~Love Me Tender~ Part 7

Nikki was crying helplessly, not only for the love she couldn't remember but also because being brave and keeping a smiling face for so many days had taken its toll on her. Her thoughts and emotions were muddled and she did not understand what to believe, who to believe and how much to believe. There were only two people she knew who she thought understood her like her family.

Armaan, she had not forgotten him and he was a cloak of familiarity for her. He was her link to her past, who knew everything about her and understood her and had always taken care of her. He also knew about those 2 years she had seemingly forgotten.

Abhimanyu, she couldn't remember anything about him but her heart seeked him. He was her pillar of strength and had been by her side constantly. She loved it when he showered attention on her, told her off firmly or simply sat by her side busy working.

She also knew that the two people so dear to her were also at loggerheads with each other. They did try to hide it from her but she could see it clearly when either one of it let it slip unconsciously. Her past two years were a mystery to her but now she really wanted to remember those days as everyday was a reminder of how much she had forgotten.

"Nikki …..Please don't cry" Abhimanyu's soothing voice broke her thoughts and his hand on her back, which was trying to calm her felt good. She suddenly became conscious of her position and pushed him away gently, wiping her tears and looking for a tissue. Abhi hands her a box of tissues and while sniffling she wipes her tears and her nose while he looks on lovingly.

"I am sorry….I…it's all so confusing" she tells him hiccupping a bit and he can't take his eyes of her red nose which she was twitching constantly. Unable to stop himself he gently tweaks her nose and she looks at him in surprise.

"What?" she asks touching her nose.

"Nothing….just looks cute …all red" he smiles back at her and she gapes.

"Cute……I look cute to you? I am a mess….look at me….all red eyes and nose" she points out to him and he bursts out laughing.

"That is funny….how?" she asks getting offended at him laughing at her and when he doesn't answer but keeps laughing, she takes a pillow and starts hitting him.

"Nikki….stop it" he pleads but she refuses to listen and continues hitting him. He tries to grapple the pillow out of her grasp and throws it aside but Nikki starts hitting him with her hands. "Stop it" he warns but when she doesn't listen, he catches her hands in his and pushes her back on her bed, leaning close to her.

"Stop …I said" his voice turns husky at her closeness and awareness of him replaces laughter in Nikki's eyes. Her eyes open wide unblinking and she looks steadily at him with trepidation and he stares at her trying to control his urge to kiss her. He closes his eyes to control his feelings and with a sigh moves away from her, leaving her hands. In a hurry she snatches her hands back and the stone of her ring scratches his arm.

"Ouch" he takes his hand back and looks at the scratch and grimaces.

"Sorry….show me" Nikki tries to make a grab for it while pushing herself in a sitting position and Abhimanyu tries to snatch it away. She misbalances herself and falls back on the bed but grabs Abhi by his collar and he falls on top of her and hits his head on the head of the bed.

"Are you trying to kill me?" he lifts himself on his arms and starts rubbing his head and Nikki gets conscious of his closeness trying to turn her face away. Abhimanyu notices it and gets up abruptly creating a distance between them.

His eyes fall on the food tray and he looks at Nikki and she makes a face.

"Fine I will eat…this bland food" she says asking for the tray and he gladly hands it over. "You know…..you should have dinner with me every day here…..then you will realize how boring and tasteless this food is" she complains and he smiles at that thanking his stars that the complaining, fighting Nikki was back in action.

"So…..where was our first date?" she asks between her bite and his head shoots up in surprise. "What?" he asks a little agitated.

"First date?" she repeats shrugging.

"D…Date? "He repeats like a parrot and Nikki rolls her eyes.

"Dr. Abhimanyu…….Armaan told me you are my boyfriend" and when she sees him blush a deep red at her use of the word, her mouth falls open in shock. She shuts her mouth and thinks of a better word to substitute, "Ok sorry….wrong word…..Ok maybe you just asked me out….so how did it happen? I mean you and me…..we "she trails, hoping he understood what she was asking as she couldn't put it more simply.

"Nikki….is this important?" he shifts uncomfortably on his feet at a loss where to start.

"Of course…..wait a minute….was Armaan bluffing? Was he trying to put you in a spot?" she asks getting embarrassed, realizing that she had simply chosen to believe Armaan whereas the man standing uncomfortably in front of her eyes hadn't once accepted or reinforced what Armaan had said. She slapped her forehead, chiding herself for believing her prankster friend.

"Oh god" her hand goes to her mouth and she closes her eyes not able to meet his dark ones.

"What now Nikki?" he asks confused at her sudden shift in conversation.

"I ….I am sorry….just forget what I asked" she says without looking up and hastily finishes her dinner so that he would leave and she wouldn't blurt out more stupid stuff in front of him.

She would kill Armaan. That idiot had made her land in such an embarrassing position and she had been happy about Abhimanyu and her. She surely had lost her brains in the accident. She was happily taking his kindness for love. She needed to get a grip on herself and concentrate on getting better. If they had been a couple he would have mentioned it. He wouldn't be trying to avoid the topic. She knew he was trying not to break her heart. He was so careful around her and nice to her and she thought he was in love. She was the biggest idiot ever born.

Seeing her gulping her food, Abhimanyu stares in confusion. She hated it but she was eating like she was starved and suddenly she had dropped the topic of their relationship like a hot potato. What was going on with this girl? He was trying to figure out a way to tell her the truth about their relationship. He did not want to tell her that she meant the world to him and he couldn't fathom living without her and scare her away. He needed to be gentle and go step by step. How he was supposed to do that was beyond his imagination.

Nikki coughed abruptly, the food she had been shoving fast getting stuck. He got up and patted her on the back and gave her some water.

"Thanks" she choked out.

"Nikita…..what is wrong with you…..just eat slowly….you aren't going anywhere" he tells her and she nods her head silently.

She finishes her food and hands him the plate. "Look Nikki…..we should talk about what Armaan said" Abhi starts when Nikki looks away in embarrassment.

"I …..Can we…talk later…..I have a headache and want to sleep" she makes an excuse, not ready to hear how she had been mistaken and how he was just being kind to her. They might not be together but his closeness affected her. She did want him to stop by and spend time with her. She liked him as a friend, if she could call him that.

"Oh God" she muttered holding her head. She needed her memory back or she would go insane thinking about what to think. Abhimanyu thinks she is in pain and goes near her, gently touching her forehead, checking for fever but is relieved to find that she is fine.

"Ok….you rest Nikita……I will leave now" he says, deciding not to bother her right now. They could always talk later. He bid her goodbye and walked out leaving a very angry and embarrassed Nikki.

The next few days were really busy for Abhimanyu with delegates of the New Sanjeevani project arriving and a million meetings back to back. His time spent with Nikki shortens due to his commitments but he tries his best to drop in to see her progress as much as possible. All he can manage is a few rushed moments but he still makes time to see her.

