Characters :
Riha : A 25 years old doctor based in Mumbai. Unmarried.
Raajiv : A 27 years old doctor based in Mumbai. Unmarried.
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" Bye ma, bye Rukku...bye baba! "
Riha jumped off the fences almost to get into the car. She was already late for the classes and Dr. Shetty wouldn't spare her again today. Why the f**k why the f**k couldn't she ever be on time! Anyways, she pacified herself. Today's Sunday and only Dr.Shetty could be crooked enough to arrange for classes early morning. She just hated that man. Riha gulped a huge piece of Vada into her mouth. " Bhaiyaa, fast. Do you want me to be hanged? " , her driver couldn't help smiling as he speeded up.
Riha hated AC cars. She never switched that on when travelling alone. She slided the window down. Aahh!! Cool breeze. It had been raining and that's the reason of this pleasing weather.
Riha missed Jerk on these days. Jerk was her golden retriever. And he had been to her grandma's place for a change. Jerk loved rains. So did Riha. Like hell.
Riha though loved everything about her life. She had got the best maa baba in world, the bestest brother Rukku, thr cutest dog Jerk, and the sweetest home.
And she loved being a doctor. She honestly felt blessed enough to serve mankind. In its true sense.
Though at times she ended up landing herself in trouble being a bit over the top. Like last week she decided to celebrate her birthday by handing over cakes and chocolates to all the outdoor patients. The out patients mostly belonged to the lower middle class and they seemed extremely happy being treated so dearly by their doctor ma'am. But many of her colleagues didn't take the matter quite too sportingly. The news spread like wildfire that Riha Menon was trying a bit too hard to impress seniors by doing drastic things.
Riha's out of the way things had always been pampered by their HOD Dr. Ghai. And that was the reason she maybe was envied. She just brushed off the taunts but things went really downhill this time. Dr Ghai asked her not to repeat such stuffs. Well well well... she would obviously repeat. It's her life and if she could feed a box full of Biriyani to road children, she could obviously repeat. She wasn't afraid of anyone in doing something that felt great.
A smile lit her up as the rainy breeze hit her face.
Riha was the most beautiful of their second year medicine post graduation trainee batch. And had a golden heart. Obviously a material to envy, and distantly admire at the same time.
She had definitely been affecting people since she was born maybe. So much so that they wanted to spend lives with her. But what mattered was Riha Menon had not found the right kind of guy in her twenty five years of life. And she would wait. .
Not many were as patient as her though. Just like the one who was calling her right now.
" Hello!"
" Hello Riha! Shall I pick you up? "
" What? I thought I was late! "
" Dude why don't you check your whatsapp? The class's been postponed to 12."
" Ohh damn!! I ain't late then! "
" Come on Riha. You would reach early. I said I would pick you up!"
" Hahahahaha so do you want me to return back home and wait for you? I'm on my way bro! "
" Cool. You didn't even bother to call me! "
" hey I believed I was late! I didn't have time to call you! "
" I know, you prefer living in your own delusional world and have time for no others emotions! "
Now it was time to drop the call. Poor Raajiv.
" Meet you at the lecture! "
Riha hanged up. Ufff. These men. They would always be ready to tickle you emotionally. Riha couldn't help laugh.
If it was so easy impressing her, Riha would not be roaming around uncommitted for so many years of life. Poor men.
As Riha's car entered the yard of National Medical, she jumped off. She's got some time now and she could keep the promise she'd made to the 76 years old asthma patient on bed number 6 last night, " daddu, I'll come to you tomorrow morning. I'll make you talk to your son."
This was Riha. The ever charming open hearted girl who knew only to laugh and wanted only to love.
*******
" People drink on Saturday nights and you drink on Sunday nights. " , Raajiv crashed on the revolving chair beside Vivaan at one corner of the bar counter.
Vivaan looked at him through a corner of his eyes. Though Raajiv wasn't in his list of irritants, yet he didn't like people who drastically broke his alone.
" And people who don't drink stay at home while you follow me to the bar. "
Raajiv laughed out loud. " Obviously I have to Vivaan. You can be my only savior. "
Vivaan smirked. He and savior!
" ...you know well Raajiv. I can only kill. Not save. "
The smile on Raajiv's face vanished. Yes, he knew everything about Vivaan but not in a way Vivaan knew himself maybe. That was worse.
Raajiv and Vivaan had studied at the same high school. And Vivaan used to be a shy cute guy, but not this. The Vivaan now is indifferent, not shy. He used to be a loner then too, because he was introvert. Now he's a loner on purpose. He would drive everyone out of his life. No, he would never tell them to leave. And when and if he felt like, he could do anything for them. But the fact was, he hardly ever felt like that. Raajiv knew, whoever didn't know Vivaan much would be drawn to him because he had an aura. But Vivaan hardly kept anyone. Because no wonder, anyone would just not allow getting insulted and yet stay. Vivaan didn't welcome anyone, nor bid a goodbye. They were forced to leave, themselves.
Raajiv chose to stay because he knew Vivaan. He knew where from he had come, and where he's going...
" Are you here to again talk about your one sided love? " Vivaan looked at his friend.
Yes, Raajiv was his friend. His long time friend. And he could not just drive him out of his life because he had done a lot for him. And through that, he reminded him of someone else. Someone he wanted to forget and yet remember!
" Now that's my right brother. History repeats itself. "
Raajiv stopped. He just didn't want to utter what he did. But he hardly had a choice but to remind Vivaan of the promise he had made at high schools.
" I just cannot tell her that I love her to the moon and back. Riha is such a girl who would keep talking and wouldn't listen when she's at a rush. And when she's cool, calm and composed, I cannot say a word. "
" So the point is you can never say a word. "
" Yes. And as per a promise, you have to do that for me. Just like I did. "
Vivaan thumped the glass on the counter, closed his eyes as if trying to gather. Raajiv's brows squeezed a bit. He couldn't judge him.
Vivaan opened his eyes after a while.
" The Vivaan ten years back and the Vivaan today ain't same Raajiv! "
" That ain't an excuse to break a promise. "
Raajiv was actually being desperate to Vivaan not because of his own interest, but for Vivaan's too. It would be his achievement, even if for a promise, he returned to being the old Vivaan.
Vivaan took ten minutes to stop thinking, to stop breathing even. A long time. He had no intention to get back to something which reminded him vivaciously of something else. But, anyways, he might be having to do that, only for the sake of a promise.
" Text me her opd schedule. If she slaps me, I would kill you. Remember that. "
" Oh brother! " , Raajiv went on to hug him but was pushed away by a stern palm.
Anyways, as Vivaan walked off, Raajiv smiled. History repeated itself and no one could escape that anyway.
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