Part 9 (1/2)

Though there were many eateries on Baner Road, she preferred to go to a coffee shop every time since the place was relatively quiet and you could hear the other person speak. They had ordered snacks and were gossiping about their Virat's love life.

'Enjoy your freedom with your girlfriend. Once I am back, I am not going to leave you both alone even while you're having s.e.x,' Kavya teased him by poking him in the arm.

'If that's the case, I better don't tell you my honeymoon room number,' Virat added.

You are never true friends unless you chat about useless and irrelevant topics. Kavya and Virat discussed every silly topic under the sun, but whenever Kavya had to go to her hometown, it made Virat sad and lonely. Kavya was leaving around night-time, alone, as her parents had already left a day before. She was going to return after a week and there were chances that her return might get prolonged depending on the health of her grandmother, which had turned critical in the past few days. Hence, Virat and Kavya had decided to spend some time together since they were not going to see each other for long.

'You are supposed to reach your friend's party, right?' she asked.

'Yeah. Rohan and Riddhima are finally dating each other. So it's party time. I am going directly from here,' Virat stated.

'Cool. Everyone is finding true love these days. Is there some discount offer going on?' Kavya joked.

'Should I laugh?' Virat smirked.

'As if I care,' Kavya said dismissively.

The waiter served the Chocolate Brownie that they had ordered and both pounced on it like they were Tom and Jerry. Within seconds, it was over and they laughed looking at the chocolate on each other's faces. Kavya glanced at Virat as she licked the last bits of chocolate on the spoon. Suddenly, a feeling of emptiness overcame her as she realized she would be staying away from Virat for more than a week.

'Virat...tell me, frankly...What all will you miss about me?' she asked in a low tone.

Virat was busy on his mobile phone. Before he could answer Kavya, he got a call from Rohan enquiring about his whereabouts.

'I am on my way. Reaching in an hour. Sorry buddy, I got stuck in traffic.'

Virat made up an excuse since he wanted to spend some time with Kavya. There was no way he could have reached NIBM in an hour during evening hours. Virat kept his phone aside and asked Kavya to repeat her question.

'You should be paying more attention. I simply asked what will you miss about me in my absence,'

Kavya said in an irritated tone.

'I will miss everything about you. You are a single piece in this whole world. They stopped making friends like you a long time ago,' Virat answered.

He got up from the couch and gave Kavya a tight hug to show how much she meant to him. Soon, they decided it was time to leave. They walked to the parking lot, with Virat guiding her to the car. He opened the door and realized that he had not locked his car.

'How many times do I need to tell you to check whether the doors are locked properly or not? You are so careless, Virat. Do you realize your car could have been stolen?' Kavya shouted.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and burst out laughing. Kavya always shouted at him for being so careless with his things but he never bothered with it.

'Should I leave?' she asked finally.

'Yeah. Take care and happy journey. Call me once you leave for the station,' he said in a sad tone.

Virat and Kavya were inseparable and whenever they were forced to part from each other for a long period of time, neither took it too well. Both were lucky to have each other in their lives and did not for once take their friends.h.i.+p for granted. Though Kavya was leaving for a fortnight, Virat was pained by the temporary separation since he was so used to her company. They spent most of their hours together and it would be difficult for Virat to lead a life in her absence, even for a few days. Virat waved back at Kavya from inside his car. He then scrolled down his message folder to the SMS he had received from Rohan a while ago giving Riddhima's address. He then headed straight to her place.

'Please bring some candles along,' Riddhima asked Rohan over the phone. He was on his way to her home.

They had made preparations to spend a perfect evening together, complete with music and drinks. As he took out his mobile phone from his pocket, he glanced at the wallpaper on the screen which had Riddhima's picture. He had changed his wallpaper to her picture that very morning itself. He typed her a message: You will look ravis.h.i.+ng covered in my kisses. You always ask me whether you are better than my ex or not, so let me tell you the truth today-no one can be compared to you, my love. I love you so much and I wonder to myself why? You know what they say -when you know why you like someone, it's a crush and when you can't think of a reason or explanation, its love.

He read the message once again before pressing the send b.u.t.ton. He re-read it twice and then thought of deleting it. After all, it had only been a day since they started seeing each other. He feared what Riddhima would think about him. But the best conversations are those that never take place, like the messages that we never send.

Rohan reached Riddhima's house and knocked on the door. She let him inside, though something had changed this time; earlier he used to visit to learn French and now he was here to teach her how to French kiss, if the stars favoured him. He called Virat to ask him where was and how long he'd take to reach.

Virat was about to reach Rohan's place when suddenly he took a U-turn in high speed. The other cars came to a halt the moment Virat took the sudden turn and sped away. While he was waiting for the signal to turn green, he received a message. He immediately called on the unknown number and before the person on the other end could explain the whole thing, he ended the call. Suddenly, he felt numb- like his whole world had come cras.h.i.+ng down. He couldn't believe his ears. It was, by far, the worst news of his life.