Nikki on the other hand put her full concentration on getting well and spent as much time as her body allowed, trying to get back on her feet. Abhimanyu's visits had decreased sharply and if she had any doubt that that they were a couple, it had vanished. She felt sad but then she did not want to read much into a relationship which was plain friendship and be heartbroken about it. Her heart refused to believe that he wasn't hers but her mind kept putting forth the proofs before her. The struggle between her heart and mind was exhausting and she gave up on it.

A few days later, Abhimanyu walked in her ward to see her walking slowly around her room. Joy overtook him and he rushed and hugged Nikki, stunning her in the process. His Nikki was back on her feet. He was thrilled and just couldn't help but take her in his arms. He didn't ever want to let go of her. He had missed spending time with her in the past week and now he had walked into the happiest hour of his life.

She was back in his arms. The hug was a surprise but a pleasant one. He was hugging her tightly and she couldn't fathom why. "Abhimanyu" she softly called out his name, reminding him that he was imprisoning her in his arms.

He stepped back but did not release her, holding her around her waist. "Hmmm" he asked looking down at her smiling. She blushed at his caressing gaze.

"Why….why are you….happy" she asks, trying to say the right word.

Abhi places a kiss on her forehead and Nikki's mouth falls open in shock. "I am so glad to see you walk….you have made my day" he tells her happily.

This man was an enigma, she concluded. She would never understand him….EVER. What was he to her? The question came back to haunt her and this time she needed her answers. If they were friends, he wouldn't hold her like she was a fragile doll and look at her like she was his whole world. Come what may, now Nikita Malhotra would find her answer to the puzzle in her life called Abhimanyu Modi.

"Ahem…..excuse me" they hear a deep baritone from the door of her ward and Abhimanyu turns to look at who was interrupting them. His hand remains at her waist and he turns to find a tall, handsome man, with twinkling eyes, about his age, standing there with a half smile gracing his lips.

"Yes?" Abhi asks looking at the smiling stranger who strode in confidently inside and was looking at Nikki with a smile. He saw his Nikki smile back at him and did not like it at all.

"Dr. Nikita Malhotra?" he asked looking at Nikki and when she nodded he turned towards Abhi and smiled at him too. "You…I am sorry I was told that I would find her here" he asks Abhi.

"Dr. Abhimanyu Modi…..Head of Sanjeevani" he introduces himself.

"Oh I have heard a lot about you Dr. Modi……a pleasure to meet you….I am Dr. Gaurav Khanna…..head of Neurosurgery at Breach Candy" he smiles and shakes Abhimanyu's hand.

"And this beautiful lady here would be my patient ….Dr. Nikita…..right?" he asks extending his hand and Nikita shakes it, a beautiful smile on her face and Abhimanyu's eyes narrow, taking in the new doctor's attitude. He hated him already.

"May I call you Nikita or would you prefer Dr. Nikita" Gaurav asks trying to put her at ease.

"Nikita would be fine" she replies, stepping out of Abhimanyu's arms, trying to stand on her own.

"Nikita it is then……Dr. Modi, I will be here for a few days, trying to figure out why such a lovely lady can't remember her beautiful memories" he turns towards Abhi "If it wouldn't be a problem can you tell me where I could set up my office?" he asks politely.

"Sure…..follow me…..let's see what Dr. Shashank has figured out for you" he leads the way outside. He turns to see Gaurav smiling at Nikki and giving her a quick hug and that sets his teeth on edge.

"Pretty lady" Gaurav remarks offhandedly to Abhi while following him outside.

"She is taken" Abhi replies and Gaurav lifts an eyebrow.

"Lucky Man" he smiles at him and they walk into Shashank's office to study Nikki's case.

~Love Me Tender~ Part 6

"What?" Nikki says softly but her eyes register shock, which turns into surprise and then contentment but she lowers her eyes immediately to hide the last expression which she knew wouldn't be missed by Armaan who was keenly watching her.

The words though shocking, made her feel happy. Her feelings and the thoughts which had been cropping in her mind without warning, at his nearness could be put down to a reason now. She had not lost her brains but the tug her heart felt and the happiness which engulfed it, the moment he walked into the room was because they loved each other. She blushed at the thought of being in love with the handsome man, who right about now was furious with rage at Armaan.

"What?" Abhimanyu bellows his eyes burning with rage but he is helpless as Nikki looks up at him sharply from her pondering at his almost hysterical scream. He closes his eyes from her frank gaze not wanting to confuse her or simply not wanting her to look into his soul as she was unknowingly apt at doing.

All he wished was to strangle the pest called Armaan Malik. His hands clenched at his sides at the mere thought of it, the blood gushing in his head. He was so mad at that dimwit that he really wanted to throttle him dead. He talked to himself to calm down for Nikki's sake. She did not need to see this and this very thing had landed her here in the first place.

"Is it true?" her soft, unsure voice compels him to clamp his rage and open his eyes. The dimwit was laughing at him so he decided to just look at Nikki. "She matters, she is important" he repeated in his mind, trying to ignore her friend. That part, he would take care of later.

She was looking at him with a question and a mixture of fear and excitement in her big beautiful eyes. He could see that she was not sure how to react to the news. He really wanted to kill Armaan. He had put her in quandary again.

He went closer to her and glared at Armaan who moved from her side and went and stood with his back to the wall. Abhimanyu turned in his direction and in a frigid tone asked, "Are you done or have something more to say to your best friend, who by the way isn't in the best shape" using sarcasm as a weapon.

Smiling, Armaan raises his hands and shakes his head in a No. Nikki looks at this brief exchange with interest trying to figure out if Abhimanyu was mad that she found out that they were together or was he angry that Armaan had spilled the beans and he was worried for her. She desperately wanted to believe that he was worried for her but his expression belied her thought.

"So if you are done…..you can leave" he tells Armaan who gives him a smile, which his hand itches to wipe off his smug face. That irritating, interfering so called friend had done it again; created another round of confrontation between him and her.

"Actually Dr. Modi, I am here to take Nikki for her physiotherapy session and am waiting for a wheelchair…..so you two" he points at both, "continue….don't mind me" he completes, dragging Abhi's temper through the roof. He took a step forward towards Armaan, ready to punch him in the face.

All this while, Nikki had been watching Abhimanyu closely. He was really angry, so angry that his anger was palpable and the tension in the room could have been sliced with a knife. It's a simple question….why is he so angry? Nikki wondered, not understanding his anger at all.

"Abhimanyu" she called his name softly, before his anger got the better of him and he throttled her friend, the wish stamped on his face and very easy to read.

At her soft chiming of his name, his attention shifted to her and the rage in his eyes turned to tenderness in a spilt of a second. She drew in a breath at the naked play of emotion on his face but it was gone in a second and a mask of nonchalance replaced it.

"It's a simple question" she tells him and looks up at him with a frank gaze.

"Look Nikki….it's not that simple…..he is out of line here" Abhi tells her, pointing at Armaan.

