Greetings everybody! I have been a silent reader for a long time. Been missing KaBhi a lot and wrote a FF dedicated to them. Hope you guys like it. Constructive criticism always welcome. Thank you guys! Have mixed characters together from a few places, I'm pretty sure you know who most of them are. Except for Dhiren and Preeti, they are new. Thanks for your time! ☺️
☢️Sageflower7 ☢️
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Chapter One : Homecoming
The air was bristling with anticipation. Aditi was nervously chattering away about plans she had made for the day, the week and the whole month. Even as she chattered on, her eyes kept darting to arrivals gate and sighing with barely suppressed excitement.
Calm down Aditi. The plane itself hasn't landed and you've planned her whole itinerary?', teased Kabir, smiling. I can't help it Keebs !! I miss her like crazy yaar! I'm worried if she decided to call it off after all and not come,' gushed Aditi, still staring at the gate.
Arre, how will she miss her best friends' wedding? Kabhi nahi , don't worry sweets, she did drop us a message from her stop over in Korea yesterday. So araam karo okay?' soothed Kabir. Aditi had really taken it hard when Zoya left suddenly almost 2 years ago, but they knew the circumstances in which Zoya left and couldn't selfishly keep her back for their sake.
Kabir and Aditi were getting married in 2 weeks, and they were sure that Zoya wouldn't miss that for the world. It was a celebration of their friendship of 10 years, from college to the harrowing years of medical school and residency.
WAAITTT!!!' someone yelled approaching fast. Kabir chuckled and knew who it was instantly. Preeti has arrived. Oh my God yaar! Am I late? Main kya karoon, bloody buffalo wouldn't let me leave the ward yaar! Sare kaam main khatam chuka hoon lekin purposely that idiotic monkey-man wouldn't let me leave. As though the ward will collapse if I took a day off!' Preeti fumed. Dr. Preeti Chopra was famed for her loud grumbling and lack of mincing words in her opinions. She spoke with blunt honesty but never with malice. She was always getting in hot soup with her ward consultant, Dr. Bhatawdekhar, who was large in size with corresponding ego. He was an old school type of senior doctor, very quick to criticize and blame junior doctors but never one to step down and praise or motivate. Is she here yet?' Preeti asked. "Nahi Preeti, no sign yet, maybe the flight is slightly delayed', Kabir replied.
Right behind Preeti was the very aggravated Dhiren Thapa. Dr. Dhiren hailed from the new Republic of Nepal, but has since settled in India. A strong principled and silent type of person, he smiles readily and is ferociously loyal to those that matter to him. Evidently Preeti had needled him a lot all the way to the airport, Kabir thought amusedly. Dhiren was extremely close to Zoya, she had helped him through a rough patch in the early years of med school. He had hit rock bottom when his parents died in an accident back home and his relatives picked and fought over his inheritance. Zoya was like that, she was the most empathic creature he had ever known. It was she, in her plucky way, who coaxed Dhiren out of his depressed and angry state, to come back to class and participate in their study sessions again. They were so close, the 5 of them, friends through grief, hardship, success, failures, exams. Friends for life.
It was also Zoya who brought Asad into their motley gang in their first year of medicine. Asad Ahmed Khan. The brooding newcomer, defiant to rules, does things his own way. But one can't survive med school isolated on an island of solitude and Zoya had accepted him in. He had joined their course 2 semesters late, and the administrative office couldn't decide which group to send him into.
In medical school, there was a lot of group work, assignments, presentations, accumulated work that leads to a large portion of their CGPA. Groups had found their groove and pace now, no one wanted a newbie whom nobody knew. However, good looking he was. In med school no one cares if you are rich or come from a wealthy family. Your grades and dedication to work is what matters, as it is a fight for survival here. Your genius is greatly admired, not money.
Zoya bristled in her seat then, annoyed that someone should be put on a spot like that. She cast a cursory look over the brooding young man standing in front of the lecture hall. Dark and handsome, but it was the look in his eyes that made up her mind. He had a determination in his eyes, a disdain for popularity, a strive despite difficulty. The group gasped in unison when Zoya put up her arm and said, We have a spot Prof. Sengupta. He can join us.'. She didn't miss the fleeting look of gratitude in Asad's eyes before he blinked them away. And the gang found themselves with a new member.
Kabir's smile faded. Asad hurt Zoya so badly much later, that the courageous girl fled her world to start anew elsewhere, alone, healing her deep wounds privately. Dhiren still doesn't speak to Asad, from open animosity 2 years ago, he settled for a stern unsmiling regard of Asad. No one invited Asad to join them at the airport this morning. It wasn't that they weren't still good friends, they just didn't want Zoya to have to see Asad again so soon upon arrival. They wanted to rally around her, protect her.
But what Kabir didn't know, was that Asad was there. Seated behind at a distance, just as eager to see her again. He knew he should've stayed away but he just couldn't help it. He needed to see her again. All those days and nights not knowing where she was and how she's doing, missing her terribly. Functioning like a zombie when his soul had left with her that day 2 years ago.
Chapter 2 : http://www.india-forums.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=3921841&TPN=3
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