Dark Love

Chapter 15

The first thing I remember after opening my eyes was seeing Mr Raizada sitting in the corner of the room. His head tilted uncomfortably at one side, hands folded and legs crossed. I watched him as he tried to make himself comfortable while his eyes remained closed.

I watched. And watched. I watched how he made a beautiful sight while not even trying t. I watched as he slowly breathed while his chest raised and relaxed. A slow rhythm but an intriguing one. I couldn't hear the machines beeping around me, Or the muffled voices of patients and doctors striding across the corridor. I could hear him breathe. I couldn't hear anything but him.
At that moment I felt so at peace, almost forgetting everything going around me. Almost forgetting what this person has done to me. How much pain I had to go through and was still going. But still, I couldn't bring myself to hate this person. The person who, I don't know why though, came every day just to see me. I don't remember for how long but I knew he had been here, always.

A tear slipped down the corner of my eyes. I asked myself, why I couldn't hate him. Why did I have a soft corner for him? He doesn't deserve it right?

The sun rays peeped through the curtains and kissed his face. I watched in awe as my heart skipped a beat. At that moment, I realised that I can never hate this person. He made me feel things that I had never felt before.

My heart started beating rapidly as I saw him furrowing his brows in irritation and then eventually opening his eyes. I immediately closed my eyes. I didn't want him to know that I was staring,

I was waiting for him to come and stand near me. Then stare at me for billion years and then hold my hands, he always did that. He did that again.

I had always wanted to push him away, yell at him. Hurl abuses. demand answers. But I always remained quiet and pretended to be asleep. I admit I loved the feeling of his manly hand slowly and gently stroking my fragile hands while murmuring sweet nothings to me.

I was in great conflict. But I always remained biased towards my heart and let it win.

After a while, he gently placed my hands on my stomach. Stood up and walked away. When I could only hear the machines beeping, I opened my eyes once again. Silence engulfed me. I felt lonely once again.

"How are you feeling today my child?" the old lady doctor asked me chirpily and I managed to smile.

"You will be fine soon. Just a few more days into observation and you are free to go back to your home with your husband." She smiled and started instructing nurse.

"Husband?" I asked surprised. But my small voice must have felt like a murmur to her for she never answered.

After instructing the nurse, she turned back to me and said, "I have instructed Mr Raizada on your diet and medicines. Just take rest for a while, the nurse will feed you the medicine."

I watched her she walked away. The nurse stood there as she read the writings on the board.
"Mam, Your meal is arriving in a while. Let me freshen you up."
~~~~~~

It was the third day of observation and also the last one. My heart behaved perfectly fine and the doctors gave a green signal to go home.
Home.
Where do I go?
I was an orphan now. Tears slipped one after the another as I cried on my destiny. My mom. My only family was no more with me. I covered my face and wept. I felt two strong hands engulfing me. Mr Raizada pulled me towards his chest and I became still.

"It's okay. Everything is gonna be fine."

I remailed silent for a while, trying to analyze his action.
I jerked myself off his arms and looked at him.
"What do you mean by everything is gonna be fine?" I saw red.
"What do you mean?" I spat the words. He watched me with wide eyes as my eyes turned red.

"Khushi, calm down." He tried holding my hands. I jerked off his hands.
"Listen Mr Raizada" I pointed a finger at him. "I know everything. I know what you did and your-"
"Sssh--sh Khushi" He shushed me and held me by my arms.
"We can talk about it sometime later" He loosened his grip and looked softly into my eyes.
"You need rest Khushi. Please understand. Your pressure is still low. Calm down. I understand what you are going through but please-"

"You don't understand Mr Raizada", I said slowly, tired of all the yelling.
I looked at him with tear-filled eyes. We remained silent for a moment.
I slumped into his arms as engulfed me once again with his strong arms.

I wept as I remembered my mother. His grip kept tightening around me.

~~~~~~

It was around 5 in the evening when I saw Mr Raizada discuss something with the doctors. I watched him sign some papers. I tried to figure out the expenses that must have incurred during my stay. I just hoped it didn't exceed my salary. I hung my head as sadness started engulfing me once again. I had no energy whatsoever to start life afresh. I just wanted to curl myself up into a small ball and hide somewhere into the corner of a small room, away from the prying eyes of the world.

"Khushi its time" Mr Raizada held my arms and I let him help me get up. I tried getting up on my feet but as soon as I kept my left feet on the floor I moaned in pain.

"Khushi- careful" Mr Raizada held me and before I knew he swept me off the ground into his arms. I watched him wide eyes.

I struggled to get off. "Mr Raizada I can walk." I said embarrassingly"
"Yeah of course, and the sun rises in the west," he said sarcastically and strode off with me in his arms while the people around me watched.

He settled me down in his car and I kept silent. He reached out for the seatbelt and zoomed back startled. I watched him doing that slowly with no expression on his face. He shut the door and came back to the driver seat.

No one spoke. I could see from the corner of my eyes, as to how he pushed the accelerator hardly almost as if he was furious about something.

I looked out of the window and breathed deeply. I closed my eyes and I let the cold wind hit my face almost as if taking me to another world.

I didn't want the ride to end. I just wanted to feel the wind and never get back to reality.

The car suddenly came to a halt. I opened my eyes.
"We are home Khushi" Home. I didn't want to go back to the place where I can't see my mum waiting for me with a smile. Where I won't have anyone to hug. Where I won't have a shoulder to cry on. Where I won't -
"Khushi" He interrupted my thoughts.
He stood right in front of my door.
I unbuckled my seat belt and pushed the door open.
"I can walk Mr Raizada. And thank you for dropping me off." I said without looking at him.

I had just started coming out when he once again picked me up. I gasped.
"Mr Raizada I said I can walk." I started but he walked past the car. I looked around in fear of someone seeing us but to my surprise, it didn't look like my locality at all. I looked unbelievably at him as he walked past the garden of Raizada mansion.