Reva looked at his appearance from head to toe and her eyes watered. What he had done to himself? "Forrest..." He walked towards them and pulled Ange's hand away from her body. It was bruised.
"Go home Ange," He said in a very calm tone. "But... I came here for you Forrest looked at her angrily. "Go home, and do not come here without my permission. Did you get it?" He asked. Ange looked at Reva angrily. "If I cannot be here how can she be here?" "Because I want her here, now go home and stay there." Ange's eyes watered. And she walked away.
"Let me see," Forrest said taking her hand in his. She let him clean her wound and dress it. "All done. See it didn't hurt even. Do you want to have candy for being a good girl?" He asked. "No, I am fine. I am just here to give this back to you." She pulled her hand back and pulled the ring off her finger. She placed it on his. "That's it? You are giving up?" He asked. "I am not giving up Sir, I don't think I had anything to give up ever." She stood up.
"I have tidied your things for you. Please go home and rest you look like you were about to fall down on your face." "Will you be there waiting for me?" He asked stopping her in her tracks. "You and I both know it isn't possible anymore." With that said she moved towards the cabin door and finally exiting the hospital.
Forrest threw the files from his desk and breaking his laptop in the process. He cannot take it anymore. He cannot take it. He needed her. He needed Reva. He took the pill bottle and took two popping them in. At least this will numb the pain.
Reva looked at the arrangements that had been going on around her. Today is Karwa Chauth. And everyone is busy in preparation. She was busy house hunting. She wanted a good place for her and her baby. "Reva, come on, it is your turn to get the Henna." She could have said no, but she didn't want to disappoint them.
So, she closed her laptop and walked outside to see Christopher and Pia sitting together and he was doing something. "Come on Chris, find your name and prove how much you love me." Reva felt an ache in her heart.
"Forrest, I miss you so much." She whispered. Disha and Mia held her and helped her sit down. Her hands were filled with henna. Mia wrote Forrest's name on her palm. She looked at her surprised. Mia gave her a small smile. She wanted to break the news to them about the UK. But she didn't know how to.
"Come on Chris, it isn't that difficult," Pia said and Christopher laughed. "You always come up with some things that will challenge me and my really flawless career as a neurosurgeon. But challenge accepted little pixie."
Reva stood up and walked towards the balcony. She was dressed in pink today and they had pampered her well. But no one knew she too was keeping the fast. She too was doing it for Forrest. She looked at the dark sky. It looked so gloomy. Perhaps it was reflecting her own mood? Perhaps it understood what she was going through.
"Why a gloomy face beautiful lady?" She turned around to see Eros. "How did you get in here? Does Chris know?" She asked. "He was the one who had invited me to thank me for saving your life properly. I must say these Indian rituals are quite amusing to watch." He told her.
He took her left hand in his examining her empty finger. "No ring today? I thought you were engaged." He asked her. "I never was engaged it was just a story Forrest created for impressing his parents." Maybe Ange can impress those people. If not her then Ange can.
"I overheard someone saying that you hide your lover's name in the patterns of Henna are you hiding someone's too?" He asked. She shook her head. "Why on earth I would be doing that?" Reva asked. "Because you don't want anyone to find out whom your heart belongs to." He whispered.
Reva watched the sun go down. Now, it is an endless wait for the moon to come out. She was going through her pictures yet again. She wanted to delete them but she didn't have the heart to do so. She was alone in her room. And she was browsing through his pictures.
She needed one to break her fast. Her pink bangles made beautiful noise as she sat there watching his picture. "Forrest, I wish I could have told you..." "Told me what little birdie" She even hallucinating him now. She didn't answer.
She heard the door close and she jumped. She looked at those Amber eyes. He was wearing Indian attire just like Christopher, Valentino, and surprisingly Eros. "You are not real." She whispered. "No? but I am real, I am very real. Because little Birdie Hallucinations don't lock the door. Hallucinations cannot hug you or kiss you. Hallucinations definitely cannot do what I am about to with you." He moved closer to her and she closed her eyes tightly. She felt his hand on her cheek and her eyes flew open.
"I don't like if someone has you this close. No one can have you this close Reva, ever do you understand me?" He asked. "I...I do." He sat down beside her and held her hand in his. "Does it have my name in it?" She pulled it back. "C...can we go out? I think we should be with everyone." She insisted.
"Why? Little birdie, I am not the big bad wolf who is here to attack you. You do not need protection from me. You know, that, right? Now let me see if I can find where you have hidden my name." She felt him tracing the lines on her hand. She shivered at her touch. "I want to see you like this, a hand full with Henna, waiting for me on our bed, on our wedding night. I want to see you as my bride." He reached for her dupatta when someone knocked on the door.
She pulled back from him. "That can never happen, Sir. I have left your ring. I have given back everything I ever took from you. I cannot be your bride. Please don't make such unnecessary demands which I cannot fulfill." He pulled her by her arm to him. "With or without a ring, you are mine. And I will see you as my bride Reva. You cannot deny that right to me." She pulled her hand back opening the door and walking out.
