Don't Love Me √

Keep Me From Dying

Vivaan stood at the gate of the medicine OPD for a long time now, at a position from where he could see Riha completely. Neither did he move, nor call Riha. He just kept staring at her and felt the earring safe in his pocket every now and then. 

Vivaan knew, Riha's face had a simplicity, a cuteness, a charm that could make his day beautiful at a go. And he could listen to her voice all day long. But after last night, he knew that Riha had a strong shoulder too, on which he could rest forever, and a comforting lap on which he could sleep without being have to worry at all. 

Vivaan smiled on his own. A gush of fresh air had suddenly as if blew off the curtain of fear that surrounded him. He as if felt like jumping up and shout, " It's such a beautiful day! " 

Riha sat at a desk, with a heart touching smile on face, as the patients one by one sat with their problems. Vivaan thought looking at them, " you lucky bunch! You have just met the right person today. Your day would go beautiful as well! "

Riha's eyes were watering so much. Yet she had to keep on scribbling prescriptions and smiling and listening to an immense bunch of patients before her. " Are you alright di? " , an intern asked from beside. " ...yes.." , she slowly uttered.  " Next! " , she shouted to the line before and just then her eyes caught a man standing at the gate of the OPD. 

All of a sudden, every ailment, every malaise vanished. An immense smile appeared on Riha's face as she saw Vivaan stare back at her and smile.

" Shreya! " , she called the intern. " Can you please tell Joy to handle my patients for the morning? I really need to get out of here! " 

Shreya smiled and nodded. And within seconds Riha and Vivaan were on the streets. 

" You...here? " , Riha wanted to control her excitement, she felt weak as well. Her mental tiredness vanished off but her health did really betray. " How are you? " , she asked Vivaan instead. 

Vivaan slowly brought out the earring from his pocket. And handed it to her. 

" Ohhh...!" , Riha cupped her face. " It dropped at your place! And I thought I had lost it. " 

Vivaan uttered nothing. Only smiled.

Riha smiled back. " Coffee? Our canteen makes the best of it. " 

" And yet you go to CCD? " , Vivaan smirked. 

" Mr, if you remember I hadn't ordered coffee the first day we met!" Riha smirked back. And added, " and you didn't say if you slept last night." 

" I did. But I see you didn't. " 

Riha felt a bit embarrassed. She always felt embarrassed if someone felt that she wasn't doing much well. 

" I will be better if you accompany me for a coffee." , she insisted. 

Vivaan looked here and there for sometime, and then at his watch. " but... I have a meeting Riha!" 

Riha's face dropped instantly. But she wasn't in a position to insist. Not any longer. 

" ...okay. " 

Vivaan thought something for a while. And then said, " fine. I can postpone it. Let's go for a movie today. Can you? " 

Riha couldn't just believe her ears. Vivaan was asking her out for a movie! She was so startled that she said, " for a what?? " 

" A movie. " , Vivaan had already started checking showtimes in his phone. 

Riha wanted to laugh, cry, sing, dance, jump and hug Vivaan all at the same time but did nothing apart from uttering a small word, " Fine! " 

Vivaan got up his bike which Riha was seeing for the first time. He gestured Riha to sit on the backseat. Riha got up, and very carefully wound her hands round his waist because she just had to, she was afraid of riding a bike. To her pleasant surprise, Vivaan didn't even stir at that. Riha smiled and held him tighter. 

*******

Riha and Vivaan sat at the food court of Infinity Mall. 

" Dosa? Seriously? Don't you eat anything apart from dosa, idli, vada, upmaa?? " , Vivaan smirked again. 

Riha frowned. They finally ordered an Italian platter when they both agreed to it. 

But the fact was that, Riha though felt the best with Vivaan, her health felt the worst. The theatre was air conditioned at its best and Riha had almost freezed. Vivaan had even at times gone to request the temperature to be made comfortable enough but in vain. 

At present, Riha could only hear Vivaan saying something staring at some ice cream store, but the world around her gradually became blur. She wanted to hold Vivaan's hand but couldn't. Everything slowly became black as she dropped her head on the table. 

Vivaan was saying, " after this I'll go for a scoop of vanilla with chocolate sauce. ", when he heard a drop beside him. 

The next moment almost the whole of Infinity Mall heard an immense wail, " RIHAAA!!!!!! "

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