Amor Fati - Our Love, Our Fates [COMPLETE]

Part 42 - Fragments

Nikhil's Apartment, Bengaluru, Few Weeks Later, Early Morning

The sudden ringing of the doorbell pushed Nikhil out of his reverie. His body protested as he got up and walked towards the door, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

It was Poorvi, with a frown on her face and a big bag in her hand.

"Why are you in your boxers?" she questioned, her voice sharp and steely, as she pushed inside and closed the door, and then heading towards the dining table. "Why haven't you shaved? You look like a ..."

Her words faulted as Nikhil walked towards the table and poured some water into a glass.

Poorvi scrunched her nose as the smell of alcohol hit her. She walked over to the floor-length windows, occupying an entire side of the penthouse and opening to the sky beyond, and pulled the curtains away, letting sunlight filter into the apartment.

"You have been drinking away, like a pig" she stated as she looked at the pile of empty bottle on the coffee table, her hands on her hips. "Do you think Rohini would have approved of all these?"

The glass from his hand clattered to the floor, spilling water all around. Nikhil looked at Poorvi, immediately regretted his decision and turned away; the bright sunlight hitting his eyes and he could barely see clearly.

"It doesn't matter ... not anymore" he mumbled, as he poured some more water into another glass.

"It does" Poorvi was beside him now. "Do you remember the promises that you made to Rohini that you would be man enough for her? Or were they just hollow ones?"

"And I couldn't be that man ... okay?" Nikhil nearly shouted. "Why are you here Poorvi? Your husband won't be happy to know about your visit ... I don't want any more troubles for anybody ..."

Poorvi nodded sadly, as she hefted the bag up on the table and started taking out containers of food.

"I know you are hardly eating Nikhil ..." her voice was laced with tears now. "I had promised her that I would check on you, no matter what .."

"So you are here for her?" Nikhil sneered. "And here, I was mistaken that you were somehow concerned about me, to the point of inviting your husband's ire ..."

The sound of a sharp crack reverberated through the room as Nikhil looked at Poorvi, astonished beyond words.

Poorvi mumbled an apology as she held his hand and pulled him to the couch, making him sit down.

"You idiot! Don't you get it? She left with a broken heart. Yet her kindness baffles me. We wanted to meet her, Roshan and I, but Rohini called instead. Said she needed some time away to find her lost bearings; requested me to look after you knowing fully well that Roshan would be supremely angry at whatever that happened. She also said that she didn't blame you, she could finally understand what it meant to be heartbroken and empathised with you, happy that you could finally decide. The only regret that she mentioned was that she was your rebound ..."

Nikhil hid his face in Poorvi's shoulder and cried his heart out.

...

A while later, Nikhil emerged from the restroom, freshly shaved, his eyes still reddish, as he noticed Poorvi readying breakfast. His stomach revolted but he knew Poorvi would not listen to him, until and unless he ate something. He excused himself for a minute and went to his Study, returning after a while with a gift package in his hand.

"I got this for Atharva on his birthday, but well ..." he offered the package to Poorvi, who looked at him with sad eyes.

Roshan had forbade Nikhil's presence in their house.

...

Almora, Uttarakhand, Evening

Madhukar Nayak brushed off the snow from the collar of his jacket as he entered the Hospital, his heart thudding against his chest. An emergency call from Shambhu had made him rush to Almora. Rohini had fallen down from the staircase the previous night and had slipped into unconsciousness - that's what Shambhu had said. They had taken her to multi-speciality hospital there which had the best Doctors in town.

Madhukar Nayak called for Deepti as he asked his P.A. to book his flight ticket. He fervently prayed that his daughter be alright.

A few hours of restless waiting and now here he was, after a flight to Delhi and then a connecting travel to Almora, via road - he was tired, but he didn't have time to think about anything else.

Dr Vijay met him in his cabin and updated him about Rohini. She was still unconscious, still bleeding, and heavily sedated. The Doctor had been especially concerned about the fact that the patient was too weak.

Madhukar Nayak wiped his tears before entering the cabin. He nearly reeled at the sight of Rohini lying there on the hospital bed, the IV drip set up by the bed, steadily pushing fluid into her veins. There were dark circles beneath her eyes, her usually bright face was pale and shadowed; and she had lost a lot of weight, he noticed.

He sat down on the sterile plastic chair by the bed and clutched her fingers, hoping that his love would be enough to make her smile again. 

...

Binsar, Almora, December

Rohini was back to the bungalow after two days, this time with her Father for company. She spent most of the time staring at the beautiful peak of Nanda Devi, hardly feeling the cold seep through her sweater and shawl, as Kumud tried to keep her warm and comfortable. The emptiness in her eyes bothered her Father like never before. She had steadily refused to return to Bangalore as of yet, mumbling that she would like to do something for the children here, tucked away in the sleepy hamlet in Binsar.

And Madhukar Nayak could never say no to her. Especially when she promised to take care of herself.

"There's nothing to lose ... not anymore" she had stated off cuff. And that had ended the conversation effectively.

...

Rohini watched as Kumud and Shambhu's six year old twins frolicked around, a boy and girl. She smiled at their antics as they rushed up and down the stairs, chasing a puppy.

As night set in, Kumud took the children away. Rohini opened the courier that she had received the previous day and went through the contents carefully.

"Dad .." she smiled, as she went through the sets of drawing sheets, her drawing set, her instruments and everything else. Madhukar Nayak had agreed to let her stay back in Binsar, only when she promised that she would return to her role as an architect. 

Her gleaming new Macbook waited for her on the study table, all charged up and raring to go ...

... Yet Rohini struggled every day, trying to remember whether she had forgotten him or whether she would never. Forget him, that is.

Her physical issues had sorted out by themselves, but that big black hole in her heart remained.

And so did the nightmares, with a frequency that startled her.

End of Part 42