Tanhaiyan | neirohi

20. how long?

Planting herself sideways on the sofa, she shut her eyes to take a short nap. Wishing for this Friday to go by without any emergency calls. Her body was taking toll with all the work she had to do. To be a senior resident was not a piece of cake. From clerical work to treatment, everything fell into their hands cause attendants wanted a relatively stress-free life. And this made them, the SR's, bully the JR's who in return passed down all the work to the interns.

It was a tedious cycle. A vicious cycle.

Her red 3.5 inches lay on the floor. She had kicked those out with frustration, not to mention her feet which turned red cause of the discomfort. And now that she had her eyes closed, the known white walls made a reappearance in her dreams, or maybe nightmares. The room number gave her shudders, 301 it read. The everlasting smile which once made her smile, now brought her nothing but gloom.

Guilt.

Hope.

The drops made their way, one at a time. On feeling the cushion sink, she wiped it off quickly. To let someone see you cry, there is nothing which made her feel more miserable. Then again, she had done it so many times before.

"Is it hurting? Again?"

He asked softly, a bit concerned. He was out just after a shower. He had caught her tearing up these days more often than not, sometimes in the middle of breakfast otherwise while she thought he was asleep. And everytime it was the aches, either feet or neck or something. He knew there was more to it. Nevertheless, he sat down and kept the cushion on his lap, placing her feet on it as well.

Her eyes shot open as she responded with a nod.

"You okay?"

"Fine."

"Chal jhooti."

"Been better, thanks."

Applying pressure near the ankles, it brought her some relief. Shoe-bites were awful. He heard her draw in a deep breath, composing herself. After a while she let out a sigh of relief, someone had talented hands for sure. True to their friendship pact, the massages were constant. It was soothing. Her mood pleasant already, she found herself asking.

"How was work?"

And on he went rambling about anything and everything. From the dog chasing the organization's watchman, to him wheezing when his senior who he did not like was being yelled at by their department boss, everything included in the talk. And in no time she found herself laughing. Hospitals were chaotic and did not have time to be this dramatic. He went on and on, his dramatics on points as his hands got the gestures spot on.

"Haan haan, woh sab teekh hain chamgadar. But tooh bolte bolte paer daba."

He gave her a good look, from head to toe, meaning to ask if she was serious as his mouth set into a grim line and he blinked his eyes with disbelief. However, he compiled to her request silently. For a second she was worried of having offended him on seeing him go silent, but the next minute when he started speaking she was back to shaking her head, with a smile stretching out.

"Chipkali, I'm certain that more than dosti it was free massage services you were looking for."

"Correction. I was always looking for these services. It was you with your dosti-dosti nyenyenye thing."

"I don't do that... that nyenyenye thing!"

"You just did."

"Chipkali!" he whined, as she broke out into giggles. Goenka sisters were pretty when they laughed and this one maybe a tad bit more, he noted. Maybe because Dr. Chipkali laughing was a rare feat. Had his phone not been on charging, a picture would've definitely been taken. And just as she was about to collect herself again, he resorted to using her weakness. Dr. Aarohi Goenka-Birla unfortunately, had an Achilles heel in the true sense. His fingers worked their way on her heel, making her go berserk again as she had tears come out, laughing.

If she was laughing before, the ticklish her was hysterical now.

She held onto his sleeves, an effort to not topple down into the floor. Though carpeted, it hurt all the same. That almost a fall did help her regain her senses a bit as her laughs ceased into just breathing. Awkward was when she realized she had her arms round him, as she sat on her knees towering on him slightly. He himself was careful about not dropping her, as he held her frame. She gulped at the distance, or the lack of it.

There was nothing accidental about it this time.

Leaning it, when a hair strand of hers fell loose from the makeshift bun onto his face, they paused. His fingers hesitantly reached out for the fallen strand, brushing it off and placed it back where it was. The cold touch near her ear gave her a jolt, bringing her closer. The touches felt familiar. The arm around her waist strengthened by the slightest, as their noses brushed slowly. Feather light touch it was.

"Are we... having a moment?"

That got her jumping back in annoyance. Who knew a whisper could be so irritating? Head thrown in the air, she bit back a groan. Akshu, him—all were the same kind. Taking hold of her fallen heels, she sped back to her room but stopped on her tracks. Stepping back into the living room, she commented out loud.

"You know what? Tum pehle figure out karlo ki tumhe karna kya hain. Then mera peecha karo. And yes, for a person who was so invested in your brother's love life, you certainly need to learn a thing or two for your own."

The bedroom door banged loudly, shattering his eardrums. He sat back, smashing his face into the pillow. What did he just do? What did they just do? Above all, why was he feeling so red? And what's with this reaction of hers?

He had half expected her to slap him straight for even thinking about something like that even now. What was done was done. And here she goes, yelling at him for not doing it. Chipkalis were weird, very weird. An enticing mistake, that is what she was.

The question was, how long could they stay away?

How long?

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