"How did you come here?” he asked. Niyati looked much more in control of herself now, sitting beside him in a comfortable chair with their clasped hands between them.
He had loudly protested against their seating arrangement, but this time, Niyati held her ground. “No... I won’t,” she told him firmly, dragging the chair beside him and sitting down.
It was important—she couldn’t even form thoughts, let alone talk, when in such close proximity to him.
So sitting where she was now was a much better choice, no matter what this prince charming had to say about it.
“Public transport,” she giggled aloud, noticing his gaze.
He rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything, preferring her cheerful self over the gloomy one. “No, really! I changed two buses and then took an auto, and ta-da! I’m here. Do you know how far this place is from my college?”
“Very funny.”
“I am,” she said proudly. “Everyone says so.”
He was tempted to ask who exactly these people were, but that could wait. He needed to get his original question answered first.
He pulled their hands together, and her smile faded, replaced by a shy expression—something Achintya enjoyed very much. “I meant, how did you really come here?”
The girl who was too afraid to even stand close to him in fear of being seen by others had somehow gathered the courage to visit the hospital in broad daylight. The fear of what others might think seemed to have vanished.
Grumbling, she looked away. Hadn’t she just poured her heart out to him moments ago? Did he forget already? Or maybe that wound on his shoulder had affected his brain. Could be that.
His question brought another thought to mind. "You’re not the first one..." What did that woman mean? If she wasn’t the first to visit, who else had come to see him?
It could be his friends, she thought. But then why had the nurse phrased it so oddly? Maybe it was other girls. Yes, that must be it.
Something hot bubbled inside her—much different than the usual warmth he stirred within her.
“Who came to see you before me?” she blurted out. He raised an eyebrow at her abrupt question.
“I asked first—”
“Ladies first, you know—”
“Your comebacks are getting as good as mine,” he smirked lazily. She slapped him playfully.
“Stop,” she muttered, trying to focus. Even here, on a hospital bed, with his messy hair, white t-shirt, and gray joggers, he still managed to outshine anyone. “Answer my question.”
God, when would this man stop affecting her so much?
“Well, let’s see. My family, my friends—”
“Which friend exactly?” Her glare sharpened, daring him to answer carefully.
“What?”
“Which one?”
“What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?” he finally asked, puzzled by her rapid-fire questions and intense glare. She looked like she was ready to douse him in gasoline and set him on fire.
“Nothing. I just asked you something.”
“Mayank. He’s my friend from college—”
Like a balloon deflating, she suddenly quieted down, the jittery feeling subsiding. So, a friend named Mayank had visited him. Fine, she could live with that.
“A relative of my friend's heard the guard talking about the hospital’s name,” she explained. “That’s how I found out.”
He looked at her in disbelief. This girl was something else. That interrogation she had just launched into? It wasn’t a normal conversation.
Tugging her closer, he pulled her face near his, her elbow digging into the mattress as she hovered over him. “What’s gotten into you?” he asked softly, noticing the red blush spreading over her cheeks. It was subtle, but from this close, he could see it clearly.
Shyly, she ducked her head. “Nothing. Just... wanted to know.”
He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go for now. She had come all this way to see him. He could give her some leniency. Besides, he’d have plenty of time later to figure out the cause of her sudden change.
“Fine,” he said, brushing a stray strand of hair from her forehead. He realized he liked her better with her hair down rather than tied in a simple braid.
“I love your scent,” he breathed, the smell of coconut calming him, quieting the noise in his head.
He watched as the blush deepened, spreading down her neck. He smirked. He wouldn’t admit it, but now that he had seen her, his heart was finally at peace.
_
Time flew by in a blur.
The lunch trolley rolled around at 1 p.m. and then left. She served him hot soup and lunch, and he insisted on feeding her a decent portion of his meal. He only stopped when she reminded him that her mother had sent her a tiffin, and she needed to finish that too.
Niyati would never confess it to anyone, but Achintya might just be the sweetest person she had ever met. Despite his wealthy background, he showed no signs of entitlement—at least not with her.
He demanded she open her lunch box and then ate two cold chapattis with her sabzi, ordering her to finish the hot meal on her plate. After the trolley was gone, she sat by him, their hands intertwined, talking about everything and nothing.
He even told her about the men who had attacked them the day before.
When she asked what he had done to them, he smoothly replied, “I promised you, so I didn’t kill anyone.” Was she supposed to feel relieved? She wasn’t sure.
Before long, the clock on the white wall showed it was past 2:30, and with a jolt, she stood up, rambling about how she’d miss the 3 p.m. bus if she didn’t leave soon.
“How long will you be in the hospital?” she asked, standing by the door, half-turned towards him. Achintya wasn’t thrilled that she’d be taking public transport and insisted—demanded—that he take her home. It took Niyati practically begging him to "think about yourself. Get well soon, so I can see you every morning,” before he finally relented and lay back down.
“Why? You’re going to visit me every day?” he teased.
“If you say so.” She smiled. If Niyati played her cards right, she could manage a visit tomorrow too. Her teacher had already seen her condition today, so a day off wouldn’t be a problem. She could simply tell Shivu dii that she went to the local library, explaining her absence from college.
It was a foolproof plan. This part of the city was far from her home, and Niyati was sure no one here would recognize her.
But all that could wait.
Right now, the man in front of her was her concern. The way he looked at her with a deadpan expression made it clear how little trust he had in her words.
