I am not the one to be with you forever- chapter 3

Chapter 3

Listening to Sagar and observing him very closely since a year, Madhuri has developed vivid feelings for him. She liked his character, caring nature and frankness. She cursed herself for her careless nature towards him. She never happened to ask him what he is; at least she didn’t bother about. She didn’t even notice her heart reserving a two – Tier AC berth for his kind and good nature. She didn’t dare to let him know her love.

Hey Madhu, Could I draw your attention?? , Sagar said snapping his fingers at Madhuri.

Madhuri: Oh, I am sorry Sagar… I was… I was…. I was actually thinking of something else.

Sagar: J okay Madhu, It’s time to leave. Meet you soon.

Madhuri: When? (Murmured tone)

Sagar: Pardon me!! What did you ask just now??

Madhuri: Nothing, I said “See you”.

Sagar: Oh!! I heard something else. L Ok. Take care…

As days passing, feelings for him grown rapidly like stem cells put in a nutrition medium. She always failed to understand why her heart wanted to be with him, speak with him. She neither named it “Love”, nor warned her heart to do so. She knew that she can’t be with him forever. She wanted to get rid of his thoughts. She wanted to end this metabolism of her heart by putting hormones of negative thoughts. But her heart didn’t respond to this change. It continued to be in his thoughts….

She knows that her parents would be fine with her decision, She is pretty sure that Sagar will accept her. But some unsaid reasons are stopping her flow of thoughts……

Deep in her thoughts; Madhuri was thinking whether it was the incident of Pranav that made her liking Sagar so much??  No… I like Sagar not just for he saved you from envious act by Pranav; her heart answered right off the bat. She fought with her heart for being so friendly with his.

“Kannullo nee rupame… gundello nee dyaname”, her phone was ringing. She didn’t want to lift the phone as the song was so soothing and reflecting her thoughts of him. After 10 minutes or so, she said “Hello” picking up the call.

Hey Madhu, this is Sagar here… How is your health? Is everything fine?

Madhuri:  (In her heart) how can he be this normal? Intentionally I had cut his call many times. I avoided him for unrevealed reasons. But still he just needs to know how I am? Why this fellow can’t shout at me? Why he is least bothered to know why did I behave so?

Sagar: Hey Madhu, am I reachable?

Madhuri: You already reached my heart Stupid. It’s only me, who can’t reach yours, she wanted to say but didn’t. Yes tell me Sagar, how are you?

Sagar: Thanks, finally you spoke. I am doing well.  How are you?

Madhuri: Fine.

Sagar: Okay, It seems you are not fine. Tell me if I can help you.

Madhuri: Nothing. I am perfectly alright.

Sagar: Shall we meet?

Madhuri: Is it so important?

Sagar: Yes. It’s most important for us.

Madhuri: For us?

Sagar: Yes for us. Shall we? I will come to your place.

Madhuri: Tell me now no? What’s that important?

No, I can’t tell now. I am coming there; he said and cut the call.

Looking twice a second at the wall clock, Madhuri got ready. She wore a zinger color dress with white stole designed with some beads. As Sagar reached there, they both went upstairs.

Madhuri: You wanted to tell something??

Sagar: Yes… You just say Yes or No please.

Madhuri: I thought you wanted to tell?? It seems you want to ask… isn’t it??

Yes… it’s both.  Shall we get married? , he asked without wasting a minute.

She was not so shocked to listen to him as she was prepared to. “No, I can’t”, Madhuri said bluntly.

Sagar:  Am I fortunate to know the reason?

Madhuri: It’s just a No, I can’t give you reasons.

Sagar: Does it mean that you don’t have reasons to reject me?

Madhuri: If you think so, you can always. But please don’t ask me anything. I have to go out for something important. Shall we leave?

Sagar: Is that so important than me?

Madhuri: Priorities always change so as importance too.

Sagar: Madhu, will you please let your heart speak?

Madhuri: I don’t have one which you are talking about.

Sagar: okay. Fine… leave it. You have some work outside right? Shall I help you?

Madhuri: No, thank you. You can’t always help me.

Sagar was silent for some time. He was trying to look deep into her eyes; while Madhuri was forcibly avoiding eye contact as she thought his affectionate looks would make her burst out into tears. There was absolute silence for more than 30 min.

Hey Madhu, what happened? Sagar asked in a worried tone as he saw Madhuri becoming faint. She didn’t answer. He sprinkled water on her face. She didn’t open her eyes. Her face was pale. He observed her breathing very slow and carried her to the nearest hospital in his arms……

Sagar started cursing himself for expressing his love to her; as he thought that made her faint. He slapped his forehead out of tension. He was eagerly waiting for doctor to come and tell him what happened to his sweet heart Madhuri….

Sagar just resembled a tachycardia patient out of tension. With heart running at jet speed, he ran to the doctor who was stepping out of the ICU.

“Is everything fine? Can I see her now? , tell me doctor.” Sagar asked the doctor facing his head towards the ICU.

See, I need to talk to you. Please come to my chamber, said the doctor and moved away. Sagar followed him.

In Doctor’s chamber

Doctor: Well. Mr.….

Sagar:  “I am Sagar “is everything okay?

Doctor: May I know who she is to you?

Sagar: I am her friend. She is a junior doctor. She is fine right?

Doctor: Look Sagar, her condition is very critical. She has been suffering from chronic cerebellar disease. Though it’s a kind of Ataxia, it has less scope of providing stem cell treatment. As it doesn’t show the symptoms of Ataxia, it would have not been predicted at the early childhood. In addition to this, a malignant tumor is pushing her cerebellar mass to left portion of the brain. Her health condition is gradually deteriorating. She has very less life time. Being a doctor, she must be aware of her health condition, I suppose.

