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This is my fiction, My imagination. So please don't copy it and post it somewhere else without My Permission.
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Note
Hey Friends,
I know I shouldn't start anything new with so many ongoing stories. But today is a very special day for me. On this day I wanted to post something as a way to celebrate my happiness with my readers.
So I'm posting the OS which I had submitted in last years OS Contest held in Our PV Forum. Right now you can read it as a one part OS. But once I finish MTB and Sinful Night, I'll convert this OS into an SS (Short Story).
I have sort of started to work on the next chapter of MTB. Since its going to be an emotional chapter, it will take me time to finish it. Then I'll try to finish Sinful Night.
Till I work on MTB's next chapter, you enjoy this OS...
"Shadows Of The Past"
"Chapter - 1"
As the first Raindrop fell on her, she took out her umbrella. Suddenly it started to rain heavily now. As Aarti waited for a rickshaw, she heard 5 year old Ansh's voice, "Ma my lunchbox is with you"
"Ansh you stay where you are, I'll come and give it to you"
But due to heavy rain he didn't hear what she said and kept running. Aarti got scared and ran towards him as he was about to cross the road. Suddenly a car came out of nowhere. To avoid an accident, the driver hit the brakes. The car hydroplaned and went in Ansh's direction.
The car screeched to a halt. There was a loud scream and then total silence. A small crowd gathered around the scene. As she ran towards her son, Aarti's heart started beating faster. It then stopped beating when she saw him lying on the side of the road, unconscious. His body had turned white as, blood started flowing from his skull. He had hit his head on the footpath.
She sat there and tried to pick him when someone from the crowd said, "Don't pick him. The injury could be serious. Someone call an ambulance"
She closed her eyes and whispered, "Prashant where are you?"
"I'm here Aarti. Right beside you"
"Prashant,...A...Ansh...our Ansh is lying there and... What if I loose him? I don't want to loose him..." She started crying.
"Nothing will happen to Ansh. I'm here. I'll make sure of it. But first you'll have to control yourself. We will have to take him to the hospital"
"But how will we take him? It's raining so heavily"
The driver, who's car had hit him came forward, "I'll take him in my car. The hospital is not far from here".
"They won't admit him without police permission, as it has now become an accident case", said someone from the crowd.
Just then they heard a police siren. ACP Aman, who was Prashant's friend, came out of the police car. He had witnessed the whole incident. He told the driver it was not his fault as it was Raining very heavily. Aman then gently picked up Ansh's body and took him to the hospital in the police car.
While they started working on Ansh, Aarti went and sat in the hospital temple. "Prashant?..."
"I'm right here Aarti" he sat next to her. "Nothing will happen to him. He's in good hands"
After running lots of tests one of the doctors came and informed that Ansh had got a severe clot in his head which needed surgery. As the clot was near the brain, the surgery could be life threatening.
Aarti sank in the chair. Aman came to her. "Aarti, I know a doctor. He's the best surgeon in this city. I'll ask him to perform the surgery. I'll go talk to him. Will you be ok till then?"
"I'll be fine" she whispered and pointed in one direction, "When he's with me, I have nothing to fear"
Aman looked in the direction she had pointed and saw the deity of Ganapati, "You stay with Him, while I go and talk with the doctor. His name is Yash. Dr. Yash Sindhia"
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In his office Yash closely studied the file and reports kept in front of him. He looked at the calendar on his desk and jumped from his chair, "No I can't do this surgery"
"Yes you can...". Said a voice.
He turned and saw Arpita standing by the window, with a radiant smile on her face, "There is nothing in this world that will stop my Husband from doing this surgery"
"Do you know what day is today? There's no way I'll be able to do this surgery. How could I forget today's date?" He angrily kicked his chair.
"You were preoccupied, that's why you didn't remember it. Besides what's date got to do with saving some kids life? Had that been our Palak in his place, wouldn't you have done the surgery? Think about that little boy. Think about his parents. Think about what his mother must be going through right now. You are her only hope. Please don't disappoint her". Arpita pleaded.
"You know very well that in last two years, I have not performed any major surgeries since that fateful day of 15th July two years back. This one looks like a life threatening one. What if I panic? What if I am not able to save that little boy?"
Arpita tried to explain him, "You are the only one who can save him. Go and look at him. Go and look at his mother. You'll see what she is going through right now. Once you meet her, once you start his surgery, you'll get your strength, your confidence back. You won't loose him. The only way that child won't survive is when you don't do his surgery".
