ArHi FF: Highway to hell-3, last Ch. pg 89 - Page 45

Originally posted by: madmaxine

I am really sorry, but as of now..no updates. I am trying to stay away from writing any fiction for the next 2 months.

Chapter 45: It's complicated!

Malli hated hospitals. Had always hated them. She'd seen too much of them. Especially with Anshu in the last few months. She hated that smell. Of disinfectant and illness all mixed together in a malodorous fusion. She sat outside his room, barely registering what was happening around her. Doctors whirled around her. Curtains whipped around his bed suddenly. A robbotic voice sang out "Code Blue" repeatedly on the hospital PA system. A whole slew of people descended on the room. Nurses. Internists. Intensivists. Tubes were thrust down his throat. Injections of medicines pumped into his veins. Malli focused on a tiny crack on the floor. She stared and stared at it, almost hoping it would open up, and swallow her whole. A petite, grey-haired lady sobbed daintily into a handkerchief. A large, portly man placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned blazing eyes toward Malli.

"If anything happens to MY son, I'll hold YOU responsible, you little bitch!" he spat at her. Malli didn't even look up. She didn't care what he thought of her or said to her.

"Hold it! Malli did nothing here. It's your son who got unnecessarily mixed up in what was not his business. Malli doesn't even have to BE here, Mr.Parker," said Freddy sternly. Dave Parker turned away angrily. His wife threw Freddy a baleful glance, before getting up and moving to a bench further away, dragging her husband with her.

"Arnav?" asked Malli. It was the first thing she'd said in 6 hours.

"I tried to call him Malli, but I guess they were already on their way back. I could've left a message with the airline and they would've informed them. But since they're due back today anyway, I decided not to spoil the last few hours of their honeymoon," said Freddy. Malli said nothing in response. She wrapped her arms around herself tightly, and pursed her lips. Freddy sat next to her and tried to put an arm around her. She jerked away quickly. She didn't like being touched.

"Let me be. I'm fine," she said, in a low voice. Freddy decided to let her be.

Inside that hospital room, tiny molecules of life-saving drugs that jumpstarted still hearts made their way through Peter Parker's body. His poor, still, broken, defeated heart had the advantage of belonging to a young, athletic, fit body. Despite his best efforts, Peter Parker would live. As his heart resumed beating unsteadily, his brain swarmed with the vivid, technicolor dreams that had haunted his nights for the last several weeks. Dreams in which she slept alone in railway stations, every day a challenge, every meal a question. Dreams in which she came begging him for help and he did nothing. Dreams in which she lay beaten to a pulp while that bas***d gloated over her broken body. Dreams in which she swirled around in a white dress, elegant, beautiful, distant, and disdainful. Dreams in which that bas***d sought her out and raped her repeatedly, leaving her pregnant with a child she abhorred. Dreams in which he tracked that mad man out with the help of a private detective and shot him in the heart. And then proceeded calmly to shoot himself as well. Where dreams merged with reality Peter Parker didn't know. He hadn't known for a while now.

Malli sat on that hospital bench wondering what would've happened if he'd picked up the phone when she'd called a week ago. Should she have tried more than once? Should she have spoken to him when he came to Khushi's house? She should've given him a chance. She'd wanted to give him a chance. If only she'd called once again, she mused. If only he'd seen the missed call and returned it. If only she'd had 5 minutes to speak with him.

Doctors emerged from his room, looking relieved. The crisis had been averted. He was stable. For now. His parents' ashen faces took on that look of hopefulness that all hospital personnel were familiar with and wary of. Malli knew that look. She'd worn it herself for several months while Anshu died slowly. One organ at a time, almost. So many, many months she'd hoped. And hoped and hoped. And tried to smile through the torture of waiting, only because she'd hoped. Once he'd died, that part within her, at best, a candle flickering in the wind, had burnt itself out completely. Only in the past few months had she taught herself to to live fully and happily again.

She resolved not to let it go this time. She hadn't asked for this. She didn't deserve it. And this time, she wouldn't carry a burden that wasn't hers.

She glanced at his parents. His mother had composed herself. Her husband held her hand in his, as they talked quietly with the doctors. They were loving parents. And they were rich. Peter Parker would be fine, she thought, lip curling. Malli got up from her seat on the bench. And walked out.

At Home:

"We're back!" yelled Khushi, as Payal opened the door. Her face was almost splitting with the wide smile she wore. Arnav brought their luggage in while Khushi hugged her sister and asked for her kids. Sheila came running down the stairs when she heard her Mother's voice. She launched herself into Khushi's arms.

"I missed you Mommy!" she said, hugging her Mom.

