Armaan who returned home after jogging, tried his best to escape from sight of his grandparents which he miserably failed. Armaan saw his grandmother standing in front of him blocking the way to the staircase. With silence lingering between them, Pramila gazed at his right hand which was bandaged and her eyes widened with shock and worry.
"Armaan?! What happened to your hand?"
"Dadi... Woh"
"When did it happen? And you didn't even tell us?"
Pramila held his hand gently in hers while she looked at him with concern.
"Dadi... I am fine... It's just nothing"
"You call this nothing? This big bandaged hand?"
Armaan looked at her nervously and the next moment he felt his ear being twisted.
"Ah ah Dadi! Please.... Leave me.... Ah it pains"
"Then why don't you tell me everything properly, Huh?"
"Ok... Fine! I will tell you"
Pramila twisted again making him yelp in pain.
"Dadi.... Yaar first at least leave my ear no? If you hold like this, how will I tell you?"
Hearing his plea, Pramila left his ear and glared at him for answers.
"Dadi.... It happened yesterday evening"
"And you didn't even tell us?"
"Dadi... You all were there after so many days and I didn't wanted to spoil Aditi's birthday party. The glass which I was holding it broke and then I went to hospital to get it treated"
Hearing which, Pramila once again twisted his ear making groan in pain.
"Now why are you doing this Dadi?"
"You drove to hospital all by yourself and you expect me to be quiet?"
"Ah... Dadi it hurts"
"Why are you shouting now? Stay silent as you did yesterday.... "
"Dadi... Sorry na.... I didn't wanted to worry you"
"So after finding out like this, you think I won't be worried at all?"
"Dadi... You know what I meant"
Soon there were tears in Pramila's eyes and she left his ear and held his hand again gently.
"You never tell anything, Armaan.
You have become same like your father"
"Baba?"
"Yes.... He never used to tell anything to us if anything that would worry us."
Wiping her years, Pramila then continued to speak.
"Don't bottle up everything inside your heart Armaan.... It never ends well"
"Dadi.... "
Armaan hugged her embracing her in his arms and mumbled softly.
"I am fine Dadi"
Armaan wanted to tell that it was Nia who bandaged his hand and he was sure that she would be delighted to know that he met Nia. But he didn't wanted to give false hope if things didn't turn up the way he wanted to.
"Ok.... Now let me go and get ready.... I have to go to the office"
"Armaan.... But how will you go? Your hand-"
"Dadi.... It's not a big deal. I can manage it"
"Ok... Just don't pressurise yourself to work and if it pains, just return home"
"Yes, my sweet Dadi... I will take care of myself"
Placing a kiss on her forehead, Armaan climbed up the stairs and walked to his room.
Armaan had decided that he would definitely meet Nia once again. But when, he didn't know. He hurriedly took shower while taking care to keep his right hand dry. He had little difficulty in dressing up and even combing his hairs as it was difficult to do things with left hand.
Then his grandmother fed him breakfast while his grandfather drove to the office. Armaan wasn't given much of work except for checking files and going through them.
When the day began to seize, he received a call. Without seeing who it was, Armaan answered it.
"Hello"
"Hey bro!"
"Harsh?"
"Finally, you remember my name.... I thought you might have forgotten me completely!"
"Why this drama, Harsh? What do you want?"
"Bro, what kind of a friend are you? Here I have called you after so many days and you are being such a jerk!"
"Fine.... Mr. Harsh Mittal. I will be polite with you. How are you doing Mr. Mittal? May I know how I maybe of helpful to you?"
"Shut up! I called you so that we could meet up today evening"
"Not possible"
"But why? And don't give me any reasons! I already contacted your assistant to know all of your schedule and you are completely free. And. And, I asked Dadu also"
"I can't drive..."
"What? Did you loose your license?"
"What? No! I got cut in my right hand and got some stitches too"
"Fine.... Then I will pick you up and drop you home also. So now don't give any reasons"
"Ok...."
Armaan soon started to wrap up all the work and once he was done, he headed towards his grandfather's cabin and nocked. When he heard a faint voice of telling him to get inside, Armaan pushed open the door and entered to see his grandfather busy.
