FF:NEVER TOO LATE (P-11)

FF:NEVER TOO LATE

KHUSHI HAD MET WITH AN ACCIDENT, SHE LAID ON THE FLOOR PARALYSED , WITH BLOOD OOZING OUT OF HER BODY. A NEW MOTHER, SHE HAD NEVER THOUGHT THAT IN HER WILDEST DREAMS A DREAM OF ARNAV WOULD LAND HER UP IN THE ACCIDENT. NO ONE WAS PRESENT ON THE ROAD, PEOPLE PASSED BY IN AUTOMOBILES, BUT DIDN'T WAIT AND HELP KHUSHI, WHO WAS UNCONCIOUS AND NEEDED IMMEDIATE MEDICAL ASSISTANCE.

AT HOME, NEW YORK.

"WHY HASN'T KHUSHI COME YET, ITS BEEN A WHILE SINCE SHE HAS GONE FOR A WALK. I FEEL AS THOUGH SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH HER " PAYAL SPOKE OUTWARDLY.

SHE LOOKED AT THE 3 DAY OLD SON OF KHUSHI , PLACED HIM IN THE COT.

"KHUSHI, PICK UP THE PHONE" PAYAL TRIED CALLING HER.

"THE NUMBER YOU ARE TRYING TO CALL, IS PRESENTLY SWITCHED OFF AND UNREACHABLE" THE MOBILE SERVICE OPERATOR BLARED ON THE TELECOM.

"BABY, MASI WILL BE RIGHT BACK" PAYAL TOLD KHUSHI'S SON.

PAYAL WENT TO THE KITCHEN, AS SHE FELT UNEASY. SHE DRANK WATER, BUT HER GUT FEELING SCREAMED DARK WATERS FOR KHUSHI.

"SHALL I GO AND SEARCH FOR HER?" PAYAL SAID.

"NO, I WILL WAIT FOR SOMETIME, AND THEN GO" PAYAL SAID.

IT WAS HALF PAST TEN IN NYC, AND KHUSHI HADNT COME HOME YET, OBVIOUSLY PAYAL HAD WRINKLES OF STRESS LINGERING ON HER USUALLY ROSY COMPLEXION.

ON THE OTHER HAND, KHUSHI WHO LIED IN A POOL OF BLOOD CAUGHT ATTENTION OF A TRESPASSER.

"MAAM, ARE YOU OK?" THE PERSON SHOUTED AT KHUSHI.

"MAAM? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" THE PERSON AGAIN SAID DISTINCTIVELY.

HE GOT BACK NO REPLY FROM AN UNCONCIOUS KHUSHI.

"HELLO 911, WE HAVE EMERGENCY" THE PERSON CALLED FOR THE AMBULANCE.

IN THE MEANWHILE, UNTIL THE AMBULANCE ARRIVED, THE PERSON TRIED SEARCHING FOR CONTACT DETAILS OF KHUSHI'S FAMILY AS HE HAD TO INFORM THEM ALSO.

"SHIT, THE PHONE IS ALREADY BROKEN. HOW AM I GOING TO CONTACT HER FAMILY?" THE PERSON SPITTED OUT.

HE HEARD THE SIREN OF THE AMBULANCE, A SMILE LINGERED ON HIS FACE, HE HAD SAVED A LADY, KHUSHI'S LIFE.

"YO MAN, MOVE UP. I GOTTA TAKE THE BODY IN HERE, MOVE MAN" THE DRIVER OF THE AMBULANCE SAID IN HIS TYPICALLY NEW YORKER LINGO.

"SURE, SHE'S ALIVE. WE GOTTA RUSH HER IN THE HOSPITAL FAST" THE PERSON SAID.

THEY RUSHED KHUSHI IN THE AMBULANCE AND ZOOMED OFF TO THE HOSPITAL.

ON REACHING THE HOSPITAL, THEY LAID HER IN THE STRETCHER, THE PERSON WHO SAVED HER LIFE, WAS ALSO PRESENT.

A LADY SAW KHUSHI WHO WAS LAID IN THE STRETCHER ENTERING AN OPERATION,

"KHUSHI" SHE SCREAMED.

THE PERSON WHO SAVED KHUSHI'S LIFE, NOW FELT BETTER. HE FOUND A LADY WHO KNEW THE INJURED GIRL(KHUSHI).

"WAIT, YOU KNOW HER?" THE PERSON ASKED.

"OFCOURSE, SHE IS MY EX-BOYFRIEND'S NEW LOVE" THE GIRL SAID.

"WHO ARE YOU?" THE PERSON ASKED.

"RHEA KAPOOR" RHEA SAID.

"FINE, YOU HAVE HER CONTACT DETAILS?" THE PERSON ASKED.

"NO, BUT MY EX HAS HER CONTACT DETAILS" RHEA SAID.

"CAN I GET HIS NUMBER. I WONT TELL HIM THAT YOU HELPED ME OUT FINDING HIS NUMBER" THE PERSON SAID CONVINCINGLY.

"FINE" RHEA SAID.

SHE GAVE HIM THE NUMBER, AND HE RIGHT WAY CALLED RHEA'S EX.

THE PHONE KEPT RINGING, AND ON THE LAST BEAT OF THE PHONE, A MAN WITH A FIRM VOICE PICKED UP THE PHONE.

~PHONE CALL~

"HELLO" THE PERSON SAID.

"YES, WHOSE THIS" RHEA'S EX SAID.

