Anokhi waited for three hours at the railway station but he didn't arrive. Just before the train was about to leave, she received his mesaage.
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It said, "Hello there, this mobile is found on road. The guy met with an accident and we took him to hospital. Got it unlocked using his finger print. There is only your number in his contacts and call history. Can you come here ASAP? "
Anokhi immediately called back to enquire about details, and rushed to the hospital.
"His hand and leg are injured. Helmet saved him from succumbing to head injuries. Doctor said he will get into senses after an hour. I'm his colleague! " Shaurya who admitted Rakesh in hospital said Anokhi, cleaning his glasses.
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"Thanks a lot. Can you tell me where and when it happened? " Anokhi asked bit worried.
"About an hour ago, while crossing road opposite to this hospital.... He is lucky I must say, I was just passing by and happened to see him collapsing on road. In the mean time someone else took his phone and texted you. And once I said, I'm Rakesh's friend, he gave me back this phone. We brought him to hospital quickly." Shaurya nodded his head.
"An hour ago! Hospital? What was Rakesh doing here. Wasn't he coming to railway station? Why does he have only my contact in his phone? Should I inform his parents? " Anokhi felt dizzy for a moment.
"BTW, I'm Shaurya. It all happened when he was returning from road trip on bike. I don't have numbers of his family. "
"What road trip? He said he has been attending meetings everyday since a week. He said he has no free time, I thought he is just avoiding me!" Anokhi mumbled.
" Is it! I don't know. As far as I know, he was on leave to go on a trip. " Shaurya said feeling bit awkward. "
"I'm his best friend since our college days. We have always been on each others' side in thick and thin. And he has to lie to me now? " Anokhi collapsed.
"Have some water," Shaurya tried to console her.
"He is quite upset since two weeks. Fights between him and Arohi.... But they are good couple, seeing them since four months. They will sort out issues soon. She would reach here anytime, I called her. " Shaurya said.
"Couple? Arohi? You misunderstood it seems. He doesn't have a girlfriend." Anokhi almost screamed.
Shaurya stood mum, shocked, "I thought you must be knowing about it, as a bestfriend. "
"Shaurya! How is Rakesh? Is he fine? What did doctors say? " Arohi who just stepped in, asked in a stretch.
"He is fine, would regain consciousness with an hour. BTW meet his bestfriend Anu." Shaurya said.
Arohi looked tensed and terrified on seeing Anokhi.
"Who are you? Why you are dumbstruck seeing me here? what's cooking between you both? " Anokhi yelled.
"She is his girlfriend. They are going to get married soon." Shaurya said intervening.
"Errr......"Arohi muttered, when Anokhi looked at her with a question mark in face.
Anokhi felt a shiver in spine.
"Then why the hell did he propose me a month ago, out of blue? Why are you trembling? " Anokhi cried.
"We want money to settle down quickly to get married. " Arohi spilled beans out of shock.
"So.... ?" Anokhi asked staring at her.
"I asked him not to disclose about our relationship to anyone, except our common friend and my neighbour Shaurya. " Arohi muttered trembling. Anokhi looked fiercely, as if she gonna slap Arohi hard, if she didn't speak out the truth.
"But why? I'm his bestfriend! Why did he say that he loves me? " Anokhi broke into tears.
"We needed time and money. So, I prompted him to...to extract money from you after blindfolding your senses with love." Arohi said shivering.
Anokhi felt a storm in heart.
"He said he couldn't, but finally agreed. But you rejected him saying you both are just best friends." Arohi muttered. "
"I gave him a separate phone to him, to keep an eye and to get into you into our trap quickly." she continued.
Anokhi is listening to her shocked and broad eyed.
"All our plans failed. So he started avoiding you as part of our plan. But you said, you will be leaving the city for his sake, and asked him to meet once today at station a week ago. We realisesd we can't trap you and had arguemnts about it. So he planned to go on a trip for refreshment, and expected you to come to him if he doesn't show up in the station. " Arohi said with little scared voice. Anyhow there was no guilty feeling in her face.
"I would have given him all my money if he had asked for it. But he chose to play with my life, for you and money. " Anokhi yelled.
She walked towards the room and stared at Rakesh through the glass door. I would have revealed your true faces in front your parents, if I have ever loved you. But sparing you, as I loved you as a bestfreind." Anokhi silently left the hospital crying.
Shaurya gave a disgusted look to Arohi.
Arohi couldn't face him anymore. She felt ashamed.
Shaurya silently walked away from there with a smirk on face and satisfaction in eyes.
He thanked God for the accident. Of course, he did intentionally call Anokhi and Arohi, the moment he learnt about the accident. It was a lie that someone else called Anokhi from Rakesh's mobile. He quickly revealed about Rakesh's secret relationship willingly to Anokhi, by framing situations. He intentionally didn't inform Rakesh's parents about accident. He was happy that he saved a girl from a trap. He felt less burden on heart. He had been waiting for a chance to find Anokhi's number and tell her the truth, since the day he overheard them planning something wrong.....That too against a bestfriend , about whom Rakesh always said proudly. And when he got an opportunity, he utilised it.
He didn't become bad in eyes of Arohi, as she didn't know that he knew their planning against Anokhi. He wouldn't care even if she did. What matters was his self satisfaction.
Shaurya being a good human, trying to save a stranger Anokhi, even though he is friends with Rakesh and Arohi is the main theme of this story.
Shaurya would have carried that guilt all his life, if anything wrong had happened with Anokhi. In real life, we encounter such situations which we can neither ignore, nor involve. But, only way to find peace is standing up for what we believe in!
