Jai's POV:
We are quietly sitting opposite to each other, with glances and awkward smiles everytime our eyes locked with one another.
"I just want to thank you for everything you did today. Dad's behaviour was uncalled for and even after all this you stayed back...Thank you so much. How can I ever repay you!!"
"Prince Jai I already told you whatever I did was humanity and anyone would have done it and King Uday's behaviour is something I do not wish to talk about right now. I get it that Maharaja means a lot to him but doesn't mean it gives him a right to insult me. I didn't say anything to him because I know when to speak and when not to. As for staying back, its for Maharaja and Maharani cause I told her I would be here until Maharaja is all ready to go home and no one else's."
I am lost in my thoughts and I look over to her to see her in some deep thinking, if the frown on her forehead or her distant eyes are any indication. I keep on looking at her and suddenly her eyes lock with mine and we both kept on looking at one another. Her eyes are deep enough for me to drown no matter how cliched that sounds. They hold a lot of depth and something about her just wants me to know her inside and out.
"Are you hungry? Let's go and eat something."
"I think your dad's words were enough for me to get full. You can go and have something if you want."
Dumbfounded I lowered my head only to hear her open her mouth again to speak. "I know I shouldn't be saying anything to you. It wasn't your fault. You go and grab something, I will stay back."
I open my mouth to ask her to come but decided to instead go and get something for her as well because I know even she didn't have anything to eat since morning.
I didn't get anything fancy but just some sandwiches and coffee. I was about to take the final turn to reach our benches but stopped hearing Maira talking to someone.
"How are the reports? Everything is fine, right? There's nothing to be worried about?" Accompanied by several yeses and a relief sigh she disconnected the call. If my assumption is right is was talking to the cardiologist.
I make my appearance and she straightens her back and looks at me. I give her a sandwich and a coffee but she denies it. "Have something atleast or else you will fall ill."
"No you eat I am really not hungry, especially for this hospital food. Nahh I am good but you eat, I know you are hungry I could swear I heard your stomach grumbling continuously for past hour." She scrunched her nose to show her dislike for hospital food and then a small smile. I shook my head a little and took my seat. I kept on looking at her, it was when she raised her brow that I get back to my senses and eat my sandwich.
It was almost midnight and we were on our phones, why, mostly she was on phone while I kept glancing at her like some creep.
She then tilted her head back and shifted a bit down on the chair to be able to give some chair-support to her head and closed her eyes. I could see that she wasn't really comfortable in sleeping like this as she kept of shifting and trying just to try and be in a more comfortable position but all in vain.
Half an hour later she slept somehow in a really awkward position. Again in her sleep she shifted back to her original position and her head was turning to the right and she almost strained her neck muscle due to the sudden impact she would have bore when her head fall to the side with no support.
I shifted and sat to the chair next to hers just to save her from any muscle sprain. As guessed her head fell but only to land softly on my shoulder. She loops her hands on my arm, and mumbling something incoherent, she slept. I kept my head over hers and just like that we both fell asleep. God save me incase she bursts tomorrow morning seeing us in this position. Needless to say I had the best sleep ever.
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Maira's POV:
I woke up due the movements around me. I am a heavy sleeper but hospital sleeps I would say can't be heavy. A slight movement and I can wake up in such environment.
I open my eyes and see the position I was sleeping in, well seems not that light of a sleeper as I thought. I didn't move since his head was on top of mine and be would get up. I looked up and saw his stubbled face, sharp jawline that can cut my hand it seems, his disheveled hair through which I wanna run my hand.
Idiot, what is it you are saying? Arre you still sleeping you dimwit? Get back to your senses, what are you even thinking?
I got out of my not-so-good thoughts and decided to create some distance between us. I am sure he would not want to see us like this. I untangle my arms from his and he shifted keeping his head on my shoulder. I wanted to move away before anyone saw us but I didn't have the heart to break his sleep. I decided to let him sleep for some more time.
My thoughts were interrupted by the staunch smell of the disinfectant which basically reminds you of hospitals. Feeling pukish I ran outside the hospital and bent down puking in a corner near a tree. I felt someone rubbing my back and holding my hair back while I was getting my guts out. I took the bottle offered by the person rubbing my back. After washing my mouth I got up and turned around.
