CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN
“Why did you choose to save me? I know I tried to convince you
but knowing us, I know it wasn’t enough for you. I know there’s something else
on your mind.” worried Miral grabs Parnika’s hand who was leaving the cabin
without uttering a word.
“I am just doing my duty as a doctor, Miral. I can’t let my
personal bias prevent me from doing my job. You know the chances and you
happily accepted them. Now all you need to do is wait and watch for the result.
We will surely try out best.” Parnika smiles at Miral and walks out. It was a
fight between heart and brain for Parnika. At once she just desperately wanted
to let Miral on her own and die, but on the other side she now understood the
reason for Jay’s cold reaction. So, Jay
already knows about it? I can’t believe she can stoop so low just to make me
feel bad. She shakes her head as she
gets back into her car.
On returning home, Parnika is surprise by Jay waiting for her in
her drawing room. “How did you enter without the keys?” Parnika asked Jay who
was now smiling like a cheeky kid who had just done something unimaginable.
“Uh, it seems you lost your memory while being out of country. I have spare
keys you remember?” Jay gets up and makes Parnika sit on the couch.
“Pari, I know in the morning it wasn’t the welcome you had
expected but I had no choice. I don’t know how can I convince you but I am
sorry for that. You know I can’t stay mad at you for long. All this time I had
missed you so much that you can’t even imagine. I kept sending you mails but
you never replied even once and when suddenly I am trying to get my life back
on track what do I find? I find you on my front door smiling at me. Do you have
any idea how mad was I when I read your letter? You didn’t even find it worth
to say goodbye on my face? Although, I am sorry for that reaction in the
morning. I just want us to get back like old times. Can it happen Pari?” Jay
takes her hand in his and looks at Parnika in eyes.
A little drop of tear rolls down from Parnika’s eye and flows
down her cheek as she pulls Jay into a tight embrace. “I missed you too duffer(Idiot)”. She hits him playfully
on the head. “Ow, no violence!” Jay rubs his head pretending to get hurt.
“Jokes apart, I need to tell you something about Miral. She has
no idea that I am aware about her condition.” Jay takes her hand in his and
rubs gently.
“What? I thought you would be knowing about it from her
already.”
“No, she didn’t tell me. I had stumbled upon her files one day
and it was a shock for me. I thought she’s just here to flirt, write a book and
have fun. But she wasn’t here for any of these. I somehow made arrangements so
the case goes in hands of Dr Danish Chunawala. It was difficult as he was in
bed due to jaundice for more than a month.”
“Why did you delay her case when you knew its damn serious?”
“I had no idea about it. All I wanted was to get the best doctor
for her. I felt so bad when I realised that flirting back at her wasn’t just
her game but her childhood desperation to defeat you and replace you in my
life. Somehow, it has affected her psyche deeply.”
“So, she doesn’t know that you know about her conditions?”
“No, she has no idea about it. She hates when someone
sympathises with her. If she comes to know about it then I don’t think she’d
even give this treatment a chance.”
“Jay, do you have any idea about how serious her condition is
and what ‘treatment’ is she heading for?” Parnika’s face showed annoyance due
to Jay’s stupidity and somehow she was internally happy that he isn’t seriously
in relationship with Miral.
“No, she doesn’t let me sit with her while she works anymore.
She just works while I am at office.”
“She has just 10% chance of survival if this procedure goes
successful. Else 0% chance anyway. You have no idea what you have meddled into
Jay. Life isn’t your computer program statement where you just place conditions
and it just works. A human life is at stake here Jay. She could’ve spent her
last moments with her family. Looking at your care and love she has decided to
undergo this almost nonsensical procedure which has no idea if it would work or
not. I am so disappointed at you Jay.”
“All I was aware of was about her tumor. I had no idea that it
was the worst condition. But spending time with her for last few months I
realised that she hates her family. She ran away from them to come here. Also,
I just tried that she gets what she was here for. She was here to see Dr Danish
at first place. All I did was somehow made her wait for him a little.” Jay gets
up and walks away looking out of the window.
