Abhimanyu followed the doctor on duty to Nikki's ward where she was being evaluated for her fainting spell. He tried to calm himself down by telling himself that it might be something minor. This girl was going to be the death of him. She did what she felt like and was now flaunting doctor's orders.
When would she learn to listen? He let a breath out and asked the attending doctor what was wrong with her.
"Dr. Modi, nothing to worry about. Low blood pressure is all it is….she simply needs to eat well and take care of herself…..nothing a little rest can't fix" the doctor explains and leaves her to rest. The nurse hooks her on IV and leaves.
Nikki stirs a little and slowly opens her eyes and when she looks into Abhimanyu's dark ones he turns away from her, controlling his anger and fixing a sardonic smile on his face.
"Welcome back Dr. Nikita" he greets her coldly and her heart skips a beat. He was mad at her and was trying to be polite. It did not bode well. She tried to sit up but his frigid tone stopped her.
"Don't bother to sit up…..you are hooked to IV….it would be better if you just lay down" he advised, "but of course it depends on whether you want to listen or not" he concludes, not missing a beat.
"Oh" Nikki looks around and notices the IV and lays down again, "What happened? I felt a little dizzy" she asks.
"Nikki…how are you….I heard you fainted" Muskaan barges into the ward and Abhimanyu rolls his eyes.
"I fainted?" Nikki questions Abhi and Muskaan notices him in the room too.
"Yeah….low blood pressure" he replies shortly.
"Nikki…..not good….you don't eat properly?" Muski admonishes her lovingly.
"I do" Nikki replies a little hesitantly.
"If you did Dr. Nikita, we wouldn't be having this conversation" Abhimanyu tells her off and she makes a face at him. Exasperated at her childish behavior he simply walks out of the ward.
"Nikki….he is right….you need to take care of yourself" Muskaan explains to her and Nikki mutters softly, "He is always right….that Sadu"
"He cares" Muski lets on and then simply changes the topic and spends time with Nikki chatting and asking about her progress.
After Muskaan leaves, Nikki rings for the nurse and begs her to take her outside for some fresh air. The nurse refuses and tells her that it were Abhimanyu's strict orders not to let her do anything but rest. She requests again but the nurse simply refuses and walks out. Irritated and helpless Nikki dozes off to sleep.
An hour later Armaan shakes her awake and she smiles up at him. "Sleepy head….what happened?" he asks her lovingly and Nikki notices Riddhima smiling at her too.
"Hi Riddhima" she greets her and tries to sit up. Armaan helps her and she tells them what happened and they scold her lovingly too asking her to take care of her health.
"I am bored doing that guys……I promise I do it….but that Sadu….he never believes me and nor do you all….I want to get out of here" she replies a little irritated, pointing to her room, "These walls feel like jail" she tells them.
"I understand Nikki…..but we can't take you out of here……you need to get well and we don't want more episodes like this…..Dr. Modi will fire all of us if we try to slip you out of the ward even" Armaan tells her patting her hand.
"Oh come on Armaan….please….not out of the hospital but somewhere outside this prison….please" she begs and Armaan tries to talk sense with her.
"Nikki…..you are not well….you need the rest….please listen to us" Riddhima jumps in trying to convince her.
"I am fine guys…..all I do is rest and I tried to walk but all I get is a lecture…..please just 15 minutes….not more promise…..I just want to breathe the fresh air outside…please" she tries to convince them and finally Armaan and Riddhima give in to her incessant pleading.
"Fine…..just till the basket ball court ok…..and only 15 minutes" Riddhima tells Nikki and gets a bright smile in return.
They take her out on a wheelchair and when the nurse in charge questions them they tell her that they are taking her for some tests on Dr. Khanna's orders. The three of them quietly slip out towards the court and Nikki gulps in the fresh air and stands up from the wheelchair a little wobbly but determined.
"Oh I missed this" she says to herself softly.
"You be careful Nikki" Armaan tells her and she asks him not to worry. With Armaan and Riddhima's help she sits on the bench on the side of the court and the three of them get talking. In the background they hear the radio blaring and suddenly Nikki's attention shifts to the song playing on it.
"Tumse hi" from the movie jab we met is playing on the radio and Nikki starts humming it under her breath and closes her eyes and the scene where she and Armaan danced for the Save Sanjeevani concert flashes in front of her and she grasps Armaan and Ridzi's hands in excitement.
"What happened?" Armaan and Ridzi chorus together.
"The song…..I….we….Armaan we danced on it…..I just saw it" Nikki opens her eyes and looks at the two excited.
"What? The concert…..you remember?" Armaan asks incredulously and Nikki shakes her head excited.
"Yes….I just saw it….Armaan I remembered" she hugs him and then hugs Ridzi who are thrilled to hear positive news after so many days. Nikki is so happy but Armaan reminds them that their fifteen minutes are over and they head inside all excited.
