Two months later
"Bhaiya I won't buy this if you don't sell this to me at 50 rupees per killo." Taran argued, examining a little onion in his hand, the onion price hike has shocked him to his guts and had definitely turned him into a "miser" who keeps on bargaining untill satiated. It was a Sunday and Taran was finally happy to be at home and help his mother through the household cores. She should rest and he should shop for her, he suggested an hour ago. He loves doing that for his mom and would love to do the same for and with his wife.
Though shopping grocery and food times is really a tough job.
Taran's fingers were paining with all the shopping bags which were dangling in them, when he saw someone.
The girl was dressed in a simple black kurti, which had intricate cream coloured pattern embroidered on it, paired up with the same shade black stockings. Her forehead having the tiniest, hard to see bindi, pink tinted lips made her face look pretty. Taran wasn't gazing at her so intimately untill she faltered in her steps, her shopping bags were almost in air and he saved her from falling though their bags, were now lying here and there on the road. He was holding her in place by her arms, which got replaced by his hands moving slowly, unknowingly around her petite waist. The girl didn't utter a word, she just kept on looking at Taran, for a moment he felt as if she's examining him the same way he was doing with the vegetables.
Have they met before? Having her locked in his little embrace he thought to himself.
Had he seen her before?
"Doctor Taran?" To his surprise, the girl uttered his name with her sweet crackling voice. It's a mix of two.
"Yes do I know you?" He said with cluelessness evident in his facial expressions.
"I have had an injury and you were my doctor." She said as she realised he doesn't remember her. Afterwards she cleared her throat, making him realise their position in the middle of the road, she was still in his hold, his hand firmly placed on her waist, their bodies plastered against each other and she was clearly uncomfortable. He should leave.
"Oh I am so sorry." He left and apologised immediately. To avoid the awkwardness between them, he began picking up their bags, shopping items at a good pace. The girl also bent and sit down, helping him.
"It's okay. You saved me." She sounded genuine and not offended. He was happy with that.
"You have too many polythene and shopping bags. should I drop you?" Taran offered in a sincere voice.
"No it's completely alright."
"No I should. Infact I am dropping you your home. I have car with me, take it as my apology. I should not have held you like that." Taran was sorry for the awkward situation and that she knows him, he should drop her, it's basic courtesy.
"You needn't to -"
"Please!"
"Okay!" The girl finally gave in and they both walked towards his car silently. Taran was very conscious of himself for the first time in front of a woman like this. Generally he's very active, confident but today he was a bit hesitant in expressing himself. The girl put her bags in the backseat and closed the door of the car when he asked her with a shaking voice.
"Where's your house?"
"Sunrise apartments, it's just half a kilometres away." She placed herself in the passenger seat beside him and she couldn't deny the fact that despite of nothing jittery, there's some heaviness in the air between them.
"Yeah ofcourse I know where it is." Taran smiled.
"Okay."
"So you said you have been my patient once?" The drive was silent and that silence was killing Taran. He finally decided to break the ice, also he was curious about her.
"Yes. I am Parineet. Parineet Kakkar. I did a suicide attempt months ago but -" Parineet sounded casual about it but lowkey miffed with herself.
"Oh yeah. Yea..yeah! I remember now! Sorry I forgot -" a plethora of memories flashed over Taran. The two month old suicide case, Parineet's brother, their one sided conversation in the hospital room, and Pari- Neet spat. A playful smile crept on his face. He never thought that he will ever meet her again but life happens to everyone.
"I am not worth remembering. It's okay." Parineet said, she was looking outside the window pane, she seemed lost.
"Don't say that. You should not."
"That's my society." Pari changed the topic and looked at him coldly.
"Thank you so much for the ride. And for not letting me fall."
"That's my job mam. How could I have let you trip." Taran gave his warmest of the smiles and handed her over the shopping bags. She returned a small smile and asked
"Please join us for a tea. My brother is also at home. We would love to have you at our home."
"I would have loved to join you guys too -"
"Please. You did a lot for us. It's just a gesture." Pari insisted, she wanted to apologise for their last encounter by being good to him this time. Taran smiled at her with his eyes and nodded.
"Ah- okay! Wait let me park my car."
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"Bhaiya ye pakadiye zara." Parineet called Vikram as she was struggling with the bags, though Taran asked to help her but she denied by nodding her head in a no. She was fine she said.
"Kaha tha na Mai sath chalta hoon shopping. The bags must be so heavy." Vikram's voice echoed through the hall, as he came from inside his room. He was looking fine in a tee shirt and sweat pants.
"Very heavy that she almost tripped and I came to the rescue." Taran said and laughed.
"Aap?"
"Bhaiya Dr Taran!" Parineet raised her brows and said.
"Oh yes! Yes! I do remember him, how I can forget you. The best man! The best doctor! Our saviour!" Vikram placed the bags at dining table and almost hugged him. He greeted Taran with the biggest smile on his face.
"Too kind of you to say this Mr Vikram." Taran returned the hug.
"Please come inside."
"Yeah!" Taran looked around the house and it was so cute. Cosy and comfortable. The entrance leads to the living area which also is spacious enough to have a dining table. The kitchen falls to the left and to the right there are two rooms.
The beige and brown coloured walls make their house more prominent. Taran observed that they had very less belongings, hardly one or two photo frames, all the tables, corners were almost empty but looked classy.