"Excuse me……what did I say wrong?" Armaan jumps to his own defense and comes and stands next to Nikki, his hand on her shoulder. Abhimanyu's eyes register his possessive action and then he understands that it was not a slip of tongue but a very deliberate and planned action from Armaan's side. What he is unable to understand is Why?....Why did he need to do something like this. They needed to talk. Actually he needed to talk with the friend and give him a piece of his mind.

Before Abhimanyu can answer, the nurse arrives with the wheelchair and tells them that Nikita needs to reach for her session in time and Armaan wheels her out of the room. Nikki's probing gaze refuses to leave Abhimanyu all the while , so he goes near her and tells her, "I'll see you later……take care of yourself and work hard …OK" and as he tries to touch her cheek, she moves her face away and looks the other way, her anger apparent in her eyes and rigid stance.

Abhimanyu stands back, knowing that he was in big trouble. Armaan…..it was all thanks to him. He shakes his head and goes back to his meetings. Though his day is extremely busy with back to back meetings and not a second to breathe in between, he still manages to keep a check about Nikki's condition, half his mind on her. Finally he gets done around 6:30 pm and decides to go and meet Nikki , who, he knew was going to be furious at him.

Instead of walking towards her ward, he goes to his office and flops on his chair tiredly, thinking about how to handle the new situation thrust on his head. Rubbing the back of his neck, he closes his eyes and lays his head on the back of his chair. He had not slept well since the pool incident. He was tired but Armaan Malik was hell bent upon extracting some or the other revenge from him. He sighed tiredly.

That man made him furious but till his antics were limited to hurting him, he could handle it. Today though, he had gone too far. What had made him tell Nikki so dramatically that she was his girlfriend?

His mind got stuck on the word girlfriend. It felt weird….not that he didn't like the implication of the word, but he knew that it was far from the truth. He was madly in love with her and if there was any doubt left in his mind as to how much she mattered to him, her accident and subsequent memory loss had made sure that he realize the full force of his feelings.

Nikki's feelings….they were a different story altogether. He always felt that her feelings for him were governed by Armaan. He hated that name. He made a face and poured himself a glass of water and drank it thirstily. She has never told him her feelings not that she hadn't tried but it had not mattered at that time. Burning anger had never made him listen to whatever she had come to say. Her emotions in limbo and the insecurity it brought with it were getting difficult to handle.

He massaged his head, as he could feel the start of a raging headache. A headache he couldn't afford as he still had to talk to his girlfriend .He picked up the phone and instructed that Dr. Armaan be paged to report to his office. He was going to kill him today and finish the problem once and for all.

Armaan entered his office and before Abhimanyu could launch into one of his famous moods, he made a serious face and started, "Dr. Modi ….…I had a reason".

Abhimanyu's blazing eyes turn glacial and he sat back to listen to the reason. Armaan knew that he could not blow this or this time he would be dead. What he had thought funny in her ward had not gone down well with his boss.

"I am waiting Dr. Malik….for your reason….do you need some time to think about why you wanted to put your friend's recovery in jeopardy?" Abhimanyu's cold tone cut into his thoughts.

"I spoke to Dr. Shashank, Dr. Modi" he enlightens the man who was rigid with anger, "he said that I could….we could at least make some efforts to remind her stuff….her reports are normal and she is recovering well" he tells him that it wasn't an action to jeopardize his friend's recovery.

"I see….so you decide to tell her that she is my girlfriend? You told her about the same relationship, you have been against since the first day……..why? How does it work to your advantage….now?" he comes to the point and asks the question which had been bothering him.

"What do you mean how does it work to my advantage? She was upset at Riddhima being your girlfriend; I just told her the truth" Armaan replies.

"The truth….…I see……since when is it "the truth" for you?" Abhimanyu makes a quoting gesture with his fingers, "if my memory serves me right, it was just a few days ago you told me that I should stay away from her for her to recover….right?" Abhimanyu throws his past action on his face and gets up to come around his table and stands with his arms folded on his chest and his feet a little apart and looks at his intern questioningly.

"At that time I thought this was the best idea" Armaan mumbles, looking away.

"What changed, Dr. Malik?" Abhi probes.

"Nothing" replies Armaan.

"Lie" points out Abhimanyu.

"Well I just made it easier for you….and you are actually grilling me like a lawyer….what do you want Dr. Modi?" Armaan gets irritated and shoots at him.

"Dr. Armaan Malik, Nikita's best friend, the man who fought tooth and nail with me, who made sure that Nikki doesn't make a mistake by falling for a man who used her….. is helping the same man by making his life easier and asking why it makes him question it…..excellent" Abhimanyu applauds sarcastically and Armaan turns red.

"The truth , for once would help" Abhimanyu says shortly and rests against his table, patiently waiting for the answer and watching closely the play of emotions which flitted across Armaan's face. Looking intently, he observes Armaan's jaw set firmly and he understands that Armaan Malik wasn't going to be upfront with him.

"The truth is Dr. Modi that Nikita needs all the help and support she can get. You love her, as you say" Armaan delivers nonchalantly and Abhimanyu clenches his teeth "but you don't show it well…..do you think confusing her is the answer? Why are you running away from her……afraid?" Armaan asks and Abhimanyu shakes his head resigned to the fact that whatever he may try, Armaan and he were meant to be lifelong enemies sadly bound to suffer each other because they loved one woman intensely.

"Dr. Malik….why do you think telling her randomly about relationships is going to help her?" he questioned him; still trying to get to the truth which he knew had not yet been shared by Armaan.

"Didn't you see how jealous she was? She has a right to know" Armaan argued back.

"Dr. Malik…..was it Nikki who was jealous or you when she mentioned that Riddhima was my girlfriend?" Abhimanyu asked with a wicked half smile and saw Armaan light up with anger.

"Look Dr. Modi…..it's done now….what do you want me to do about it and please keep Riddhima out of it" he tries to tell his senior off.

"Apart from staying away from Nikki, you can't do her a bigger favor so see if you can do that and as far as Riddhima is concerned, then I am talking your language…..if you step in my relationship….I do the same" he tells Armaan and sees him understand his meaning.

"As you have already done what you intended and I am afraid you will spoil it further, so just go now and when you want to share the real reason why you did it……you know where to find me" he says perceptively, shocking Armaan and moves to sit back in his chair and gets busy with his work, leaving Armaan to stomp off in a huff.

After Armaan leaves, Dr. Shashank enters his cabin, delaying him even more in visiting Nikki. Both sit on the sofa and after exchanging pleasantries, Dr. Shashank comes to the point.

"Dr. Modi, I was studying Dr. Nikita's latest scans and reports but can't seem to understand why she can't remember the last 2 years…… was thinking of consulting with the head of Neurosurgery at Breach candy" he shares with him and Abhimanyu nods his head thinking.

