Titaliya

Chapter 19

She waited outside the operating room while they operated. It had been six hours already. One of the assistant surgeons had come out briefly to tell her that luckily the wound had missed his internal organs, so she couldn't understand what was taking them so long.

People passing by glanced at her. She knew she was a mess. Her shirt was covered in Arnav's blood, her hands were shaking no matter how hard she tried to steady them, and she couldn't stop mumbling prayers to her Devi Mayya.

She called Aditi and let her know where she was. The last of the sun's rays disappeared beneath the horizon when Arnav was wheeled out of the operating room. The surgeon called for her and let her know he was being admitted in the intensive critical care unit.

"I've called Aman Mathur," Aditi told her. "He's on his way here from Delhi. He's sending one of the employees from the Bangalore branch to stay with ASR until then."

Veda stepped into the intensive critical care unit and sat on the chair next to his bed. Aditi followed her inside, ignoring the nurses telling her to leave.

"Veda, go home. I'll take care of everything here."

"I can't leave."

Veda looked at him. He looked so young, with his hair not gelled back and his mouth half-open in sleep. She placed a hand on his forehead and smiled. At the end of it all, despite everything she suffered because of him, she still cared for him.

"I'm going to stay here, tonight," Veda repeated. "I can't leave him alone. Could you bring me some of my things from my apartment?"

Aditi wasn't happy with what was happening, but she nodded and left. Sharda madam was still busy with negotiations regarding an steel plant. Aditi couldn't bother her with her granddaughter's love life when business was more important. She took one last look into the ICCU from a window. Veda still leaned over him, fussing over his blanket and checking his vitals constantly.

Things were about to get complicated.

***

Arnav's stomach hurt. His everything hurt. There was a pain at the back of his hand and something covering his face. The bed he was on wasn't his own, and wasn't nearly as comfortable. But there was a hand holding his that was warm and comforting, and he gripped it tighter before opening his eyes.

She was sleeping on the chair next to him. Her head lolled back, her mouth half-open, and her hand in his. For a second he didn't care where he was. It was nice to wake up to her. He tried to get up, and pain exploded in his stomach.

"Aah!"

Veda woke up at the sudden shout of pain. She wiped the sleep from her eyes and gently guided him back into a lying down position.

"You shouldn't move too much," she told him. "The stitches might open."

She stretched on standing up and looked at her watch. It was two o'clock in the morning.

"I'm thirsty," Arnav said.

"You can't have anything until the doctors allow it."

She wasn't going to go back to sleep. It'd taken her hours to calm down. It was only when his breathing was completely normal that somehow she'd managed to drift off.

"Just sleep," she ordered. "You need to rest."

"What am I doing here?" he asked.

Veda looked at him closely. "Arnav, you were stabbed."

Arnav tried to recall something. Anything. All he remembered was leaving Veda's house and going to his own. He spoke to the private investigator, and then nothing.

"I don't remember anything," he admitted.

"The police will come tomorrow to take your statement. I've filed a complaint already," she told him. "Aman came and left. He called your family and let them know you're fine."

Aman was shocked to see her outside the ICCU. She introduced herself as Arnav's neighbor and pretended not to recognize him. It was exhausting acting all the time. She would have to come clean soon, or else pretend her memory was back.

"You're taking care of me," Arnav said. It was half-posed as a question, and said with a little happiness.

"There's no one else to do it," she answered. "I'm being a good neighbor."

"You're being a good girlfriend," he said.

"I'm being a nice person," she rebuked.

The nurse came in listening to them talk.

"Are you in any pain?" she asked.

"No."

"Don't listen to him," Veda said. "He almost tore out his stitches getting up."

"Okay then. Wives know best, usually. I'm going to administer another dose of painkillers," she looked at Arnav. "You might feel a little.. strange after taking the drug."

"Sister, I'm not his wife. Just to be clear. I'm his neighbor."

The nurse nodded and walked off. From the nursing station she could still see them. The girl said they were neighbors, but it didn't change the fact that they were still holding hands.

Arnav leaned back into the bed and closed his eyes. The drugs made his head heavy. But it wasn't like sleep. He felt more like he was drunk.

"You know... she wasn't wrong," he said to Veda. "You are."

"About what? Do you feel strange after taking the drugs?"

His eyes were half-closed. He wanted to say something to Veda, because it was funny. He felt funny. He opened his eyes with great effort and looked at her.

"I feel fiiiinneeee," he said. "She's right. I feel strange... But that's not what I meant."

He placed his other hand on top of hers and looked into her eyes. Veda feared what was going to come next.

"Wives know best."

Writer's Note

The cringe is strong in this one. Whatever, he's alive and sort of well.