The Rebound (A Sandhir FF)

Chapter 31

Life is pretty unpredictable but sometimes, just sometimes you know what is going to happen even before it does. Now was just one of those times for Sanyukta Aggarwal. She knew that she was going to win the race even though there were at least two other cars ahead of hers at any given point of time on the race track. The race watered down to the last few meters and Sanyukta was still trailing behind another competitor's car. She knew that a second place finish at the international dream team competition was as good as they could have hoped for. But then she wouldn't be Sanyukta Agarwal if she didn't try one last time to win the race. She accelerated to the highest possible speed and edged dangerously close to the car ahead of hers. The driver in that car swerved to his left, afraid that Sanyukta's car would collide with his. His momentary distraction was all that Sanyukta needed to surge ahead and cross the finish line just seconds before her nearest competitor did.

Physically and mentally exhausted, Sanyukta closed her eyes and involuntarily leant her head on the steering wheel as blackness engulfed her being.

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Randhir stood breathless, hardly daring to believe that his worst nightmare was over. The race was over and done with. Even as the others around him celebrated, he stood with bated breath, waiting for Sanyukta to emerge from the car, wearing the triumphant smile that he had come to know so well in the last few years. Yet she did not step out of the car. He wondered if she was having a private moment of celebration, savoring her success. But the very next second his heart dismissed the idea. That was what he would have done. But Sanyukta shared everything with the people around her. Knowing Sanyukta she would have rushed straight into their arms after crossing the finish line. Randhir looked at the others, wondering if anyone else had noticed. But they continued to celebrate, oblivious to the fact that the reason for their triumph wasn't amidst them. Only one other person seemed to have noticed the oddity of the situation.

As Randhir and Kishore Aggarwal sprinted towards the car, both silently acknowledged the fact that they had underestimated the love the other held for Sanyukta.

******

"It looks like a combination of dehydration; suffocation and stress made her lose consciousness. We have put her on the drip," the doctor announced emerging out of the emergency room Sanyukta had been rushed to.

"She will be fine, won't she?" Kishore Aggarwal asked, his voice shaking with relief.

"Of course she will be Mr. Aggarwal. Races such as the one Sanyukta just participated in are extremely stressful for the best of people," the doctor said kindly before walking away to speak with the organizers of the dream team competition. The organizers had acted with remarkable presence of mind throughout the ordeal and had managed to rush Sanyukta to the nearest hospital in less than 15 minutes.

Randhir tried listening to their conversation but soon gave up trying to figure out the meaning of all those unfamiliar German words rapidly thrown together. Sanyukta had been trying to teach him some basic words in the language for the past few weeks. She herself understood the language and could speak it with near fluency, having learnt it during her school days. But needless to say they hadn't gotten very far.

"I can always google it Sanyukta," he had once said, frustrated at her attempts to teach him German during Vardhan sir's lecture.

"That wouldn't get you very far," she had grumbled. And as usual she was right.

She always had to be right, Randhir thought wryly even if she was lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

"Don't you want to go see her?" Kishore Aggarwal asked softly as he sat down in the seat next to Randhir's.

"Mr. Aggarwal I...," Randhir began, unsure about what to say.

He didn't want to reason out why he hadn't rushed in to see Sanyukta as soon as the doctor had said that they could. Unlike the others he had just collapsed with relief into the nearest seat available. The shock and momentary fear of losing Sanyukta had exhausted him. He had already relived the moment when he had felt around for her pulse and found it throbbing, at least a hundred times, trying to convince his subconscious mind that Sanyukta was alright.

Kishore Aggarwal sighed as he laid a gentle hand on Randhir's shoulder. "It is okay to cry Randhir," he whispered and Randhir let the tears he had been holding back finally fall.

******

"Hey," Randhir said walking into Sanyukta's room.

"Oh, so you finally found time to walk in?" Sanyukta muttered.

"Aren't you supposed to be sleeping?" Randhir asked ignoring Sanyukta completely and walking towards the side table that held her medicines.

"Aren't you supposed to be interested at least mildly in your girlfriend who nearly died?" Sanyukta asked mutinously.

"You didn't nearly die. Stop being dramatic," Randhir said sternly.

"Maybe I should have nearly died. Then you would have probably paid a bit more attention."

"Stop it. Please," Randhir whispered. His closed eyes and tortured face were enough for Sanyukta to know that she had spoken too much.

"Do you know what I've been through in the last couple of hours? Can you even fathom what I must have felt when I saw you unconscious in that damn car?" Randhir asked, gripping Sanyukta's arm in a stranglehold.

Sanyukta's eyes watered as she took in the pain in his tortured eyes. She laid a gentle palm on his cheek, pulling him closer and leaning her forehead against his.

"I love you," she whispered before giving him a peck on his cheek.

"Why are you crying?" Randhir asked hugging her close to his heart.

"Why are you crying?" Sanyukta repeated.

"I don't know. I have been crying ever since your dad told me that it is ok to cry," Randhir said letting her go.

"He told you what?" Sanyukta asked surprised.

"He told me that it was okay to cry. Sanest piece of advice I ever got. I feel loads better," Randhir said chuckling slightly as he wiped his eyes with the corner of the blanket Sanyukta was wrapped in.

"You guys have been talking?" Sanyukta asked happily ignoring the fact that her father had transformed her boyfriend into a crybaby.

"A little," Randhir said slowly.

"That's a start," Sanyukta said encouragingly, ruffling his hair.

"Do you think he will ever like me?" Randhir asked with apprehension.

"You are about to find out," Parth announced, walking in with a grim expression. "Sanyukta's dad said that he needs to talk to you. He is waiting for you in the cafeteria," he finished.

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AN: - Hey people! I owe you guys an apology for posting this chapter extremely late. I hope you guys will take out some time to read and review this chapter and yeah I promise to update sooner this time. Do vote and comment! ☺