He stepped on the accelerator and drove the car at full speed. He informed Rohan that he couldn't make it as he had to see Kavya urgently. He parked the car outside a hospital and rushed in. As he made his way towards the main entrance to the hospital, he realized he had not locked the car.

Kavya's words reverberated in his ears: 'How many times should I tell you to check whether the doors are locked properly or not? You are so careless, Virat.' As he thought about how she had lectured him for being careless, tears rolled down his eyes.

He thought about all the crazy moments they had spent together. He remembered their long drives and the way she tickled him while he drove. She was the pa.s.sword to his life like he was to hers.

Without each other for support, they were left clueless. Virat's mind had gone completely blank and he didn't know what to do. In such situations, Kavya would be the first person he would've called, but who should he call in her absence? Kavya had been admitted in the hospital and as he stood by the door to her hospital room, he missed that support of hers he had always taken for granted.

With heavy steps, he walked towards the hospital bed. It was heartbreaking for him to see his best friend in the hospital, someone he was laughing with just a few hours ago. It was heartbreaking to see such a jolly person lying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines. It was hard for him to imagine that she was the same Kavya who used to tease him every now and then. She was the same Kavya who would wipe the tears off his eyes. The same Kavya was now lying lifeless on the bed. He felt uneasy looking at her in that condition. The doctors had kept her under observation and didn't tell Virat why she had been admitted. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something so heartbreaking.

Kavya's parents were informed and Virat dealt with the rest of the formalities. He tried to keep a check on his emotions and knew that if he let a single tear flow, he would never be able to stop. He managed to remain composed, at least until he got back in his shower where his tears could mix with the water and n.o.body would know. He sat outside the room, begging for this to be nothing but a dream. He desperately wanted to collapse into someone's arms. He had told Mehak about it all and she rushed to join him, leaving all her work aside.

When someone you love, someone you wished to spend your life with, departs unexpectedly, it leaves you completely drained-physically and mentally. Virat wanted to scream in pain but tried to gather courage since he knew Kavya needed him. For all the times she had stood by him, it was time for him to payback.

A few hours earlier...

Coffee Cafe Day, Baner Virat waved Kavya goodbye and drove away. Kavya stood there, alone and helpless, with different emotions running through her head. Though she was going away for a fortnight, it felt like a year to her.

She remembered how he made her so happy and carefree. As much as we wish for things to stay the same, uncertainty is an inevitable part of our life. Kavya had thought of celebrating her birthday with Virat and Mahek, but if she had to stay for long in her hometown, she might have to celebrate it alone, without her friends. This made her more upset and she stood there looking at his car until it disappeared from her sight. She just hoped to return before her birthday and wished for a miracle which would prolong her stay in Pune.

Just when her mind was buzzing with a million questions, she got a call from her mom.

'Yes, mom. I have packed my bags. Dad will be come to pick me up, right?' she said walking on the pavement trying to hail an autorickshaw.

'Yes, beta. He will be there to pick you up before your train reaches. Don't worry. Now, where are you? There is so much noise in the background,' her mom asked.

'I had come to meet Virat and now I'm looking for an auto to go home. He was getting late and so he left in a hurry. He would've dropped me, but I told him not to.'

Since there were very few autos around, she was having difficulty finding one to take her home. The few that she tried to hail whizzed past her without stopping. Upon spotting an auto on the other side of the road, she put the call on hold and screamed at the top of her lungs, 'Chaloge bhaiya?' The auto driver turned the meter down and told her to come to his side of the road.

'Mom, I've got an auto. I will call you once I reach home. Take care. Bye,' Kavya said signalling the auto driver to wait for a moment.

'Ok, beta. Take care. And don't talk to strangers on the train. Take everything you need with you.'

'Don't irritate me, mom,' Kavya smirked and hung up.

She disconnected the call and saw an unread message pop up on her mobile screen. She read it while hurriedly crossing the road. It was Mehak: Hey, Babe. Happy journey and do miss us. We will miss you, especially....

Before she could read the complete message, a tempo coming at her at full speed knocked her down.

All of a sudden, traffic came to a standstill and a huge crowd gathered around her. Before she could realize what had actually happened, she felt a sharp pain all over her body. She was lying in a pool of blood, with injuries all over her body. The tempo driver had feared a collision with another bike coming from the wrong lane, so he had turned his vehicle around, only to crash into Kavya. Some people started abusing the tempo driver while some took his side saying it was not his fault and just an accident.

Whoever's fault it was, the bottom-line was that Kavya was lying on the road soaked in blood.

She couldn't move even an inch of her body. She was seriously wounded and had sustained injuries on the head and face. Her nose was bleeding and her legs were badly bruised. No one around her bothered to call an ambulance or cared to pick her up and rush her to the hospital. She could see some bikers driving by on the other lane and tried to scream for help but no sound escaped her lips. The crowd kept watching her as she floundered in pain. Each minute seemed like a lifetime. She wished she could call Virat but even her hands felt lifeless and she could not lift them up.