Time Will Heal Everything

Chapter 30 : It's Destiny

“You are here and I've been looking for you all around the house!”

Abhimanyu was standing on the terrace. Gazing at the stars when he heard Akshara huff behind him. A smile coming on his face, he turned around to look at his star. She was wearing a royal blue, floor length dress. Her hair was curly and open. She had a tiny bindi on forehead which was creased in worry as she looked at him exasperatedly, one hand on waist while the other holding a white mug.

“I am sorry to cause you worry love. I was feeling suffocated so came here for some fresh air.”

Her expressions softened and she walked to him. “It's alright. I just wondered where did you disappear to after dinner.”

His heart gave a sharp pang. It's been six months since the incident in which his wrist got injured but ever since, she was constantly keeping him in her line of sight. Because the first week itself after the discharge from the hospital had revealed on his family that his hand had stopped working at all. That the nerve of his wrist was damaged to a dangerous level. And after that, it all felt like an action replay to him. His mother going to various temples, keeping fasts and praying for his wellbeing. His aunt, uncle and father consulting the best doctors in the country. His in-laws using their contacts in order to help him. But the result was just like last time.

Nil.

“For you.” - she said, raising the mug and he grimaced at the dark brown herbal remedy in it.

It was another thing among many others she was doing for him out of desperation. Herbal remedies, special diet, manual exercises, different ointments and so on and so forth. She already was prioritizing him from the very beginning in this lifetime but after his injury, she had made him her centre of attention. Her day started with him and ended on him as well. She fussed over him all the time, sometimes with love and sometimes with strictness if he forgot to take medicines or made faces at her herbal remedies.

Just like now.

“Akshu I swear this tastes horrible! My throat remains bitter for hours afterwards...” - his nose scrunched up at the smell wafting off it.

Surprisingly, instead of giving him her usual ‘looks’ to make him drink it, she smiled sadly and placed the mug on the railing.

“I don't like to make you drink or do things against your will either Abhi. That's why I'm saying to think about Dr. Khera again.” - she said, looking at him hopefully.

He turned towards the stars again, placing his forearms at the railing. That was the reason he had started to feel suffocated at the dinner. His uncle told the family that there's a doctor who has successfully done that kind of surgery before and is named Dr. Kunal Khera. Abhimanyu disclosed that he already knew about him but the doctor has left his profession and doesn't perform surgeries anymore. Akshara had said that they shouldn't make assumptions and should try to reach out the doctor but he had flat out refused. Stating it was a waste of time as nobody knew where the doctor had disappeared to. The rest of the dinner went by quietly after which he excused himself and came on the terrace.

“We bumped into him in London Abhi. Maybe he lives there...” - she said, copying his pose but like him, she wasn't looking at the stars. Her eyes were just on him.

He exhaled a long breath. The more he was running away from his surgery, the more destiny was pushing him towards it. It was not like he didn't want his hand good as new again but he couldn't convince himself that everything will be fine this time around. That he will find Akshu on waking up after the surgery. That it will be... different from last time.

“Please Abhi... for me.” - she whispered.

His eyes closed. He couldn't tell her just what he had done for her. Travelled back in time to put everything to rights just for her. And his reluctance to find the doctor had the same reason; her. Because as insane and crazy it might sound, but he could live without one hand but not without her.