~Love Me Tender~ Part 9

Catching Nikki smiling to herself, Abhimanyu can't resist asking, "What are you smiling about Nikita?"

"Nikki would be fine…..why are you so formal with me…..calling me Nikki wouldn't hurt me" she reprimands him with love and his mouth falls open in shock at her perceptiveness. Sometimes it felt like she could read his mind.

"Ok Nikki….happy….so what is so funny….share the joke" he asks playfully, his tiredness disappearing seeing her so happy.

"Nothing Abhi…..you know what ….you look so tired….I think you should rest, take care of yourself….please…..I don't want you getting sick" she tells him her observation. She knew he didn't sleep well and the tiredness had started creeping on his face. He worried her.

"I am fine….don't worry about me….you concentrate on getting better" he waves off her concern but Nikki isn't having any of it.

"Please…..for my sake….to make a sick person like me happy" she emotionally blackmails him, making a cute face and Abhi simply melts.

"You are not sick are you?" he asks worried immediately getting up to check her. She starts laughing and he stops looking at her sharply. "No baba….I am not sick and will you stop worrying?" she tells him sweetly. "Ok you promise….you will take a day off and rest…..come on promise" she asks him, taking his hand in hers and looking up at him with a request in her eyes.

"I don't need a day off" he replies shortly, knowing for sure that the day wouldn't pass if he didn't talk to her or see her and how could he tell her that. He fidgeted and got up abruptly to leave; knowing full well that if he stayed longer she would coerce him into taking a day off and he wouldn't be able to utter even a single reason against it as it was impossible for him to deny anything to her.

"Abhi….wait" her lilting voice stops him in mid-stride. "I still want to talk to you" she tells him firmly and sighing he turns back and goes and sits next to her.

"I will be fine…..please….for my sake….please" she pleads with the stubborn man knowing full well that he was escaping the discussion as he was in no mood to comply.

He looked into her beautiful eyes and was touched to see them brimming with concern for him. This woman made him want to take her in his arms and keep her safe for ever and kiss her happy. Stop it Abhimanyu…..your LOVE is what brought her here in the first place, his mind chides him.

"Nikki I am fine….I have to go now" his fingers brush her face and she captures them there with her hand.

"Please" she implores for the last time and his wall of resistance falls. "Fine….you won't see me tomorrow here….I won't come to visit you….happy" he tells her getting a little angry at her being so insistent that he take a day off.

"I don't want you in Sanjeevani" she fights back, not ready to give up on her request.

"What is your problem? I said you won't see me….but I have work which cannot be postponed on your whims and fancies" he replies back moodily.

"Fine ….do what you want to….and don't visit me….for sure" she makes a face and refuses to look at him.

"Stop behaving like a child Nikki" he admonishes her but she simply climbs on her bed and lays down turning her back to him.

"Nikki" she shakes her slightly and she swats his hand angrily.

"Stop this" he says tiredly.

"Go away………I don't want to see your face" she mumbles in her pillow tightly shutting her eyes.

"Fine" Abhimanyu replies and strides out mad at her childish behavior; he almost walks into Dr. Gaurav who is walking inside her room his head buried in a file.

"Opps sorry Dr. Modi" he says taking a step back and Abhimanyu nods his head and walks away without bothering to talk.

Gaurav raises his eyebrows and looks at his retreating back and then his attention shifts to Nikki, who he sees looking daggers at Abhimanyu's retreating back and mumbling to herself.

"The boyfriend made an appearance and seems to have lost brownie points" Gaurav mutters to himself and heads in.

"Hi Nikita" he smiles and she gives him a half-hearted smile in response and he makes himself comfortable on the chair next to her.

"How are you?" he asks casually and she huffs in anger, "Fine" she replies shortly.

"Well there is nothing which can't be solved with a little thought" Gaurav tells her smartly not wanting to step out of bounds.

She looks at him as he had answered all her questions and gives him her brilliant smile, "I agree" she says and he gets down to the business of examining her.

After his examination is over, he asks her a few questions about her general health and when all her answers are to his satisfaction, he sits back, pondering on how to move further.

"Dr. Khanna" she addresses him shyly," When do you think I will remember everything….I really need some answers" her voice takes a tinge of sadness.

"Nikita…please call me Gaurav" he instructs her and she happily agrees.