"I should tell Abhi" Nikki remembers and asks Armaan to take her to his office.
"Are you crazy…..if you tell him, he will have Riddhima and me for dinner…..lets hold on to this" Armaan cautions her.
"Hold on to what doctors?" Gaurav asks the three who in their excitement hadn't noticed him walking in front of them and had almost banged into him. All three look in different directions and Gaurav raises his eyebrows.
"Oh so we are hiding something now" he observes and then notices Nikki's flushed face. "So someone looks as if they went outside" and Nikki looks at him guilty.
"It's not their fault….I insisted" she tries to protect her friends and Gaurav laughs.
"Come on…..follow me to my cabin" he orders the three and they do as they are told.
Once inside, he asks them what exactly happened and Nikki tells him that she remembered an incident. This makes Gaurav happy too and the three interns look at him expectantly.
"So when do you think will I remember everything?" Nikki asks.
"Nikita…..this is the first step….a big one but it doesn't imply anything….I will encourage you to relax and not stress yourself behind this…..let's see when you remember anything next…Ok" he advises her and then tells her off on her fainting spell.
"I take care of myself…..it's just that I am bored and I" Nikki rambles on not making sense and when Riddhima tries to jump in to defend her, Gaurav motions her to stop."Please, no more excuses……Riddhi….you need to be a doctor more than a friend right now….I don't like what you and Dr. Malik did but just to save you three from Dr. Modi…...I will let it go this time…..but I am sorry to say if you repeat this….then he can deal with you as he wants" he tells both Riddhima and Armaan off firmly.
"As for you Dr. Nikita….you have no excuse….if you are bored…then study your medical books or do something which interests you…..doing what you please is not going to help you….you are a patient" he tells her firmly too and all three look down a little ashamed of their action.
"Bhia …sorry" Riddhima apologizes and Armaan's head shoots up in surprise.
"Bhai?" he questions Ridzi and she nods her head and Armaan's excitement knows no bounds. Suddenly he likes the guy sitting in front of him a lot better than he liked him a few seconds ago.
There is a knock on the cabin door and the three interns start to pray for their life when they see Abhimanyu walk in.
"Dr. Khanna…..what do Nikita's latest reports" he stops mid- sentence when he sees the three interns looking at him with stricken faces.
"What did you guys do now?" he asks tiredly not ready to deal with another crisis brought on by their childish pranks.
"Nothing" Armaan, Riddhima and Nikki reply together and Abhimanyu raises his eyebrows and Gaurav raises his hands.
"Dr. Nikita….I had given specific orders for you not to be able to leave your room….what are you doing here?" He asks Nikki, zeroing on her flushed face and her inability to meet his eyes.
"I …we…I"Nikki is unable to come up with an excuse and mutters incoherently, twisting her hands in her lap.
"Dr. Modi actually she" Armaan tries to come to her rescue but Abhimanyu's sharp, "Are you Nikita?" stops him from completing the excuse he was offering and he shakes his head in the negative.
"Good then….stay out of this" he rebukes Armaan who turns his face away thinking of a way of saving his friend, as he knew that she was in big trouble.
"Nikita?" he questions the pretty girl who was chewing her bottom lip and refusing to look at him.
"I….I…came to meet Gaurav" Nikki says softly, using the first excuse which came to mind and sending a pleading look at Gaurav who shakes his head at the situation, which he knew her single sentence was about to create. Riddhima and Armaan stare in shock at Nikki.
"I see" Abhimanyu's face takes on a shuttered expression and he looks towards Gaurav who shrugs in answer, his mind running a million miles to find a way out of the situation.
"Ahem….Dr. Modi ….just discussing her reports and the fact that she remembered an incident" Gaurav gives a cool reply to the man standing in front of him with questions in his eyes.
"Incident…..which incident?" Abhimanyu questions looking at Gaurav and ignoring Nikki.
"Dancing with Armaan at the Save Sanjeevani concert" Riddhima replies softly and Abhimanyu nods his head reflecting on the news he had received.
"What triggered it?" his eyes pierce Nikki's and she looks down, knowing that she was caught. She tries to open her mouth to answer but no words come out. She rapidly blinks her eyes trying to fight the tears which were threatening to fall out. She was trying hard to salvage the situation between them but every word she uttered seemed to make it worse.
He had asked her what she was doing here and she had used the excuse of visiting Gaurav. She knew from his expression that it hadn't gone down well with him. He was furious but there was no way he was going to listen to her. She gulped, looking for an answer to his question, without landing her friends in trouble. They had taken her out at her insistence and she didn't want them to bear the brunt for her stupid idea.
Abhimanyu's keen gaze catches Nikki trying to blink her tears away and her lower lip trembling and sighs. "Drs. Are you done for today?" he asks Armaan and Riddhima pointedly and they shake their head a No.
"Then I think you will be required for your duties….right?" and they nod their heads, "so….leave" he orders them.