"You are one of the best Neurosurgeons Dr. Gupta ….if you think getting another consult would help…..I will gladly acquiesce to that" he tells the senior doctor, "I am sure another perspective can do us no harm in her case."

"Dr. Modi……I have sent her case details to Dr. Khanna and am waiting to hear from him…..though not complicated, this sure is unusual but then any case related to the brain is…..and Dr. Khanna has a special interest in these kind of cases" Dr. Shashank tells him, "Hope he is interested enough to take time out for this in his busy schedule."

After discussing some more, Dr. Shashank leaves and when Abhimanyu looks at his watch, his heart skips a beat. It was 8 pm and he hadn't seen Nikki for almost the entire day. He shoots out of his chair and walks towards her ward.

He was dead meat. He knew that his girlfriend was going to be furious with him. How was he supposed to deal with this? Their earlier fights had been clashes and he was always the furious one. Now the tables had turned and he had no idea how he would deal with Nikki. Whatever he expected, it wasn't a smiling Nikki waiting for him. He blinked his eyes a few times to make himself believe that he was not imagining things.

"Hello Abhimanyu" Nikki smilingly answered his greeting and put down the book she had been reading.

"I…..I am sorry…..meetings" he said a little sheepishly, still expecting her to explode at any moment.

"Of course……you are the head" she said sweetly and smiled. His mouth fell open in disbelief. She was the calmest, he had ever seen. He knew something was wrong….very wrong.

"Nikita…..you are not angry?" he asks her.

"Angry?" she echoes innocently, "for what?"

"I am late …..couldn't stop by at lunch time" he starts but she shakes her head, "Of course not…..I know you have to work….why would I be angry" she replies.

He tries to relax but is unable to do so but still moves on and asks her how her physiotherapy section went and she answers all his queries patiently. Slowly Abhi starts to relax and they talk for a while, when the nurse wheels in her dinner trolley.

When she offers her plate to her, Nikki takes it calmly and the nurse leaves her to eat in peace. Nikki starts eating but after a few bites, requests Abhi to place the tray back on the trolley. He sees that she has barely touched her food and tells her the same.

"Am not hungry" she tells him and urges him to place the tray back.

"Look Nikki….don't start….I have told you that you need to eat….so finish up" he orders and sees anger flare up in her eyes.

"I told you that I am done" Nikki snaps back.

"You are not….just eat" he looks at her sternly but she laughs in his face.

"Why…..who are you to tell me what to do….you are not my doctor nor my boyfriend" she throws at him and Abhimanyu realizes that he had been right not to relax……she was way beyond furious.

"Look Nikki…..eat and then we will talk" he tries to talk sense to her but she is in no mood to listen.

"Really talk? If you wanted you would have come and spoken to me hours ago……but I am sure you were busy fighting with Armaan as to why he told me about our relationship" she accuses.

"Look Nikki…..it's not that.....it is just" he fumbles on how to explain it to her that he hadn't wanted the fact to be announced by Armaan so dramatically but wanted her to remember on her own.

Misinterpreting his fumbling, Nikki snaps back, "I know what it is Dr. Modi…..you are ashamed that your girlfriend is an invalid…..you didn't want to own up…..why do you keep visiting me? To show pity?" she asks him bitterly, her eyes tearing up and the sadness of her heart coming through in her words.

"Nikki….stop it" he comes closer and tries to take her in his arms but she slaps them away.

"I don't need your pity" she sniffles and Abhi sits beside her on the bed and she tries to move herself away but is unable to do so because of her legs and that makes her even more mad, so she turns away.

"Nikki" he turns her face to meet his eyes gently but she refuses to look at him. He takes her face in both his hands and turns it to make him look at her. "I am not ashamed of you….can never be….and it's not pity" he tries to tell her.

"Ok….then what is it?" she asks him directly, waiting for him to answer.

"I am waiting for you to remember that Nikki….I want you to answer me" he tells her, sadness clouding his eyes.

"What if I never remember?" she asks him fearfully, "Will you leave me then?"

"No" he answers and she melts into his arms crying helplessly.

Since a young age she had been fighting with her destiny for love, finally she had gotten it but the irony of it was that she had forgotten the one person who her heart knew loved her more than herself.

Why was love so elusive to her?

~Love Me Tender~ Part 5

"What do you mean Nikki....Initially where was I?" Armaan asks concerned not wanting to believe that his Nikki, his best friend, the girl who had helped him with Riddhima, had forgotten all the beautiful memories they had made together.

"I didn't know you worked here.....when I joined 2 weeks back, you were not here" she tells him what she remembered of her initial days in Sanjeevani when Armaan had gone for a conference to Singapore.

Armaan looks at her honestly confused face and releases his breath in a whoosh. His hands hold her small hands in his and he pats them gently. Nikki looks at his action and her heart slams against her chest. This is not good....he is going to tell me something not good.....I don't want to hear that. Her mouth goes dry and she looks at him wide-eyed. When he doesn't speak but keeps looking at her hand in his, she pulls it out of his grip.

"What.....what are you trying to hide?" she asks agitated.

"I am not trying to hide anything Nikki......why do you think that?" he asks her, trying to buy time.

"I don't know......I feel that everyone is hiding something" she says her eyes tearing up and Armaan gets up and hugs her.

"Thank you.....I am sorry I don't know why I am so cranky......tears just come so easily" she tells him when she gets out of his hug.

"Come on Nikki......it happens.....you are not feeling well......but once you get your strength back......everything will be fine....Ok" he tells her lovingly and she nods her head. "I .....had to thank you for yesterday night too....you know.....I sensed you were here and you held my hand......you know I was dreaming of those horrible fights" she shudders as she thinks about her nightmare and looks at Armaan, smiling lovingly at him.

Taken aback at her confession and remembering Abhimanyu's words, how he had sat beside her, Armaan sighs and looks at his friend who is looking at him adoringly. "It wasn't me Nikki who held your hand" he admits grudgingly.

"Oh" her eyes pop open, "Then who?" she questions herself thinking whose touch could have made her feel so safe. It was a very familiar touch and a soothing voice which had calmed her down and she had fallen back asleep. She tries to think hard, biting her lip but is unable to place anyone so familiar and loving towards her who would do that. Defeated she looks at Armaan, who turns his face away from her.

"You know" she accuses and he turns red when he looks at her. "Why won't you tell me.....I want to know Armaan.....tell me who it was" she demands her voice rising.

"Calm down Nikki.....you know getting excited is not needed" he tries to make her relax but Nikki is in no mood to relax as she is adamant to know who was with her last night.

She needed the answer. She needed to know who had sat so late in the night and held her hand for her? No one she knew had ever done this for her. Not even Armaan. She smiled bitterly. Armaan......her best friend.....she had secretly loved him in college but he had always been too busy chasing chicks to even notice her. She needed to know who it was. She had to know, her heart was restless for the answer.

"Look Armaan....I need answers .....this is a very simple question for you to answer, but the answer is necessary for me......and don't sympathize with me.....just answer" she snaps at him, not ready to give up without a fight.