"As to you remembering…..honestly it's a little puzzling…ok tell me have you had any flashes or anything remotely similar to that in which you have seen or remembered….a feeling , a touch….anything?" he asks her and she starts thinking.

"Ummm no really but about Abhi…it's a little difficult to explain but I "she stops a little consciously, not sure how much to divulge.

"Nikita…..please go on…..he seems to be the only person you have absolutely forgotten…..you still remember a lot of people who came around a little later than your last memory……which makes me think that your brain is repressing certain memories related to him….so most probably this whole memory loss thing has a lot to do with your and Dr. Modi's relationship" he tells her his analysis and she looks at him astounded.

"Re....Relationship?" she questions him, curious to find out if he knew anything, she did not.

"Nikita…..that was going to be my question to you" he tells her and she looks confused.

"I have no idea" she answers.

"Really…..I see….that's why you were so mad at him and looking daggers at him?" he questions her laughingly and Nikki blushes.

"What's with the two of you? Both not ready to accept each other….what changed?" Armaan's voice interrupts and he enters her room smiling happily.

"You keep quiet….you love to spoil everything" Nikki turns on him and throws her pillow at him, which he deftly catches and throws back at her, which Gaurav catches.

"Dr. Malik…..what are you doing here?" Gaurav asks a little tersely not liking the interruption while he was with his patient.

"Visiting" Armaan answers carelessly, not having forgotten how Riddhima had kissed him.

"I see….it's not visiting hours…yet" Gaurav gives him a hint about being disturbed but Armaan is not the one to be deterred easily.

"Doctors don't need visiting hours Dr. Khanna" he tells him off.

"I know that but when a Doctor is with their patient, interruption doesn't help" Gaurav tells him flatly and Armaan though irritated at being told off understands his wish.

"Sorry about that…..just thought I could help" He shrugs it off lightly.

"You definitely can and for that I will see you later….thanks for understanding" he gets a polite reply and Armaan waves to Nikki and walks off.

Gaurav looks back at the pretty girl sitting chewing her bottom lip and decides to talk to her a little more gently as he knew that his questions had provoked her to think.

"Nikita…..what did he spoil?" he asks her referring to Armaan.

"Dr. Khanna" at this Gaurav looks up at her questioningly and she shakes her head, "Sorry Gaurav…..I am so confused…especially Abhi and Armaan confuse me more and more. I try to unravel my past but as they visit me it gets more and more confusing" she lifts helpless eyes at him.

"I see" he nods at her to continue.

"I…see when I….got up from my coma….I remembered everyone in the room but when Abhi came towards me I couldn't place him….the hurt in his eyes made me feel guilty of forgetting him….since that day he has clammed up and refuses to divulge anything…..and a few days ago Armaan told me that Abhi is ….is …is my..Is my" she tries to get the word out but her insecurities come swimming back.

"Boyfriend" Gaurav supplies and she nods unhappily looking down and playing with the end of the bed sheet.

"Well I think this time you should believe Armaan" he tells her confidently and she looks at him agape.

"I should" she asks in almost a whisper.

"Yeah but your Dr. Modi is a very hard nut to crack……don't know when he is going to agree to that but his actions definitely belie his words" Gaurav tells her and her eyes sparkle with happiness.

"I know how to deal with him" Nikki says confidently and Gaurav notes that. "How do you know that?" he asks, the doctor in him coming to the forefront.

"I …I don't know….when it comes to him….I have these strong urges and I have tried to follow them and they work" she tells him happily.

"I see….no incident as yet….right?" he confirms again and she shakes her head in the negative. They talk more for a while and get to know each other better when Ridzi comes in to visit Nikki.

"Chikkooooooo" she hugs Gaurav and Nikki looks at them with interest.

"Hi Nikki….how are you……Doctor Khanna treating you well?" she asks mischievously, putting her arm through the young doctor's.

"Yeah….he is very nice….thank you" Nikki replies formally trying to figure out how these two knew each other. She had never seen Riddhima pally with any guy before and as she had been told and seen for the last few days, she was in love with Armaan.

"Arre don't be formal….bhai will take care of you well….he is a fabulous doctor" she tells her proudly and Nikki's eyes open in amazement.

"Bhai?" she asks and they both nod together.

"Papa's best friend's son…..my bhai but Di's boyfriend" she shares laughing.

"What? Atul?" Nikki asks confused.

