The Distance Between Us

Track Seven - Wind Beneath My Wings

Rohan spent every waking minute with Jaanhavi over the next couple of hours. He talked to her continuously, recounting various incidents of her life that she'd told him about and all those milestones they'd reached together. He talked about the day they first met, when Rohan was her senior in Med School, how their friendship progressed all through college after they were paired on an assignment together, how their lives changed after Armaan came back and how he helped them realized that they were in love with each other, how he supported them through everything in their relationship - from telling his parents, to giving them advice in various situations and always being a sounding board when it came to their problems. He talked about the day they announced their engagement and how happy everyone was, especially Armaan. How they had their whole life in front of them and how he wouldn't be able to live without her.

Nothing seemed to wake her up and Rohan sighed, knowing that she would only when she was ready. She'd always been too stubborn for her own good. He sighed and left the room, sitting beside Armaan.

"Hey," he muttered, resting his head on Armaan's shoulders.

"Hi," Armaan replied woodenly.

"She's being stubborn," Rohan complained. "Like always." Armaan gave a weak chuckle.

"Do you think if I tell her that Rhys has come to see how she's doing, she'll wake up?" He asked with a pout. That did it. Armaan guffawed.

"Do. Not. Joke. About. Rhysand." Tamanna thundered from behind.

Armaan rolled his eyes. "Do you ladies have a Rhysand detector? I mean, someone mentions his name and you're there."

Tamanna humphed. "I'm serious, Armaan. Don't diss Rhys. You know Jenny hates it."

"What does Jenny hate?" Nikki asked, taking the chair beside Armaan and laying her head on his other shoulder.

"Someone trash talking Rhysand," Tamanna replied.

"Rhysand?" Nikki asked, her eyes alight. "As in High Lord of the Night Court, Rhysand? Death Incarnate? Night Triumphant?"

Tamanna nodded approvingly. "The one and only."

"Of course! You don't talk shit about my Rhys, Armaan Mallik or there will be hell to pay!" Nikki burst.

"Nikki! Not you too!" Armaan cried scandalously.

"I like you," Tamanna replied, laughing. "I never knew you liked such things, Dr. Malhotra."

"It's Dr. Modi, now," Nikki replied. "And it's okay. Not many people know that."

"Modi?" Tamanna asked, surprised. "As in, Sid? But, he's so much younger than you." Tamanna was already dreading the answer. She knew that Sid wouldn't wait around forever. She'd gotten married despite him telling her that he loved her. She had chosen someone else. And, at the time believed that she'd made the right choice. Oh! How wrong she'd been. It hadn't taken long for her to realize that she returned Sid's feelings. She'd just been too stubborn to acknowledge it. But, by then, it was too late and she was married and she didn't know what to do.

Aniket had been very understanding of the situation and had given her all the time in the world to get her bearings about her and to move on from Sid. He'd been a very good friend to her when she desperately needed one. He'd supported her and been there when she cried, when she lost it, when she was homesick and when she lost. Maybe that's why it had taken her so long to believe that the Aniket she had painted in her mind was much different than the one that Armaan and Jaanhavi and Rahul knew.