"A nurse or someone Nikki" Armaan tries to lie but Nikki gets angry and looks daggers at him.

"Armaan Malik.....I know you since we were 10......so try this on someone else ok.....I know it wasn't a nurse.....It wasn't a woman....so now who?" she asks, her arms folded in front of her and her eyes narrowed, wishing desperately that she could walk and then she would have been out of the bed and strangled her best friend happily.

"Fine.....I will tell you....alright.....it was Abhimanyu" he tells her the truth about who had stroked her forehead so lovingly and held her hand through the night.

"Oh" she sits back at the mention of his name and starts thinking again why his touch felt so familiar when he was all but a stranger. "Abhimanyu" she tries out his name as if saying for the first time but it sounds like a familiar name on her tongue. "Abhimanyu Modi" she completes the name and an unknowing smile spreads on her face.

"Yeah the same......if you want I can ask him not to visit you....if he makes you uncomfortable" Armaan jumps to her defense but she shakes her head slowly.

"No.....I am comfortable.....he is nice" she replies not looking at Armaan but twisting her hands in her lap and thinking about how she had felt a shiver down her spine when he had helped her sit.

She always had a feeling that he was restraining himself around her, as if scared of hurting her. Hurting her.....that is what she saw in his eyes and something else she wasn't able to place her finger on. She liked him, he made her feel, she thinks hard for the right word.....safe......yes she could say that and she had seen him watch her intently like a hawk many a times.

Seeing a happy glow spread on Nikki's face at the mention of his nemesis, Armaan grudgingly admits that this love thing they had going between the two of them was helping rather than hampering her. So he decides to use the medicine called Abhimanyu Modi on the patient called Nikita Malhotra.

"Armaan......I wanted to ask you" Nikki starts when Armaan's pager buzzes and with a quick hug he rushes out to his duties. "About Abhimanyu" she completes her sentence to his retreating back.

"I need answers.......about Abhimanyu" she talks to herself and the nurse walks in and gets her to eat breakfast and after that Nikki feels tried, excitement having taken its toll on her and she decides to take a nap.

This is how Abhimanyu finds her when he comes around 10 am to visit her. She was sleeping in a sitting position and to him that looked uncomfortable. He shakes his head seeing her like this. She looked as innocent as a child sleeping with her head against the wall but he knew that there would be a crick in her neck and with injuries galore, she didn't need that. He rang the nurse and asked her for a few pillows and when she gave it to him, very carefully he tried to put them behind her head so at least she could sleep peacefully.

"Mmmmm" she says sleepily and opens her eyes to see Abhimanyu very close to her and her heart starts running wild.

"Feel better" Abhimanyu asks looking down at Nikki who had stiffened in his arms.

Wide-eyed she nods a yes but doesn't trust herself to speak. He straightens and creates some distance between them and she feels like pulling him back. Where did that come from? She wonders.

"Dr. Nikita......if you sleep like this you will get a crick in your neck......so sleep properly.....ok?" he tells her sweetly with a smile and she nods again, trying hard to remember when and where had she met this person and how come she had forgotten him. She looked at him from under her lashes.

He was handsome and when he smiled, as he was doing now, he looked even more appealing. She really did enjoy looking at him and it did not feel weird when he came closer, just an excitement which she could not understand. He was hard to forget......very hard to forget.....but she had managed the impossible. "Why me?" she thinks and looks heavenwards.

"Have you eaten.....taken you medicines?" he asks busy reading her chart and she mumbles a "Yes......that syrup is bitter" she makes a face and Abhimanyu can't help but laugh at her childish behavior.

"Its medicine Nikita......not dessert.....and it's good for you ......so just drink it" he reprimands her and she makes a face towards him.

"Ok....now you need to sleep as much as possible so you get your strength back and eat everything which comes on your plate......understand.....I will personally ask the nurse about that and if you trouble her then I will come and supervise personally" he keeps her chart back and instructs her and her confusion increases.

He behaved as he knew her likes and dislikes. The way he was taking charge of her made her think that he knew her well......very well......but then why could she not place him? How much had she forgotten? She tried closing her eyes and imagining him in her life......wishing to remember any incident, a flash, anything which would connect him to her.

Nothing.......all she drew was a blank. Armaan had told her that he was the one who had held her hand last night. He was always seemed to be there, it should mean something.

He watched her rocking back and forth, her brow furrowed. He knew she was trying to place him. He prayed for a flash or a small memory so she could feel him as a part of her life again. He also knew that this wasn't good for her and she needed to stop.

"Nikita" he calls out to her and she opens her eyes, still blank at where he fit in her life. "Stop stressing yourself......time will heal everything.....please rest" he instructs and starts to walk away, his heart happy about the fact that though Nikki's memory was of no help, her heart recognized him.

"Abhimanyu" she said his name softly and Abhi stopped. A feeling of relief coursed through his body. It felt so good to hear his name from her mouth. He would have preferred "Abhi" but he would take anything. It had been4 days since he had last been addressed by her. Four very long days. He turned towards her and she looked confused.

"I need your help" she says, eyes downcast and he walks back and takes the seat next to her bedside.

"Tell me...how I may help" he asks her and she looks into his eyes. Those eyes, she had seen those eyes, why was it so difficult to remember.

"How much have I forgotten?" she asked outright and saw that he did not turn away from her. He simply looked at her, all his emotions apparent in his eyes. He smiled slightly.

"Nikita.....why are you in such a hurry? It's not important right now" he starts when she takes his hand in hers and says, "Please......It is important for me.....please Abhimanyu" she implores and Abhimanyu untangles her hand and shakes his head.

"No.....what is important is you getting better.....so just rest" he says a little strictly and gets up to leave but hears a sob. He rolls his eyes and turns back to see Nikki looking at him with tears and that melts him.

"Two years" he replies and she gasps.

"Two years?" she repeats incredulously, shaking her head.

"Why?" she questions and he shrugs.

"I have the same question but Dr. Nikita, sometimes all the questions don't have an answer or maybe the answer isn't easy to understand" he tells her, unable to answer her why.

"Did I....Do I....know you?" she asked, putting her feelings in question.

"You worked with me for almost a year so.....yes" he answers.

"How well?" she asks him.

"Well enough or maybe not that well......you did forget me" he hides his pain behind a joke and she smiles at his feeble attempt at humor.

"Now Dr. Nikita.....rest......we can play the questionnaire game later... ...Ok...I have to go to a meeting" he gently touches her cheek and her eyes close reflexively, enjoying his touch. She opens her eyes to find him gone.

"He didn't tell me anything either.....Sadu" she throws the pillow down in a fit of anger.

"Sadu.....sadu" she repeats trying to remember why it felt right to call him that. She gives up and falls asleep.

The day passes swiftly at Sanjeevani and when Abhimanyu stops by before leaving, he sees that her dinner was untouched and she was reading. He goes inside and looks pointedly at the food.