"I missed you too baby! Where's Nita?" asked Khushi.

"She's playing with Arjun in backyard," said Sheila, tucking her hand into her mothers.'

"Hugs for Mommy and nothing for Daddy huh?" asked Arnav, eyes twinkling. He reached for Sheila and gave her a tight squeeze. She kissed his rough cheek and ran a hand over it. "You need to shave Daddy!" she said wisely.

"Yes! I do," said Arnav. "Let's go find Nita first, shall we?" he asked. They trooped into the backyard and spent a fun 15 minutes with Sheila and Nita. First playtime as an actual, official family. When they came back into the kitchen, hand-in-hand, Payal and Akash were waiting for them.

"How's everything been? Have they been little monsters?" asked Khushi, smilingly.

"Oh no. They've been pretty good," said Payal. "I think having Arjun and Khushi around helped distract them. It was fun. I think the cousins got to know each other well." Said Payal.

"Plus, we did see them on Skype every single day Khushi!" said Arnav, rolling his eyes at Khushi clucking over her chicks.

"The Aran Islands are beautiful Jiji. You and Jijaji must go someday. It's just so calm and peaceful. We did nothing but take long walks and watch the sunrise and sunset. It was the most becalming honeymoon after all the stress and excitement leading up to the wedding," said Khushi excitedly.

"Well, we did a little more than take long walks," said Arnav wiggling his eyebrows suggestively, as he slid an arm around Khushi's waist. She shook her head at him, but made no attempt to remove his arm.

"Where's Malli?" asked Arnav conversationally. "And how are Naniji and Garimaji?" asked Arnav.

"Dadi and Amma are fine. We wanted to talk to you about Malli. Come in to the living room please, " said Akash worriedly.

"What happened?" asked Arnav sharply. "Where is she?"

"We got a phone call this morning from the police. They found the body of Malli's attacker, Harman Singh Bindra, last night. He'd been beaten badly and shot once in the chest. Lying next to him was Peter Parker, also beaten to a pulp and shot in the chest. Luckily for him, bullet nicked a lung, but missed the heart and major blood vessels, Both men's fingerprints are on the gun, and Peter Parker hasn't regained consciousness, so they don't know exactly how it went down. There were no witnesses. But it looks like Peter tracked down Bindra with the help of a detective and sought him out on purpose. He managed to get himself a gun and confronted Bindra about Malli last night. It looks like Parker murdered Bindra, but how he was shot is unclear," said Akash, rushing over his words.

"Bloody hell! Is he OK? Is Malli alright?" asked Khushi worriedly.

"Where's Malli?" asked Arnav swiftly.

"She went to the hospital to see him. Freddy's gone with her," said Payal.

"What! The fool. She shouldn't have. She should've waited for me to go with her," said Arnav angrily. "Why didn't you call and let us know?" he asked, his dark eyes boring into Akash's.

"By the time we found out and tried to call, you guys were already on your way back. There was no point," said Payal softly. Before she could say anymore, the doorbell rang. Khushi went to open it.

"Who is it?" asked Arnav, walking to the door.

"It's Malli," said Khushi. Malli stood at the door, staring disquietingly at her. Khushi held her arm and led her in. Arnav came up to her.

"Malli?" he said gently. Malli looked at him. Tears rolled down her cheeks. The first since that morning.

"I'm sorry Malli," said Arnav putting an arm around her shoulder. "How is he?" he asked.

"He's stable for now." She said flatly. "He hasn't woken up yet though."

"Malli, this is not your fault, you know that, right?" said Khushi quietly.

"Of course its not her fault. If that kid went and killed that crazy Man, not that he didn't deserve to be killed, heck, I'd have killed him if I'd laid my hands on him, it has nothing to do with Malli!" said Arnav harshly.

"I know it's not my fault. I never asked Peter Parker to kill him. Only, I wish I'd talked to Peter. I tried once to call him, a week ago. He didn't pick up. I wish I'd tried once more. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if I'd spoken to him once," she said sadly.

"Don't blame yourself Malli. You'll have plenty of chances to talk to him once he gets better," said Arnav.

"No. No, I won't. I've decided not to talk to him," said Malli, speaking very softly.

"But you will talk to me, won't you?" asked Arnav quietly. More tears spilt. She turned her face into Arnav's chest and wept softly. He held her close and waited for her tears to subside.

Khushi walked back into the kitchen with Payal. "Back for 20 minutes and life is already super complicated. I guess the honeymoon IS well and truly over!"

Not what you expected, no? Oh, well. Such is life. We expect Jalebis. And we get pani-puri instead. 😆 Alrighty, tell me what you think.

Cheers!

Vidhya