Is It Really You ??

8.Presence

Rudra was laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, wasn't able to sleep tonight.
He is still unable to understand, what has happened two months back. how he has woken up as Rishi after the accident with all the memories of his life as Rudra.
He still remembers how confused he was about his identity.
how he thought that maybe he was dreaming about living as Rudra, while he was in Coma.
How he was going insane day by day trying to accept that Rishi was real and Rudra was only a figment of his imagination.
And how he has called Richa to prove himself that by believing it he was going on a right track.
And how that single phone call has changed everything.
When he listend Richa's voice, stating that she was indeed Mrs Richa Rudra Shekhar. Every doubt in his mind was thrown out of the window,
He just focused on his recovery after that and when he got back on his feet firmly, he decided to return and get his real life back.

He was back in India 5 days ago. he went to Rudra's house and he was happy that it was the right address, Every confirmation of his memory of Rudra's life made him more confident and happy. He saw Richa walking out of the house, he was so happy to see her after so long. She was as lovely as he remembered.
he followed her, he watched her going in and out of the library and hospital for few days. She was looking so tired and dipressed that it hurt him to see her in this state.
He decided to talk to her so he approached her in the library by asking her help to find his favourite novel. He even gave her his phone number and address as an excuse of making a membership card of the library.

Today he went to Richa's house right on time, when Richa was leaving for the library and offerd her a ride, he tried to talk to her about his accident and his loss of memory but she got more distant after that.
Now he was worried about her more than before because when Richa decides to be unresponsive it's very hard to change her mind.
He always had to work hard to make her to open up with him when she closed up like that and now with this face of Rishi it's going to be much.. much more difficult.

At Richa's house

Richa walked in to the house tired and dipressed. She was coming from the hospital after seeing Rudra.
He was still sleeping, unaware of all the chaos around him. Usually looking at his calm face, gave her a feel of peace too.
A trust that he was there with her and she is not alone.
But today was different, after spending all her evening looking at Rudra's face she is still disturbed.

She walked to the kitchen and drank a glass of water, she was feeling a little hungry, she didn't ate anything in afternoon. Mostly she skipped dinner, because of not being in a mood to eat anything after coming back from the hospital, leaving still sleeping Rudra there.
But tonight she decided to make something for dinner to distract herself, she was searching the cabinets for neccesery ingredients for cooking and found that she was running out of almost every grocery item. She decided to go to the grocery store nearby.
She took her purse, locked the door and started walking towards the store. She was walking immersed in her thoughts when she bumped into someone, she looked up and saw an elderly woman who was carrying a very heavy looking shopping bag and some items were scattered on the road when the old lady fell down because of bumping into Richa.

Richa bent down and gather all the things scattered around and put them into the bag of that elderly woman. She tried to help the old lady to get up but she wasn't able to stand on her legs, her left ankle was twisted and started to swollen. Richa got worried, she looked around for some help but found no one, so she tried to talk to the old lady

"Aunty are you okay "

" My leg is hurting a lot "

The old lady said with a pained expression

"I m really sorry Aunty, my mind was somewhere else "

"Just help me to get to my house dear"

" No Aunty your ankle is all swollen, we must go to see a doctor right now "

Richa was looking for a cab when she saw Rishi's car parked across the road, she looked around for him but he wasn't in her line of sight.
she opened her purse and searched for the slip Rishi wrote his number  on, when he wanted to get a membership card of the library, he insisted her to keep that paper incase she wants to call him. She never thought that she would call him but right now she needs help and he was around here.
She didn't have a choice .......??
has she..... ??
Was she trying to make it an excuse to call him??
She found the paper and called him, waiting for him to pick up the phone with a racing heart...

"Richa............  I mean Richa mam.., what a pleasant surprise, never thought you would call me but I am really happy you called though "

Rishi started to talk nonstop as usual

"How Do you know this is me.......... and my number. ?? you called my name even before I could say hello.... "

Rudra was speechless, how could he made a mistake like this.
He controls his hammering heart and said

" I asked about your number from Priya, your assistant in library. "

"What...??  She gave you my number.."

" Please don't be angry with her, she denied me to give your number at first, I tricked her, by saying that I m your old friend and lost my phone that's why I lost your number too, so she helped me............. Please don't be angry "

" You said WHAT........... "

Richa was angry now, forgetting about the old woman sitting there in pain,

Rudra tried to change the topic quickly

"Why did you call me??  Is there a problem?? "

Richa was reminded of the old woman with that question,  she looked at the women and smiled a little in assurance ....

"Yes I need a help "

"What happened "

Rudra asked worried

"I just bumped into a old woman and I think she twisted her ankle, she is not able to stand on her own."

"Where are you "

Rudra asked in a hurried voice

"I am near my house, I was looking for a cab to bring her to the doctor's clinic but couldn't find any, then I saw your car parked here so I thought to call you for help, if you are not busy can you help me ??"

"Oh sure, I just came for some grocery shopping, I m done with shopping now, almost out of the store. just wait for me near the car, I'll be there in a minute "

Rudra said and hung up the phone

Richa bent down again infront of the women and said

"Just hold on a minute Aunty, we will go to the doctor soon"

The lady just nodded her head and said nothing.
Richa heard the sound of footsteps coming from behind her, she turned and there was, Rishi, coming towards her with bouncy steps, a grocery bag in his hand and his trademark smile on his face.

She was relieved to see him,

'Now I can take her (old lady) to the doctor's clinic easily, that's the only reason I am happy to see him here "

She was trying to believe that was the reason behind that sudden wave of calm and peaceful feeling that spred all over her body, with a sense of security which settled in her heart with Rishi's presence.

Was it really the only reason..............