The love of my life

12. Whirlwind

August'2018

"Where the fuck are you?" Ekansh shouted on the phone as she kept a hand over her mouth to not make her crying audible.

"Daman, I've been worried sick. Your classmates were talking about how you ran out of the lab, against protocol and I tried calling you. Your phone was out of coverage area, Samayra or Anika don't know where you are, It's 7:30 in the evening and your hostel closes in half an hour. Where are you?" He says as she muffles another sob.

"It's the test report, right?" He asks as she nods as if he could see her.

"Daman, I can hear you breathing. I know you're listening. Say something."

"I'm near the Trazu bridge." She said as he turned on the ignition putting his car into drive.

"Stay there and talk to me." He said as she looked out at the reflection of the moon and stars in the stream of water below her.

"There's so many things I still have to do." She whispered.

"And you'll do everything. You'll be fine." He said.

"The medicines, the radiation therapy... It has... Side effects... And I have... An entrance exam, a convocation and so much to do in the next few months. And it has effect on fertility. What if the radiation kills all my eggs and I'm left sterile." She said looking up at the sky and thinking how will she break the news to her parents.

She wasn't very close to them. They always preferred her over achieving brother, over her. But this would change a lot of things in her life.

"We caught it early Daman, the side effects won't be so severe. Nothing is more important than life itself." Ekansh said as she shook her head.

"Quality of life." She spoke.

"Daman you're not thinking straight. Please don't do anything stupid." He said and she laughed.

"Daman... What are you thinking?" He asked worried.

"Don't worry. I'm not here to jump. I know how to swim. I just come here to calm myself." She said over the phone as a car was parked behind her and Ekansh jumped out running to her and taking her in his arms.
"Don't ever do this to me again." He said, kissing her forehead as she nodded.

"I need to see an oncologist." She said and he nodded.

"We'll go tomorrow." He said putting her down and sat beside her as she shook her head.

"It'll get ugly. You don't have to do this.  We never even put a name to this... Relation... You can leave. It's a valid pass." She said and he shook her head.

"Yeah, I'm not doing that. You're not the only one making videos of me scared by an injection." He said as she shook her head.

"I'm not scared of injections." She said, and even if she was not lying in that moment, the next few months had her reevaluating that sentence. But in that moment she burried her face in his chest and inhaled his fragrance of musk and oud as they sat under the moonlit sky, and over it's reflection in the water.

The next few weeks were hard, as the side effects slowly started showing on her body, apetite and stamina. She couldn't even climb up five stairs before having to take a pause and breath. She was nauseous and her apetite was affected.

She had barely been seeing Ekansh these days, as this morning she noticed her rotation was back in Surgery department.

She had been avoiding his calls and told him that she needed some time alone over text, but today he'll be there.

She dressed in her scrubs and noticed how loose they were getting, picked up her stetho and belongings ready to go after taking her post breakfast meds.

The moment she walked in the clinics, her short hair was the thing Ekansh noticed. Her hair would usually fall a little below her waist and today her pony ended just below the level of her breasts.

"Nice haircut." Her classmate commented and she smiled, trying to appear normal.

"Thank you." She said as she left them alone in OPD considering it was still early and nobody was there yet.

Ekansh knew that her parents were firm believers of Sikhism ideology and would never let her cut her hair.

"Your parents know?" He asked as she scoffed.

"No. But they barely seem to care." She said opening the OT register and looking at the schedule.

"You are not on OT duty." Ekansh said as her brows furrowed.

"What? Why? It's monday and that's..."

"Because it's too hectic, standing for four-five hours dressed in a synthetic gown, gloves and cap. You don't need that." He said as she shook her head.

"You don't make the decision. I'll talk to..."

"I already talked to Dr. Fatima. She knows that you're sick, just no specifics." He said.

"Seriously Ekansh? Who gave you the right to talk about my health concerns? Or what my parents know or don't. I cut my hair because all this hairfall made my hair seem less in volume. So a cut and blower made it look I had some hair on my head, instead of five long strands hanging upto my waist. And what I need or don't is not upto you. I need to do something I like and that is get myself into the OT." She said as he looked at the floor and looked up again.

"Okay. But you get one surgery a day." He said as she frowned.

"What?" She said puzzled.

"Today's surgeries will be divided among your group and students that take surgeries today, will give you one surgery from their rotation. You get one surgery each day. Instead of five surgeries today." He said as she shook her head.

"Mam won't let this happen." She said.

"Leave that to me. She is understanding and kind, she won't say no considering your health is involved. It's a win-win for everybody so students will agree too." He said as he looked behind her to Dr. Fatima entering.

"Good morning mam. I had to make a request." Ekansh said as Daman sighed at his stubbornness and listened as he got the duties shuffled.

"Daman, I'll like that you come talk to me directly next time, instead of sending your senior." Dr. Fatima said as Daman just nodded and excused herself to make OR preparations, clearly pissed at Ekansh.

She then went back to avoiding him, as he patiently tolerated it for another two days.

On the third day, she was walking out of the recovery room with a Beagle who ate a phone charger and had to be surgically removed. The owner had just left with the dog when Ekansh took her hand and pulled her into the supply closet locking the door after her.

"What the f..." Daman was about to say as she was pushed against the boxes of surgical gloves and suture materials when Ekansh put a hand over her mouth as she bit it hard.

"Ouch... Daman, please just listen to me. Talk to me. Stop avoiding me..." He says as she keeps a hand on her mouth the moment he removes it.

She pushed him to the side opened the door and ran to the girl's restroom puking her guts out. She rinsed her mouth and stood before the mirror looking at the fading persona as she wiped her tears trying to stay strong.
She walked out to talk to Ekansh but he had already left.

+++++Author's note+++++

Hey there, I'm sorry. Life has been demanding right now. The wednesday update for last week was delayed to a thursday because of work. I might be away and busy for this whole coming week, so here's an early update with a bonus chapter coming up.

Lots and lots of love ❤