**~PART 7~**

 

 

Recap: Armaan surprises Riddhima on the basketball court but Riddhima faints.

 

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One two and three. One two and three.  I looked around to see cancer patients and other patients looking at me as if I had lost my mind. It wasn't that I had never been in a hospital. I had been. I was a doctor after all,  but those were my patients, this was not my patient but my life. I looked at Dr. Shashank and Anjali who gave me those calm down looks. But I knew I couldn't calm down. Why was the doctor taking too long? 

 

The doctor finally arrived with a  faint smile on his face. " She will be okay. It happens" As he talked to Dr. Shashak, all I wanted to do was see her. I asked the doctor if I could see her and he allowed me too and I and Anjali creeped into her room. At the first thought, I thought I was going to faint. She was wrapped in tubes around her, and a nurse monitoring her. She looked weak, not the vibrant Riddhima I knew. A small smile came across her face and she replied weakly " Di" .  

 

Of course Anjali was her world. If she was my world, Her sister was her world. Anjali was the most important person to Riddhima. I was second or third, It depended. I never asked her about it but everyone knew that for Riddhima, Anjali was her life. I snapped out of my thoughts to see the two sisters hugging. It was a touchy moment. I wish I had a sister who would love me this much thinking back to that rigid past of mine. I was snapped out of my thoughts by Anjali. " Take care of her" and then she left. 

 

I didn't know what to say. It was weird. Here I was standing up in front of Riddhima and I was clueless. She smiled at my weakness and called me over and made me sit down. " Armaan" she replied slowly. I sat down next to her slowly making sure I wouldn't hurt her. Riddhima knew me so well that it scared me sometimes. " Armaan, you are not going to hurt me, I know that. Here sit next to me." I smiled at her telepathy regarding me. I slowly put my hand on her face. It was cold and numb at the same time. I felt I lost my Riddhima somewhere in the process. Riddhima was a balloon of vibrant air and here was someone that was so weak and feeble. I was confused and hurt and tears showered down my eyes.

 

 

She quickly opened her hand to catch my tears. I was touched. " These are priceless for me Armaan. Never ever cry again" I smiled at her. " If you are going to be there to catch them for me, then I'll continue to cry" She smiled at this. Silence windered us for a minute until she spoke again. " Armaan, I want to go home"

 

 

The doctors allowed Riddhima to go home only that she would take care of herself. Dr. Modi gave a large packet of medicines to Riddhima who made a horrible face looking at it. Me and Anjali smiled at the child like Riddhima. Sometimes Riddhima was child and it was hard to go along with her demands. I felt a bit better after seeing the childish Riddhima rather than the weak Riddhima.

 

Back at home, Padma aunty and Nani made sure Riddhima was settled in the room before rushing to the kitchen to make her something. Dr. Shashank left quickly and it was just me, Riddhima, and Anjali in the room. Anjali was talking on the phone with someone while me and Riddhima stared at each other. She was staring at a photograph. I was sitting on Anjali's bed and went over to Riddhima's bed to see what she was looking at.

 

 

It was a picture of all of us interns. Me, Riddhima, Sapna, Rahul, Muskaan, Atul and Anjali.  She smiled at as her hand crossed all those faces and a tear fell down her eyes. She turned and looked at me. Seeing her cry made me feel hurt deep inside. Before I could say anything, Anjali came on over to us. 

 

" Muskaan and all are coming over today Riddhima. They all want to see you and I have a surprise for you" ' Surprise for me?" smiled Riddhima. " Yes, a very good surprise" 

Anjali left to get ready while Riddhima turned towards her closet and made me come towards her. Together we picked out the clothes for her. It was like two best friends doing things for each other. I never thought me and Riddhima would be best friends  because we are completely not like each other at all. We are poles apart. 

 

The party was in full turn. Everyone was enjoying themselves but with a fake smile on their faces.  People were in tears and would occacionalsly brush themselves with few napkins here and there but when Riddhima came, it was only smiles. Riddhima approached Anjali for her gift. 

 

 "Di, what happened to my gift" she smiled wearly. Anjali smiled at her and made her close her eyes. Slowly she opened them to see Sapna standing in front of her. A smile breached her lips and she flung into Sapna's arms. Sapna was touched and hugged her back.  The smile on Riddhima's face was beautiful. I felt like God has danced because that is what Riddhima looked like today. She was dressed in a white and golden oulfit that we picked together and I was dressed in white and black pants. Nani told us we looked like a Heaven's Pair. I was thrilled at this. Everyone knew about us and it was a great feeling.

 

I smiled at Riddhima's innoncence. Dinner was up and everyone left to get it. Riddhima was just sitting there with a smile on her face. I went towards her and sat down. She showed me a picture of us at the Dandiya last year. It was me, Sapna, Atul and Riddhima. Anjali was not there. I don't know why. Anyways she looked so happy and bright. I felt it was the right time to ask her for this. I slowly opened my mouth..

" Riddhima' Will you marry me?"

jenny10002008-12-21 13:56:30