Threads of Destiny

Chapter 7: Unforeseen Bonds

Rudraksh walked out of his cabin wearing his blue scrubs, his smile brighter than usual. He was engrossed in reading files while the nurse walked beside him, briefing him about the patients assigned to him and the new case he had been assigned with Dr. Randhawa. "Life couldn't be better," he thought.

Out of nowhere, Maitree dashed into him, causing his files to scatter from his hands.

"Sorry," Maitree mumbled quickly, trying to keep her voice steady, and hurried away in the direction Rudraksh had come from.

However, Rudraksh noticed a slight tremble in her voice and continued to watch as she walked away. "Was she crying?" he mumbled to himself. The nurse collected the scattered files and reminded Rudraksh, "Doctor, your patients are waiting."

"Just give me a minute, I'll be right there," Rudraksh replied, his steps quickening as he followed Maitree.

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"Since when did I start thinking about him like that?" Maitree thought, exasperated, as she grabbed a cup of coffee. "Oh god, Maitree! You have to stop this. You won't be able to work with him if you keep obsessing over his arms, hair, and..." Her train of thought abruptly halted as she heard a familiar voice, all too familiar. She turned around to confirm her suspicions, and indeed, it was him—Vatsal.

"It's him! Why is he here? No, it can't be!" Maitree exclaimed in her mind, her surprise evident. Unbeknownst to her, the shock caused her to accidentally spill the coffee she was holding, resulting in it splashing onto her shoe.

A nurse who was standing a couple of steps away quickly approached her, concerned. "Doctor, are you okay?" she asked, reaching for the cup and taking it from Maitree's hand.

This sudden attention brought Maitree back to the present moment. She looked down and sighed with relief, realizing that only the tip of her white shoes had gotten dirty. She wiggled her toes to make sure they weren't burnt. Turning to the nurse, she stuttered, "I'm okay... Shoes are dirty... I'll go change."

Maitree checked once again if Vatsal had noticed her, but thankfully, he was engrossed in conversation with people from the administration. Taking advantage of the situation, she turned and briskly walked up the stairs, trying to put some distance between herself and the man she had promised herself never to see again. Memories flooded her mind as she ascended, reminding her of the pain and heartache that had led to their separation.

Maitree's steps quickened, her heart racing, as tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, a mixture of fear and anxiety overwhelming her. "Oh God, this can't be happening again!" she thought, her mind filled with a whirlwind of emotions.

"Mai, if you feel a panic attack coming on, find a quiet place to sit down, breathe, and call me. I'll come and find you wherever you are, okay?" Sonakshi's comforting words echoed in her mind, offering a lifeline amidst the chaos of her emotions.

"Sona, Sona," Maitree whispered and stopped walking, frantically searching for her phone. Panic surged within her as she realized it was still at the nurses' station. With trembling hands, she placed a palm over her racing heart, muttering to herself, "I can get through this!"

With that, she hurriedly walked and collided with someone, causing the files to scatter onto the floor. "Thank God I kept my hair untied, nobody has to know! Need to get to a quiet place" she thought to herself. She quickly muttered a brief "sorry" and sprinted away.

She pushed open the door to a supply room and sank down, leaning against the shelves. Breathing heavily, tears streamed down her face—she despised how panic attacks always brought on such intense crying. "Stupid tears," she muttered gasping for breath, frustrated by her own vulnerability. And to make matters worse, it was all because of a man who hadn't even bothered to give her a second thought.

Maitree's ears perked up as she heard the creaking sound of the door opening, allowing a sliver of light to filter into the room. A gentle whisper followed, calling her name softly, "Maitree?"

Maitree's heart skipped a beat with familiarity, the same one she had when she first saw him, as she recognized the voice. "It's him," her heart whispered.

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Rudra opened the door and whispered, "Maitree." What he saw there broke his heart—she was crying. He thought to himself, and kept looking at her tear-stricken face. With slow and steady steps, he entered the room and gently closed the door behind him. Carefully, he sat beside her, maintaining a distance between them.

She flinched a little when he sat down. "It's just me, I am here, everything is okay," he whispered loudly enough for her to hear. She looked at him, still gasping for breath. Suddenly she looked down, realizing that she had just let him see her cry. Hurriedly, she wiped her tears with shaky hands, but they didn't stop, and her breathing remained loud and unsteady.

"Breathe," he said in a gentle voice as he got up to find a paper bag for her to use.

He gently rose, sensing the urgency of the situation. Scanning the room, he quickly located a paper bag on one of the shelves. Retrieving it, he returned to her side, kneeling down to meet her gaze. With wasting a second he said "Take this," he softly suggested, his voice filled with empathy. "Breathe slowly into the bag."

She accepted the paper bag with trembling hands, her tear-streaked face reflecting a mix of gratitude and vulnerability. She placed the bag against her mouth and nose. Inhaling deeply and exhaling into the bag, she focused on regulating her breath, gradually feeling the tension ease.

He sat back down beside her, maintaining a respectful distance."You're doing great. Just take it one breath at a time," he encouraged, his voice a soothing lullaby.

When he sensed that she had finally found some calmness, he relaxed beside her, allowing the tension in the room to dissipate. However, he noticed her visible embarrassment, her cheeks flushed with self-consciousness.

"It's alright," he said with a warm smile, his voice carrying a comforting tone. "Everybody has one of those days."

They sat in silence for a few minutes. Finally, Rudra broke the silence, looked at her, and spoke with a smile, "Did you leave your hair untied because of what I said?"

Her response came swiftly, almost defensively, "What? No!" Her tone held a hint of surprise, as if his question had caught her off guard.

Rudra quickly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and laughed. "Alright, just asking," he said. Maitree smiled at his gesture.

"Finally, a smile," Rudra thought, feeling a sense of relief. He got up from his seat and extended his hand towards her. "Come on, Dr. Randhawa, we have a case to work on."

Maitree held onto his hand with a confident smile and stood up. Together, they left the room.

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Thank you for Reading!

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Comment below what kind of interactions you would like to see between Rudra and Maitree!