sorry it took so long! exams are coming up...so a little low on time here!
anyway, here's the next part! hope u guys enjoy it!!!
At the hospital, Manvi is waiting for the doctor to come in to take her for chemo. She and Virat are playing a VS game on each of their phones. It is a game of Tetris and both are competing to see who would lose first. Both are concentrating intently. Then, suddenly Manvi coughs. Virat immediately looks up, his game forgotten. He looks at Manvi, fear making his heart beat speed up. Virat jumps up, about to run to her to give her water. Manvi stops coughing, her eyes still fixated on the game. He heaves a sigh of relief. She was okay. It was just a simple cough. That had almost given him a heart attack.
"Yes!" Manvi squeals, laughing and punching the air. Virat looks down at his phone, the words "YOU LOSE!" screaming at him. He had lost. But he didn't feel an ounce of regret, because she had won.
Virat feels himself also becoming happy, although he had just lost. He hated losing, but today, he was glad he had lost, because that meant that she had won. Just seeing her excited made him feel happy as well. That was something that had never happened to him before. No matter how hard he and everyone tried, making him happy was a difficult task. But Manvi did it so easily. All she had to do was smile, laugh and he would feel that joy blooming inside his heart as well, no matter what the situation was. It was like he was the one experiencing all that joy. That was Manvi, spreading joy without even knowing it herself. It was a strange, yet wonderful feeling. Like that feeling he had when Manvi had hugged him. When he had felt her arms around him. He had hugged people before. His mom, brother, badi ma, even Maya...but that hug. Manvi's hug, it was different. It felt...like home. Home. Yes. Like he was meant to be there. Like he belonged in those arms, something he hadn't felt for a long, long time. He felt safe in there, protected, secure, happy. He had always felt it, but that feeling was especially strong today, maybe because it was the first hug since he realised what Manvi meant to him.
Suddenly, his phone rings. He sees it's Viren.
"Haan bhai." He answers. Manvi looks up. Both of them smile at each other. Viren tells Virat that Jeevika knows about Manvi's cancer. Immediately, his smile fades and Manvi notices.
"Partner? Kya hua?!" she asks anxiously. Virat turns to her.
"Kuch nahi, Partner. Bhai yeh keh rahe the ki traffic jam hai, phas gaye hain. Aane mein der ho jaayegi." He says calmly. Manvi breathes a sigh of relief.
"Main aata hoon." He says, walking out of the room.
Once outside, he asks Viren, "Bhai, Babhi teekh hai?"
"Haan Virat. Teekh hai. Hum aa rahe hain. Manvi kaisi hai?" Viren replies.
"Teekh hai, Bhai. Kuch hi der mein uska chemo shuru hone waala hai." Virat replies.
"Teekh hai. Bye." Viren hangs up. Virat takes a deep breath. Finally Jeevika knew. He was glad Viren had told her. He knew how much pain Manvi would have gone through if she had to say it herself. How much pain she would have to endure. The cancer was already draining her out, both physically and mentally. This extra responsibility would tear her apart. Manvi couldn't even bare to see a single tear or even a scratch on Jeevika, how would she be able to bear giving her so much pain? He turns to go back into the room.
"Partner? Dono bhaiyon ka secret itna bada hai ki mujhse bhi chupana pada?" she is pouting, arms crossed across her chest.
Virat smiles and walks towards her. "Nahi Partner, tumse kya chupana?" he says, kneeling down in front of her.
"Accha? To bahar kyun gaye? Yahan mere samne baat nahi kar sakthe kya?" for some weird reason, the idea that Virat was hiding something pained her. She didn't know why. She had no reason to feel anything. It was Virat's life, he could keep whatever secrets he wanted...but from her? That made her uneasy.
Virat smiles and places his hand on hers. Gently, he pulls her hand away from her chest. "Partner. Itna shak? Biwi ban gayi ho meri? Arrey yaar awaaz nahi aa rahi thi isiliye gaya bahar." She looked cute while she was angry. And what he liked even more, was trying to pacify her. Manvi's ears pricked when Virat said "biwi". Quickly, her mind dismissed it. That word didn't mean anything to her. What was wrong with her?
"Teekh hai. To batao. Kya kaha jiju ne?" she asks, pulling her hand away from Virat.
"Ok. Bhai ne bhabhi ko sach bata diya." His hands reach out to hold Manvi's again, his eyes scanning her face for the pain he knew was coming.
"Bata...diya?" she repeats. He nods. Manvi feels her eyes filling up. Her di knew? Was she okay? She was probably crying her eyes out now, all because of her. If there was one person she couldn't stand to see cry in this world, it was her Di. And now...Jeevika was already unwell, and on top of that, jiju had told her about her disease? Why? How was she handling it? Jeevika would panic over her smallest injuries, how would she react to this? Jeevika had bawled her eyes on when Manvi had left for Hrishikesh, what would happen now that she knew Manvi would probably leave this world? Her breathing quickens. Was her di okay?
