Sid asked her "May be you don't want me to be your friend that why you are making all these excuses. If it is like that then you can tell me on my face, I don't mind it. But I can assure you,you will thank me one day for being your friend". Nikki replied smilingly "ok lets be friends but don't blame me afterwards". Sid happily replied by shaking his hand with her "I promise, I'll never complain. But you also have to promise that if you don't like anything about me then then you can slap me in front of everyone but will not keep it in your heart". Nikki smiled at this and walked away bidding a bye to Sid.
Next day night
Nikki was again doing night shift and doing a last round check up of her patients. She had been doing night duties for two days and had taken only few hours of break in which she went home, freshened-up and came back to resume her duties. She was feeling very dizzy today, may be because lack of proper rest. She was afraid of herself that if she rested she will remember her incomplete dream of being Abhi's forever .
It was past 12:30 now, Nikki was walking in the corridor but every thing in front of her eyes was fading slowly. She tried to steady herself by taking support from the wall. Abhi was passing by and noticed her dizziness ,he ran toward her and held her shoulder but before he could ask anything , she collapsed in his arms. Abhi panicked "Nikki....Nikki". He tried to wake her up but his effort went in vain so he carried her in his arms and brought her to his cabin and placed her on the couch. Taking one cushion he placed it beneath her head.He checked her up to find the reason of her dizziness. He found that she had fainted due to weakness, lack of rest and proper diet. He gave her an injection so that she could take proper rest. He put his blanket on her and settled himself on a sofa in front of her , his eyes fixed on Nikki,mesmerized by how beautiful she looked while sleeping.
Its 6:30 now.
Nikki open her eyes, got up from the couch and found herself in Abhi's cabin, he was sleeping in front of her in sitting position. Her eyes got fixed on him as she could sensed it that he was not comfortable in this position. She got up from her place and tried to put her cushion behind his head. She tried to shift his head a little up so that she could place the cushion but it made Abhi wake up from his sleep. He saw Nikki very near to his face just one breath, maybe this was a dream, if it was then he never wanted to awaken as he always wanted Nikki near him. Nikki broke their eye lock by lowering her eyes and pulled back but Abhi's chain got entangle with her dress which pulled her back and she land on Abhi's body. Abhi winced as this sudden movement gave him a wrench on his neck, he found her breath on his chest, her hands on his shoulder and her head on his throat. She was unable to detached herself away from him , as any movement would tear her dress. Abhi also couldn't move much because the chain was rubbing against the back of his neck rigrously.
Nikki struggled a bit to move which in return hurt Abhi but he hide his pain . Nikki understood that if she moved than chain hurt Abhi on neck so stopped moving. Abhi's breathing became shallow, sensing Nikk's breath on his unbuttoned chest and a lump appeared in his throat due to the closeness. Abhi said in a husky voice "I'll do something". Nikki kept mum as his closeness coursed heat through all her senses , rendering her unable to speak. Abhi rolled over and put her on the sofa in which he was sitting by holding her from waist then kept his hand on his chain. He said "Don't move otherwise your dress will tear". He tried to create a gap between chain and the back of his neck so that he could remove it from his head but for that he had to come more close to her face. She turned her face to one side which made Abhi's lips to brush lightly on her cheek and than trail down from her cheek to neck. She closed her eyes as Abhis breathe travelled down her face making her shiver with anticipation. He was finally able to draw chain from his neck which now lay entangled with her dress. They both looked at each other nervously and with heavy breath.
Pyaar Kii Ye Ek Kahaani
Kabhi Neem Neem Kabhi Shahad Shahad
Shiv Shakti
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