Amor Fati - Our Love, Our Fates [COMPLETE]

Part 53 - Fallen

In Binsar

"Nisha Bhabhi was to send the driver to pick me up from the Airport but the car never turned up" Nikhil continued.

"I waited for some time outside the terminal for the driver, and then tried calling her. She sent me a message that the car was on its way and would reach soon. I continued waiting. The driver called me after a while mentioning that the car had broken down and that he would need some more time. I was tired and I wanted to reach home at the earliest. So I asked him to proceed with the repair works, and that I would hire a cab instead.

And as luck would have it, my phone died on me. I decided not to wait anymore but to catch hold of a cab from outside the Airport. There were already a lot of people around, waiting for cabs. At that moment, Ritesh turned up asking why I had not left for home yet. He then offered that I travel with them. They already had a cab and would anyway get off earlier. The cab driver also agreed.

The biggest mistake I ever made. I was somehow not thinking. I was already looking forward to meeting you, I had missed you so much God knows."

Rohini's breath caught in her throat as she tried to continue breathing.

"Once the cab had left Devanahalli ..." he stuttered "I have no idea what happened next"

His voice was now choked.

"I woke up after some time in a dimly lit room. I could not open my eyes clearly, and my vision was blurred. And then there was this splitting headache. I was positively nauseous and I could hardly move, though my hands and arms were not tied or anything. I struggled for some semblance but I could remember nothing. I could only hear laughter in the room ..."

His eyes were now focused at the serene mountain range in front of her.

"Of course I couldn't ... it was Rophynol ... the Doctor later confirmed ... I had drunk some water inside the cab ..."

Tears sprung up in Rohini's eyes, unknown to herself, as the words chased after her like a haunting.

"I woke up again after some time, there was some sort of ringing in the room - I could hear the sound. This time I could see Barkha though I didn't recognise her immediately. She seemed to have charged my phone but hadn't been able to unlock it.

Her voice seemed to float in from some other sphere as she mentioned that I was ill and that somebody from home was trying to connect. She needed me to unlock the phone. Little did I know it was you"

He laughed bitterly at the thought - "Not that I could have done anything at that moment either"

Nikhil avoided meeting Rohini's eyes - "I never spoke to you that day. Barkha and Ritesh did. I do have an idea though, but what did they tell you?"

The tears spilled down Rohini''s cheeks as she remembered that moment when her world had collapsed around her - she remembered Barkha laughing at her and telling her that Nikhil would never be hers. He had never been Rohini's to begin with. And then she had shown Rohini a photo of herself with him on the bed, both of them subsequently indecent. And when Rohini had protested, Barkha had simply turned on FaceTime. She had been in bed with Nikhil at that very point of time ...

Nikhil glimpsed at Rohini before he continued, much aware of the pain that she was going through

"Of course I don't remember much, except for a few moments here and there. It took me nearly 3-4 days to gain my sense and composure, thanks to the dosage of Rophynol, and something more. This time I was in a municipality hospital; somebody had apparently dumped me there. And that somebody had also informed Nisha Bhabhi.