If love was in Abhimanyu's destiny, he was convinced it was written as a fleeting moment. A shooting star. Life toyed with his heart by giving him an Angel and then tearing her away, time and time again.
Life told him he was too imperfect for love...
Some people argue that in the 21st century, sexism has no place. They say it was a thing of the past, and the sexes are treated equally today. Every woman will tell you that's a lie. When you hear someone relentlessly knocking on your door when you're home alone, the fear creeps up on you. No number of boxing classes or six-pack-abs can cure that ingrained dread for your safety. And it didn't in Mahi's case.
"Coming," she mustered from her spot on the couch, 'shhhh' Ellie. Slyly grabbing the 8-inch Chef's knife from the kitchen door, she opened the door.
"Tum kahan thi?" Abhimanyu stormed into her apartment without giving her a chance to react.
Clank, the knife fell. "Wha- is that a knife? You were about to stab me?" A high-pitched exasperation came through his voice.
"Can you blame me?" His jaw dropped when she didn't deny it. "A strange man was banging at my door in the middle of the day. Anyone would be suspicious."
"But it's me," he pouted.
"I know that now."
She walked around the fallen knife and resumed her spot on the couch. He asked her why she didn't pick it up, mocking her lack of hospitality.
"Bend karne ki himat nahi hai." His stomach sunk when he took her in. The gravelly tone, woollen gloves and socks covering her extremities, pallored skin. A long blue kurta with matching pastel pyjamas. She was even too exhausted to conceal her arms.
"You're sick."
"What gave it away," a cough escaped her laugh. Ellie, her ragdoll, curled into her lap, purring into her stomach.
"You should've told me."
"Kyun?"
"Kyunki, I'm your boss. I should know if my employees are unwell."
"Our boss, Dr. Mahima Birla, knows I'm on sick leave. Anyways, it's not a big deal."
"It is." Then, almost whispering, "I was worried." He reflected on his confusion when he didn't see her at their gym or his annoyance when she didn't drop into his office to drag him for lunch. It was almost like the colours in the world dimmed without her presence.
"I'm sorry for worrying you."
"It's okay. Dr. Abhimanyu Birla, Udaipur ka best cardiothoracic surgeon is at your service. How can I help you, milady?" He bowed before her.
"Nothing." She popped his bubble. "It's just fibroid degeneration acting up. It'll wash over in some time." She rested her head on Ellie's belly.
"Degeneration- let me check your temperature; you could have a fever." he raised his palm to check her temperature, but Ellie's teeth latched onto it with a growl.
"Abhimanyu-"
"Ahhhh," he yelped, and some blood spilled out. "Puppy cats, 'you said. Sweetest thing in the world." His words were laced with venomous sarcasm.
"Abhi," Mahi warned, but his rant went on.
"What else did you say about her? Yes! Now I remember. 'Wouldn't hurt a fly.' Toh, ab tum hi batao mujhe Dr. Mahi Mehra, ki maine asa kya gunah kiya hai jo mujhe makkhi se bhi batar treatment mili hai?" His irritation was palpable with the shift from Mahi to Dr. Mehra. To see a grown man, a professional doctor, pace back and forth, groaning about a tiny bite mark was hilarious.
"She's just anxious 'cause I'm sick."
'The betrayal,' Abhimanyu thought, witnessing her comfort the cat instead of him, her wounded friend. "I'm anxious, too."
"Yeah, but you're not as cute." She directed him to their first aid kit.
"You should just be grateful it's Ellie and not Max, my German Shepherd. Max's protectiveness is out of this world. Uske hote hui mujhe knife ki bhi zaroorat nahi." It was the first time since he came over that he saw her smile. "Just the best!" She gushed. There was something about her smile that made him soft.
"Meow."
"You're the best too, Ellie-Bellie," she dropped a kiss on her fur.
"Where is Max? I've never met him."
"Uh, he's a working dog, so when he retires, he'll return home to me." She got up for the washroom, dragging her feet forward with faint steps.
He waited patiently outside the door. "I got it," Mahi shrugged off his help. "I'm so sorry about the mess." If the couch was so stained with her blood, what must her clothes look like? Her heart was palpitating.
"Don't worry about it, I didn't even notice." And he didn't. He focused on her, sliding her locks behind her ear to see her better. Her appearance was worrying but never appalling, no matter how dishevelled she looked.
"Where is Aunty?" He sat her down on her bed, gently lifting her feet and covering her with the quilt.
"She's at work because she knows it's no big deal."
'Mahi was like a child,' he thought, so fussy and impatient. By far, she is the worst patient he's ever had. She's also the patient he wouldn't trust someone else with. Too precious.
Ellie cuddled up to her side. "I'll get you some soup and then clean up." She insisted he didn't have to, perhaps out of embarrassment. When she fell asleep, he went ahead and cleaned the couch.
Gurpreet was shocked when she found Abhimanyu snoozing on the couch in Mahi's room when she and Naaz came home. How many hours passed since he first came, they didn't know. But to see someone else care for Mahi and for her to let them was a rare sight.
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"Like Maasa," Naaz whispered and bit her tongue. That thought was forbidden. Impossible, even.
Aarohi knew his worries. She imagined him seeing that blood on the couch and recalling Akshu. A year before her death, Akshu had a fibroid degenerate and the doctors reiterated how difficult another pregnancy would be after this. Her body was already so frail and her uterus barely held the fetus the first two times. Now, he can't help but associate the two - fibroids and inevitable death.
