Deceiving Veils

Chapter-30 {The furnace}

Everything was hazy.

It wasn't that woolen fog but something moist. Her eyes did see everything through cascade of tears and nothing looked same. Those faces said something, she couldn't understand. The floor beneath or ceiling above, she was nowhere. It was thick void. His hand in hers as they all moved the stretcher as fast they could. She was beating her own heartbeats while pacing along. He looked devoid of every tension around. He was just lying there peacefully. She let out another sob as they entered the final corridor. Doctor was standing at doorstep and her eyes met his. He looked terrified already. 

"Nandini"

He called and she just ran to him. 

"Doctor, please.." She knitted and then hiccuped. 

"He has lost a lot of blood," She added while he just tried to look in control. Harshad and his men put the Manik on table while doctor rushed to check on him. 

"Out everyone," He commanded and all the human figures disappeared towards the grey of evening door. 

"Please," He heard Nandini's faint plead from behind and he didn't object her presence. He was certainly not expecting her to leave. He had known how they both were. He just started doing his work while she stood in corner of room holding her breath. Unwrapping his wound and then bloody site, she couldn't even imagine how was he sleeping calmly amid of that pain. It ached so bad somewhere inside to see him lying there quiet. It was raining ache as her eyes witnessed what he was going through. 

Doctor stormed out of room and then came back several times but Nandini kept standing in corner unmoved. She wasn't this afraid ever. She had shut herself in remotest chamber and she wasn't going to come out till his eyes unlocked it. 

"Nandini, You please sit down," Doctor asked Nandini drawing a chair for her on his table but she just denied shaking her head. He insisted multiple times saying that Manik would be fine but she knew he wasn't fine. He still hadn't come out of his sweet sleep. He still hadn't looked around to see if she was fine. Call it groundless, but she wasn't going to loosen up a bit till the time she sees him fine. That was only thread she was holding on to. She didn't know what would happen next. What if she breathes too deep and he slipped out in blink of eye. What if she thinks it's going to be fine and it turns into something else. She didn't have guts to name that 'else'. 

She could see how doctor was on his toes for minutes, maybe hours and nobody had entered the room except him. It was dead dark outside and his pale face looked light- bathed sue to fire beside. 

"Aashi wants to see you," Doctor informed her as he entered the room with another bottle of blood in his hand. 

Nandini again shook her head refusing to move. Doctor looked her while putting another unit of blood on IV. 

"You would fall sick," He said while coming towards her. 

"I won't," She replied and then looked down trying to avoid the upcoming conversation. She was not in state to pull that off.

"He is fine, Nandini," He assured holding her shoulders. 

"I have taken out the bullet and he is responding to treatment," He informed thinking it would bring some peace to her. She just nodded her head pretending to understand what he was saying. He left her side after a minute seeing no sign of possible conversation. 

She wasn't going to believe anyone this time. They all lied. Her mother lied, Manik never made a promise, her father didn't tell a thing.  There was no way she was going to believe a thing this time. 

No one was in room and she looked at his quiet figure who was lying there unmoved. 

What would he be dreaming?