After a long wait, the day arrived my efforts, at last, gave me positive results. I completely woke up, I mean that now my body started listening to me again, I could feel my environment around me, so I was no more a half-dead corpse laying on this irritating hospital bed, without any moment. I open my eyes slowly. I see all around I was in a clean, hygienic environment of the hospital room. It was all dark except for the sidelight, and there was pin drop silence. My head, my chest, and my whole body ache, I don't know why there was so much pain. I see an IV attached to my right arm. I am wearing a pale blue hospital gown and a splint on my left arm. I was astonished that it was a private room and my bed was way bigger than the usual hospital beds. I test my legs and right arm they respond to my wish. I quickly shut my eyes. I try to turn my head and I was pleased to know that it worked to my will, I open my eyes again. I see Krish asleep beside me and leaning on my bed his head resting on his folded arms. I slowly move my hand and run my fingers through his soft hair. He startles awake gracefully, he raises his head and my hand weakly falls on the bed.
"Hello", I say weakly
"Oh! Dear. Didn't I tell you to not pull a stunt on me like this", his voice suffocated and relieved. He grasps my hand and gently squeezes my fingers, as his tears roll down. I struggle to sit up.
"Megha you want to sit right, wait let me call a nurse she will help you to sit"
"No, I will do it myself, please" I still try to lift myself "I need to get up and I can give it a try though"
"Will you do as you are told at least once?", he snaps frustrated, and calls someone.
Uncle Dhruv enters the room and says "My sweetie you are awake do you know where you are?"
"Yes, Hospital room dad"
"What did you address me as"
"Dad. Anything wrong"
"Not at all, I am on cloud nine"
"Can I sit, please? Krish is not allowing me to", I glare at Krish
"Surely you can, Krish help my daughter to sit up", he commands
Krish makes me sit with extra double care so slowly, slower than a tortoise, "Krish you can increase your speed a little", dad says. But Krish ignores him and continues to do the same. "You are too light, darling," he says
"Shut up", I utter. I carry all my injuries and sit. My head aches, my chest aches where the bottle hit me and my hand throbs whichever side I had fallen to the ground. In addition to it, I was thirsty and hungry.
"How do you feel", Dad asks me
"Very hungry and thirsty"
"Okay I'll fetch you some water and food, but before that let me check your blood pressure", he says and wraps a blood pressure cuff around my upper arm he checks my BP and gives me a you-are-all-good smile, and exits the room.
I glance worriedly at Krish, he looks dreadful and haunted as though he hadn't slept for days. His hair was a mess, he looked like he has not shaved for a long time, and his shirt was wrinkled so badly I realize that it was the same white shirt that he was wearing on that day in the club. It means that he hasn't changed. I was confused. "How are you feeling?", he questioned
"Confused, thirsty, and hungry", I respond
"Confused", he sounds surprised
"Yes"
"About what"
"How long have I been here"
"Since two days"
"Why do you look so horrible?"
"I never left your side since you got admitted so I didn't go home or sleep or take bath"
"You must stink like a pig"
"Well yeah, and you need to surely smell me now", he comes closer but then his sweat smelled still I enjoyed how close he got to me but he was stinking a lot he needs to take bath as soon as possible. He planted a kiss on my forehead and said "I love you"
"So that means you are mine"
"You are the one who belongs to me"
"I have been yours since the beginning."
"Now let me hear those three words from your mouth."
"I love you too", I replied in reflex.
"Are you done with your romance", dad calls out
"Dad," I drag shyly. Why was he that early?
"Take here water and some hot chicken soup. Drink slowly in bits. Do you want anything else?"
"Some clean clothes for my boyfriend"
"Sure", he says and exits. I look back at Krish his eyes were shining and he locked his eyes with mine and held my hand and kisses it and holds them close to his cheek. I pull my hand back and asked him to take a shower right now. He sat in front of me after taking shower, his after-shower scent was so amazing that my nose now wants only to breathe this fragrance all the time. Krish unpacks the parcel, pours soup gently into the bowl, places the bowl on the side plate, adds some salt and pepper and he gives it to me I have never seen him doing things so carefully actually without doing anything clumsy. I slowly take a sip of the chicken soup and ask him, "Krish you know like when I was here unconscious sometimes I could hear you"
"Hmmm-mm", he says
"So what was that Dean thingy"
"Okay. It is like I can never be a doctor and I'm expelled…", he says and I drop my mouth out and stop eating, "If you stop eating then I'll stop speaking", he says and I continue to eat
"So basically after admitting you someone presents there in the club get together had reported to dean. The next day morning we were called, Mathew and me. She questioned us that if we are the ones harming then how can we save others and what is the guarantee that we won't get aggressive while treating patients. I tried asking for a final warning but it didn't work out."
"What happened to Mathew"
"Same punishment and I heard that he is leaving Bangalore and moving abroad, probably he would have already left. Now the end of the story, eat properly."
I finish my soup and dad returned and handed over some clean clothes to Krish. Krish changed his clothes walked toward me and checked my BP level and gave me some pills.
"Krish go home and sleep, you look exhausted", I say calmly
"No I can't leave you alone, I'll sleep in the armchair there", he proclaims
"See there are many doctors and nurses here who can take care of me"
"But I want to take personal care of you"
"At the least sleep here in bed next to me"
"No"
"Why"
"I don't want to hurt you and there is an IV connected"
"This bed is bigger and we both can fit in"
"NO"
"Please, Krish", I lift the bedsheet inviting him to sleep. I can tell you he was getting tempted now.
"Chuck everything", he says removes his shoes and socks, slips into the bed lie beside me wraps his hand around me, I lay my head on his chest and he calmly closes his eyes. I keep looking at him; he looks cuter while his eyes are closed. "Can you stop looking at me and sleep", he utters
"Can I ask you something", and I request him as I trace my fingers on his chest.
"Ask"
"When did you fall for me?"
"During our first year, the first time when we had class along with cadaver you were super scared seeing the cadaver and you couldn't handle the smell, I enjoyed observing the way you made it appear like you aren't scared or the odor doesn't affect you. Though as days pass you got used to them, I can never forget that cute girl."
"I thought nobody knew about my fear", I giggle
"I also like the way how much you love to take care of uncle and the way you used to yell at me for being clumsy and the next moment feed me delicious food. You know what attracted me the most, it is your voice, I love your voice, I hear you completely when you sing while you cook, clean, etc"
"If I had known that you were listening maybe I might have stopped"
"That's why I never told you what a fan I am of your voice. Not only that the main thing which impressed me the most was that anytime you witness someone injured you were the first to treat. Especially, that day when a middle-aged man suddenly fell near the college hostel you rushed to his first aid, he had stopped breathing but you did immediate CPR on him without thinking and saved his life. That day I completely fell for you."
"Oh my god, you wasted more than 2 years Krish Malhotra"
"So when did you get these feelings"
"Simple, I felt safe and secure when I am with you and I completely fell for you when you did such a big scene for a normal fever."
"I guess now you need to sleep", he says and we both doze off and I get lost in sweet dreams where my real-life hero sleeping beside me holding me in a close embrace which makes me happier.