Forrest was working on his laptop and then he looked at the time. Reva was very late today. She has never been late in the time she was working for him. He had to give a presentation soon for the new artificial valve they were developing for the heart transplantation surgeries, and she had all the documentation.
But sadly, she wasn't there. Then another thing occurred into his mind what if something had happened to her? Maybe she is ill? She had been taking care of his office and home all alone when he was recovering.
He typed the last letter of her name on his phone when she entered looking tired and disheveled. "Sorry sir, I have fallen asleep. I almost forgot about the presentation. But I readied the PPT. And I have also..." She almost fell down but Forrest held her.
"Reva, are you alright?" He asked. "Yes. I am fine." "Reading and sleeping late again? How many times I have to tell you it is not very good for you?" He asked raising his voice a little making her flinch. "And I also made you some chicken noodle soup you like so much"
"You cannot do this little birdie," Forrest said making her eyes water. "I cannot cook for you?" She asked. "No, if you don't cook who will feed me, if you haven't noticed I am a terrible cook." She remembered how he almost destroyed his kitchen trying to surprise her with breakfast and as a result, they had to take their three meals outside of the house.
The memory made her laugh. And then she sneezed. "Alright, no work for you this entire weekend. We are going away. On a weekend trip because you are overworking yourself. Time for some fun Miss Mathur." That shocked her more.
"A trip sir?" She asked. "Yes, Miss Mathur, you and me, we are going on a trip. So, you don't grow old and frail before I do and also, you don't lose your charm too." And he ruffled her hairs. "The operation sir? We need surgery to repair the artery of a..."
"Done it already, you were late so I shorted that out and the operation was successful. I did it last night, ended in the morning, the gentleman will live for another ten-twenty years maybe more if he follows all the instructions we have told him to follow."
Forrest closed his laptop. "And no Miss Mathur there are not any more pending cases here. And no, we are not going far away, just to Hawaii. It is good for the weekend trip. I think you deserve a break from everything. I deserve a break too. I am working too hard." He said. "But..."
"What Miss Mathur you don't think I deserve a break? What kind of friend are you? I work twenty-four seven even after my injury I have done so much work and you still think I do not deserve a break? I am hurt" Reva stopped him. "It is not that sir, I had some plans this weekend, I was going to meet few old friends of mine who had come here recently."
Forrest cannot let her stay. Disha and Mia aren't home. And they will not be returning anytime sooner. He needed her to stay away since Kelly had been seen snooping around their place lately. He cannot take the risk. He needed to convince her to come with him. Otherwise, it will be a disaster. "Meet them tomorrow early before we leave or you may meet them tonight. But you are coming with me. No questions asked." He commanded her.
"But..." "No but Miss Mathur, one rule, you will do what I want to. No questions asked." She nodded not saying anything. "Now, I am hungry where is my food?" He asked looking at her bag expectantly.
"This is something that touches my soul every time. If you weren't my intern, I would have appointed you as my cook." He said. "Yes, why not sir, do I look like a cook to you?" She asked. "Don't get angry, little birdie, I was just praising you. Imagine if you would have lived with me, and I came home to you every day, would you let me go hungry knowing all I have left for dinner is take out, little birdie." He asked.
"I have taken your phone and called and appointed a Michelin star chef." "Then how could I have helped you in the kitchen? For example, when you would be baking a pie for me, how would I have put salt instead of sugar in the filling?" She made a face. "You are still thinking of pranking me?" "How can I not, I am dreaming about it every single night since you are away Dear Reva, how could I not? You are my best friend" He replied.
"That is Christopher, I am just someone who you love to irritate." She concluded. "Do I? maybe I just trying to find ways to be closer to you. Maybe all I want is to get closer to you and..." He started to tickle her. She laughed uncontrollably and it rang through the corridors of Woodlands.
She called the number and the man picked up. "Ready for the date Reva darling?" She heard the man's voice ask. "No, it is not a date Apurva, I just agreed to meet you because you insisted that we should at least clear up the misunderstandings." She told the man. "If that is what you think happened between us. A misunderstanding Reva, this Saturday then?" he asked her.
"No, I am going out with my boss for a business meeting." The man chuckled. "Boss or boyfriend? Which one is it Reva, come on do not lie to me" "Whatever he is? you have no need to care, are you free today? Then we can meet for dinner." She said.
"How about I stop by your place and we can just talk about things?" Reva was quick to decline. She didn't want to be at any place where she can be caught up in the compromising condition. "Come on Reva, I know you haven't had any home-cooked meal for yourself in ages. Let me treat you to some authentic Indian food. Do not say no now." She shied.
"Fine, but just the dinner." She agreed finally. "Alright. Then I will come in five minutes, just let me know where." She texted the address to him. "Last time I am doing this, after this I am going to do it no more. I cannot rely on the past, I have left it behind and those chapters I have closed, I have no intention of opening them up"
Reva's bell rang and she opened it up expecting to see an old nemesis of hers. Instead, it was her boss with food packets in his hand. "Sir? What are you doing here?" She asked quite surprised. "I am here because no one is here with you Miss Mathur. I have gotten instruction from certain someone that I should not leave you alone" Then he looked at her from head to toe.