Sagar: Oh… No doctor. This cannot happen to her. Tell me doctor, where can it be treated well. I will get her to anywhere in the world. I don’t want god to take her away from me.

Doctor: I understand your pain. We will try our level best to get her well. But as a doctor, I can’t assure anything. And unfortunately, this disease nowhere has best records of treatment. Making her comfort would help her rather than medicines and treatment.

Sagar: I just can’t digest this. I will not let her be away from me.

Doctor: She will be into conscious now. You can go and see her. Better not to tell her regarding this. Hope you understand. Take this prescription and use it when required.

Sagar: At what times would it be required for her?

Doctor: when she suffers from severe head ache and nausea, she can take these.

Sagar: Okay. I will see her now.

Sagar slowly opened the door of ICU to check if she was conscious. She was trying to open her eyes and get up. Sagar ran to her bed and made her lean back with the support of pillow.

Sagar:  “Hey Madhu, How are you feeling now? “

Madhuri: Better. I am sorry. I troubled you.

Sagar: Don’t hurt me with your sorry.

Madhuri: Okay. What did doctor say?

Sagar: Nothing much. You just need rest for some days. You are little weak. Proper diet would be good medicine.

Madhuri: “Your eyes can never lie”.

Sagar: Hey come on. It’s true that you are perfectly fine. You want to hear same from the doctor?

Madhuri: You begged him not to reveal?

Sagar: What is there to hide? Trust me dear. Take good care.

Madhuri: Okay. Hey, I am getting bored, when can I get discharged? Did you check with doctor? I wanted to go out actually, I told you right?

Sagar: hey, you don’t feel any pain right?

Madhuri: No. I am fine.

“Be cheerful always like this my love”, Sagar said himself and completed the formalities of discharge. He admired her nature in his heart. She looked so divine and symbol of happiness to him.

On the way home after her discharge, Madhuri asked the driver to stop Taxi near a small house. She gestured him to come along. He paid the taxi and followed after her with confused state of mind. He had no clue where she was going but moved…..

Sagar was bit uncomfortable entering that tiny house, probably a century old construction. He had to bend his five feet and eleven inches tall body to maximum extent so that he gets into that house. He was astonished to see the way his Madhuri was treated by a 9 year old girl, middle – aged woman and a man in forties, who lost his legs. How Madhu could steal these many hearts? No wonder… she can… It’s my Madhu; Sagar thought and gave a proud smile. As soon as they offered snacks to eat; he grabbed the plate quickly as if he was starving for food since many years.  He totally ignored Madhuri’s fake smile for his hilarious behavior and engaged himself in eating.

“Doctor Ma’am, we expected you here in the morning. We thought you must be busy with something else. I am totally worried about my child’s health. You are our hope. We trust no one else; please save my child.” the middle- aged woman yelled out in a depressed tone.

“Oh, come on aunty. Please stop crying. Your daughter would be fine. Be brave aunty. I came here to tell you that we have an appointment with famous cardiologist tomorrow morning. He could help us to find the best way with your daughter Komali’s treatment. File all her reports and be ready aunty. I will come and pick you up”, Madhuri said giving her a couple of currency notes.

“Hey Sagar, Shall we leave?” Madhuri had to shout twice as Sagar was still busy in eating. Sagar said bye to them with his mouthful of snacks and moved out along with Madhuri.  Both started walking from there to Madhuri’s place.

Madhuri: Hey, can’t you be descent when you are out?

Sagar: L what did I do dear? I was hungry… So,

Madhuri: Hungry?  It looked like; you came for a food distribution camp.

Sagar: Oh…. I am sorry. I was not aware.

Madhuri grinned and both laughed out loud.

Sagar: Hey Madhu, I got to understand that Komali is suffering from some heart disease. What happened to her exactly? And how come you know them?

Madhuri: Well.  I wanted to tell you this long back Sagar, but I didn’t get right time to. I saw them in a medical camp. Her Husband lost his legs in a road accident. Since then their family was into financial crisis. To add fuel to their financial imbalance, they came to know about their daughter’s heart problem. They came to that medical camp for free checkup. They were not aware of the fact that their daughter was in a need of surgery. It was so pathetic. Tell me Sagar, How privileged I am. I at least know my health condition. I have no worries even if am under the weather.

Sagar: Hey Madhu, What are you talking? You… you… you…. No?

Madhuri: Yes… I know what my condition is. I am a doctor.

There was absolute silence. Sagar couldn’t utter a word and was sobbing inside his heart. He didn’t want to yell out and make Madhuri feel bad about this.

Madhuri: Hey Sagar, You may turn a blind eye to accept this fact. But it’s true Sagar. “I am not the one to be with you forever”. I am sorry.

Tears rolled out as Madhuri was telling these words to Sagar. She didn’t speak a word after this. She just stood like a statue. Though Madhuri is a brave and stubborn girl, she was in a fear of missing Sagar forever.

Sagar didn’t want his love to be sad and made a conversation.

Sagar: hello ma’am. Who said that you are not well? Even if you are a doctor, you don’t know the power of love medicine. It’s super effective. No doubt, you are going to bear with me till my last breathe. I have good weapons of love and affection. You are mine. Okay?

Madhuri: You stupid. You are there to make me smile always. J

Next day, Madhuri picked up Komali and her mother to hospital as said. She didn’t inform Sagar as she wanted not to trouble him anymore. After getting Komali checked up with the specialist, she wanted to speak to Sagar. She dialed him on mobile. She was tensed as she didn’t get a response even after 20 subsequent calls.

***

To be continued…..