I expected it to be Prince Jai afterall I literally left his head hanging in air while I ran out. Before I could thank him he decided to become my mother and I don't know why!!!
"Are you okay? It's because you have eaten anything. I should have forced you to eat. You should look after yourself Maira. What is..."
"I am fine, Mom. I can take care of myself. Stop momming me now please. And thanks for the water."
"Maira please eat something or else you'll again fall sick."
"It's not because I am hungry. I will eat when I want to." I was annoyed now and a bit cranky but that's because when I am hungry I tend to get angry and irritated and Jai's pestering is just bringing it to the edge of unleashing my anger.
I know you all might be thinking why I am not eating, that's because I know I'll be found here again if I eat cause I don't feel good at the hospitals and eating and being in hospital is dangerous for me. As long as the hospital smell is not to strong I can manage. I mean I only puked once yesterday, that too when the hospital smell became too much for me. Thankfully, no one noticed.
I came back leaving Jai. Instead of going inside the hospital I sent and sat on a bench placed in the hospital garden and closed my eyes feeling tired. Well what I did was tedious. Not to gross you all but I puked more than I should once I start puking. You know people who gag just hearing someone puke, I fall in that category so... I know I am weird but that's me. I can even puke hearing someone else puke, so let's not talk about my weirdness. I closed my head not to think about the staunch smell.
I felt someone sit beside me but didn't bother opening my eyes. "Maira, eat something you will feel better." "I told you I don't wanna eat anything. I will have something later on. You should go inside."
I didn't wanna be rude but I am cranky so it's best he leaves me alone. He looked at me and realising it's better to leave me alone he went inside. I decided to ask the doc when we can take Maharaja home and about any other health concerns, so I went inside after few minutes and knocked on the doctor's cabin. I entered the cabin and took a seat.
"Good morning doctor, I wanted to know the progress about Maharaja and when can we take him home."
"Well, once he regains his consciousness we will run a few tests in him and then you should be good to go if all the tests are fine."
"Okay, thank you." I came out if the cabin only to bump into Jai. Before he gets a chance to speak, I told him what the doctor told me.
"Maira do you want to go home? I think you should since you are not well."
"I don't wanna go home and I am not unwell, okay? Just lemme be please." I felt bad being rude but he is getting in my nerves now. I am very impatient and can get irritated pretty fast especially if I am hungry. Honestly, I am fine and I promised Maharani Saa that I will stay here and update her about everything, so there's no way I can leave. If everything's fine as expected we should leave by afternoon today.
I went and sat at my original place outside the room. Soon, Jai also came and sat opposite to me. I would glance at him every few minutes but seeing him looking at me, I opened my phone and decided to pretend to do something important because this is kinda awkward for me.
The nurses kept going and coming in and out of room. The hospital started filling up with more crowd and to allow a family to sit Jai came and sat next to me. I was tapping my foot wanting to just leave this place and to never return.
The doctor came and told us that Maharaja is awake now and in an hour or two depending on his test results we can take him home.
We did all the discharge formalities and bought the medicines, talked and discussed with the doctor and then we went inside to meet Maharaja, who was sitting on in his bed all fine. Well, Jai went to meet him while I stood by the door. They talked in shushed voices to one another and feeling like an intruder I came out. No one would say looking at him that he suffered a heart attack and had a surgery yesterday.
Soon, it was time to go home and Maharaja was brought on wheelchair upto the car and he needed the take things slow for a few days.
We reached home everybody was very happy and they took Maharaja to his room. I personally was relieved that his health is good and no complications arose due to operation and otherwise.
Leaving everyone I was about to go to my room when I heard someone call me from behind. I turned around to see Vijay Sir coming my way.
"Maira, I should thank you for what you did for Uday's family and also apologize for my behavior. What I did was because you are my liability here and anything wrong done by you is something I'll be responsible for and I know whatever you did was with good intentions. Thank you and sorry. I hope you will understand that."
I didn't say anything and went upstairs and saw my bags were back there. I wanted to go back but I knew there were no flights for today and I need to first go to Jaipur to take flight.
I checked for tickets and saw no flights from Jaipur for next two days due to some worker strike issues. I now had two options either to stay here or go to Jaipur and leave whenever I can get a flight.
Not wanting to be a liability on anyone, I thought of option 2 but knowing that no flights would take of for next two days, I knew the chances of getting a hotel room are slim. I did the only thing I could think of.
