"Sweetheart! I'm back!"
Shrithik shouted as soon as he entered the house. Sameera who was studying smiled and got up to welcome him.
But when she saw his face she kept her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes.
"Again? Are you serious? You are a doctor Shri! At one of the most respected hospitals. And that also a surgeon. A heart surgeon. And you come home daily after fighting with someone."
She scolded him, helping him remove his coat.
He sat down and on the sofa and she pulled his tshirt off of him.
"What can I do sweetheart. I saw this man who was beating his wife in the market and everyone was watching. I couldn't control and beat him properly."
He proudly said and Sameera smiled at his face. Kissing his nose she went inside her room to bring the medical box to clean his wounds.
After Shrithik and Sameera were once again together they went to meet Maadhavi mam. And there, as a compensation she gave Shrithik his degree. It was a universal truth that he was a better doctor than most in the world and that he knew more than enough to perform any kind of surgery.
So now he worked in one of the most successful hospitals of that city. And got paid more than 5 lakhs a month.
"But still. It has become your daily routine to come home all bruised. God knows what your colleagues might think of you."
She said opening the box and taking out Dettol to clean his wounds.
"Who cares what they think. And do you know what happened today? I got this such complicated case. I thought I'll barely be able to save that guy. But..............."
He continued telling his story and she listened to him attentively and giving him cute replies in between.
An hour or later, they both were in the bed ready to sleep.
"Sweetheart?"
"Hmm?"
"You still haven't told your parents about me. Have you?"
He asked and she buried her face in his hand.
"No. I haven't. I'm scared Shri. What if they refuse? What if-?"
"Stop the what ifs sweetheart. They'll gladly marry you to me."
"But I'm turning 22 tomorrow. I haven't even graduated yet. I don't have a job of my own. There's a small.......very small chance that they'll agree. I'm still too young to marry."
She sighed and he kissed her forehead.
"Shut up you idiot. You know when parents of a girl want to marry her to someone what they see in the guy? First his family background. That I don't have one. Second his income. That I have enough to give you a luxurious life. And third character. And you know I'm a very nice man."
He grinned and she chuckled.
"Dork."
She said and propping herself up on her elbows she kissed his nose.
"Good night."
______________________________
"Swee-sweeth-sweetheart! Achoo!"
Shrithik sneezed. His teeth chattered and he went in the hall where Sameera was.
She stood up as soon as she saw him and holding his hand made him sit down.
He was dressed in his usual work clothes and a towel hung around his neck. His hair was damp and it was clear to her that he has bathed with cold water.
She took the towel and started drying his hair.
"Do you really need to go? This early? It is just 6:00 am."
She asked and he nodded, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"Yes sweetheart. But I promise I'll be back before 11:00."
"PM?"
"AM."
"That's nice. So should I pack your lunch?"
She asked keeping the towel aside and taking the tie from his hand.
"Naah! I'll be back soon sweetheart. Then we'll go to a nice open restaurant and celebrate your birthday. I've also called your friends."
She nodded and started tying the tie around his neck, crouching down to his level.
Their noses were just inches apart.
"Sweetheart?"
"Hmm?"
"I love you."
He said and she looked up. It was sudden. He used to not say it much because he thought that it'll loose it's meaning.
"Is something wrong?"
She asked and he chuckled. Taking her hand and pulling her towards him he nodded.
"Yes. I've not got my kiss today. Will you please do something about it?"
He asked innocently and she chuckled.
"Oh really. So should I give it to you now?"
He grinned at her teasing face.
"Sure why not."
He said and she leaned in closing the distance between them.
But just when she was a cm away from his lips she got off of him and smirked.
"You are getting late Mr.Sweetheart. Go!"
Shrithik groaned at this.
"You are such a tease sweetheart."
But he got up and went to his room. Wearing his doctor's coat, and keeping his phone he moved towards the door.
"Bye sweetheart. I'm leaving."
"Wait!"
He stopped in front of the door and in the apartment corridor, waiting for her.
Soon she was standing in front of him holding his wallet. He took it from her and kissed her goodbye.
She smiled, blushing slightly and pushed him back. But as soon as both of them turned towards the stairs, they were met with four angry faces.
Sameera's family. She gulped and scurried away from Shrithik a bit.
Her mother, father sister and brother made their way towards them and Shrithik sighed. Taking out his phone he dialled a number.
"Hello. This is Kaveri Hospital. How may I help you?"
