15
While sipping the coffee at the coffee-bar, I looked at the wrist watch.
Preeti would be here any minute.
Couple of minutes passed by and I saw Preeti coming out of her college campus. She was holding the mark-list in her hand. It was her result day.
When I dropped her at the college gate, she was tense.
“I am scared Tarun, I don’t want to flunk. I want to finish my graduation quickly”, she said
“Why do you think you will flunk dear? You have studied hard, haven’t you?” I asked
Truly speacking, even I was tense. I wanted her to score at-least a first-class, so that we both can try to impress my mom about her results. What will I do, if she is failed in her exam?
I tried to hide my emotions.
“No Tarun, I haven’t studied that great, I couldn’t”, she said, embarrassed
“And why is that?”, I asked
“The answer is You Tarun. You were in all my books, smiling and teasing me. How do you expect me to remember the answers and score high?”, she had said it while entering in the college campus.
Looking at her happy face, I felt better ……. at least she seems to have passed the exam.
“Tarunnnn”, she stretched my name while waiving her score-card, “I have passed the exam”. She was almost shouting.
People around were gazing her.
I got up from my seat and went on the road to greet her. Just then I noticed something. A car was racing with speed towards Preetu. I could spot the driver busy talking on cell. I was sure enough that he haven’t spotted Preeti who was in the middle of the road crossing.
I shouted.. “Preetu… look on your left” While saying so I ran on the road to move her aside. I heard a loud horn followed by a heavybrake sound. I saw the dashing car has already passed Preeti and she was safe, standing on the divider. But what I missed to seewas a mini-truck which was indeed very close to me. When I noticed, it was too late to move aside. The bonnet of the truck hit me with lots of horse-power.
I was thrown high in the air and then was dumped on the cement road with heavy force.
Within a second, I felt a flow of warm blood coming out from back of my head and from my jaw. I saw Preeti screaming with both her hands on her lips.
I saw people gathering around.
I had a blur vision. I felt Preeti close to me now, shaking me, shouting my name. I saw her trying to stop vehicles to take me hospital. She was screaming, crying - helpless and then I lost my consciousness.
After a long long time, I was half-awake. I tried opening eyes, but couldn’t. I absolutely had no power to do a slightest of the movement.
I heard someone was trying to cool down Preeti, who was still crying with a worried face. Somebody was telling her that I would be alright.
I was feeling sad with lots of pain. The pain was not for me but for Preeti. I couldn’t see my sweetie crying.
How much I loved her. What will I do without her in my life? I had a sudden urge of getting well soon. I wanted to feel better so that Preeti will feel better.
Sharp pain triggered from my leg and through my back. I was unconscious again.
Preeti told me the good news and the bad news when I finally gained consciousness. Good news was that there was no danger or threat to my life. I was perfectly all right. Blood loss has caused a lot of weakness, but that was all right, I soon will be up, though won’t be moving that fast. And the reason was I had a huge plaster on my left leg. Doc said the bones almost crushed into pieces and it will take some time to recover.
My leg was all covered with plaster, starting with knee; it went all down to my toe.
With Preeti standing aside, the disgusting hospital room with green curtains and white bed-sheets also looked better and I felt pleasant.
“Oh my poor baby, what happened to you?”, Preeti said when she looked at me.
I was in a crumpled t-shirt and shorts, hair scattered, tiny rough hair showing on my face as I hadn’t shaved since a day or two. By all means, I was looking like a poor baby.
Preeti came and sat close to me. She looked at the plaster with worried expressions.
Scarily, she touched the plaster with so much of delicateness as if a bit rough touch and I will shout with pain.
I noticed that she was trying to avoid eye contact with me.
“What happened Preetu? Anything wrong?”, I tried to raise her face up
She shook her head, her hair waiving wildly in air.
“Don’t lie to me. What’s up?” I asked again
Preeti rested her head on my chest. I thought she was about to cry. Her nose blending into pink color.
“It’s all because of me, isn’t it?”, still looking down she said.
So that was the problem, I thought
“It’s ok Preetu..”
“No it’s not Okay Tarun, it’s not ok. I was so careless while crossing, i should have died than…”
“Shut up Preeti”, I shouted and tried to seat up, but the pain in my legs and back prevented me from do so.
“I can’t see you lying helplessly on this sofa, with so much of a pain to sustain. Get well soon my sweet heart”, she managed to say the last words somehow and then broke into tears.
