Is It Really You ??

21. Hope....

Rudra walked out of his room, tired and with a aching head. He didn't got a wink of sleep last night. He went to the kitchen to have some coffee for making his headache and tiredness go away to some extent.

Rishi was in the kitchen making coffee for himself. He looked at Rudra and smiled at him

"Good Morning "

"Not a good one for me "
Rudra said while rubbing his temple

"Don't stress yourself like that yaar, it won't help you or anyone "
Rishi said with a friendly smile

"I know that but I can't help it "

"Need some coffee..?? "

"Hmmmm"

Rishi made a cup for Rudra

They were sipping their coffee with a pleasant silence surrounding them.

After finishing his coffee Rishi stood up from his seat

"I have an important meeting today in my office, I have to leave early  can't stay for breakfast "

"Oh,  Okay.... Good luck "

Rudra said with a smile. Rishi smiled back and patted his back

"You need to put your mind at rest for a while. don't only linger in the past, try to live a little in present too"

Rishi said that while looking into Rudra's eyes, he was worried about his health.
Rudra nodded his head and patted back Rishi's hand on his shoulder.

Rudra went out in to the garden.
He was enjoying the weather in the peaceful morning.
He spent a good amount of time in the garden but when sun got too hot he walked back inside.

The house was so silent.  Rishi went for his office and Richa must have gone to the library too.
Rudra was alone in the house with his thoughts, running wildly inside his head.
A sound of thud made him startled. That sound came from Richa's room.
'is Richa in her room..??
She didn't left for her work..??
With these thoughts he opened the door of her room.

Richa was on the floor, trying to get up with holding the bedpost.

Rudra walked up to her and held her hand to help her but he got a shock by how warm her hand was, she was burning...

"Richa you have a high fever "

Richa was feeling too dizzy, it was hard to open her eyes for her. She held his hand tightly to support herself for standing up.

"Hmmmm... "

She hummed weakly

Rudra helped her to sit on the bed, he got her a glass of water by her bedside table. She gulped down it in a one go. Her throat is burning dry. Her head is spinning.

Rudra layed her down and covered her with the blanket. He went out in the search of medicine box, he saw a thermometer in it when Rishi was bandaging his feet few weeks ago.
He came back into the room with a thermometer in his hands.

Richa was barely conscious

"Please open your mouth a bit Richa, place this thermometer under your tongue "

Richa followed his instructions
Rudra left Richa, who had closed her eyes again, and went to the kitchen to prepare cold water and some small towel and placed them in a tray. He brought them to Richa's room.

Rudra pulled out the thermometer gently from Richa's mouth and checked the temperature

" 103 degree "

He prepared the damp towel right away and put it on Richa's forehead.

He went out in the kitchen again for making something to eat for Richa.
He have to feed her before giving her some medicine for her fever.
He cooked porridge for her. After cooking he came back into the room and changed the towel with the new cool one.

After some time Richa opened her eyes, slowly. Rudra helped her to sit up on the bed, placing the pillow behind her back. He put a lap table infront of her with a bowl of porridge on it, Richa was sitting with her eyes closed and her head tilted back on the pillow behind her back. She looked so fragile. Rudra filled up the spoon and held it close to her mouth, he nudged her lips with the spoon in hope for her to open her mouth.

Rudra was able to feed her few spoonfuls of porridge. After one more failed attempt to continue to feed her, Rudra pushed the bowl aside and give the medicine.  Richa was only half conscious when Rudra helped her to lay down again and pulled the blanket to her shoulders.

Rudra was going to put the half empty bowl in the kitchen when he heard her voice calling him....

"Ru... Rudraaaaa.... "

Rudra looked at Richa and came near her

"Richa, how are you feeling now, do you need something hun... I gave you the medicine, you will be fine soon "

Richa raised her hand and touched Rudra's cheek

"Sona, you always takes care of me like this I am lucky to have you "

Rudra was freezed on his spoot, it was the first time Richa talked so lovingly with him, it was the first time she touched him, willingly, not because he was in need of her help. It was the first time Rudra felt happy after waking up from his Coma.
He held her hand over his cheek...

" I will take care of you, always, like this. I will always stay by your side"

Richa's mind was clouded by her high fever, all she was able to see or understand that Her Rudra was there infront of her with the same smile on his face, she fell in love with at the first place.
She tried to smile back at him and pulled his hand towards her face, she kissed his palm lovingly and hold it against her face, the warmth of this closeness warming their heart and soul. After few seconds, looking into his eyes, she snuggled in her pillow with Rudra's hand still holding her face, she fell asleep.

Rudra was stunned with the situation...

"What happened just now..??!! "

He mumbled slowly and looked at Richa's face, she was sleeping soundly, her face warm, her cheeks red, maybe because of Fever....
But why his face was burning too..??

With one of his hand occupied, Rudra tried to change the wet towel on her forehead with his free hand. He sat on the floor and put his head on the mattress besides her pillow.

After half an hour he felt her fever going down a little bit. He wanted to check the temperature again so he tried to free his hand but Richa held it more tightly when he tried again she turned on her side with helding his hand in between her palms . This position makes Rudra to bend over her, he was watching her back, his mind was in delima to what to do now.
After few minutes standing there Rudra sat down beside her and stroked her hair with a content smile on his lips.

He was happy

He was calm

He was hopeful

That everything will be fine....

Soon...

Slowly he closed his eyes and fell asleep too.

His hand still secure between her's.