"were you planning to go somewhere? Am I interrupting Miss Mathur?" He asked. "No, it is alright I wasn't going anywhere." She told him.
Then she noticed he was carrying a bag in his hand. "Sir, what are those?" She asked. "Those are my clothes Miss Mathur, we are leaving tomorrow I thought why not go out together. I mean it is only sensible thing is not to run to and back between your house and mine" He told her getting in. "I understand, but what I don't is why you are treating me with dinner all of sudden?" She asked keeping the things on the kitchen counter.
"Do I need to have any reason to treat a friend? I think not." "Unless you are worried about me, you wouldn't have come here, what happened Forrest tell me?" She insisted. "The fingerprints found on the gun and the one in my car weren't a match Reva, it wasn't Kelly who had sabotaged my car. It was someone else. Now we do not have just one but two problems to think about" And then her doorbell ring.
"Make it three," She thought. "Expecting someone?" Forrest asked. "Just an old acquaintance," She told him. Someone she was hoping she would never see again any day in her uninteresting boring life. But fate always has other plans for me. She opened up the door to see Apurva was carrying something in his hand. "Who is it? little birdie" She heard Forrest's voice. Apurva looked at her questioningly.
"Reva Mathur, aren't you proving your wild side to be true, you have a boy in your house. How surprising." "Reva is everything..." Forrest stopped seeing the sour expression on Reva's face. He knew it was because of the person in front of her. "You must be the one Reva was talking about" "Apparently you must be the one she only talks about all day every day. I am Apurva, and you are?" He asked stretching the sentence.
"Her fiancé, I haven't proposed to her formally yet, see no ring, but I am planning a very special getaway for me and my girl. You see it is hard to impress girls like her" Apurva looked at him "I know what you mean, they always keep on demanding for so much more." Forrest smile "No, you are very wrong, she is hard to please since she doesn't demand anything and that makes it hard to please her." Forrest pulled her closer hugging her.
They welcomed him in. "Forrest please don't pick up a fight with him" Forrest smiled mischievously "who me? when I did fight with anyone?" He asked innocently. "So, what you wanted to say to me?" Reva asked. "Can we talk in private?" Apurva asked. "No, you may not, I do not trust you with my fiancée and there is no way I am leaving her alone here with you."
"Reva, didn't you learned to speak for yourself? You still need someone to back you off as always?" Reva looked at him angrily. "Apurva, as I said past is in the past, I do not want to discuss with you what else you want to discuss." Apurva looked at the duo and then said "You have played doctor, doctor for too long now, you need to come back to where you belong Reva."
Reva was up on her feet and held his collar. That even surprised Forrest. "Don't you dare say that I am playing, whatever I am today, I am because I have put my heart, mind, and soul in it? This might be a joke for you, for me, it is my life. I am not playing doctor, doctor, I am one. Never dare to insult my profession you got it?" She asked.
Apurva took her hand off him getting up "One day Miss Mathur you will beg to return and when you do, I will be present to cage you forever. And I will do everything I please, you will consent to every one of them." Reva looked away but Forrest wasn't having it. "Listen you creep stay away from her, or else you will regret it," Apurva said nothing walking away.
"I can see you are upset let play the game. It is your turn to give me a situation, ask away little birdie." She looked up and then saw the food and her spoilt mood. "What if a night you came home to find I haven't cooked and that I am in a very bad mood?" She asked. "I would order takeout and then I will have a candlelight dinner with you. That will surely lift your mood up." He said looking at her face.
"Your turn," She said "Ok, what if you saw me watching a teen drama and crying over the foolishness of the characters?" "I will offer you my condolences with a large pack of ice cream for you to sob with"
"I have an idea," He said suddenly "let's do both," He said "Both?" She was confused. "First we will have a candlelight dinner and then we can watch teen dramas all night long eating ice cream no one is stopping us here," Forrest said opening his arms and she walked into them willingly.
"Don't cry for the jerk, he doesn't know you like we do Reva. We are your family; we will always be your family. And even if someday we cannot find time for each other, always know that I will come when you call. I promise you, Reva. I will always be here for you." He placed a kiss on top of her head surprising her.
And then he took his phone out and played a slow song. "Tell me what will you do if you find me dancing alone in the middle of the floor, what will you do?" Reva gave him a small smile. "How can I leave you alone to make a fool of yourself sir? I will join you of course."
"Then join me, let's dance there is no one to say no to us Reva, no one is asking any questions or looking at us. We are free to do anything when we are with each other. No one can tell us not to do what we want to. That is the fun of best friends being together." He held his hand out. "Dance with me little birdie."
She placed her hand in his. "Sir, I don't think anyone shall be this much dependent on anyone" Reva commented as he swayed her slowly on the music. "Sorry dear little birdie, I missed the time when you are giving me the warning to stay away from you. Now, I am dependent on you. And it will break my heart if you ever left me alone. Will you Reva leave me alone? Tell me little birdie, will you leave me alone fending for myself this way?" Forrest asked almost sounding defeated and hopeless.
"I am not going to leave you, Forrest. How can I? you are my best friend." Reva said and he ruffled her hair again. "And even if you wanted to little birdie, I am not going to let you leave me ever. And that is a promise because I need you more than you need me." And then he pulled her to him again dancing on the soft music.
Word Count: 2427 Words