"Dadu.... "
"Armaan.... Good that you are here, I just needed the client's number so I was about to call you"
"Yes, Dadu. I will message the number right now"
Armaan immediately forwarded the number and stood silently.
"What are you waiting for? Go and enjoy! And be careful with your hand"
"Ok Dadu"
After which Armaan headed out of the cabin and the very next moment, he received his friend, Harsh's call. Instead of answering it, he rejected the call and headed towards the exit of the building. Upon reaching near the gate, Armaan saw a black SUV which he clearly knew to whom it belonged.
Without any hesitation, Armaan opened the back seat's door and settled beside his friend who was glaring at him. While the drive drove to their destination.
"What has kept you so occupied that you didn't even message me once?"
"Geez.... Why are you acting like a jealous girlfriend?"
"Ewww.... No! But I am your best friend! You haven't called me up for so long which means something is going on in your life"
"You know me better than anyone"
"Of course I will know you! Agree all, I am your only best friend"
Armaan averted his gaze at Harsh and corrected him.
"Male best friend"
"Yeah... Yeah.... Your 'She Best friend' will be hurt if she ever comes to know that you have a new best friend now..."
Armaan remained silent while Harsh rambled through out their way and when the driver stopped, Armaan got down and looked at the club which was starting to get crowded.
"Common" Harsh motioned him towards the VIP section where they both could talk without being bothered by drunken teenagers.
Settling themselves on the sofa, Armaan through the glass walls around their lounge. They were on the second floor from where they could see the crowd beneath their floor. People dancing and enjoying their weekend.
After few minutes, a waiter came up to them and asked if they wanted anything to drink.
"Martini for both of us and spiced nuts"
Noting their orders, the waiter hurried out to get their drinks.
"So tell me..... What happened?"
Armaan sighed as he didn't understand from where to start and how to explain to his friend.
_____
In Lifeline Hospital, all the interns except Jay and Nia scowled at Chethan while he stood nervously under their gaze.
"G-guys.... C-common, let's get ready?"
Sapna, Chaithra and Diganth started hitting him making him yelp in pain.
"Ouch! Stop hitting me guys"
"Why?"
"Why the hell did you do that?"
Sapna and Chaithra questioned them with still glaring at him.
"Then what else would I have done?"
"Nothing!"
"Yes, you should have done nothing!"
"But, they were looking at us and-"
"And you invited them to come along with us?"
"Are you mad or what Chethan?"
"I am sorry guys.... But the look they had in their eyes, it was like they were waiting to be invited!"
"So what? No one invites their superiors to hangout with!"
Nia who stood silently, listening to their banter, slowly started to speak.
"So.... That means.... The plan is canc-"
"No!"
"No!"
"No!"
Sapna, Chaithra and Diganth snapped at the same time.
"We will go...."
"Yes.... So what if they are our seniors and supervisors? Outside the hospital, we can be ourselves...."
"Is it that simple?"
Chethan asked earning glares from the trio again to which he raised of his hands up in surrender.
"If you open up your mouth tonight, no? Your life will not be spared!"
Soon in the evening, when the time of leaving arrived, Sapna and Chaithra dragged Nia along with them to girls changing room.
"What? Why did you bring me here?"
Nia looked at the bag which Sapna was holding who was so excited for this outing as though she was being freed from the cage after so many years.
Sapna pulled open the zip of the bag to which Nia looked at her and then at the bag.
"See.... We have arranged some dresses for tonight!"
"Dresses?"
"Yes.... Look.... Isn't this awesome?"
Chaithra shoved out a black dress and showed it to her.
"But guys.... I will be coming in this dress only"
"No way!"
"Why? What's wrong with this?"
"Everything is wrong Nia! It's not the one to wear in the clubs"
"Yes, Nia.... We are doctors! That itself makes the boys to stay away from us..... At least we have to dress up ourselves to grab their attention no?"
"What are you both talking about? Isn't this hangout like for just us so that we can spend some time?"
