Paradise ~ A Devdutt Padikkal Story

23.

~ पलकों पे बनके आंसू तू चली आती है ~

"Amma! C'mon we're getting late!" Disha urged her mother.
"Why are you so excited to go to your favorite Jehangir Hospital?" Her mother counter questioned.
"Firstly, it is not my favorite and secondly, we've an appointment with Dr. Savita." Disha answered crossly.
Driving on the streets of Bangalore brought back innumerable memories for Disha. She had been born and brought up in this city and it held cherishable moments and cherishable people. Bangalore gave her Dev.

"Amma, we've to go for an MRI scan. Your name is tenth on the list unfortunately, we will have to wait." Disha frowned on reading the number list.
"Don't keep waiting Molu, I'll call you once we are closer to my number." Her mother caressed her hair affectionately.
"Amma! Everything else can wait." Disha replied and put her head on her mother's shoulder.

"Molu, your phone is ringing! Don't keep it on silent, how will you attend important calls this way?" Disha woke up from her short lived nap listening to her mother scolding her.
She looked down at the phone in her lap to see a missed call from Nitya.
"I'll be there in two minutes." Disha told her mother before exiting the waiting room.

Looking down into her phone's screen, she walked through the hallway, unbeknowst to what lay ahead. Aggressively typing a message to Nitya, Disha unknowingly bumped into a masculine figure leading to her phone falling down flat on its screen.
She muttered a quick sorry before bending down to pick up her phone, only to get a whiff of a familiar cologne.
Dev turned to see the woman that bumped into him. Bending down in an attempt to pick her phone up, Dev's eyes settled on her face.

Her face glowed like a thousand candles lighting up at once, like a sunflower spreading its petals to the sun, like the flirty sunrays playing with you. It took him a while to believe that she was actually present infront of him.
Her black orbs pierced right through his broken heart, bringing a wave of memories that hit his existence with great force.

"Dev." She called out his name. Her voice travelled through his ears, satisfying every piece of the heart she shattered.
Two years of longing, yearning, hope and regret were standing embodied in her frame infront of his eyes. He thought of it as a delusion until his name left her lips.

Dev couldn't help but look straight into her eyes, wanting to bask in the warmth they held. She smiled heartwarmingly and Dev could feel his soul wanting to embrace her.
Holding her phone close to her chest, she called out his name again.
Dev managed to croak out a Hi before excusing himself.

Taking rapid steps to get out of her vicinity, he turned around the corner. Opening the door to the store room at the far end of the hallway, Dev latched it from the inside before sliding down against the door.
A giant wave of catharsis shook his core and unbeknowst to him, he let the tears fall. She still had this power over him that left him helpless.
Fisting the hem of his tshirt, he cupped his mouth to stop the sob from escaping, failing miserably.

Everything was getting back on track, why did she return? Dev's thoughts went to Vedangi, recalling the moment they had yesterday.
Why was Disha making him a crying mess after all this time? And then why was he attracted to Vedangi despite of this?
Disha had entered his life like a grey cloud. He kept expecting for it to rain, but it never did. He hoped, he prayed, he wished for it to drench him completely but that never happened.
For the last seven hundred and thirty days, he had wanted to see her. Why was it crushing his heart now?
Why did he care about Vedangi?
Was it possible to love two people at the same time?

Sniffling, Dev wiped his tears with his tshirt. Opening his phone's camera, he checked his appearance, making it presentable.
Sighing, he got up and opened the door.

'Where are you? The doctor is here.' A message from Vedangi brought him back to his senses and he rushed to where she was.

"Hello Mr. Padikkal!" The doctor greeted Dev after he sat down infront of him. He saw his sister seated besides him. Chandni interlaced her fingers with her brothers, nodding ever so lightly.
"The MRI here shows a classic case of cerebral thrombosis in the patient." The doctor showed them the photographic image on the scan.
"This right here is a blood clot." The doctor presented his diagnosis.
Dev clenched his fingers around his sister's.
"It seems relatively small currently. We will have to perform a minor surgery to remove the clot or it may rupture a blood vessel if it remains in there." The doctor added and Dev's heart sank.
"What is the success rate? And how early should we go into the surgery?" Chandni enquired.
"It is quite a successful surgery in majority cases. If you are ready, we can very well go ahead with the surgery this week itself." The doctor answered.

Vedangi grind her teeth impatiently as she waited for Dev and Chandni to inform her about the diagnosis.
"Did Achan go to Rajesh Uncle's house?" Vedangi looked up to see Chandni standing infront of her.
"Yes his friend came and took Uncle to his home. What did the doctor say?" Vedangi asked, holding Chandni's hands.
"Amma will have to undergo a surgery this week. She has a blood clot in her brain." Chandni answered.
Vedangi's hand flew to her mouth like a reflex action. This definitely was not what they had expected.
"Oh my God! When is the surgery scheduled?" Vedangi looked at Dev.
"Thursday. They're going to keep her under observation from today." Chandni replied on her brother's behalf.

Dev was too stunned to speak anything. Disha's presence left him in agony and his mother undergoing a surgery in a few days added up.
"What happened to your eyes? They look red." Vedangi asked on observing his black orbs that evidently conveyed his pain.
"Lack of sleep. Also I think you should go home, you've been here since the beginning. Get some rest." Dev urged her.
She visibly looked tired and desperately needed sleep but the diagnosis had her disturbed all over again.
"What about you? You need rest too." Vedangi counter questioned.
"Both of you need rest! You guys go home, Aakash and I'll stay back." Chandni urged.

Ten minutes later, Dev's car zoomed out of the hospital premises with Vedangi besides him.
She had drifted off to sleep in her seat with her legs compressed against her body.
The chilly July breeze hit his face entering through the open window. He looked over at her to see hair flicks dancing with the wind. Vedangi was unbothered to care about her hair over the deep sleep she was enveloped into.
A strong gush blew, making her hair strands rest against the lightly parted dry lips. Dev reached out to stroke the hair out of her face, sighing dismally at the way she changed her position. 

What kind of a puzzle was this? How could two pieces fit into one block?
Was one of them meant to be discarded?