Serendipity

Episode #18 : Peace Personified

SCENE 1

It took some time finding Abhimanyu's cabin following the directions but at last, Suman found herself outside it. The nameplate alone making her smile.

Dr. Abhimanyu Birla
Cardiologist

Twisting the doorknob, she entered and softly closed the door again. His cabin was neat and organized, as expected, but the thing that caught her eyes at once was the wall adorned with certificates. Her feet automatically moved towards it and stopped as she became mesmerized by his achievements. They all were awards of excellence, recognition of his sincerity. The trophies on the stand warmed up her heart. She also had many trophies and medals but they all were for her academic brilliance. His achievements were for his patients. For his untiring dedication. For the lives he had saved and the smiles he had spread.

As she moved further left, reading the info on the trophies, her gaze fell on a lab coat resting on the armrest of the sofa.

‘Is it... his ?’ - she thought, picking it up. His familiar and melancholic fragrance of maple leaves filled her nostrils, causing her eyes to close in peace. Ever since he had left Banaras, it was that fragrance alone, oozing from his shawl, that had kept her sane.

Without even thinking, she wore the coat and instantly his warmth cocooned her. She felt safe. Protected.

The door to the cabin made a clicking sound, grabbing her attention. She turned to see and her breathing hitched.

~

SCENE 2

Abhimanyu was exhausted as he made his way towards his cabin. Back to back surgeries were finally taking a toll on him. Yet he had no plans to ease his schedule as remaining busy was the only way to stop his thoughts from wandering to Suman. It was not like he was succeeding in it but at least he was distracted momentarily.

One hand holding his neck, he held the doorknob with the other and opened the door to his cabin. He started at finding a girl standing inside. Before he could ask anything, she turned around.

All the air left his lungs at once.

Was he dreaming ? Had he exhausted himself to the point of hallucinations ? Or his heart's deepest desire and unfulfilled longing was creating the illusion of the person stood before him ?

“Suman...” - he breathed in wonder and disbelief.

She couldn't be real. What would be she doing travelling 900 kilometers to another state and standing before him in his cabin ? It must be his flimsy imagination. He must have, at last, lost his mind.

Suman moved towards him and stopped at arms length from him. She had a smile on face despite the tears threatening to breach the boundary of her eyes. He felt a strong urge to touch her and make sure was she real but was terrified at the same time that she would disappear.

“Abhi...” - she whispered.

His heartbeat, that was already irregular, became erratic. Hearing the endearing nickname, that he had allowed no one to call him by other than his mother, raised goosebumps on his body.

In a flash, she closed the distance between them and hugged him tightly. His arms on their own secured around her petite frame as he nestled his face in her neck. Her embrace, her fragrance, the warmth she radiated, everything was so comforting that he didn't have words to describe the feeling. He felt like a man who sees daylight after being trapped inside a dark room for years. Like a patient who is dying out of lack of oxygen but is saved by the oxygen mask being provided at the last moment. Like a traveller who, after walking for miles, reaches his destination.