“Jab tak mai wapas nhi aata, tu uncle aunty ke paas chali jaa. Don’t stay here alone.”

(You go to uncle aunty till the time I return.)

She met his eye and frowned.

“Kyu? Tujhe bharosa nhi hai mujhpr? Mai ghar se kuch chura lungi kya?”

(Why? You don’t trust me? Will I steal something from home?)

She teased and he chuckled.

“Nhi pagal. It’s just…it’s not safe here alone.”

(No stupid.)

“Mai bachi thodi na hu, Abir. I’ll be fine.”

(I am not a kid.)

He sighed. He didn’t want her to stay at home alone when he wasn’t there. What if Pratham decided to show up.

“I know tu bachi nhi hai and that you’ll be fine…but I just want you to go back to your parents until I return. Please Sanvi.”

(I know you are not a kid and that you’ll be fine…)

Something in his eyes might have given away his thoughts or maybe she could read him so well, because she understood why he was saying so. 

“Ok. Chali jaaungi.”

(I will go.)

“Let’s do one thing. Tu saath chal. Mai tujhe drop krta hua airport nikal jaaunga.”

(You come with me. I will drop you while leaving for airport.)

“Abir! Mai chali jaaungi. Trust me. Abhi meri packing bhi nhi hui hai. Tu jaa aaram se. I promise I’ll leave.”

(I will go…I have not packed anything yet. You go carefully.)

He nodded and kissed her head, taking his back with him.

“Jyada late mat krio. Sardiyan hai andhera jaldi hota hai.”

(Don’t be too late. It’s winters and it’s dark early.)

“Hmm. Don’t worry. And all the best.”

She hugged him tightly and then kissed his head making him smile. With a last glance at her, he left the house. Sanvi sighed and went back to her room to pack her bag.

She had just got out of her cab in front of her parent’s place. She held her bag in one hand and her phone in another and started walking towards the building in front of her. 

Out of nowhere, a bike came speeding by and before Sanvi could react in any manner, it slammed right into her. Thankfully, the driver had started applying brakes seeing Sanvi crossing the road, but the bike could not stop on time, hitting her with some force.

Her phone fell from her hand and broke, her bag fallen to her side as she clutched her leg and examined her hand which had multiple scratches. Even her head felt like it had hit the road. 

People came out of their apartments seeing the accident. Sanvi felt a little lightheaded and the last thing she remembered before passing out was her parents’ concerned voice calling out her name.

Sanvi woke up and found herself in a hospital room. Her mother sat beside her.

“Aaram se! Leti reh! Mai doctor ko bulati hu.”

(Careful! Keep lying! I will call the doctor.)

Sanvi clutched her head and felt a bandage there. She examined her arm and saw it bandaged too. She pulled her head up to see her right leg wrapped in a cast. Great!

The doctor came in followed by her parents. The doctor asked her general questions about what she felt, did she feel any other injury or pain anywhere. He then turned to her father and asked them to wait till the reports came in.

“Kaisi reports?”

(What reports?)

She asked and her father answered.

“MRI scan kia hai. Koi internal head injury toh nhi hai wo check krne ke liye.”

(They conducted MRI scan. To check if there is some internal injury.)

“Tu aaram kr. Maine Abir ko bata dia tha. Phone aaya tha uska. Ki airport pahuch gaya hai. Tera phone nhi lag raha tha toh papa ke phone pr kia tha.”

(You take rest. I have informed Abir. He called. That he reached the airport. He called your papa because you phone couldn’t be reached.)

Sanvi sighed.

“Usko kyu bataya? Bina matlab pareshaan hoga. Zaruri meeting hai uski.”

(Why did you tell him? He will be worried unnecessarily. He had an important meeting.)

“Arre pati hai wo tera. Usse toh pata hona chahiye na.”

(He is your husband. He should know.)

Her mother countered and Sanvi sighed.

“Wo waha se baitha baitha kya kr lega. Bas pareshaan hoga faaltu mai aur kaam pr dhyan nhi de paayega. Usse mat batate-”

(What can he do while sitting there. He’ll just be worried and wouldn’t be able to concentrate. You shouldn’t have told-)

She was mid-sentence when the door to her room was banged open and Abir came rushing in. He looked so panicked. Wide eyes, dishevelled hair and frantic breathing. His wide, panicked eyes met her surprised ones.

And then, without any other word, he marched forward and engulfed her into his arms. Her arms round around him as she stared ahead wide eyed. Her parents left the room to give them privacy.

“Abir?”

“Tu thik hai? Jyada lagi hai kya? Ye sar pr bhi chot aayi hai? Scan krwaya? Concussion toh nhi hai na? Aur per mai? Fracture hai? Ya haddi tuti hai? Doctor kaha hai? Mai doctor se-”

(Are you okay? Does it hurt too much? Did you also hurt your head? Is the scan done? There’s no concussion, right? And in the leg? Is it a fracture? Or bone break? Where is the doctor? I will ask-)

“Abir!”

She called him loudly to make him stop rambling. He looked at her. His eyes were still wide with panic.

“Tu yaha kya kr rha hai?”

(What are you doing here?)

“Huh?”

He looked confused as if what she was asking didn’t make sense.

“Tu yaha kya kr rha hai Abir? You had a flight. You have a meeting. You were supposed to-”

(What are you doing here, Abir?)

“Tujhe itni chot aayi hai aur wo meeting attend krne chala jaau? No freaking way!”

(You are hurt so much and I go to attend the meeting?)

He hugged her again. Making himself believe that she was alright. When her father had informed him about her accident, he lost his mind. The only thought on his mind was her safety. He needed to see her safe.

“But your meeting? That was a once in a lifetime opportunity, Abir! Wo log tujhe blacklist kr denge from any future international projects.”

(They will blacklist you from any future projects.)

“I don’t care, Sanvi! Mere liye koi meeting important nhi hai, tu important hai. Tujhe iss haalat mai akela chhodke, chaar din mai bahar nhi jaa skta.”

(No meeting is important for me, you are. I cannot leave you and go out in this condition.)

Sanvi felt her eyes tear up. The difference was clear. Pratham, who had left her when she needed him the most and then Abir, who came back for her even when she had other people to take care of her.

She tightened her arms around him and hugged him close. Abir placed a soft kiss on her head and held her close.

Her reports were clear. No internal head injury or concussion. She was discharged the same day and Abir took her home. She was going to stay at her parents’ house for a few days.

She saw Abir’s reluctance when it was time for him to go back. Maybe her brother saw it too, because he spoke.

“Abir! Do one thing. Jab tak Sanvi yaha hai, tum bhi yahi aa jaao na. Waha akele rahoge, yaha atleast you’ll be assured that she is fine.”

(Till Sanvi is here, you also come here. You’ll stay alone there, here atleast you’ll be assured that she is fine.)