"Nikki….I will take Nikki" Armaan sees their opportunity to escape but Abhimanyu shakes his head.
"I will take care of that….you two have done enough….leave" he tells them and Nikki's heart sinks. She was going to be put through an inquisition. She closes her eyes and curses herself. Armaan and Riddhima leave and Abhimanyu takes a chair in front of Gaurav and discuss Nikki's memory and her latest reports, telling her her condition. Nikki absorbs everything but her eyes refuse to leave Abhimanyu, who was trying his level best to ignore her.
Done with the discussion, Abhimanyu gets up to leave and Nikki looks up at him shyly. "W…will you take me to my room" she asks slowly not daring to hope he would agree and he nods absently, "Sure". She thanks Gaurav and Abhimanyu wheels her outside the cabin, taking her to her room.
"Can we talk?" she says softly, midway to her room.
"What about?" he asks curtly and Nikki doesn't reply.
He wheels her to her room and she abruptly gets up from the wheel chair, misbalancing herself as a result. Abhimanyu catches her as a reflex but she pushes him away angrily.
"I don't need your help" she throws at him and stands on her own. Gingerly, placing one foot in front of the other she makes her way to her bed and sits down panting by the effort.
"Does it pain?" he asks gently and his gentle tone is her undoing. Tears rush to her eyes but she refuses to shed them over him.
"Why…..do you have a lecture on that too?" she asks in a tear strained voice and the next moment he is on his knees in front of her, her face in his hands.
"Nikki... I care" his anguish and care reflected in his eyes and a sob escapes her and a lone tear falls from her eyes. Abhimanyu wipes it with his thumb and she tries to get out of his hold.
"I know….you care…..that is why all you do is shout at me, get angry on everything.…..why?" she chokes out and he takes her in his arms, unable to see her sad.
"You do such stupid things and refuse to listen to anything sensible…I want you to get well soon Nikki but your antics worry me" he tells her, his hands making lazy circles on her back. It felt good to hold her in his arms. His heart calmed at her presence.
"If I get well soon….you won't worry about me?" she asks looking up at him but refusing to get out of his embrace. It felt safe in his arms. Laughter rumbles through his body and a smile escapes her. She wished she could remain like this. All pain and trouble seemed to vanish in his arms.
"Oh Nikki…..not worry about you….that doesn't even seem possible" he tells her pushing her away a little, to look at her.
"You should laugh often….you look good" she tells him, tracing his smile with her thumb reflexively. When she looks into his eyes, she notices awareness creeping in them. He tries to push her away but Nikki holds on to his collar.
"Why do you run….away from me Abhi?" she asks cupping his face.
"Nikki…..please...stop…..I ..…I have a meeting" he gently tries to push her hands away.
"Lame try Dr. Modi" Nikki tells him playing with the buttons of his shirt, enjoying the effect she was having on him.
"Nikki…..I…..stop" he pleads with her but discovering that her closeness unnerved him, Nikki is bent upon exacting as much revenge possible for all his spiteful words.
"Answer me Abhi" she asks, entwining her fingers in his and suddenly finds his hands in her hair and his face close to hers. She looks wide eyed at him and him and unconsciously her lips part.
"Is it a game?" he asks his voice husky and his grip stronger, pulling her closer, "You might not like where it leads Nikki" he tells her tracing her lips with his thumb. She closes her eyes in subservience, melting in his arms.
"Nikki" he asks her one last time and then places his lips on hers, kissing her, unable to control himself. Nikki's arms go around his neck as she responds to his kiss but he pulls himself away.
"Abhi" she questions confused.
"Nikki…..I need you to get well" he cups her face lovingly while her eyes search his face for answers.
"I remembered……I am getting better" she tells him and a slight smile flits across his face.
"Not me…..you haven't remembered me as yet…..I don't want to confuse you" he explains to her.
"But you do……you always do Abhi" Nikki tells him. Closing his eyes he leans his forehead against hers. She was temptation. He wanted to give her what she wanted but he knew that her accident had made their situation complex. He desperately needed her in his arms to feel that his world was alright but he wasn't going to cheat her by doing that. He wanted her to remember. Everything. Especially the hurt he had given her. If she chose to forgive him and comeback in his arms, he would consider himself the luckiest man alive.
"Nikki….rest" he tells her trying to create a distance between them.
"Don't go" she tells him simply.
"I have to…..I….don't …..Please..…I don't want to hurt you more" he tells her and she is unable to understand his fear.
"Abhi" she calls to his retreating back but he walks out leaving Nikki more confused.
"How did he hurt me?" she wonders but her mind shifts to the kiss they had shared and she smiles blissfully. He made her feel safe. The way his eyes followed her, she knew that she was precious to him. The way her heart gladdened at hearing his voice, she knew he meant the world to her.
"I think I love you Dr. Modi……now I have to find out if you love me?" she smiles hugging herself.
No comments:
Post a Comment