Stars | completed

44. Whatever It Takes

But they got lucky. These words were calming in am unexplainable way, maybe because I knew somebody who didn't get as lucky as them. Not everyone survives such accidents.

I breathe in relief, "What now? How long do we have to just wait before they dispatch our friends?"

"I can take you home," he offers, "If you'd like to rest for a while? You look terrible."

I pull a teasing smile on my face. "I look terrible? You sure do know how to wipe a girl right off her feet by your charms, Malhotra."

He chuckled under his breath. "You know that's not what I meant. You look terrible in a hospital-hating, giving-you-nightmares kinda way. If you want me to talk about you appear, then that messy hair and dropping eyes don't make you any less gorgeous, love."

"Ever-so flattering, aren't you?" I roll my eyes.

"Just proving that I absolutely know how to charm a girl right off her feet," he playfully said.

I chuckled.

"They let me have a peak," he said, after a brief moment of silence. "Zubin is in the medical ward because he was also running a temperature. He's sleeping now, and the doctors won't dispatch him until tomorrow afternoon. Aliya was on the bed beside him. Just a cut on her arm. Awake and making a fuss about losing her phone to a stranger."

So typically Aliya, to care about her phone more than her life. The ghost of a smile lingered on my lips. "What about Cabir and Navya?"

"Cabir is absolutely okay," He promises. "About Navya..."

I don't let him complete. "What happened to her?"

"She's okay," he looks at me pointedly for the way I cut him off in panic. "She had just passed out. So the doctors were doing some additional tests to make sure that everything is okay."

"But you said she was okay." I say, and notice how annoyed I sound.

"She will be," he promises. "And this was an hour ago. They should be out anytime soon now."

I nod to myself, and look away at the empty parking lot of the hospital. There were a few other cars parked, but we were the only ones there. The hospital was at the end of the cliff, and I stared at the city below. It was almost hard to believe that this was the same city we overlooked from the Ferris Wheel at the carnival a few hours ago, so vibrant as if it had a life of its own. And now, it was dark and dull because unlike us, the city was asleep.

"I'm sorry," I say, after some silence. "For snapping at you. I didn't mean to."

"It's alright," he replied, "We've lost people. Too many friends. You're scared. It's okay."

"As have you," I look at him.

"What?"

"Lost people," I add. "I'm not the only one who's lost people I loved. You lost them too."

He nods, and then remains silent before saying something that surprises me. "I... I believe I owe you an apology."