The receptionist spoke from the other side.
"Hii. I'm doctor Shrithik speaking. Can you please tell the chief that due to some important personal buisness I'll not be able to proceed with our appointment?"
"Sure sir. Have a nice day."
"Thankyou mam."
Saying this he cut the call. By now he has already scurried inside the house and Sameera was getting stared at by her family members.
"Who. Is. he.?"
Her brother asked and Sameera couldn't answer as Shrithik now stood in front of her family and was the main focus of their attention.
He smiled sheepishly and rubbed his neck.
"I'm sorry I had to attend that call."
"May I know who the hell are you and what are you doing here?"
Her brother once again asked rudely but their mother stopped him.
Shrithik cleared his throat and snapped into his buisness mode.
"I'm Shrithik. Shrithik Chauhan. Sameera's boyfriend. And I'm here because I live here."
"Live here?! What do you mean by that? Sameera!! What's this? Is this why we granted you the permission to li-"
"Sir!"
Shrithik roared, shutting her father up. He cannot tolerate anyone raising their voice at Sameera.
Then he turned towards her mother and sister. They both only seemed intelligent and sensible enough to make out the situation.
He softened his eyes and bowed down to touch her mother's feet and then towards her father to do the same.
"I request you guys to please listen to me before passing any judgement. And would you like something? Tea, coffee, water?"
He asked and turned towards Sameera.
She who understood what he meant went inside the kitchen to bring water.
They were all quiet till Sameera came and then she was bombarded with questions. And to save her Shrithik offered to answer each and every question of theirs.
"You said you lived here."
Sameera's sister stated and he nodded.
"Ye didi. I do. An year or half ago, when I was in last year of my studies, I got in a fight and was badly injured. One of my friends car looked same as Sameera's so I crashed in their when she was at a shop. Later when she found me out badly injured she took me here and bandaged me.
Slowly we became friends and because of me having no money my landlord kicked me out and I came to her. She offered me the spare room and I promised her to leave soon. But I never did."
He finished and a question popped.
"So you are living with her since then? And you are her boyfriend?"
"Yes sir. And if you people will agree I'd like to marry her."
"What do you do? And why should we give our our daughter to you? She's just 22 and who will guarantee that you'll not leave her or she'll not leave you?"
Her mother snarled and gave Sameera Sameera a glare.
Shrithik smiled and answered
"For your first answer mam, I am a surgeon. A heart surgeon and I get payed more than 5 lakhs a month. I know she's too young. For that let us just get officially engaged. When she'll get a job herself then after we can marry. And mam, I love her and I'll keep her happy."
He answered and everyone's jaw dropped. His salary was very high. Like seriously it was super high.
"Umm..... what's your age?"
"24 mam."
"But to become a surgeon you have to study for eight years itself. School education included."
"Uh.....I was.....I was granted special permission as I was good in studies that's why."
Shrithik impressed each and every one from Sameera's family. They were not very friendly at first but slowly slowly they started to warm up to him.
Sameera's mom was very sad to hear that he had no family member and was an orphan. While her dad and brother were impressed by his pay and attitude.
They told them that crashed suddenly because they wanted to surprise Sameera on her birthday. But instead they were the one to be surprised.
They were convinced that he truly loved her because of the fact that he didn't have a house of his own. After getting paid that much, he still lived with Sameera.
Her mother was a bit worried that if they were to marry their marriage will not last long because Shrithik was an intelligent guy who was granted special permission from the government to complete two classes in an year. And Sameera had a high self respect.
Any fight regarding that matter will brusie each other's ego and they can seperate.
But they both convinced her that nothing like that will happen.
It was 5:00 in the evening of the same day when along with Sameera's friends, her family was also enjoying the small party. They were joking around with each other, eating, playing dumb games and what not. It was not an official boring party.
"Really dear. I'm glad that there are still people like you in the world. May god bless you."
Sameera's mother said to Shrithik keeping a hand on his head.
"Thankyou mom......I mean mam."
He said slightly flustered and she chuckled.
"No problem beta. You can call me mother. Afterall you are going to be my son-in-law."
Looking at her motherly smile his eyes welled up. Never has his own mother looked at him with such smile. And getting deprived from the mother that gave him the love also didn't help.
It was a surprise for Sameera's mother to see his eyes shining with tears.
She kept a hand on his cheek.
"Never ever think that you don't have a family. We are here right? We are your family."
And suddenly she was hugged by him
"Thankyou mom."