The book of snippets

~Unnakul Naane~

"I know that's not true." Preethi said with a slight chuckle. Her friends/acquaintances were ridiculously in love. It was the hospital's longest running comedy. 

"She does! Sometimes.... when she's at work. Like when she has a really important case to deal with." Rishi says starting with a comical guffaw. "Maybe he is the same. Work emergencies pop up often in his line of work right."

Preethi scoffs, "Yeah! But a 'work emergency in his line of work' could mean anything from an overload of paper work to almost dying." 

"Come on... even you are not that pessimistic."

She wasn't pessimistic, she was practical. She hoped that she could write it off a simple work overload. But- then she remembers... the empty dusty desk staring back at her, his overall straps all rumpled and damaged not because of the fight but because of his grip, his eyes cast down, his clothes all sweaty  and the silence, the silence just around him as the hospital was burning in chaos. 

In hindsight, Timing really is a bitch. The situation was already bad. He was here to acquire information from an injured accused. Information about where he had stashed of his victim's body. The victim who was a child. As they were working on that, a fire broke out in the nearby apartments. Everything went to hell in a handbasket after that. 

The stakes were high and they kept falling. Preethi should have seen it coming but she had been swept away with the doctors  and ambulances and the media and the building cases which needed immediate attention. It did not hit her as hard as it hit the doctors. No, no one had it as hard as the doctors. But it was hard for everyone supporting them, everyone around them too.  Including her and him. He was already dealing with something tough and then this piled up. She just... she just-

"Preethi" Rishi presses and brings her back to the land of reality, "It won't do you any good to spiral." 

Preethi rolled her eyes because  OH THE IRONY!  

"He's a detective preethi," Rishi continued, "he's seen things... you've seen things and you're only an accountant" he  got a harmless jab in the ribs for that." So, whatever you're thinking stop thinking it. He'll be fine... he's strong."

She sighs as if she's letting all the festered worry inside her out. "I know... he probably just needs time. He's veera, he's probably doing something super important. Or maybe he's just staying put somewhere... healing, coping. But it's been two days, I just need to know he's okay. He doesn't need to do this alone, atleast this! I can help him. I'm here for him. I just want him to know that."

"Well" Rishi drawled, "I think he's okay... I mean there isn't any evidence that he is but neither is there evidence that he isn't. Also, trust me, he knows! I mean Tara knows... I don't tell her much but she knows, so-" 

"No you don't tell her... you tell the entire hecking hospital" Preethi parroted with a scoff.

"Hey! Don't poke fun at your supportive friend." Rishi shot back indignantly. "Anyway.. I was sayi-"

A sharp ping followed by a loud 'no way' cut him off.

Rishi looked down and drawled out, "He texted back... Phew!!!"