Guru looked at his watch and then at Tanvi. She could feel his growing concern about what could be happening in Anjali’s room. He knew Chaits inside out and knew very well that sooner or later – he would lose his patience. He was afraid that he might try something silly and create a bigger problem. He understood that Pallavi won’t be able to judge anything before she met Anjali and it had been a long time since Chaits had climbed up the stairs…
He got up nervously and climbed up a few steps to judge the situation. He walked down the stairs a bit relieved, “She has opened the door and has allowed him to enter. I was faintly able to hear a conversation between them. I hope he is able to convince her to walk in here with him and continue her treatment.” He said hopefully. They all heaved a sigh of relief and kept their fingers crossed that he be able to do so…
Meanwhile, Chaits was fast losing his patience. He looked at Anjali who had a stubborn expression that she was right and the world was wrong.
He summoned all his acting skills for one final try to jolt her back into accepting the reality. He slowly looked around the room and deliberately walked toward the corner where Anjali had asked Sunny to stay put…
“What are you trying to do?”
“I’m hungry after all this talking – I need to eat and I saw a juicy apple on your study table and I am going to eat it.”
He abruptly stopped and looked at the table in disbelief, “What the – I swear, the apple was right there a moment ago – now I don’t see it…”
“Sunny – I remember you getting one apple for me early in the morning. You wanted me to eat it and I didn’t – so you kept it on that table. Are you hiding it so that I can eat it?” she looked questioningly at the corner, “If you are … you better keep it back there. He is my love – my life and I can’t see him getting disturbed by your pranks. I can eat another one – give him that apple…”
Chaits looked at the table and then at her, “Well – I think, Sunny doesn’t want me to eat it.” He said in a tone that confused her, “I guess, I will have to go hungry.”
“What are you doing stooping by that study table?” she asked still looking at the corner, “If the apple isn’t there and I didn’t eat it means – you ate it.” She started giggling, “You could have told me that you ate it … But, wait a minute … he saw that apple not a minute ago – did you swallow it?”
Chaits looked at this one way communication between her and imaginary Sunny and knew that the situation was out of his hand. He was sure that he wouldn’t be able to convince Anjali to meet Pallavi. His only hope was to get Pallavi up in this room. If he told this to Anjali, he was sure that she would shut and bolt the door of the room behind him. It would again be where it all started…
He paused and approached Anjali, ‘Get up – I want you to stand and hug me tight.”
“I can’t” she again was in tears, “I’m too weak because of those medicines. I will fall…”
“I’m here to hold you.” He extended his arms toward her.
She held them with her frail, trembling hands and tried to get out of the chair – she couldn’t. He put his arm under her armpits and lifted her out of the chair. She could barely stand on her rubber like legs and kept slipping down. He let her go and quickly stepped back a couple of steps and she fell on the floor with a loud thud and a weak groan of pain.
This made him wonder – if she can’t even stand on her feet – who the hell opened that bolted door when she had been sting on the chair all the time…
He had to get to the bottom of all this that was creating confusion.
“You seem to be very good at acting…”
“Why do you say so?”
“You can’t stand on your own two feet as of now and few minutes earlier – you unbolted that door and ran full speed to occupy that chair – just to prove yourself right…”
“Believe me – it was Sunny who unbolted that door – I have been sitting in this chair all the while…”
“You are lying – that’s what you are doing…”
“No! Darling – I can but speak only truth with you. I have endured immeasurable pains by consuming these medicines – only for you – why would I speak untruth?”
“Stop that nonsense – Sunny doesn’t exist. He didn’t survive that crash – you did…”
“That’s nonsense – he has been with me, taking care of me right from that moment just as a best friend would – No! Sunny – you can never be my boyfriend – I have said this over and over again … You are and will remain My Best Friend not my boyfriend…”
“This exactly is the reason – Sunny inside your mind is the reason I had to request Dr. Pallavi to treat you … Now – you stay put in that chair. I’m going to ask Pallavi to come up to this room to get you checked…”
“Please don’t do that – she’ll prescribe new types of horrible medicines which will inflict more pain – I beg of you…”
“I understand that – but – it’s necessary for you and our future life together. Don’t move and stay put in your chair…”
“Don’t you have any feelings left for me? If not feelings – at least, some pity?”
“Look at me. Sweetheart – you are able to see the stern me – but you are unable to see the person who loves you and endures more pain than you do seeing you suffer like this… Just stay put in your chair…” saying this, he started to step backward toward the door keeping a watchful eye on her for any sudden movement. He stopped for a moment – he was about a couple of strides from that door – she was now looking at the corner where Sunny was supposed to stay put…
“Sunny…” she screamed at the corner, “this is between him and me. He has all the right to insult, abuse, harm or kill me… I love him… he is the only person who matters to me… don’t you dare do something to harm him… you got no right to do that… SUNNY!!!” she screamed at the corner in horror.
Inadvertently, Chaits looked at the corner – her expressions had been too genuine and honest. To his horror, he saw a paper weight come flying across the room – straight at his face. He ducked but couldn’t avoid being strongly hit on his forehead. He reeled backward and hit the wall at the corner next to the door.
He was too stunned to understand what happened. He looked at Anjali with disbelief – she loved him so much – how could she possibly attack him so viciously?
“NO – SUNNY – LEAVE HIM ALONE…” she screamed in horror again still sitting in her chair – trying desperately to get out of it. He looked at her struggle to stand wondering how did Anjali, who was so weak manage to throw a paperweight with such a speed and an unerring aim at him…
He suddenly felt a violent push and he crashed on the door. Anjali was still sitting in her chair trying desperately to get out of it – she managed but fell to the floor due to her weakness…
He felt another violent push – right out of the thin air as he fell at the top edge of the staircase. He realized – Sunny did exist – he was a ghost…
He felt another push that sent him tumbling down the stairs amid screams from Anjali…
People in the living room who hoped and awaited Chaits to perform the miracle were now silent. There was a pin drop silence in the room – each trying to judge the on-going scene upstairs…
They heard a loud thud as Chaits crashed on the door. Guru couldn’t stop himself. He quickly made his way to the stairs… “CHAITS!!” – they all heard him scream. They scrambled toward the staircase in time to see Chaits come tumbling down … bleeding from his injuries…
“Chaits…” Tanvi screamed as she looked at him, his legs and his torso still upward on the stairs. She quickly lifted his head hanging down toward the floor and rested it on her lap.
“Guru – please pass me that glass of water.” She dipped her kerchief in that water and started to dab and clean the blood on his face.
The gentle touch of her kerchief cooled in the water got him into some sense and he looked around at the anxious faces bent over him…
“We all are wrong…” he finally managed to mumble out, “She loves me – but – her boyfriend – he loves her more … Sunny does exist…” and he blacked out.
Guru looked at him in disbelief and then at shocked expressions around…
“Pallavi di” he said in a sad tone, “I guess – you now have an additional patient to handle…”
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