all my stars lead to you

chapter 9

purvi is racing the car around the main roads, as her friend on the passenger seat, shares a cackle of laughter with her. as the moment gives her an adrelaine rush, the speed of the car has reached hundred, and all the bottles of beer fall from the backseat. 

"bottles toot toh nahi gaye na, poonam?" questioned purvi, as she grew worried. 

"arre, nahi, nahi...." replied poonam, as she bent to pick up the bottles, only to end up falling and hitting her head on the floor. 

"poonam...." called purvi in annoyance, as her gaze shifted from the road to her, and that one moment was all it was needed, because when she looked back again, she couldn't help but scream in horror with no idea of what to do or what will happen... 

"purvi...." called someone as they shook her arm. 

"kya, bus mein hi ghar jaana hai, chalo.." she signalled, as purvi tried to shake off her wildest dream. 

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"ishu, chal bhi le, class mein nahi jaana?" asked poonam, as she was about to enter the classroom. 

"haan, aa rahi hoon, ek minute..." said ishita, as she grabbed the crushed prescription in one hand and her phone in the other. 

she googled the name of the medicine on the prescription. 

"mood tranquilizers?" she wondered, as she looked at the search results. 

"par mom ko...." she fleeted in thought, puzzled. 

she looked at the prescription again, as her sight caught on the name of the doctor. 

"Dr. Meera Ahuja...kahan dekha hai yeh naam?" she questioned to herself, as she tried to remember. but just like all those lightbulb moments, it did come, out of the blue. 

she quickly opened her contacts, as she searched for the name, and she found it too. she clicked on the contact, to find not a landline, but personal number, as she grew more perplexed. 

she dialled the number. 

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"hello?" received meera the phone call. 

"uhh, dr.meera, uhh, jyoti, bol rahi hoon..." said ishita, from the other end of the call. 

"ab kya chahiye tumhe? mushkil se do hafte hue honge last appointment ko..." scolded meera, as she was driving. 

"uhh, woh, milna tha, aapse...urgent hai."excused ishita. 

"appointment liya?" questioned meera. 

"bas do minute ka kaam hai..." explained ishita. 

"acha thik hai, saat baje meri shift khatam hoti hai, tab aana, bas do minute..." conditioned meera. 

"thik hai..bye..." said ishita as she hung up. 

"chalo, yeh google contacts ke in-sync hone ka kuch toh faidaa hua..." remarked ishita, as she went into the class, already waiting for clock to hit seven. 

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"good morning." greeted meera to the receptionist, as she signed in her entry and checked for her appointments. 

"pure din ke hi das patient, finally, acha din aaya..." remarked meera. 

"bhej do, pehla patient." commanded meera as she walked to her cabin.  

"shivani bhardwaj? jaiye..." instructed the receptionist.

                                                         ***

"baithiye..." signalled meera, without looking up, only to despise the person she looked up to. 

"kya chahiye?" retorted meera, in a cold and intense tone. 

"sorry kehna tha, kal raat ke liye, i shouldn't have come like that." repented shivani, as meera scoffed. 

"samajh nahi aati ho tum mujhe, paanch saalon mein tumhe koi farak nahi pada ki tumhara beta zinda bhi hai ki nahi, par jaise hi main aayi, tum tapak gayi. chahti kya ho tum?" interrogated meera, with  an accusing tone. 

shivani took a deep breath, expecting such behaviour, as she seated herself. 

"satish khush lag raha tha, thanks to you. main kabhi nahi karpati, aur karti nahi kyunki main hi kabhi khush nahi thi. not because of him, obviously, it's just, mujhe nahi chahiye thi woh zindagi. aur, mujhe nahi bhagna chahiye tha iss tarah uss din, par, i still love my son......" confronted shivani, as she chocked up for a second. 

"i have missed him, more and more for, five years and...jab anjula ne mujhe bataya ki woh kiss tarah behave kar raha hai aaj kal, i, was really worried...." she explained as meera raised her brow. 

"anjula?" confirmed meera, as shivani nodded in agreement. 

"woh hi toh hai, jisne mujhe samjha and, batati rehti thi mujhe, dushyant ke baarein mein, mujhe bhi thodi shaanti rehti thi..." she clarified, as meera felt a subtle form of betrayal, it was like she thought someone was on her side when they were not. 

"it's just, i genuinely want satish khush rahein, isiliye, mujhe bas ek mauka chahiye, dushyant ko samjhane ka, trust me, woh.." persuaded shivani, as meera just shook her head in disbelief. 

"woh mujhse zyada tumse nafrat karta hai..." remarked meera. 

"nahi karega, ek baar baat karwado. meera, please, bas yeh ek favour kardo..."requested shivani. 

"arre, par, main kaise?" questioned meera. 

"dekho, satish nahi karega meri help, lekin, main jaanti hoon ki tum bas ek peaceful life chahti ho, and main bhi wahi chahti hoon, isiliye hum dono ek dusre help karsakte hain...just, trust me, i can make this alright.." confessed shivani, as meera was pledged into an unexpected deal that might just solve her problems. 

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author's note: first of all, thanks Flying_solo_12 for the lovely review, glad to know you liked the story dear. please vote and comment, means a lot! hope you liked the story.