I freshened up, got rid of the hospital scent on me and then took my bags with me downstairs. Apparently, everyone was sitting in the living room and on seeing me I could see the wheels of their minds spinning but ignoring their inquisitorial gazes, I moved to Vijay Sir.
"Sir, I will take a leave now. I was anyways required to leave yesterday."
"Yes, yes. When is your flight?"
"I took an early morning flight for tomorrow."
"Oh okay then, I will see you when I get back."
"But I don't think there are any flights for two days owing to some workers' strike issues." Ohhhh god!! Why does he even have to be here just at this moment. I was very well ready to leave but no.
"Umm... I don't think so. And incase there are no flights I don't mind staying two days in Jaipur." I turned to answer him before turning back to look at Vijay Sir.
I took my stuff and was about to leave when I heard Jai open his mouth again. I tightly closed my eyes and fists before sighing and turning back.
"All flights suspended for atleast two days from and to Rajasthan and nearby areas due to the the workers'strike in relation to the recent decisions taken by the Airport Authority of India. This is just some news I came across. I would suggest you stay here till the flights resume." Giving him the fakest of smiles, I move forward, my hands itching to grab his throat.
"Well in that case I will extend my stay in Jaipur. Don't worry." The entire family is looking at that scene and I just wanna leave now.
"Maira I would also suggest you stay here. There's no use going to Jaipur unsure if you'll get flights even after these two days." It was King Uday this time accompanied with various yeses from others in the room.
"In that case by your permission, I would like to shift to a hotel please. I no longer can extend my stay here."
"No, that's not possible, you are a guest here and you won't go and stay in some hotel." Can he just not interrupt my plan.
"Well it is possible and I don't want to be someone's liability , I can take take responsibility for my actions and myself and I was here due to work and my work is done. Staying here any longer is against my principles so I would like to shift to a hotel. Sir if I may take your leave." Without waiting for any to respond I took my bags and left. I have no idea if the hotel here also has any rooms. Usually, there are so many tourists that finding a hotel room in some good hotel is difficult and here there's only one good hotel which belongs to this royal family. Well I am just a guest to that hotel and not someone else.
I was taking my bags down the front porch stairs when I heard Jai calling my name. He is literally asking for it now. Why does he wanna die today? Do you think I can escape after murdering the most handsome bachelor and a budding business tycoon? Maybe my lawyer skills will save me in the trial. My thoughts were interrupted when he came and stood in front of me.
"Now what?"
"Why can you not stay here? You aren't a liability..."
"I have my self-respect and I know when I should be where and now I know that my stay here is over and I would appreciate if you mind your own business and let me be." I turned around thinking of a way to get to the hotel.
"Ummm ...how are you planning on going to the hotel?"
"Ugghhhhh... I will figure something out if you leave me alone."
"I am going there only if you want you can come with me."
"You don't need to go that far just to drop me."
"Well I need to go there to get some papers anyway whether you come with me or not."
I weighed my options of taking some cab and risk my life with chances of getting murder in some desserted alley and not being found ever again or take him on his offer. Ummm such a tough choice. I was still contemplating when I saw Jai putting my stuff in the trunk of the car.
"Come on now I am literally going there only and you won't get a cab now since it's about to be evening and the hotel is quite at a distance."
I sat in the passenger seat and soon we were on our way to the hotel. We got down and went inside with a bellboy getting my stuff from the trunk. I was moving towards the reception with Prince Jai in tow. "Maira why don't you go and sit in the lounge area and I will get the room for you."
"No thanks, you gave me a lift till this place that's enough. Thank you!! I will manage on my own now." I went to the reception and got to know that there were no rooms available. Just wowwwww. Amazing, incredible. I can see Prince Jai trying to smile but in no way am I going back to his place.
I moved forward to go and sit, towards the lounge area only to bump hard into someone. "Are you blind or what?!" Seems like someone's had a bad day. Guess what I had the worst day. "I am blind but God must have given you eyes, right? Try and use them next time before calling someone else blind. Idiot!!" I looked up to see who this stuck up person is only to be shocked. It's been so long since I saw him. But this attitude is what one can expect from him.
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Who do you guys think it is? Some ex-lover, some friend, a stranger, someone from past. Comment your thoughts about who this person can be.
Hey guys,
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