"What will you have? Tea? Coffee? Lemonade?" As Taran made himself comfortable on the couch, Parineet bombarded him with the options.
"Coffee!"
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Parineet was standing quietly beside the couch and was staring at nothingness, as her brother continued to talk with Taran, over the cups of coffee. Little did she knew that the latter's eyes were on her. Taran couldn't help but look at her. He himself could not count the times, he has stolen glances and looked at her shamelessly. But he can't help it either. There's something about her that intrigued him this time. Maybe because for the first time ever, in all their meetings, he looked at her differently, in a distinct light. When he met her today afternoon, he didn't immediately identified her as his patient or an acquaintance but a girl. An unknown girl he met on the road by accident and never noticed previously. And now as he sees her, he realised that Parineet is pretty. Her simplicity defines her personality yet there's something in her eyes that makes her look unsettled. Her sharp features and dull expressions don't go well together. She should smile, he thought.
Taran for the first time, found Parineet amusing. She's so strikingly beautiful, that his heart skipped a beat, but he ignored that because she's a nobody.
He was again staring at her when Vikram's phone started ringing and it snapped him out of his long stare game.
"Excuse me. It's important, I have to take this call." Taran nodded and saying this, Vikram stood up from the sofa and walked out of the living room, leaving the seemingly awkward and silent duo together.
For a brief moment, Taran continued to sip on his empty coffee mug. He doesn't know why but he was very conscious in front of her. Meanwhile Parineet was again lost somewhere when Taran cleared his throat unintentionally. It was a reflex, he regretted doing.
"Please take some biscuits." Pari walked to him, to serve some snacks in embarassment of ignoring their guest like that.
"Thanks but I am already full. You cook really well. These grilled cheese sandwiches were so yum." Taran couldn't help but appreciate the savouring snacks he just had at Kakkar's. He was actually flattered.
"Thank you so much." Parineet smiled and retreated back to the position where she was standing previously. A minute long another silence followed, and Vikram didn't return making it tough for Taran to sit. And what made the situation more uncomfortable for him was his own behaviour. He has been constantly eyeing the girl present in the room. He must have noticed every detail of Parineet by now, his brain mocked him.
Finally he broke the silence and said "you don't talk?"
Parineet looked at him with surprise in her eyes which made him regret saying that. He stuttered while replying "ahh..no. I mean. I, I -"
"I have nothing to tell. I am a bore." Parineet admitted. When Taran thought that she would mock him, it sounded more of an admission.
"Nobody is a bore. Everyone has a story to tell Miss Pari-neet." Taran, with a glint of mischief, purposely stressed on her full name, which made Pari's face go red with Shame and he inwardly chuckled on the fact that she remembers their last conversation just like him.
"I am sorry for that day." Parineet didn't meet his gaze and said in an apologetic tone which made Taran again regret his words. He has never felt so bad in his life, in span of just two hours. Like back to back regrets hitting him!? It was too much.
"Please I am sorry. You needn't to apologise. I was just teasing you -" the last line made Pari raise her eyes, and Taran hushed. He went silent and the couch dipped as he settled in it more.
They are not friends that he can tease her, prank her or joke with her, Taran said to himself, gave a reminder to his extrovert self.
"Sorry" he blurted out.
"It's absolutely fine. And I need to apologise because maybe for you it was not a big deal but for me it was." Parineet said firmly, but not meeting his gaze and Taran grew conscious that his lips dried and he licked them. He has never been in such a situation ever. So formal, stressed, heavy. He never has heard so many of thank yous and sorry(s) altogether. His mind wanted to run away untill he saw Parineet smiling a little, as if a big burden has been lifted off her shoulders.
"It's really fine." He said returning an assured gaze. He felt good for her. He could understand that sometimes people do take little things to their heart, afterall it's those little things that matter the most.
"But you do talk less. I told you to socialize remember." Taran continued to which she just nodded.
"Don't keep things in your heart. Say them aloud as I always do - "
"Dil ne ye kaha hai dil se.. mohobbat ho gayi hai tumse." Taran almost jumped in horror as his phone started ringing. He took it out of the pocket of his jeans and was about to fall from his hands since the cut button didn't work. Bad fortune? Unlucky him? Hell yes. Parineet's eyes went wide in horror at the situation, and Taran was shameful for this. He cussed a few words several times at Ayaan because he knows he's the one who must have changed his ringtone to this 'so romantic' song that too on this so unromantic situation.
He tapped on the red icon several times but seemed like his phone hanged at the call. Bad timing! The call died leaving a frantic Taran but suddenly he heard something. A laughter. Melodious one.
He looked behind him, and found Parineet giggling with all her heart out. She was cupping her lower face and laughing so -? Beautifully. It's one of the most gorgeous sight he came across the entire day.
He didn't realise how long he has been seeing her untill Vicky came back and he too started looking at Parineet'a hearty laughter with moist eyes for a brief second but then he referred to Taran "I am sorry. It was my boss."
"No problem Mr Kakkar. I guess I should leave. My mom just called up. Sunday is family time you know." Taran said pressing his small lips in a full satisfactory smile.
In blink of an eye, and what seemed another long conversation to a dazed Parineet, she saw her brother escorting Taran to the main gate and saw them talking about something with seriousness but she chose to ignore. Nothing interests her anymore.
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A/N : Heylo people! So finally they met OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL.
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