Vodka on the rocks

Drabble - 3.2 [Ft. Pallavi Deshmukh]

Pallavi had always possessed an almost supernatural sense of intuition. So she knew something terrible was waiting to happen from the time she woke up from her sleep, disoriented and heart racing. So, she wasn't very shocked when her scooty stopped in front of what looked like a massive accident. 

The road in front was blocked and barricaded by the police and people seemed have gathered in an almighty circle around the apoplectic mess which were the two cars in what looked like a head to side collision. 

She didn't want to see the horrific scene any more than necessary but her intuition as always drew her closer. She pushed past people while the trepidation building in her chest had bordered to an inexplicable but full blown terror. 

But nothing could have prepared her for the metaphorical blow to her chest which instantly made her feel lightheaded and nauseous at the same time when the rear plate of the second car came in view. She would have recognized the number itself in any situation even if the signature logo of his name hadn't been modelled over the bonnet. 

The white bonnet which seemed to have caved in and smoking in the impact. The Mercedes had completely overturned at the near end of the divider and the red Ferrari's bonnet was almost melded into the side door. She saw the blood splattered generously all over the scorching peat road while the humdrum of noises around her seemed to suddenly dim. 

"Careful ammai... don't look. It will be okay."

A middle aged man was kind enough to support her while she almost lost her footing and might have dropped like a ragamuffin on the ground without it. 

"An..na.. anna.. where.. where did they take them... the people... here.. hospital..which.. please tell me... please"

"I believe one of them was not that hurt. He took the other man to the nearby City Hospital."

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Pallavi thought for a second she had seen a ghost when she saw him leaning against the starched hospital wall at the emergency ward, his slate grey vest opened and inner white shirt soaked in red from where hastily tied bandages could be seen peaking from his chest. He seemed to be arguing heatedly with what looked like a nurse, hair dishevelled and a small plaster on his forehead. 

She didn't know her scream had been so loud that it had made all the heads in the corridor turn towards her including his. 

"Raghav!"

His charcoal eyes seemed to widen on spotting her and then crinkled lightly at the edges as if in happiness. She felt like she might vomit or faint or do both. 

"Pallavi..."

She was in his arms the next moment shocking the nurse who had stumbled apart at the sheer force of her sprint past her. 

He felt just like he always used to. 

Like a blanket left out in the sun on freezing winter mornings and the cool gust of wind in sweltering summer evenings. Like cinnamon shards in chocolate ganache and the hint of spice in the tadka of her favourite dal. Like cold coffee and ginger tea. Like home... 

Pallavi didn't know she was sobbing so hysterically in his chest, that she was hyperventilating. Raghav momentarily stunned into inaction came back to his senses quite fast. He tried consoling her, threading his fingers in her hair, patting her back gently, talking nonsense in her hair soothingly. 

"Calm down.. sweetheart. Pallavi... shaant shaant.. baapre.. kitna royega mera jaan... chup chup... saans toh lelo Saree Ka Dukaan... warna abhi nila padh jaega alien ki tarah... uff.. dekho toh.."