He closed his eyes and buried his head in his hands. "You are right. I'll have to do it for that child. His future rests in my hand. I can't loose another life, that also on this day".
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A nurse came to Aarti with a form to sign. It was to take her permission for Ansh's surgery. While filling the form, Aarti looked at the calendar on the wall to write the date. 15th July...
She dropped the form and sank in the chair. "No this can't be happening. Not now. Not today!"
"Aarti pick up the form and fill it". She heard Prashant's voice. He knelt in front of her. "My Wife can't become weak. She's a fighter"
"Prashant... Do you know what day is today?"
"How can I forget today's date? The day which took away my everything from me", his voice chocked.
"Why? Why did this happened? Why today of all day? I can't loose him. I'll die if I loose him..". She broke down.
"If you don't want to loose him then sign the form. I would've signed it, but you know that I can't. You'll save him by signing. I'll save him by guiding him and protecting him the way I can".
She looked into his eyes, which were filled with promise and assurance. She picked up the form and signed it. After the nurse left with the form, she sat all curled up, "Prashant..."
"Hmmm...?"
"Can you hold me?"
"I want to Aarti, but I..."
"But what Prashant? Why can't you hold me like you used you? All I want is for you to hold me once. Just once after that I won't ask you for anything. Please. Don't you love me anymore?"
"Why don't you understand Aarti. You know very well how much I love you. Still I can't hold you the way I want to".
"You can come to me whenever I need you. I can see you. You can talk to me, console me, then why can't you hold me". She was in so much pain. "Why...?"
"Because I no longer exists. What you see, what you hear, is because I still reside in your heart. Your heart is not ready to let me go. While the fact is that I died..."
"You died two years back on this very day. You boarded that bus which met with an accident in which you died and left me...". She was now crying bitterly.
Till two years back Aarti and Prashant were leaving a happy married life with their three old son Ansh. That day, on 15th July, it was raining heavily. Prashant who used to daily travel to office by bus, that day also boarded the bus.
In few minutes the intensity of Rain had increased. The visibility dropped to zero. Driver couldn't see the truck coming from another direction and collided with it. The impact was so strong that driver and passengers sitting in the front died on the spot. The rest were taken to the nearby hospital. By the time Aarti reached the hospital, Prashant was breathing his last. His last words were, "Aarti till you meet your real soulmate, I'll keep my promise that I had made to you on the day Ansh was born".
The day Ansh was born, Prashant had made a promise to Aarti, that he will always be there to protect and love them. That even if something happens to him, he will be there for Aarti. All she had to do was to close her eyes and think of him and he will be there to help her. To protect her. That is what he was doing right now, on this day when Ansh met with this accident.
Ishita, Aman's wife, whom Aman had called earlier, entered the prayer room and saw Aarti in a miserable condition. She went and hugged her. "Ishita I need Prashant. Please bring him back..."
"I wish I could Aarti. If only I could". Ishita tried to control her own tears.
"I hate him for leaving me like this. I hate this day, this date. I hate this Rain, that snatched him from me. I hate Rains". Aarti was crying.
She heard Prashant's voice, "Aarti one day this Rain took away your everything by taking my life, today this very Rain will give Ansh and you a New Life, a New Beginning"
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As Yash was about to enter Ansh's room, Aman called from behind. "Yash before you go in, there's something you should know about Ansh. He doesn't have a father. He lost his father on this very day, in the same bus accident in which Arpita..."
Yash froze on his spot, "In which Arpita died". He collapsed on his chair as the day of 15th July flashed in front of him.
That morning, after he left for his hospital, Arpita had received a call that her father had fallen sick. In a hurry she left alone in a cab, leaving their three years old Palak with Yash's mother, Gayatri. Her cab broke down in the middle. It had started to rain heavily. She saw a local bus coming and boarded it, as her parents home was few stops away. Few minutes later the accident happened. In which Prashant too lost his life.
In the hospital, when Yash saw Arpita getting wheeled in, he nearly fainted. She was in critical condition. Yash took her in his arms. She had smiled and had whispered, "Till you get your real soulmate, I'll be there for you whenever you'll feel lost or weak and you'll need me". Before doctors could check on her, she had died in Yash's arms.
True to her promise, whenever Yash had needed her, he had felt her presence around him. She came to him, talked to him, guided him and helped him, just like she had done in his office, an hour back.