"You didn't eat" he questions her a little angry.

"I was waiting for you" she smiles impishly, knowing full well that he was angry and she felt right to rile him.

"Really? Why?" he asks coming closer, his dark gaze probing and suddenly Nikki doesn't realize what she should answer. The idea to rile him had come out of nowhere and she had followed her instinct but now she had no idea how to deal with his questions.

"To.....To complain" she improvises.

"Complain.....I see....about what Nikita?" he asks her, his eyes twinkling and he stands with his arms folded across his chest and head bent a little sideways.

"He looks so cute" she thinks and then mentally slaps herself for her wayward thoughts, which seemed to crop up at an inopportune time in her head.

"You are the head of the hospital......so I wanted to complain to you that the food is aghhhh" she makes a face and shudders.

"Oh really?" he raises an eyebrow and inspects the food and gives her a questioning look, "Everything looks fine"

"It's bland and tasteless......I don't want it......I want something spicy" she says stubbornly.

"Dr. Nikita....eat up.....and stop this drama.....do you get it.....you need to eat for you to take the medicines......get out of here and eat what you want" he tells her a little harshly and she turns her face away understanding that he was right but not wanting to eat.

"Now" he says a little loudly and she picks up the plate, "Fine.....Sadu" she mumbles and Abhimanyu looks at her sharply.

"What......what did you just say?" he asks excited that maybe she remembered something. "Nothing" she replies shoving food in her mouth and Abhi sits and watches her like a hawk. After she is done he makes sure that she takes her medicine and leaves for his home.

This continues for the next few days. Abhi comes in, meets Nikki in the morning, stops by at lunch time and also pays attention to her at dinner. Nikita always waits for him to come and force her to eat, enjoying his undivided attention.

The pattern goes by unquestioned by both. Nikki looks forward to his visits to brighten her day, not understanding why he made her feel the way she felt. She knew he cared. It showed in his every action; the way he walked in like he owned the place, the way he dealt with her firmly but lovingly, the amount of time he had spent with her. All spoke as if they had shared a time together which was away from her professional life.

She wished she remembered. How could she have forgotten something so beautiful? She stops her line of thought right there. She hadn't even thanked him for holding her hand......had pretended that she hadn't remembered.....why? The answer was simple......she was shy. Shy? Now why was she so shy around him. It wasn't as if she were in love or anything.

She shakes her head to clear her thoughts. The feelings he aroused were very familiar to her and they resembled Love a lot. Love......if she was in love, she wouldn't have forgotten him and if she had, he would have reminded her. Wouldn't he? This was crazy. She needed answers.....she needed to remember the last two years to understand everything. She had tried but hadn't remembered anything. Instead her head stared paining so much that she had stopped stressing.

Abhimanyu on the other hand couldn't stay away from her. He had to limit his visits so as not to scare her away or force her to remember. He knew that wasn't good for her. She hadn't remembered him by her bedside. That made him sad but he just dealt with it. He knew that her heart recognized her. She was her former impish self with him. She didn't eat till he came and then just kept complaining how bad everything was. He could see the glimpses of old Nikki, his Nikki.

This was an improvement though. No fighting.....but he missed that.....he missed everything about her but what he missed the most was the love he had started to see in her eyes for him. The guilt hadn't gotten any less just had eased into a nagging pain. He massaged his head and stopped thinking. He needed to take care of her and that was all he allowed himself to think from now.

Few days later Riddhima walks in alone to visit her without the rest of the boisterous gang and Nikki is excited to finally ask her friend a few questions which were bothering her.

Riddhima checks her up and tells her that her physiotherapy sessions will start from tomorrow and Nikki is happy to start the exercises to get back on her feet. The girls start talking and finally Nikki asks her, "So who is the secret admirer?"

"Well you know him" Riddhima teases laughingly, "You meet him here every day and enjoy spending time with him" she gives a hint and Nikki's smile dims.

"Come on Riddhima tell me" she asks.

"Guess.....hasn't he told you as yet?" she asks incredulously.

"Who Riddhima?" Nikki asks.

"He visits you every day and you are still asking me?" Riddhima refuses to divulge and smiles at Nikki's exasperation.

"Riddhima" Nikki pleads but her pager goes off and she rushes out. She stops at the door and looks back, "Figure out Nikki .....you see him all the time and let me help you......he is very sweet and caring" and waves and runs out.

Hearing that, the smile disappears from her face. Abhimanyu. He visited her every day. So he was engaged to Riddhima.....then why was he being so nice to her? She never could understand him. He had come every morning, noon and evening to visit her. Here she was thinking maybe they had known each other,but as her luck would have it, he was engaged. This made her mad. She didn't understand why but she was angry and he would know. She didn't need anyone's pity. She could look after herself. She wasn't disabled. Tears of fury cloud her eyes but she just rubs them away.

Abhimanyu walks in at lunch time and Nikki had worked herself into a ball of fury. She silently ate her lunch, not wanting to talk to him.

"You like this?" he asks her assuming that the chirpy girl was silent because she enjoyed her lunch.

"I want you to leave ....that's why" she replies shortly.

He looks up sharply at her tone and his eyes search her face for answers. "Leave? Are you tired?" he gets up and puts his hand on her forehead to check if she was running a temperature as she was suddenly snappy. She slaps his hand away and looks away.

"What is wrong with you?" he asks her firmly, unable to understand what could result in her being so sulky.

"Me? You dare to ask what is wrong with me...... You are the one who is playing a charade and you ask me?" her voice starts to rise and he realizes that she is furious at him. His heart stops for a second. Had she remembered everything? That is why she was back to hating him. Well if that was the case then he was at least happy that she was back to her normal self again. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before he turns to her.

"If you tell me what's wrong then maybe" he starts in calm voice but hears her snort with anger.

"I don't need your pity.......just leave me alone and go and take care of your girlfriend" She throws at him and Abhimanyu is confused.

"Excuse me? Girlfriend?" he asks at an absolute loss to understand what she was saying.

"Yeah.....girlfriend......Riddhima" she throws at him, her insane, uncontrollable jealousy, which she didn't understand or stop to understand comes to the forefront.

"Riddhima?" Abhimanyu repeats the name surprised, " Riddhimma is" but Armaan's voice interrupts him.

"Is my girlfriend" he completes the sentence and Nikki looks up shocked.

"Y....Your girlfriend?" and when everything falls in place she colors with embarrassment. She had been so jealous that she had launched at him without even trying to confirm from anyone else about the facts.

"Sorry" she mumbles without looking at Abhimanyu and Armaan watches the exchange trying hard to control his laughter. Nikki, his friend had landed with the quintessential foot in her mouth. He really wanted to see how The Boss was going to deal with his girlfriend now. So he stands in a corner, calmly watching the two.