“Jay, I wanted to tell you something before but seeing Miral and
you introducing him as your girlfriend just messed things up for me.” Parnika
fidgets with her finger. “What do you mean?” Before Parnika could answer, Jay’s
phone rings. “Where are you nutcase? I am standing in front of the door. Could
you just care to send someone with a key?” Khushi’s voice almost burst his
eardrums. “Where are you now?” Jay looks out of the window to find Khushi at
their doorstep. “I am in front of our house you idiot. Now tell me where are
you?” Khushi’s voice made it obvious that she wasn’t happy about something at
all.
“I am coming, wait!” Jay hangs up sliding is phone into pant
pocket and jogs out. Parnika follows him locking the door behind. “Hey! What a
pleasant surprise!” Jay hugs Khushi whose expression just changed from frown to
smile looking at Parnika behind Jay. “When the hell were you two going to tell
me about it?” She slaps Jay on the cheek and folds her arms staring at Jay.
“What was that for? Why are you behaving so weird? Is everything
okay with you?” Jay touches Khushi’s forehead with back of his palm to check
her temperature. “All seems well, what’s wrong Khushi?” Jay looks at his little
sister who is still annoyed at him.
“First of all open this damned door. Let’s get inside then I’ll
tell you what’s wrong and what’s right.” She picks up her bag from the porch
and looks at Jay waiting for him to open the door. Jay opens the door as they
walk inside and sit on the couch. “When the hell you were going to tell me
about you and Parnika?” Parnika’s eyes go wide at Khushi’s question. She nods
her head in ‘no’ to Khushi who fails to understand the situation and charges at
her equally. “And you? What are you nodding your head for? Both of you idiots
decide to marry and don’t even feel the need to share it with me your little
sister huh, Jay?” Parnika hides her face with her hands as if Khushi did a huge
mistake.
“What did you say? I am getting married, with Pari? And I don’t
even know about this?” Jay and Khushi look at Parnika. Parnika was now blushing
and scared at the same time. She wanted to Jay tell the news herself but now
Khushi’s entry made everything a huge mess.
“Who’s getting married Jay?” Miral enters opening the front door
with her spare keys. “Who’s she?” Annoyed Khushi asks Jay whose face seemingly
lost all the blood. “I’m his girlfriend, Miral. Who are you? You look familiar
though.” Miral walks towards Khushi and extends her hand for a shake. “I am
Khushi, Jay’s sister.” She takes her hand and shakes it pressing hard while
smiling at Jay and Parnika while squinting her eyes. For Jay and Parnika it
felt like a moment when the kids make huge mess and are caught by their mother.
“Uhm, Miral, why don’t you go and get a room ready for her. Her room is to the
right that side.” Jay makes a weird attempt to send Miral away.
“I need to understand what’s happening here first. Can anyone
tell me what’s this mess?” Khushi’s anger now knew no bounds. “Khushi, chill. I
know you’re mad but let’s go somewhere out and settle this. Okay? Please
understand..” Jay makes Khushi stand up and walks towards the door. Parnika
follows them thinking what she’d do now.
They enter a coffee shop and order three espressos. “So, which
one of you idiots is going to tell me what’s happening here? Jay, I never
expected you, my brother would be so cheap. Two girlfriends and Marrying
someone else? How cheap can you get huh? What’s with this playboy attitude?”
Khushi tries to maintain her calm as it was a public place. The last thing she
wanted was to create a scene.
“Let me explain please! How dare you doubt your brother Khushi?
You know I don’t do such things. I have no idea about Pari and me getting
married and I don’t know which other supposed girlfriend are you talking
about?” Jay tries to clear his side as Khushi turns to Parnika for explanation.
“Pari, you tell me. I can trust you more than this idiot.