"Di...di kaisi hai Virat?" she asks, her voice shaking. She is panting now, her breaths shallow and fast. Tears are already falling from her eyes. "Manvi? Manvi relax!" Virat's hand reaches behind her to rub her back.
"Babhi bilkul teekh hai. I promise. Bhai hai na unke saath? Tum itni tension mat lo." He says, gently thumbing away her tears. This only made him feel more grateful to Viren for revealing it to Jeevika and not leaving that to Manvi. Her condition would have plummeted if she had to witness her di break down in front of her. He looks at her, tears are still pouring out of her eyes. He leans closer to her, squeezing her hand. "I promise." He whispers again. Manvi looks into his eyes. Sincerity, that's what she saw. Her breathing slowed. She trusted him, she realised. She believed what he was saying, without a single trickle of doubt.
"Miss Manvi? Aapke chemo ka waqt ho gaya hai." Comes a voice, breaking their connection. Virat clears his throat, embarrassed, and moves away.
The doctor brings in a wheelchair and asks Manvi to get on. Manvi's face scrunches up in disgust. "Kya hua, partner?" Virat asks.
"Main ispe nahi batungi. Main chal sakti hoon." She says, pushing herself up. Virat smiles. This was his partner. Brave, confident, strong. This was the girl he had fallen head over heels in love with. The doctor begins to protest, but Virat stops him.
"Doctor sahib, aap rehne deejiye." He goes towards Manvi, but doesn't touch her. She didn't need his help, she needed his support. Slowly, she pushes herself onto her elbows and pauses, resting. She was already feeling tired. But she didn't want to feel like a diseased person. She wasn't going to let go of herself if she could help it. But she was just feeling so tired...
"C'mon Manvi. Tum kar sakthi ho." He encourages. Manvi looks up at him, his words giving her strength. She clenches her teeth and pushes herself up to sitting position. Slowly, she swings her legs over the edge of the bed. She stops, closing her eyes. "C'mon Manvi! Tu kar sakthi hai. Tu un kamjor, bimaar logon ki tarah nahi hai. Tu Manvi hai, Manvi! C'mon!!" Her mind shouts.
"Ungh.."She groans as she pushes herself off the bed and onto her feet. Slowly, her feet try to straighten, so she can stand up straight. Her legs wobble beneath her and Manvi collapses back down onto the bed. "Manvi!" Virat exclaims. He clenches his fist. It hurt him so much to see the Manvi who couldn't stay still, who would run around like there was no tomorrow unable to even stand. It pained him to no end. He couldn't even begin to imagine how much this was going to hurt Manvi herself. But he wouldn't let it be that way.
Manvi looks up at him. She needed him, she realises. "Manvi. C'mon. I know, tu kar sakthi hai. Mujhe barosa hai tumpe." He says, looking deep into her eyes. She feels electricity buzzing through her, like he was passing her energy through his eyes, his words. How was he doing that??
She nods and tries to get up again. This time, her legs still wobble, but she is able to stand up straight. Virat feels a smile forcing his way to his face. "Yes!" a voice inside him shouts in joy.
Manvi proceeds to put her right foot forward, but loses her balances as she lifts it. In less than a second, Virat's arms are around her, supporting her, protecting her.
Manvi turns to look at him. She was utterly disappointed in herself. What was happening to her? She couldn't even walk now? Was this how she would live the rest of her little life? Virat steadies her, and lets go. "Sorry yaar. Woh...meri balance chali gayi nah, toh tera support lena pada." He says, smiling. Manvi smiles, feeling her spirits rise again. "Toh, chalein Partner?" he says, gesturing towards the door.
She nods. He gave her confidence, he gave her the himmat she needed. Slowly, Manvi puts her next foot forward, but doesn't stumble this time. She smiles and turns to Virat. Virat smiles back, giving her a thumbs up. Slowly, Manvi makes her way to the room where her therapy has been prepared, Virat just steps behind her, ready to catch her whenever she stumbled.
As Manvi lies down on the bed, she turns to Virat again. "Partner, tum yahin rahoge?" she asks as the doctors get ready to stick needles into her.
"Mujhe aur kuch karne ko to hai nahi. Yahin reh jaata hoon." He shrugs. Manvi holds out her hand, palm up. She needed him to hold her. No matter how brave she pretended to be, chemo sessions terrified her, the needles, the drugs. She would never be able to go through it alone. She needed her partner to be there, with her.
Virat takes it, giving it a light squeeze. Tera saath dena hi mera maqsat hai, partner. Always. He says in his mind.
Virat flinches as a needle pierces her skin. Manvi, watching him flinch, giggles. "Kya partner. Sui tumhe chub rahi hai, yah mujhe?"
"Dard to mujhe ho raha hai..." Virat mumbles. Manvi's eyes widen. "Kya?" she asks.
"Tum itni zor se mera haath jo daba rahi ho!" he quickly says, covering up. Manvi looks down at their locked hands. She is squeezing it, she realises. She loosens her grip, but Virat doesn't. She looks at him, puzzled, but he doesn't respond.
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