"You thought.....Riddhima?" Abhi is unable to believe that Nikki had launched at him just because she thought that for some insane reason he was going out with Riddhima. He thought back at the time spent together and didn't remember mentioning Riddhima even once.

"I said na .....sorry" Nikki apologizes, wishing she could disappear. He shakes his head unbelieving.

"Why would you think that?" he asks still incredulous.

"I.....asked....Riddhima" she starts slowly and Armaan can't believe that the man who was legendary in Sanjeevani for his temper was dealing so patiently with his friend.

"Do they even know how to fight? Or this lion act is only for us?" he thinks looking at the two.

"Did she say that?" he asks and she shakes her head a no. "Then?"

Nikki looks at Armaan helplessly, at a loss to deal with the man standing in front of her whose gaze was turning cold by the second. She gulps and implores like a school girl to Armaan with her eyes, to help her. Armaan Raises his hands and mouths a No and signals with his hands that if he helped, Modi would kill him. Looking at Nikki stare behind him and catches Armaan in the act.

"Dr. Malik?" he questions and Armaan raises his hands in surrender.

"Dr. Modi" he replies and moves towards the couple.

Nikki looks from one man to the other, helplessly.

"Nikita......Riddhima is my girlfriend......not his" he engulfs her in a semi hug and then looking straight at Abhimanyu, he says, "His girlfriend is " and watches Abhimanyu's eyes register shock and turns slowly towards Nikki and says, "YOU" and sees the same shock reflect in her eyes.

~Love me Tender~ Part 4

Dr.Armaan Malik….. Armaan ....Nikki's best friend…..the bane of his existence.

Holding Nikki's hand to lend her comfort, Abhi's thoughts shift to Armaan. From day one there had been an underlying tension between the two. He had started as the head of Sanjeevani, replacing Dr. Shashank. He knew it would never go down well with anyone in Sanjeevani. He had told the board so, but how much could you explain to hardnosed businessmen whose bottom-line was profits.

Dr. Shashank's reputation preceded him. He was not only a well known neurosurgeon but an equally loved and respected boss and human being. The first job they had given him was to fire Dr. Keerti. He closed his eyes shaking his head at the memories. He had done his job and though rest of the parties understood perfectly well that it wasn't his own decision but the board's he was implementing, Dr. Armaan Malik had to start his revolt.

One after the other memories came flooding back…..Riddhima confronting him in the lift, Armaan and the interns fighting to get Dr. Keerti back, Save Sanjeevani Concert, Nikki….he stopped right there, reminiscing how he had found her heart broken after the concert and how she had tried to do everything in her power to get fired and how he had done everything in his power to make her stay.

His face twisted into a humorless smile, a smile which was mocking to his own self. To make her stay…..for what? For one day to be fighting death? It would have been better if he had let her go. She would have still been in love with Armaan and not him but would have not been in this situation and his heart wouldn't have been shattered into a million pieces.

He hadn't even realized when he had fallen in love with her amidst all that fighting and teasing. One thing though he knew for sure, he had fallen hard….she was his life and he could not live without her how much he tried to make himself believe otherwise.

His thoughts shifted back to Armaan. How he had interrupted their tender moment outside Drs. Keerti and Shubhankar's wedding venue. He always jumped in even if he wasn't needed. He had tried his best to make Abhimanyu uncomfortable and when Nikki was on the verge of sharing her feelings, Armaan had decided to make an appearance. Abhimanyu's temper spiked at the mere thought of the pool incident but he shook his head to clear away the memories. These memories had done enough damage already in his life. He did not need to hold on to them. He needed to move on, make new and better memories with Nikki. She needed him and he needed her…..desperately.

His eyes narrowed and he resolved to himself, "This time Dr. Malik, I will make sure that you don't come between us . This time Nikki, I will show you what love is all about" his eyes soften at the last part and he lovingly rubs his thumb on her hand.

Watching her sleep soundly, he gently untangles his hand from hers and gets up to leave for home. It had been a long day. He had found out that his Nikki was going to be lost to him forever but thankfully he had gotten her back. The fighter in her had made her fight for her life and come back to him, to fight some more. He laughed a little at his analogy of her.

He loved her spirit, he loved her smile, he loved how her eyes flashed when she was arguing, he loved how she looked everywhere but at him as soon as he came close to her, he loved to see her blush……he loved her so much. He would make sure that all these emotions played back on her face soon, but this time, exclusively for him.

He bent down to place a kiss on her forehead and she turned her face towards him a secret smile on her lips. He gently touched her nose and whispered in her ear, "When you wake up Nikki, I will make sure you remember who kissed you…..how much ever you don't want to remember me, I will fight with you till the end to make sure you remember how much I love you" and cupped her face and brushed his lips with hers. He straightened and watched her for some more time and finally managed to tear his gaze away from her peaceful face and walked into the dark night, determined to win his love back.

The next day, Abhimanyu reached Sanjeevani bright and early and his heart and feet lead him straight to Nikki's ward. He saw her door open and walked in to see her struggling to sit up. She was pushing herself up on her arms with all her might. She was biting her lower lip to control her pain and her face was a little red with her effort and her breathing labored. He wanted to rush to her side and help her sit up but he knew that this action of his would not endear him to her.

Very softly he uttered, "You can take help from the nurses Dr. Nikita" and saw her eyes flying to his face at the sound of his voice. He saw a hint of tears in her eyes for her inability to sit and her disability but she swallowed them as soon as she saw him.

"I wanted to try on my own" she avoided looking at him, her eyes lowered. She did not understand why her heart started hammering when he was in her vicinity. Armaan had told her something about him being hers but she couldn't understand what he meant. She looked at him from the corner of her eyes and saw him looking at her intently.

He came forward and asked her gently, "Do you want my help?" His eyes were kind. He looked at her with not the professional stare of a doctor but as if he knew her well but was waiting for her to be comfortable with him.

"I…I don't know" she whispered, confused at the thoughts which were muddling her brain. Her heart answered a resounding yes to his query but her brain told her that he was a stranger to her.

He gave her a small smile and she smiled back at him confused. He had not gotten mad at her answer but was dealing patiently with her. "Would you prefer a nurse….I can ring for her" he helped her out of her dilemma and she shook her head a no.

"It …..It's Ok…..if you help me" she said hesitantly and he simply came forward and helped her sit up. As soon as his arms went around her waist, to lift her up, her breath hitched in her throat. His perfume filled her senses and it was a very familiar and comforting feeling. Instinctively, her hold on his shoulder tightened and she bunched his shirt and let his strength lift her into a sitting position. Having him this close made her heart go wild with happiness.

Happiness? Why was she happy? She didn't even know him and she was happy that he was close to her? She let go of him as soon as he helped her sit and when very slowly he took his arms away, she felt bereft. He looked at her, his hand rising to touch her face but she noticed that it fell back on his side as soon as he noticed her staring up at him confusedly. He took a step back and sat on the stool next to her.