Where’s Anjani? And who’s this Miral now? And why dad told me that you and Bhai are getting married? What’s
happening?” bepuzzled khushi looks at Parnika hoping for answer.
“Anjani left Jay long back and Miral is his present girlfriend.
She like my old arch rival from school days, the one you know about. Jay has no
idea about our marriage. Almost a year back, Ma and Pa had asked me if
I’d like to marry Jay. I had asked for some time to decide, that’s all. I had
no idea that Miral would be here.” Parnika takes her cup of coffee passing
others as the waiter brings their order.
“What nonsense is this? I am not allowed to decide for my
marriage? I am sorry Pari but ain’t I got right to choose my own life partner?”
Jay slaps his thigh in anger looking out of the window. Jay’s question hurt
Parnika more than anything else he had done before. Yes, He’s right. It’s his right to decide whom he wants to marry. I am
one dumbass who just assumed he’d like me more than a friend. God forbid, if he
just thinks of me like he thinks of Khushi. Parnika was looking at Jay
wondering what would happen next.
“So you mean to say, Ma and
Pa decided to get you two married and
they had no idea about my playboy brother’s adventures. What do you both want?
Parnika? Do you really want to marry Bhai?”
Khushi leans towards Parnika who looks back in her eyes and just walks out of
the cafeteria. Jay wants to follow her but he’s stopped by Khushi who heads
after Parnika.
“You didn’t answer my question, Pari.” Khushi grabs her arm as
Parnika tries to walk away. “Pari, stop it. Look at me and say something. I am not
leaving you until you do.” Parnika stops and turns around to face Khushi.
“You really love Bhai,
don’t you? You want to marry him right?” The sudden accusation from Khushi
Parnika’s eyes wide open. “I know you two are really meant to be together. But
when you left bhai like that a year
back, he was devastated. You didn’t even replied to any of his attempts to
communicate with you. You even left your cell-phone back home. What’s going on
inside your head Pari? Will you just tell me? I won’t share it with Jay or
anyone else, I promise.” Khushi holds Parnika’s hands in hers and looks at her
in the eye.
Parnika tries to changes the topic as she notices Jay walking
towards them. Khushi notices the change and drops the topic for now. “You need
to head back home. I’ll talk to you in a while. I have some work that I need to
finish and I am taking Pari with me. You won’t say a word to anyone. I’ll be
back and discuss everything with you later. I’ll need the car.” Khushi takes
the car keys from Jay before he could ask anything and walks away with Parnika.
“You two idiots have created a huge mess. Why don’t you just
confess your feelings to each other like normal people?” Khushi rants out in
frustration while dealing with the crawling traffic. “I wanted to, I tried but
it didn’t work out well the first time.” Parnika makes a failed attempt to
justify her position. “And what about him? He’s grown man now, you can’t just
let him act like a child which right now he is being. I still remember when
hitesh had shown me his condition when I had been here almost half a year
back.” Khushi looks back the road as the traffic starts to move.
Khushi parks the car in front of an antique shop. She gestures
Parnika to follow her as she gets out of the car and walks inside the shop.
Parnika slowly follows Khushi like an obedient kid following her mom. She finds
khushi hugging a girl. The girl’s expressions dropped looking at her which made
Parnika more curious. Suddenly, a thought strikes her. If I am not wrong, the description, antique shop, she should be Anjani!
Parnika stood still as if she was dead bolted into the ground.
“Pari,
its Anjani, and Anjani, meet Parnika.” Khushi introduces both the girls who at
one time wanted to be the only one in Jay’s thoughts. The stress from jet lag,
encounter with Miral and now Anjani was slowly catching up with Parnika. She
had started to lose the track of time and everything felt too much for her. She
was struggling to understand what was happening in her life.
Kindly read it at the original source at www.dhawaljoshi.in. Also, do share your views in the comment section below. Thank you for your attention.
<< Previous || Index || Next >>