"Arre I tied him Rakhi but Di had a huge crush on him and refused to tie him Rakhi, so we tease her" she tells slyly and Nikki watches color rising on his face slowly and Nikki laughs heartily not able to accept the fact that when it came to the matters of the heart, all men were the same.

"Fatso….stop Ok" he tells her and Riddhima high fives Nikki.

"Aww Bhai….you look so cute" she pinches his cheeks and he pinches hers back.

"Stop Ok…..and by the way I know Anjie was just kidding….also I" he stops short and Riddhima and Nikki raise their eyebrows.

"I am busy….meeting" he tells them and tries to pry his arm out of Riddhima's grasp who refuses to let go.

"Tell us….promise….it will be a secret" Riddhima teases and Nikki joins in.

"You know about me too…..I want to know too" she tells him and he starts laughing.

"You Nikita are my patient….and you Riddhima are nosy and I ….am busy….bye" he says and walks out, shaking his head at the pair.

"We need to find out who he likes" Riddhima thinks aloud rubbing her hands together and after talking to Nikki a while she goes back to work.

Abhimanyu is sitting in his office trying to concentrate on the file in front of him but the pounding in his head refuses to go away. He massages his forehead slowly closing his eyes. Nikki was right, he needed a day off but staying away or not seeing her for 24 hours what not a pleasant option. Since her accident he had become touchy at any topic concerning her, even if it was she who was initiating it.

He rests his head on the back of the chair feeling tiredness take over. Taking a day off would actually be sensible he concluded. Nikki was getting better and it was only about a day, what would change so much in that? He pondered. He had again fought with Nikki over a silly request. He sighed and wished the headache would go away. He hears someone pound on his cabin door and says a curt, "Come in".

He opens his eyes to see Armaan Malik standing in front of him and shuts his eyes again. This was the last thing he needed; another lecture from Armaan. Why wasn't there a magic wand he could use on him to make him shut up. He sighed and opened his eyes know that this intern would not disappear without sharing what he had come to say.

"This better be important Dr. Malik" Abhimanyu tells him shortly.

"Fine…I will come to the point….what is your problem?" Armaan asks without any nicety.

"What is yours?" Abhimanyu retorts back.

"Dr. Modi…..you said you loved her now you are confusing her…what's got into you?" Armaan asks Abhimanyu a little agitated.

Gaurav knocks on the door and enters amidst their argument. "Answer me" Armaan asks authoritatively and Abhimanyu loses his cool.

"Are you are father or mother….why do you keep irritating me?" Abhimanyu launches on him and Gaurav notices the agitation between the two men.

As soon as Nikki's parent's talk comes up, Armaan's face assumes a shuttered expression and he looks away. Abhimanyu closes his eyes and prays hard for patience and opens it again, "Please for god's sake don't tell me that you are her adopted father" he tells Armaan stingingly and Armaan looks at him with fire in his eyes.

"I wish I was…..I would have taken her away from you for sure……you have no value of her" he tells him rudely and Abhimanyu's hands itch to hit him.

Observing the tension between the two men Gaurav steps in. "Now I know what she is repressing….you are supposed to be her friend and you behave like her father" he tells off Armaan and when he opens his mouth to argue, Gaurav lifts his hand to stop him, "Stay away from her…..doctor's orders…..you will not visit her for the next two days….you understand?" he asks Armaan who throws a dirty look at him but agrees.

"And you Dr. Modi……get out of your guilt and help her and stop pushing her away…..there may be many other people who are ready to lend her a shoulder….I am sure if you lose out this time, you won't be able to take it lightly" he tells Abhimanyu , whose eyes reflect irritation.

"Yes Doctor" he replies making fun of him and Gaurav rolls his eyes.

"You guys really love her? Unbelievable" he says sarcastically and both Armaan and Abhi look away when the truth of his words ring in their ears.

"Anyways I was here to ask you about her parents" Gaurav addresses both of them.

"She doesn't live with them" Armaan replies not bothering to go into the details and walks out in a huff.

Gaurav looks at Abhi who is in no mood to talk and walks out of the cabin too. Abhi, who has had enough and whose body is screaming in exhaustion, leaves for his house and once there, obeys Nikki's orders for once and falls into an exhausted sleep.

Nikki waits for him during dinner but when he doesn't come, she cries herself to sleep. That obstinate man, she would give him a dose of his own medicine and for that she would need Gaurav and Armaan's help. He had this coming. Now was the time to execute step one of her plan to get Abhimanyu Modi back.