Together Beyond Time

Chapter 1 - Confusing affirmations

[Translations of Hindi dialogues are given along with it in brackets underlined]

/Roohi's Pov/

"Why ?
Why did he ?
Why did he accept me ?
After knowing it....still...he accepted me ?
But as said , rightly by my very own 'father' I am nothing but a bigger problem now!"

I was sinking in my continuous voices when the door of my hospital room opened.
There he was. Dr.Vihaan Malhotra. Son of the owners of this hospital, my fiance and 'to-be husband'.
He directly looked at me, our eyes met for few seconds and then we both left the gaze simultaneously.
I saw him in white coat for the first time, stethoscope around his neck hugging his chest, navy blue shirt peeking through his coat and light greyish pants.

He was looking handsome.

No..no..no.
Why am I thinking all this?

The conflicts in my brain paused when he purposely cleared his throat to grab my attention.

Old technique of gaining attention!

When his eyes finished the useless wandering...he finally opened his mouth and talked to me for the first time ever since my parents dropped this unavoidable proposal on my head which i couldn't deny out of all the possibilities!

"Kaisi hain aap?"
(How are you?)

He asked in gentle voice and I immediately looked into his eyes which were already scanning my face.

"Umm..main...?...main theek hun shyad."
(Umm..I...?...I am fine I guess)
I spoke and the skin between his eyebrows folded a little and he came near me .

"Shyad ? Shyad ka kya matlab hua? Ya to insaan theek hota hai ya fir nahi hota. Shyad ka matlab hum doctors ko nahi samaj aata."
He said with a little smile
(I guess? What is guess? It's either okay or not okay, there's no in between. We, doctors don't understand 'I guess')

Strange!
No not his answer. His smile!
It was strange.
Like he was demanding honest answer from me very sincerely.
And...he called me aap? I am two years younger to him!
My four years younger brother calls me by my name and no one ever called me aap!

"I mean you can tell me how you are feeling."
He said with a sign of assurance

I frowned...I mean we never ever talked, ignoring the fact we were going to be husband-wife in 15 days...I was still not able to process this sentence.
I have never shared my true feelings with anybody and he who is talking with me for the first time asks me to be honest with what am I feeling right now ?

He again broke my thoughts and said,
"Roohi?"

And again I snapped to his voice. He called me by my name. Roohi. My name never sounded so sugary to me before this moment.
Not indulging in my unsaid words again...this time i spoke after a few seconds.
"I...I mean it's a big revelation to me of course...but i guess I am okay.
Actually how i think doesn't matter much but how everyone reacts to it is my matter of concern."
I said and i immediately questioned my inner self why the hell did I told him this?
My real thoughts.
Why i didn't pretend that it's completely okay for me? Like I always do.

"Roohi, it's okay. It's not your fault.
You are working in forensic department. You are familiar with the biology...i mean you know about the body and it's functioning so it's okay. Sometimes it's just not in our hands. You know that!
And about others, I know they are acting kind of rude but since i have no problem in still marrying you, they are no one to speak more about it. And of kids, it's not the sole purpose of marriage. Right? I mean if we want kids in future...we can adopt, you know. So don't worry and I committed to you...I am not gonna back off, okay ? I may not be the perfect man but atleast I am not that kind of person who will leave his fiance just because she can't conceive. You relax and take good care of yourself and...."

He stopped when the door opened again and a nurse came inside.
"Dr. Vihaan, sir asked you to attend a patient since an emergency came in ot."

"Okay. I am coming."
He said and turned towards me.

"Roohi i need to go and i think we should exchange numbers now. Here. Okay, aap dhyan rakhna apna."
(You take care of yourself)

And he left.

I looked at the card he gave me for his number.
Dr. Vihaan Malhotra
MBBS Doctor
No.97XXXXXXXX
And other official stuff written over it.

Who gives his no. through buisness card to his to-be wife?

Well, muje kya ?
(Well, I don't care)

I was not interested in talking to him anytime soon. But maybe I am now?
No I am not. I have nothing to talk to him.
Actually I have nothing to talk with anybody. I am okay all alone.
Maybe I am not ? But who cares!
Huhhh, stop it Roohi!
I said to myself because I was exhausted by everything today.
This day. The news that I can't conceive baby ever. Everyone's behaviour and on the top of it 'his' first conversation with me.
And not the least...my own excruciating thoughts. I need to sleep. My head is paining like hell and the medicines were doing no good to it and in no time i slept.

I came back from the state of half existence when my mother's voice reached my ears.
"Roohi, Uth ja mera bacha, kuch kha le."
(Roohi, wake up my child, eat something.)

And I woke up from a really good nap. I wish I could take these medicines everyday... atleast i can sleep peacefully without any fear and worry!

"Mumma, abhi nahi na dil mera."
(Mom, I am not feeling like eating anything right now.)
I spoke in my sleepy voice.

"Chal, bas juice toh peele fir."
(Okay, atleast drink the juice then)
She handed me over a glass full of juice and i realized in no time that there was no use of protesting now, so I gave in and started drinking it.

She talked a little with me while I was finishing my juice sip by sip.
She was pampering me like she always do and I was feeling good again.

"Roohi, Vihaan sach mein acha hai beta, dekh use koi bhi problem nahi. Vo tujhe sachi pyar se rakhega. Meri baat maan ab sab kuch bhool ja papa log etc.etc. Khush raha kar aur Vihaan tere liye best hai. Dekhna tu kabhi regret nahi karegi meri baat maan kar. Saare thodi na ek jaise hote hai. Ache pati bhi hote hai."
(Roohi, Vihaan is actually a good guy. See, he has no problem with anything. He will surely keep you happy. Listen to me, and forget about everything...dad, people etc.etc. Be happy now and Vihaan is best for you. You will never regret of listening to me and marrying him. Not all men are same, some husbands are good too.)

She said and left saying that she need to fetch the medicines.
And i again started thinking about Vihaan...he, i don't know what to say about him. We only talked once and that too when I got to know I can't become a mother. I can't conclude anything about him in just one conversation although that conversation was quite kind.
I am still not sure what to think about the words of affirmation he showered on me today.
Maybe he is pretending?
But why would he pretend?
Men do not have to pretend.
They can act and behave as beasty as they want! And they do unless they have something in their mind.
But what was it ?
What was in Vihaan's mind?
What was his profit in it ?
Maybe he doesn't want child?
No, no. He said we can adopt.
What? He said we can adopt child.
He said that today. Does that mean, he is already looking for a future with me.
But we didn't even spoke to each other before today.
Urhh!!
What is his purpose?
What is his selfishness behind this curtain of kindness?
Men do not act kind without any purpose at all. There has to be something.

Oh my god!
No! No! No!
He can't use me like that!
But he will do it. Men only want it. I know it. And maybe he thinks it's better that i can't conceive and I will be a sex toy for him....and adoption... maybe he said that just for the sake of it ?!
Ok Stop it Roohi, just stop it!
You are going too ahead.
I will not let him touch me! That's it.
No matter what! I will run. I will run far away if he tried to make me his slave.

But I know there's something I don't know.
That's for sure.

Thanku for reading:)