"SIR" THE PERSON SAID SHOCKED.

"AMAN?" RHEA'S EX SAID.

"YES, SIR. YOU KNOW RHEA KAPOOR?" AMAN SAID.

"YA, WHAT'S WITH HER?" RHEA'S EX SAID.

"SIR, ACTUALLY THERE IS A GIRL CALLED KHUSHI" AMAN SAID.

"KHUSHI?" RHEA'S EX SCREAMED, HE INTERVENED AMAN'S SENTENCE, WHEN AMAN MENTIONED KHUSHI'S NAME.

"YES, SIR CAN I HAVE HER CONTACT DETAILS. RHEA SAID YOU HAVE KHUSHI'S CONTACT DETAILS" AMAN SAID.

"YA, BUT WHAT HAPPENED?" RHEA'S EX SAID.

"SIR, SHE IS INVOLVED IN A HIGHLY DANGEROUS ACCIDENT, AND I NEED TO INFORM HER FAMILY." AMAN SAID.

WELL YOU WOULD HAVE GUESSED, RHEA'S EX IS ARNAV SINGH RAIZADA.

"KHUSHI, I WILL INFORM HER FAMILY YOU TAKE CARE OF KHUSHI" ARNAV SAID ON VERGE OF CRYING.

"SIR, FINE SIR" AMAN SAID.

ARNAV CUT THE PHONE, AND EVERYTHING WENT NUMB. THINGS TURNED DAZY AROUND HIM, HIS TEARS OVERPOWERED HIS EAGLE EYES.

HE ALMOST STUMBLED, BUT HIS HAND HELD THE RECLINER'S UPPER PART.

HE DRANK WATER, BUT HE COULDN'T GULP THE WATER PROPERLY.

HE LOOKED AT HIS PHONE, HE SAW KHUSHI'S PHOTO.

"HOW DID THIS HAPPEN?" ARNAV SAID AND BROKE DOWN.

THE SILENCE WHICH SURROUNED ARNAV AT THAT VERY MOMENT, WAS GORGEOUS.

HE LOOKED AT HIS HANDS,THEY HELD KHUSHI'S HANDS ONCE.

ARNAV LOOKED AT HIS PHONE AGAIN, AND WITH ALL ENERGY LEFT IN HIS BODY DIALLED PAYAL'S NUMBER,

THE PHONE RINGED, WITH EVERY BEAT A MILLION THOUGHTS ENTERED ARNAV'S BRAIN.

~PHONE CALL~

"HELLO" PAYAL SAID IMPULSIVELY.

"PAYAL" ARNAV SAID MEEKLY.

"ARNAV?" PAYAL SAID IN UTTER SHOCK.

"PAYAL, KHUSHI" ARNAV SAID.

"PLEASE, STAY AWAY FOR HER. SHE WILL NOT TALK TO YOU. SHE IS FAST ASLEEP" PAYAL LIED.

"PAYAL, DON'T LIE TO ME ATLEAST" ARNAV SAID.

"WHAT ARNAV?" PAYAL SAID DISGUSTIVELY.

"PAYAL, KHUSHI WENT FOR A WALK LATE AT NIGHT, SHE HASN'T RETURNED YET, RIGHT?" ARNAV SAID.

"YES" PAYAL SAID IN UTTER DISBELIEF.

"SHE MET WITH AN ACCIDENT, SHE IS SERIOUS" ARNAV SAID CRYING.

"WHAT?" PAYAL SCREAMED.

"MY ASSOCIATE HELPED IN REACHING KHUSHI TO THE HOSPITAL. SHE IS IN CLIFFTON HOSPITAL, PLEASE BE THERE. MY ASSOCIATE AMAN WILL MEET YOU THERE" ARNAV SAID.

ARNAV HEARD THE BABY'S CRIES OVER THE PHONE, HE CUT THE PHONE.

HE CRIED LIKE A KID WHO WAS DENIED GOING TO HIS MOTHER, LIKE A WEEPING KID.

NEW YORK,

"KHUSHI" PAYAL SCREAMED.

SHE RUSHED TO THE HOSPITAL WITH HER NEPHEW, KHUSHI'S SON.

"PAYAL? ARNAV TOLD ME ABOUT YOU" AMAN SAID.

"YA, MY SISTER" PAYAL CRIED.

AMAN LOOKED AT KHUSHI'S BABY, HIS SHARP BRAIN COULD RECOGNIZE THAT THE BABY LOOKED ARNAV'S EXACT COPY.

"THIS BABY IS YOURS?" AMAN SAID.

"KHUSHI'S" PAYAL SAID.

PAYAL HAD TEARS, SHE HAD TO STOP CRYING AS TWO EYES LOOKED AT HER WITH EAGER DEVOTION, IT WAS KHUSHI'S SON.

"DOCTOR" PAYAL SAID SEEING THE DOCTOR EXITING FROM THE OPERATION THEATRE.

"IM SORRY…….." DOCTOR CONTINUED.

PAYAL WAS SHOCKED, AMAN HAD TEARS IN HIS EYE. HE COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT THE DOCTOR HAD TO SAY ABOUT KHUSHI.

"NOOO" PAYAL SCREAMED, AFTER HEARING THE DOCTOR'S STATEMENT.

TO KNOW MORE, PLEASE READ FF:NEVER TOO LATE.

LEMME KNOW, WHAT YOU FEEL, THANKS. J