"Duh.... Nia? We all spend time in the hospital.... But this hangout, is for being carefree and just enjoying"
"But- "
"No buts, nothing. Common now, select any of these dresses"
Nia sighed as she saw Chaithra and Sapna trying see if the dresses would look good on them or not. She just stood contemplating whether to give it a try or not. Because she hadn't worn Western dresses at all despite being studied at London.
"Nia.... Common just make it fast"
Sapna said and then dashed into a small cabin to change and then Chaithra went into the next one.
Nia slowly took out dresses one after the other and held on front of her to look into the mirror.
It was similar to what Chaithra had selected, black dress but shorter than that. Nia doubted that the dress would hardly reach her knees. When Nia continued to gaze at her reflection in the mirror, She gasped as her eyes widened.
'You'
It was the reflection of the same stranger she has been bumping into again and again. Nia turned back to see if he was truly there in the room or was it her hallucinations again.
Nia found no one in the room except her. She turned look at the mirror to see him standing leaning onto the wall with his hands in his pockets. Dressed in the same track suit which he had worn in the morning.
'How is this possible?'
Nia questioned herself as she gazed at his reflection on the mirror, with still in shock. With a smile on his face, he pointed at the dress she was holding and indicated that it wasn't good.
"Huh?"
Nia closed her eyes and then once again when she opened, she found him standing smiling at her but when she turned to look at her behind, he wasn't there.
He once again indicated that the dress wasn't good.
Nervously, Nia placed the dress on the bench and held the next dress which was red in colour with no sleeves and it had deep neck.
Nia looked at his reflection to see his face turning distasteful towards the dress. She then grabbed the next one which was white in colour but short. She held in front of her as she looked at him to see shaking his head which meant a 'no'.
Then she placed back the dress and then finally grabbed a dress without even taking a look at it and held it in front of her.
Nia thought that he might reject this dress also as she saw him standing just gazing at her with a smile on his face. So, when she was about to keep back the dress she saw him walking towards her.
Nia couldn't understand what was happening and most importantly why was it happening? Her heart started to beat erratically as she saw stepping closer to her and nearing his face close to her ear.
"You will look beautiful"
His words made her gasp as her hands turned cold. Nia closed her eyes hoping as his voice repeated in her mind.
"Nia!"
The loud voice, brought back to her reality where she saw Sapna and Chaithra standing next to her.
"What are you doing, standing here? Go and get dressed!"
"Yes, common.... Or else we will be late"
Saying, Sapna and Chaithra pushed her into the cabin without allowing her to speak.
Inside the cabin, Nia stood trying to understand what had happened just a while ago and why was she hallucinating about him?
"Nia! Hurry up!"
Upon hearing their voices, Nia quickly changed into the dress she was holding in her hands. When she was done, Nia stepped outside and looked at her reflection in the mirror.
It was a royal blue colour dress which luckily had arm length sleeves and the length of the dress reached below her knees.
"Wow"
Nia heard her friends voices as they remarked how she looked beautiful in this dress.
"Just one thing...."
Sapna neared Nia and loosened her braided hairs and freed it resting on her shoulders.
"Yes... Now you look perfect"
"Common, let's go"
Nodding her head, Nia followed beside them nervously as she felt everyone's gazes at them but mostly on her. Clutching onto her bag, Nia tried to look away and avoid them.
As Nia blindly walked beside Sapna and Chaithra, her mind was clouded with the thoughts of what happened in the changing room. She couldn't shrug off the face of that stranger which was beginning to imprint in her brain.
When they finally reached the exit of the building, all the interns looked at their senior attendings. If they had thought that it was only them who had dressed up for the evening, they were completely wrong. Even the senior attendings had dressed up which surpassed the expectation.
All the three men and two women, looked dashing and beautiful. But Nia wasn't thinking anything but about the stranger.
"Let's go then, shall we?"
The interns looked at the two Mahindra Scorpio cars as the three men indicated them to get inside the cars.
Chaithra and Sapna screamed internally seeing how everything looked so dreamy.
_________
Hello.... Everyone!
I hope you all are doing well....
I hope you enjoyed reading the chapter.
What do you think about Nia and Armaan....?
Drop comments and votes for the chapter....
Thank you :)
Dated : 12 December 2022