***************************
Mom came in. She looked at Preeti as if she had done biggest crime on the earth.
Preeti couldn’t look back. She was already feeling the guilt. She sat there for a while and then went outside.
“What is she doing here?”, mom asked, looking at the room door who was still in the process of closing
“Mom, don’t treat her like that. It was not her fault anyways. “, I tried to convince
“As if I will believe”, mom said, ” Police told us that you went on the road blindly to save her. That’s what the witness people also told”
“No mom, that is half-truth, anyways..”
I was discharged after a week or so. My parents were with me when I came out of the hospital. I was limping, not able to walk on one leg. I wished I could hold Preeti, but in the presence of my parents, the only support I had was of the ward-boy.
“So what about office now? How are you are going back to work?”, mom asked me when I was back at home.
“I won’t be able to go to office, I will be working from home.”
“But nobody will be at home. Vimala’s function is in couple of weeks, I have to be there as well. Lot of things are still pending.”
“Don’t worry mammaji, I will take care”, Preeti said
Mom wanted to say things, but she had no other alternative.
Preeti offered her helping hand by staying with me most of the time. Initial few days, I was still feeling very weak. The dope was causing a dizziness.
“How does it feel now?” she asked me looking I am awake
“Much better”, I said. With Preeti near me, why won’t I?
We were chit-chatting when phone bell rang. My mom was calling
“How are you Tarun?”, mom asked
“I am fine”, casually I answered
“I will come home in an hour or so and cook something for you”, mom said
“No mumma, don’t worry. You don’t have to come here all the way.”
“But what will you eat?”, mom asked me
“Mom, Preeti is here, we will manage something”
Mumma kept thinking for a while and then she told me to give the phone to Preeti.
“Mumma”, I whispered and gave the phone to Preeti
“Namaste Mumma ji”, Preeti spoke on the phone… “Sure mammaji, tell me”
“Sure mammaji, I can cook”, as Preeti was saying this.. I said to myself.. ”there you go..”
I thought mumma was giving some instructions while Preeti kept saying “Haan ji”
These Punjabi people, how nicely they say “Haan jI”, it feels so good to hear, especially when girls are saying it. My Preetu sounded cutest when she said that.
After a brief discussion, the line went dead.
“What happened?”, curiously I asked
“Nothing, stay here, I will cook something for you”, she said
Once Preeti went inside, I pulled my laptop ahead and dialed the VPN to office.
Preeti kept working in kitchen for some time. I could hear sounds of utensils, fridge door opening and closing, mixer, oven and all other stuff, which generally my mom uses.
I had a terrible desire to go inside and help Preetu. It would have been a treat to watch her working in my kitchen, our kitchen.
In less than 45 minutes, Preeti came out with a plate in hand. I don’t have to peep into the plate for the food. The aroma was too much for me to tell the food is delicious.
She sat close to me. She held a spoon in hand, filled it with the freshly cooked jeera rice and a hot daal.
I was feeling like more than a king.
“Food is delicious Preetu”, while munching it I said
“Thank you shonu”, she said while serving me
While connected to my office network, I explained her kind of work I do, what is ERP system, where it is used. What is my job role etc etc. Preeti, occasionally nodding head, kept looking at the screen with curiosity.
When I was done with lunch, she collected the plate and went inside again. Within a minute she came out looking for something. She forgot the glass outside. When she was about to go inside again, I caught her hand and pulled her close. I forced her to seat close to me.
My office VPN got disconnected because of time-out as I haven’t touched it since last 20 minutes. We both were in some kind of trance, feeling the warmth of our loved ones.
I must have slept like a baby. When I woke up, it was almost close to 5.20pm. Preeti was busy reading a book. She was instantly on feet when she saw me woke-up.
“Hey darling, how was your sleep? Did you dream of me?”, she asked .
I smiled and stretched my hand to reach her. She held my hand and squeezed it lightly.
“Preetu”, I said, “Whatever happens, you will be mine, forever, No matter what I have to do, no matter how I will do it, I will marry you for sure. It is a gentleman’s promise.”
Preeti bite her lower lip gently and said, “We have time to think about it, don’t worry now, get well soon”
“I will leave now, with your permission”, Preeti said
“Sure preetu, go home and take rest”
We hugged each other.
“See you tomorrow”, that’s what she said while closing the door.
