Preeti's POV
"Preeti..." I heard Sunaina's voice. Running towards me, I could see the rainwater dripping from her clothes. I knew it was silly of me to pull such a stunt. I was warned by Shawarma a lot of times but for the moment, Sunaina was far important to me. I had to make her listen to me and the only way she will listen is by a few rash actions. I ran towards her and she hugged me immediately. I could hear her loud sobs in the cold heavy rain. She was always a cry baby and even though now I was supposed to be angry on her for her rude behaviour look at me now consoling her.
"There...there.." I said patting her head.
"Why would you do something like this? Did you not realise how heavy is the rain?" She started scolding me in between the sobs.
"I am sorry na..." I smiled hearing her complaints at me gently. My hands still patting her while her grip on me was still very strong. Guess her fear of losing people is coming into effect.
"Let's get inside my van ok Sunaina?"
"Mmm" she mumbled something that was inaudible to me. We both walked slowly inside the van, where Shawarma had already prepared a clean set of clothes. We both got dressed inside the van and dried our heads with a dryer. Just like old times when we had sleepovers and stayed back at each other's house. We both were a lot carefree back then. Now look at us? When did we become so silly yet so mature. We both are dealing with two different things but somehow it leads us to each other. That's how our friendship is. We sat beside each other. I could clearly sense the tension among that is seeping through in between us. I held her hand tightly and called out her name.
"Sunaina...?"
"Why didn't you ever tell me Preeti? Why?" Her eyes getting all teary again.
"Sunaina...it's not like that. Just listen to me."
"I am listening to you Preeti. Tell me. I want to believe you. So please tell me the truth."
I took a deep breath and began speaking. "Do you remember the first time we met?"
"I do. It was at a literary convention. I just went to the table where the book 'Waking up with You' was kept and you asked me if I was buying it or not. Soon we started talking and we found that we had so much in common in between us. Then we started talking and now are besties" I smiled at her description. She still remembers every detail.
"Actually...I went there that day because my book was released that day. No one knew I was the author and so I just went in to inspect the sales and how were the reviews. That's how I met you."
"But then why didn't you tell me anything that you were the author?"
"Because I didn't trust you at that time." I said bluntly. "Sunaina...admit it or not initially we weren't close enough that I will be willing to share my secrets with you." Her mouth dropped at my words but I knew she deserved to know the truth that was not sugar coated.
"Then did you not ever trust me?" Her voice was cracking. I knew all this is too much for her to take up.
"No silly!" I patted a little on her head. "I remember how sad you used to be when you read the book and you were wondering for days the reason why Arjun didn't get a happy ending right?" She nodded.
"I just didn't want you to blame me or misunderstand me. It might sound silly but I knew that you wouldn't have able to swallow the news back then. I had to keep my identity a secret to maintain my normal life." She looked down and I continued. "You knew how my parents are right? They don't want me to do anything else other than becoming a doctorate. She would have immediately asked me to stop all this if somehow my secret identity gets revealed." She listened carefully to every word that I was speaking. I think she was understanding why did I hide it from her.
"Actually I wanted to reveal it to you before itself." I said her slowly making her eyes shimmer.
"But I feared every time that you would misunderstand me. I didn't want to lose you to be honest and the day when I finally decided to reveal everything to you, you somehow came inside this book." I lowered my head. "I am sorry. It was silly of me to hide it from you."
She looked at me as if she wants to ask me a lot of things. "But why did you do all this to me and him? Why was I pulled in here?"
"Sunaina believe me! Whatever is happening here is not at all in my control. Like you, I am also a viewer or a reader of my own story." Her eyes seems to be confused.
"So you mean to say that you didn't try to kill Arjun?"
"Not at all."
"It wasn't your plan that Arjun was in love with Mansi?"
"Nah-uh!" I responded.
"Pakka? (Really?)" I smiled at her questions. She is just like a child and I am glad this is sorted between us. I nodded in denial and patted her head once again.
"Wait! Wait! Then why am I here? Or who is targetting Arjun? Why is he doing that? Who are those cloaked men? Why did they send me threat letters? Is the real world seriously paused? Then how did you know that I am here? How-?" I was getting all clouded by her questions.
"Woah woah! Hold up. Look honestly I have no answer to maximum of your questions now. Believe me I am confused too. But one thing is for sure, the time in the real world has paused." She looked at me with confused eyes. "For real?"
"Yeah...I suffered there for an entire 1 week. The world was paused there and so did my work. I literally used to get stuff from convinient store and left the money there so that those people can get it when the world goes back to normal." I huffed in frustration. She started laughing at my misery and I showed a fake anger at her.
"Hey! Not fair huh!" I smiled seeing her smile but then I remembered something and the smile from my face disappeared.
"Sunaina now it's not the time to smile. Something very sinister is going on here." Sunaina noted the seriousness in my voice and making her smile vanish.