"How do you feel?" he asked her, taking the chart from her bedside and starting to study it and she felt as if he had deliberately created a distance between them and she hated him for it.

Hated? Now she hated him because he was behaving like a doctor? She was going crazy…..she needed to get her mind checked….had the accident been so severe that she had lost her senses? Catching her staring at him, he looked up and raised an eyebrow and she blushed at being caught in the act.

"What did you say?" she says in a rush to divert him from her staring but she sees a small smile light up. "I wasn't saying….but asking…..how are you feeling?" his eyes laugh at her and she lowers her s to avoid his gaze which was bothering her because she couldn't place him in her memory but the feelings she knew were not new.

"I …I am fine" she blurts but recovers and looks at him, "My legs…..I can't feel them….no one answered me yesterday but I need to know….how bad are my injuries? Will I walk?" she asks him with a catch in her voice and he feels her pain and it reflects in his eyes and she notices.

"I am sorry Nikita" he places his hand on hers and her eyes follow his action. She stills as soon as he touches her, but the contact is brief.

"Sorry?" she questions her brow furrowed and he changes tracks because he knew that this wasn't the time or the place to tell her about how sorry he was that she was in this position and how desperately he wanted his old Nikki back, the one who didn't think twice about jumping down his throat if he remotely teased her.

"Why did you say sorry? I am going to be fine na….…please tell me" she panics and he asks her to calm down.

"Nikita…..I meant …I am sorry that you have to be here…..but yes you will be fine….there is nothing severely wrong with your legs….. you will have them fully back but you might have to go through physiotherapy" he tells the agitated girl and sees her relax a bit at his answer.

"Ok" she says in a small voice and Abhi feels guilty at having put her in this position. "I am always so careful….I…I can't remember the accident….I am trying hard" she mumbles to herself her brow furrowed.

"Nikita…..don't stress yourself…..you will remember everything with time….please concentrate on getting better and letting time heal some wounds" he advises her and she nods. He smiles at her and she returns a half hearted smile back.

There is a knock at her door and Armaan enters smiling at Nikki and giving a dark look to Abhimanyu who returns the favor. A smile lights up her sad face as soon as she looks at her friend and Abhi observes quietly.

"How are you Nikki?" Armaan greets her and she smiles.

"Better" she answers.

The nurse follows in and tells the two men to give her privacy as she wanted to do some tests and help her get fresh. They both nod and start to leave.

"I'll be back in a few minutes Nikki…..once you get done…Ok" Armaan tweaks her nose and heads out.

"Take care Nikita…..I will see you around" Abhimanyu says and she nods her head.

Both walk out together and once out of earshot, Armaan turns on Abhi. "You can't stay away from her can you? Or let her be in peace? How is she going to recover without stressing herself if all you try is to remind her of you?" he points an accusing finger at him.

"Dr. Malik….I am not an intern like you….I know what is good for her and what is not……and you are really worried about her….aren't you….then where were you when she was crying in the night due to a nightmare? When she held my hand and asked me not to leave?" Abhimanyu is incensed and gives it back to Armaan. As soon as Armaan opens his mouth to reply, Abhi raises his hand, "Don't bother with your excuses….I know where you were……mooning over Riddhima…..sure shows your concern over Nikki" he finishes caustically and Armaan is outraged.

"Why are you dragging Riddhima here?" he asks taking a step closer but sees Abhimanyu's eyes darken with rage and stops. "It hurt did it not? Now you know how it feels to put your feet on someone's toe…..and Dr. Malik…..before you lecture me on how to deal with Nikki…..either you take the responsibility of looking after her or learn to mind your own business" he gave a piece of his mind to Armaan, who though looking after Nikki was repeating the same pattern as he had been known to time and again.

"I can look after her Dr. Modi……she really doesn't need you" he replied back.

"You know that how?" Abhimanyu asked him, his hands moving to his waist and eyes flashing. His stance reflecting, that he was ready for a verbal duel.

Armaan takes a deep breath to calm himself. He had promised himself and Riddhima that he would understand Abhimanyu's side of the matter but whenever he saw Nikki lying in the hospital bed, his heart broke for her and he felt her pain and that drove him to pick a fight with Abhimanyu.

Somewhere in the back of his mind he still blamed Abhimanyu for everything. Not because he believed it blindly but just coz it happened to dim the pain. He knew the man in front of him loved his best friend. He had seen it in his eyes, actions and words. He needed to give Abhimanyu a break. He needed to work with him for Nikki's sake. Their stupid clashes had already landed her in the hospital .If anything more happened because he was adamant, he would never be able to forgive himself.

"Dr. Malik, I haven't seen you this quiet ever…….. cat got your tongue?" Abhimanyu tried to get a rise out of him but Armaan just grimaced.

"Where were you going? Office or meeting?" Armaan asks avoiding the bait.

Abhimanyu's eyebrows rise in surprise but he is in no mood to relent or play goody two shoes, so he replies, "Why do you need that information? You plan to get the rest of your gang and get them to lecture me too?"

"Look Dr. Modi……I agree I was out of line…..sorry…..Ok…..I just don't know what gets into me….all I can say is that I really worry for Nikki" he tried to make his point understood. The fight goes out of them both and they look away from each other.

"Dr. Malik……I understand your concern………but that doesn't mean you should step into the bounds of our relationship…..I hope you understand" Abhi tries to put across his point in clear words and Armaan nods.

"Dr. Modi…..I understand everything but all I hope is that you don't pressure her to remember you….I know it is difficult for you to live with that" Armaan lays down his concern and Abhimanyu counts till ten to get a grip on his temper. He was trying really hard to explain to Armaan but they were going around in circles. Some or the other way it always came back to Abhi being close to Nikki, being harmful for her.

He closed his eyes and thought of Nikki's beautiful face to control his anger. He opened them a little more composed. "For the last time Dr. Malik…..and I am not going to repeat this…..I care about her getting well too….so stop preaching ….if you can't help us don't try to make anything worse……as for her not remembering me……don't worry….I am in no hurry…..all I care is that she heals well" he tells Armaan with as much patience as he can muster, knowing that if Armaan said one more time that he be careful or anything remotely like that, he would not be able to clamp his urge to throttle him bare handed, Abhimanyu walks away.

Armaan shakes his head at Abhimanyu's retreating figure and walks inside his friend's ward after the nurse walks out.

"So Nikki….you scared us" he tells her laughing, trying to make light of a very tense situation and trying to place a smile on her face.

"A…Armaan….I didn't know you worked here……where were you initially?" Nikki asks him and Armaan realizes that it wasn't only Abhimanyu she had forgotten but everything of their almost two years of internship was lost in the dredges of her memory.

His friend not only needed him but this was the time when Abhimanyu's love and presence would make a world of difference in her life as no one knew the fact that Nikki had run away from her parent's house a long time ago and he had promised her that he would never tell anyone where she was. He was not about to break his promise to her anytime soon and that meant that Abhimanyu and he were going to be her family.