The Right Match

V

♪♫ Ye aasmaan aur zameen,

Bin tere kuch bhi nahi

Saanson se mohalat zara maang lena,

Yun uth ke jaate nahi

Ya phir tu mujhe le chal,

Sang apne jidhar tu chala

Tum bin jiya jaye kaise?

Kaise jiya jaye tum bin?...♪♫

____________________

One Month Later

It was evening, Meera and Veer were happy and excited as they were going on a dinner date as he had promised her.

In the last month, Meera not only felt closer to Veer but also to other family members—especially her Armaan Bhaiya. He cared for her as his younger sister and Meera loved to have an elder brother in her team. Whenever Veer refused to her silly demands, she'd go to her bhaiya to complain.

It was silly, she knew it but she also knew that Veer and Armaan loved to get involved in banters. She enjoyed their banters with Rivaah and Viaan, who she didn't know how, but, always had a bowl of popcorn ready with him.

Siya was a sweetheart, who always said that Meera was her favourite chachi (aunt) even though she was her only chachi.

Least to say, life was going great at this point.

There is a saying, 'This too shall pass.'

People don't always take it seriously unless the tragedy strikes and everything goes dark around them. That's exactly what happened with Meera and Veer too.

On their way to the restaurant where Veer had planned their date, their car got into an accident and the last thing Meera remembered before darkness consumed her was Veer—unconscious and bloody.

⪪⨳⪫

The first thing Meera saw after she gained consciousness was white walls, a beeping sound was coming from beside her and Viaan was sitting beside her bed.

"Viaan?" she tried to say but it came out as a whisper as her throat felt scratchy.

"Hey, hey! Stay as you are, I'll call the doctor." Viaan said and rushed out of the room.

Meera wanted to ask him about Veer. She had a lot of questions.

What happened?

Where is he?

Is he okay?

But all she could do was lie down helplessly.

Viaan came back with the doctor but this time Armaan was also with them. The doctor checked her vitals, asked a few questions, and left saying that she was fine as she didn't get any major injury only a few fractured ribs and wrist but still needed a lot of rest.

"Where is Veer? Is he alright?" she finally asked after her bed was adjusted so she could sit up.

Armaan signalled Viaan to go out before he took a seat beside her. He caressed her head with utmost care. "Meera, I want you to listen to me carefully and stay calm, okay?" he continued after she nodded in agreement. "You got into an accident. Apparently, the truck took a wrong turn and hit your car. Both you and Veer were rushed to the hospital." He took a pause as if hesitating from continuing but he did, "The accident happened two days ago."

"I was out for two days?" Meera asked incredulously.

Armaan only sighed. "I wish there was a better way to say this, Meera, I really do." He ran his hand through his hair in frustration and anger—on whom, Meera didn't know. "Veer hit his head hard against the side glass. He's in a coma."

A coma.

Meera's breathing became uneven and she felt her chest close in as tears started running down her cheeks.

Armaan immediately took her in his warm embrace. "Shh... it's okay. I know you're worried for him but he'll be fine, I promise. He's strong and he'll come back for you. Everything will be okay."

After a few minutes, when she thought she could talk without breaking she said the only thing she yearned for at the moment. "Can I see him?"

"But you—"

She cut him off. "I'm alright bhaiya. I just need to see him once, please."

Armaan looked at her for a few seconds and whatever he saw convinced him to agree to her wish.

He helped her into a wheelchair and wheeled her to the room next to hers. She felt her throat dry as she looked at Veer. He looked pale and lifeless with needles attached to his skin. There was a white bandage wrapped around his head. She stared at his face. The last time she talked to him, they were happy and laughing. Now, everything was gloomy.

Everyone left the room after Armaan wheeled her close to his bed so that she could touch him.

She took his hand in hers. "You need to wake up, Veer. I would be lonely without you here. You can't leave me like this." Her throat clogged up as tears came back in her eyes. "You once told me that you'll give me everything I want, that you'll give me the world. I don't want the world, Veer, I only want you. Please, come back to me. We've lost so much time already by not accepting each other, I don't want to spend even a second without you. Just please, wake up; come back."

Her sobs were the only sound in the room and soon she too, passed out from exhaustion.