cross road

Chapte-11

Raghav felt a pang of disappointment as he watched Mitul drop Pallavi off at her house. Their growing friendship tugged at his heart. He had brought so many instant meals to make her life easier, eagerly awaiting her return. Now, he found himself reluctant to see her.

Pallavi rushed into her home, immediately grabbing a first aid box. She rolled up her trousers to clean the wound on the back of her leg. She didn't want Mitul and his family to feel guilty upon seeing how badly she was injured, so she kept it hidden.

Carefully, she cleaned and bandaged her wound before collapsing onto the sofa in exhaustion.

The next morning, she woke up feeling unwell and called the hospital to take a leave of absence. She managed to eat just two apples and some boiled milk, struggling to keep anything down.

Meanwhile, Raghav was helping his brother Kunal at the office when Kunal said, "There's a rumor going around town. Someone heard a girl shouting in the forest. No one knows what happened or who it was, but everyone is hoping she's safe."

Raghav sighed and replied, "Who in their right mind would venture into that dense forest alone? It's sheer stupidity. But I hope no one is hurt."

Raghav strolled through the town with his brother and tried to reach out to Mitul multiple times, but received no response. Knowing Mitul was hurt, he decided to give him some space before reaching out again.

On his way back, Raghav and his brother stopped by the hospital to distribute fruits to patients. Even though he didn't want to see Pallavi, he found himself scanning the hospital for her.

As they handed out fruits in one of the rooms, a patient inquired about Pallavi. The nurse replied that she had taken sick leave.

Raghav's heart raced at the thought that she might be alone, knowing she had no one else in town. He tried to push those concerns aside and focus on his task, but the worry lingered in the back of his mind.

After dinner, he couldn't shake off his anxiety. He knocked on her door several times, but when there was no response, his imagination spiraled, fearing something terrible had happened to her. In a rush, he headed to his room and took a secret steps from his room her home

Peering inside, he saw Pallavi's sleeping figure, murmuring softly. As he got closer, he heard her crying out, "Do not do anything to me, stay away from me," over and over. Anger boiled within him at the thought that someone had harmed her. He was determined not to let the person who hurt her get away with it.

He sat beside her and gently said, "Pallavi, wake up. You're safe here," but she didn't respond. When he tried to shake her lightly, she jolted awake, fear flashing across her face. She scrambled away from him, falling off the bed and retreating to the corner of the room, begging him not to hurt her.

The sight shattered his heart. He crouched down to her level and reassured her, "It's me. You don't need to worry." Slowly, she looked up at him, and as she recognized him, she broke down in tears. He wanted to comfort her, but he could see how terrified she was, so he let her cry.

Once she calmed down, she looked at him with a faint smile. "I'm really sorry if I scared you. I don't usually have nightmares, but somehow I had one tonight." He noticed she seemed to be hiding something, but rather than press her, he simply nodded and offered her his hand. She took it and stood up.

As they began to walk back to her bed, he noticed her limping. Before he could ask about it, she stumbled, nearly falling, but Raghav quickly caught her. As he steadied her, he felt the heat radiating from her hands. Concerned, he placed his hand on her forehead. "You're burning with fever."

Pallavi pulled away from him, insisting, "I took some medicine. I'll be alright by morning."

"Have you eaten anything?" Pallavi's face brightened, and she looked up at him with wide, hopeful eyes. "Can you make something for me, please? I just had some fruit, and I'm really hungry."

Raghav was often taken aback by her mood swings. One moment, she was a mature 26-year-old, and the next, she acted like a carefree teenager. But no matter her demeanor, she had carved out a special place in his life. Within just a few months, he found himself willing to do anything for her, just as he would for his own family. Shaking off his wandering thoughts, he headed to the kitchen to prepare something for her.

Pallavi waited eagerly for her meal, almost like a puppy. She finished eating in a flash, and when Raghav handed her some medicine, she took it and quickly fell asleep.

Raghav pulled a chair close to her and made sure her fever was under control before dozing off himself.

Pallavi woke to the clattering of dishes in the kitchen. Smiling to herself, she headed to the bathroom to freshen up. When she returned to her room, she found Raghav setting food on the table beside her bed.

"Your fever has gone down, but you still need to rest. I called hospital and told them you'll be taking a few days off. I made your favorite upma. Come eat."

She smiled back at him as she limped toward the bed, but Raghav noticed the bruises on the back of her leg. Concern turned to anger as he approached her. "What is this?" 

Pallavi's eyes widened at Raghav's fierce demeanor. She hadn't expected him to react this way, but she could see the concern etched on his face. "Raghav, please," she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's nothing. I just... bumped into something."

"Bumped into something?" His voice was a mix of disbelief and worry. "This doesn't look like a simple bruise. It looks serious!" He held her shoulders gently but firmly, searching her face for the truth.

Pallavi's heart raced. She knew he cared deeply, but revealing the details would only worry him more. "Really, it's not a big deal. I can handle it," she insisted, trying to keep her tone light.But Raghav wasn't having it. "You're not just going to brush this off.you better tell me what happened" His frustration was palpable, and she could feel his protective instincts kicking in.

Pallavi ignored his question and picked up a glass of milk from the breakfast he had prepared, sipping it slowly. "I'm asking you something. Who did this to you? Why didn't you tell me?" Raghav's heart sank as he realized this must have been the source of her nightmare the previous night.

His fists clenched in frustration as he took the milk from her hand and set it on the table. He pulled her up to examine her more closely. She was wearing a long-sleeved shirt and three-quarter pajamas, but he rolled up her shirt and saw more bruises. She tried to cover them, but his intense gaze made her stop.

Raghav was so consumed by anger that he hardly noticed he was rolling her shirt up further. "Let me see how badly you're hurt before I lose it," he said, his voice taut. As he turned her around, he saw blue bruises on her back. 

His eyes filled with tears as he ran a hand through his hair, torn between frustration and concern. "What the hell happened? You need to tell me, or I swear I'll go berserk and bring the whole village here!"