"What do you mean?"
"Sunaina... someone had sent you a note right that I have planned to kill Arjun right?" She nodded.
"I have a feeling that this person knows you too well and thus was trying to jeopardize our friendship."
"But...who...can...it... be? This is just a fictional world. No one is supposed to know me from before...unless-"
"Unless someone from the real world is here." We both said in unison. All this makes so much sense now. Someone knows Sunaina too well to a point that he or she can play with her emotions.
"Sunaina...think carefully." I tried to make her remember. "Is there anyone in this world whom you feel that you know from before?" She seemed to have started to think intently but to my disappointment, she shook her head. "Umm...I don't think I have met anyone he- Wait!!!" She suddenly stood up from the couch.
"Karan!!! Karan Singhania. He looks like Nikhil remember! I even mistook him for Nikhil as well. Maybe he is-"
"No Sunaina." I stopped her in midway. "Like you, I had investigated him as well. But it seems like he has been in this world ever since he was born." She sad down again with disappointment.
"How do you know?"
"I asked Shawarma to do a bit of an investigation."
"What is he? A secret agent?" She joked.
"Apparently this butler is very efficient. I am gonna miss this guy when you and I return back."
"Ohho! So you are gonna miss him. Hmm...hmm...interesting." she teased again.
"Oh please! You are gonna miss Arjun more than I will miss Shawarma." Her smile disappeared.
"Yeah..." I could see her smiling bitterly.
"Hey! It's ok! Atleast you get to have your time with him. Who gets such chance?" I winked at her meaningfully.
"We didn't even get a chance to kiss each other. What do you mean by enjoy?" She made a sad face.
"Well your love life was always like that." I teased her even more and gave me a light slap on my hands. We both smiled at each other warmly and then she gave me a big hug.
"I missed you Pri..." Her voice cracked again.
"Ofcourse you did. I am that awesome." She gave me a slap again.
"Bishhh!" And then we both started to laugh. It seemed that we went back to those days again. She talked for a little while about random things when she looked at her watch.
"Eek! I have been gone for too long. I should go back to his cabin." I nodded in approval.
"Let me take you there then." She agreed and we both walked inside the hospital. Little did we know that a new danger was lurking around Arjun while we were gone.
(A while back)
(Narrator's POV)
A man in his mid forties stood in front of Arjun's hospital cabin. He was wearing a cream tee with a white coat over it. He was about to enter inside when two of his bouncers blocked his path.
"I am sorry but we can't let you enter without knowing your identity." He smiled at them casually and showed them his ID.
City Hospital
Sourav Sinha
Doctor in charge.
They stared at it for a while when he finally said. "Mr Arjun Singhania is under my care. Is this enough proof or should I bring a nurse to testify about it?"
The two bulky men dressed in all black looked at each other and decided to let him in.
"Please go in. We are sorry for this." One of the bouncers bowed to him apologetically.
"It's fine." He said professionally. "I know you guys are doing your duty but make sure that next time this isn't repeated." They nodded again and he entered inside. Both the bouncers failed to notice the smirk that slipped out of that doctor's mouth when he stepped in front and held the knob of the door turning it in the left side to enter inside.
The man entered inside Arjun's cabin and looked around. No one was there inside his cabin. He looked at the sleeping Arjun.
"The sleeping pills he has been given is taking its effect I guess." He searched inside his coat pocket and pulled out a glass container. The ones that is given to patients in their saline. From the other side of his coat pocket, he pulled out a syringe. He sucked in the liquid from the container and attached a needle on the mouth of the syringe. He tested if the liquid is oozing out of the needle by pulling the tail of the syringe inside. His test was a success and with a smile of victory, he proceeded towards the lying figure of Arjun.
Five minutes later, Sunaina and Preeti reached in front of Arjun's cabin. Sunaina looked at the bouncers and asked them in a strict tone.
"Did anyone enter inside Arjun's cabin?"
"Yes Doctor Sinha has just entered a while back."
"Who Doctor Sinha?"
"The one who is in-charge of Arjun sir."
"Wha..what?" Sunaina shouted
"What happened Sunaina?" Preeti looked at her confused.
"Arjun was admitted under Dr. Ranvijay Singh." Small beads of sweat were getting visible on her forehead.
"If he isn't the doctor who is in-charge of Arjun, then who is he-" Preeti couldn't finish her words.
"Nooooooo! Arujuuuuuun!" Sunaina turned the knob of the door and ran inside. She knew Arjun was in danger and this time she doesn't want to fail to save. Not today!
Heyyoooooo! Another update. I am really happy to have been able to publish this chapter. Will Sunaina be able to save Arjun this time? If not then they won't be able to have their first kiss. Hehe. Thank you so much for loving this book. Stay tuned. ❤️