Forrest looked through her room and found her laptop. Since he had broken, his, he can use her for the research data. He saw the houses she was looking at. But why the UK? What was she hiding from him? He searched through her history. And he saw the hospitals she had browsed. She went through their cardiology department specifically.
"Is she planning to leave me? I am not going to let her leave me. not this easily." Forrest said to himself. He has gone through the website and to the programs there. It looked good. But not good enough. She is just planning to run away.
Forrest's eyes landed on her slightly open medicine cabinet as he walked into the bathroom. He opened them and looked at the labels. All are prescribed in her name. Pre-natal vitamins? Why? He almost dropped the bottle in shock.
Is she pregnant with a child? His child? Why hide this then from him? Why not tell him? He needed to know now. He took the name of the prescribing physician from the prescription he found on the laptop. And then he called the number. "Doctor Watson? I was inquiring about a patient name Reva?" He asked.
Reva was waiting patiently looking at everyone dancing and singing. "Reva, come on dance." Disha pulled her onto the floor. She felt her world revolve around. "Reva" Disha exclaimed. Eros held her stopping her from falling down. "Are you alright beautiful?" Reva nodded. "Don't tell me, you have kept the fast too?" Mia asked. Reva tried to pull herself away but again another faint spell came over her. Eros picked her up into his arms and put her on the couch.
"Reva, are you alright?" Eros asked softly. "I am fine Mr. De la Cruz." "Please dear call me Eros." "Ramon, get away from my girl now" Forrest shouted. Reva tried to get up. But again, fell back down because of exhaustion. It was late at night and the moon isn't yet on the horizon. Cristopher can see that Forrest was not in his senses. He put himself between them. "Forrest, don't shout here." Christopher tried to control the situation at hand but it was getting out of hand already.
"Tell him to stay away from my fiancée. I am not going to stop next time." He shouted. "Forrest please ... d...don't shout," Reva said trying hard to calm herself down. "The moon is up," Someone said and Reva looked at the balcony. Indeed, it was a beautiful moon. "Disha please can you help me?" She asked Disha who helped her with the things she needed to break her fast.
"Forrest..." Forrest was by her side. "What do you need honey, tell me I am right here, next to you." He held her hand and Disha explained it all to Forrest. He followed his friend and held the water to Reva's mouth. "Slow sips." She stopped after two or three sips. His phone rang as he placed her on the bed.
"I have to go there is an emergency." He looked at her pale face. "Will you be alright Honey?" He asked. She didn't answer even if she had to say no. He would have gone away. Because she is no one and on the other end of the line was someone who always was and always will be important to him. "Forrest" she heard Christopher shout.
"You cannot abandon her this way know how sick she is? How can you do that?" She pulled her iPod and pressed play putting the earphone on. She didn't want to listen to any arguments. She has made up her mind. She is going away and no one is going to stop her.
She typed the last line of the resignation letter. Tomorrow is her flight. She will be delivering the letter to him tomorrow first thing in the morning and then she will catch the evening flight to London. This city had made her what she is today. She will never ever forget what it was like to experience some fine skills and techniques in the medicinal world.
But it is time to say goodbye to all this. She Forwarded the letter to Christopher and Pia both and the last one will be given to Forrest. She took the printout three copies. Each addressed to them.
Someone knocked at her door. "Come in" Pia walked inside. "So, you are packed?" It wasn't easy to let her go away. But it was something they all needed to do for her. So that she can start a new one. So that, they can see her grow. It was necessary that they let her make her own decision and trust that it will be alright.
"Yes, all done. Here is your copy of my official resignation. I am going to give one to Chris and another one to Forrest." She felt a bitterness seep into her voice. No one was talking to him after the incident of Karwa Chauth. "You are not going to tell him about the pregnancy, are you?" Pia asked.
"I cannot Pia, if I do, he will stay and if this is the only reason, he is going to be with me, then I am not going to force him into something false. It is alright to let go of some things sometimes. I have learned that very well." Pia held her hand.
"You have grown, you have become a mature person suddenly Reva. And I know you will be the best mother. So, I and Chris would be staying with you before your due date. That way we can keep you company and he can keep an eye on his London branch." Pia produced something.
"what is in it?" she asked looking at the box. "Something for the baby. You sure you do not want to use Chris's jet? It would be comfortable." Reva shook her head. "I booked the tickets and I am not going to get refunded. Besides, sometimes you have to let me do things on my own too." Pia hugged her. "I am going to miss you, Reva." "I am too going to miss you, don't tell Disha and Mia until after I am gone or they will kill Forrest," Reva told her.
"True they will do it. But who will save him from me?" Both the girls looked at Christopher. "Chris don't you dare do something irrational." Reva warned him. "no promises but as we are giving gifts here is something for you." He opened a box revealing a charm bracelet.
"Give me your hand." She extended her hand and he placed it on her hand. "I am going to miss you, Reva Mathur." "So will I Christopher Royce Woodland." And they hugged.
The next morning she walked towards the known destination. Forrest's cabin and out of habit she barged into it seeing Ange and Forrest were in a passionate embrace.
Word Count: 2305 Words