Another Half Of Me - Chapter 25

Siddha sighed with relief as he entered his office in the afternoon the next day. The Manchanda affair had gone comparatively well compared to what he had imagined. There had been no troubles from their side at all. Thank god!

Looking at his watch, he remembered it was time for Roshni to leave school. He picked up the phone and dialled her number. It kept on ringing but she did not answer. He was about to dial Rudy’s number but suddenly remembered that he had not gone to pick Roshni today as he was with Sid to take care of some worker issues at a construction site in Faridabad. He was about to dial her number again when Sandhya’s number flashed on his screen.

Siddha’s forehead bunched with irritation. Why is she calling me? Without answering he kept the phone aside. Once the call disconnected, his screen again flashed up with her number. What the hell! Why is she calling me? This time he picked up the call ready to give her a piece of his mind.

“What is it?”

“Sorry for calling you. I saw you calling on Roshni’s phone so I called you,” he heard her say.

The moment he heard Roshni’s name, he body jerked in attention. “What have you done to her?” he asked in panicked voice.

“Don’t be a fool, Siddha. I didn’t even know you knew her before you called her phone. I happen to be travelling in the same road where she had fainted,” Sandhya said.

Without even thinking for a second, Siddha was out in a flash. If only he had gone to pick her up. Cursing himself, he called for his car and asked Jimmy to drive as fast as he can.

Amit was already waiting for him outside the hospital trying to control the media. Brushing past them, Siddha rushed inside the hospital trying his best not to run. With every passing minute, his heart was steadily plummeting to his toes. How is she? What had happened? Why had she fainted? God, Roshni. Please be okay, he pleaded.

Siddha saw Sandhya talking to the doctor on duty in the corridor. She walked towards him the moment she saw him.

Suddenly Siddha wasn’t able to even ask her how Roshni was. His whole body was shivering with anxiety from inside.

Sandhya looked up at him and found a combined emotion of fear, panic and concern in his eyes.

“She is fine now. It is just low BP that’s all. It happens at this time. You don’t need to worry.”

He heard her but did not believe what she was saying. He saw Prashant rush past him. Thank god, Amit had called him. Now, he will know how Roshni was.

Prashant came out of the room after half an hour and told the same thing Sandhya had told him. Low BP because of pregnancy.

Siddha stepped inside the room gingerly trying not to wake her up. He looked at her hand where the IV drip syringe had been inserted. Closing his eyes, he picked up her hand and kissed it trying to ease the pain.

“Siddha,” Roshni whispered in a croaky tone.

Opening his eyes, he looked her feeling helpless and angry on himself. She touched his cheeks and smiled. Siddha dragged the chair a little closer and looked at her, biting his lip to control his emotions.   

“I’ll have to kiss you if you don’t stop biting your lip,” Roshni said smiling at him weakly.

Siddha couldn’t help but laugh.

“Sweetheart, I am so sorry. I wasn’t there when you needed me the most.”

Shaking her head, Roshni touched his lips with her fingers and said, “Don’t be. It’s not your fault. I should have taken a taxi. I don’t know what happened. One time I was walking on the pavement and next minute I just fell down. If it wasn’t for Sandhya, I would be still lying there.”

Suddenly Siddha felt guilty for treating Sandhya so badly. He should apologise. He looked at Roshni and knew that she had read his mind when she nodded gently. Kissing her on the forehead, he went outside.

Sandhya was talking with Amit and Prashant when he stepped in the corridor. Siddha caught Prashant’s eye and he gestured to Sandhya that Siddha was calling her.

“I am sorry,” Siddha said feeling guilty altogether again looking at her face.

“Don’t, please. I understand why you accused me of doing something to Roshni. I mean who wouldn’t think that after the way you broke the engagement,” Sandhya said in a sarcastic tone.

When Siddha did not answer, she continued, “But, Siddha, I am not like that. Whether you believe it or not, I am your friend: have been that since college. Our engagement was just a matter of convenience and believe me, I realised long back that we are not meant to be together. I just didn’t want to accept it. But after meeting and seeing Roshni, I am convinced about your choice. She is a good girl and she will keep you happy. I am happy for you.”

Saying this, Sandhya started walking towards the exit of the hospital. Siddha kept on looking at her. She is not the same Sandhya he had got engaged to. She has changed, he thought to himself. Sighing, he went inside Roshni’s room.

**************

Roshni had come back home from the hospital after 3 days. Since then, it had been almost like a carnival at home. His entire family kept on going back and forth between the two houses. Maria Aunty, his housekeeper practically stayed over at Roshni’s place refusing to budge. Finally Siddha somehow convinced her that Veena Aunty needed her more than he did. His friends had also made her house their daily haunt every evening.

Sid had also changed his routine completely. Most of these days, he would work from Roshni’s house in case Siddha was needed at office. Rudy also had refused to leave him and Roshni alone at night and slept on the couch even though he did not fit in it.

Siddha stood at the doorway looking inside bedroom where Prashant was checking Roshni. The entire room was filled with people with his aunt sitting next to Roshni clutching her hand tightly. Siddha smiled and felt blessed to have such wonderful people around him: a family who accepted everything he said and did, and a group of friends who loved him like crazy.

Roshni looked at him and found him watching her with a smile on his face. His look said it all. Everything that belonged to him was hers and will always remain that way.

Siddha closed the door as everyone left. Prashant had given her a clean chit. He was about to enter the bedroom when the bell rang again. Rudy must have forgotten something. He opened the door and was about to ask what it was, but froze.

Sandhya was standing on the threshold with a bunch of flowers and a gift wrapped packet.

“Can I come in?”

Siddha smiled and gave her way to get in. “Roshni is inside,” he said closing the door. He was no longer afraid to let Sandhya meet Roshni. After she had saved Roshni’s life, he had started to trust her. When he stepped inside the bedroom, he found them chatting amiably as if they had been friends for long. Good for Roshni, Siddha thought.

Roshni felt good to see Sandhya. Even though, she loved all Siddha’s friends and called them her own but having one who did not belong to his group somehow made a lot of difference to her. Most of all, Siddha knew this and respected her decision.

Siddha smiled and looked away trying to concentrate on work as the two women found common ground to laugh and chat. 

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