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Taking a deep breath Yash entered Ansh's room. Since he was hit in the head, he was lying on his stomach. Yash couldn't see his face. He took his cold hand in his, "Hey there, I'm Dr. Yash. I will be performing your surgery".
Ansh flinched in pain. He heard Prashant's voice, "Take it easy champ. I'm watching over you. Take this doctors hand. Put all your trust in him. He will help you get out of this. By becoming your friend, he will protect you and keep you safe".
Yash felt Ansh grabbing his fingers tightly. His eyes welled up, "Thank you for trusting me. Stay with me and Together We Will Beat This".
As the preparations for the surgery began, Yash went to see Ansh's mother. Though he saw her for the first time, her sight broke something inside him. He saw Aarti, still all drenched, sitting in one corner like a lifeless statue. Her red eyes were filled with fear of the unknown. She was looking so vulnerable. So fragile as if she will break any moment from now.
Aarti's eyes fell on the young man in the doctors coat, who was around Prashant's age, standing at the door of the prayer room. She slowly got up from her chair and went to him. Something told her that this was the doctor in whose hands Ansh's life depended.
"I'm Dr. Yash Sindhia. I'll be doing Ansh's surgery shortly". He introduced himself.
"I'm Aarti. His mother". Standing near him, all she could say was "Ansh...??" When her legs fell weak. Had Yash not supported her with his arms, she would've fallen down. Their eyes met. They felt a strong pull, a strong connection towards the other. A strange bliss surrounded them. A bliss that felt like a soothing balm on their broken and distressed souls.
When she looked at him deep in his eyes, she felt like burying her head in his shoulder and cry her heart out. He felt like taking away all her pain and sorrows.
They both jerked back. Both were shocked. How could they feel like this?
"Go ahead Yash". Yash heard Arpita's voice. "Go ahead and hold her hand. She needs you in her life, as much as you need her in yours"
"How is that possible?" Yash silently asked her.
Arpita smiled and answered, "Aarti was your destiny, your soulmate all along. I was the wrong partner for you. I had to get out of the way to unite you with your real soulmate. Aarti. Go ahead and embrace her. She will embrace you and Palak. She will embrace all your sorrows, all your pain and forever fill your life with love"
On the other side Aarti heard Prashant's voice, "Don't get shocked Aarti. What you felt in his touch is what you were supposed to feel all along. Yash is the one for you. He is your real soulmate and not me".
"How can you say that Prashant? Don't you know that I love you and only you? That .." Her conscience asked.
"Yes you love me. But I was not meant for you. Yash is the only one who is meant for you. That's why I had to get out of the way to unite you two. Ansh's accident happened for this purpose. To unite both of you. Go ahead and embrace him. He will love you, worship you, cherish you and Ansh. From now on he will be yours and Ansh's protector and savior".
The pull between Yash and Aarti was so strong that in a dazed condition they moved towards each other. With the forces of nature and the push from the pure souls of Prashant and Arpita, they found themselves in each other's embrace. He placed a assuring hand on her shoulder. She rested her head on his chest.
Prashant and Arpita said from behind, "You have got what was yours. Now you won't need us. Hold on to each other and move ahead in life".
Prashant's spirit then turned to Arpita's. Extending his hand he asked, "Shall we?"
She held his hand and smiled, "Our work is done. We have united two lost souls, two lovers. Now we have to start our new journey. So yes, we should leave from here". And their spirits faded away.
Yash and Aarti felt their body shiver as those two souls left them. The Shadows of the Past faded away.
Still in Yash's embrace, Aarti whispered, "Ansh...?"
He tightened his hold around her, "I won't let any harm come to him. I'll save him. We are together now and Together We Will Face This Storm..."
Two years back, on One Rainy Day, they had lost the meaning, the purpose of their life.
Today they found a New Meaning, New Purpose, their True Soulmate on this Rainy day...
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Note
Yes I'll convert this OS into an SS. Now you must be wondering what I can possibly show in this story? Well I will show how Yash and Aarti eventually fall in love with each other. Just because the spirit of their Ex - Husband and Wife told them to embrace each other, is it that easy for anyone to fall in love?
Well that is what I want to show.
Secondly, you must be wondering whether I believe in Spirits and Ghosts and all. The answer is No... No I Don't Believe in them. Then why am I showing such things in this story?
Well you'll get your answer when I convert this into SS.
See you in this story after I finish MTB and SN.
Till then be patient.
Love
Nikki.
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And once again this is my fiction, My imagination. So please don't copy it and post it somewhere else without My Permission.
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