The GIRL in the YELLOW summer dress

Part 5 - So Much Hatred

ARNAV

I woke up early the next morning, I had to be at the office early because Shrey wasn't there and I had to handle his part of work too, I quickly took a shower and got dressed as I walked out of the room and headed towards the hall.

I found Khushi asleep on the couch in the hall, I remember last night we sat there watching TV, after a while I headed off to sleep leaving her behind, I guess she must have fallen asleep watching TV as it was still on.

I walked towards her and pulled out the remote from her hand slowly making sure not to wake her up, I turned of the TV and headed to the kitchen to get myself some breakfast.

I opened a few drawers and checked the fridge too but there was nothing to eat, I looked at the watch and I had like twenty minutes to leave and I dint want to disturb Khushi, Shrey had asked me to be here so that I could take care of her and that's what I wanted to do.

I found a pack of pancake mix and decide to make some for myself and Khushi, it would be fast and I wouldn't be late to office either.

My phone beeped when I was done cooking, I pulled it out of the pocket and checked the text message I had received from Shrey, it read:

'I've reached, dint want to call Khushi because I knew she must be sleeping yet, when she wakes up let her know I'm okay and I'll call her as soon as I can – Shrey'

I walked towards the dining table and placed everything on it, I had my breakfast hoping she would wake up before I leave so that I could inform her about Shrey, but even after I was done with breakfast, she was still asleep.

I walked towards her wondering if I should wake her up yet or not, I stared at her for a while and she looked like she was shivering, it was a cold day today and she was sleeping without a blanket obviously she was feeling cold.

"Khushi!" I knelt down next to her and looked at her worriedly, she dint move, maybe she was deep asleep to be able to hear my voice, I placed my hand on her forehead to make sure she was okay but she wasn't.

She had been asleep on the couch the whole night without a blanket, her forehead was like burning and that got me worried, she had fever. Okay it was just fever and I knew I wasn't supposed to be really worried but I was.

"Khushi! Wake up." This time I shook her but lightly hoping she would wake up and she finally did.

She opened her eyes and tried to look at me but it looked like she was trying hard yet she couldn't open her eyes.

"Shrey..." She whispered in her sleepy voice.

"Khushi wake up! I need to get you to the hospital, you aren't well." I said in worry trying my best to wake her up but she wouldn't, she went back to sleep once again.

I pulled her out of the couch and picked her up in my arms as I rushed out of the apartment, I headed downstairs to the parking straight, unlocked my car and placed her on the back seat, I quickly rushed to the front and drove to the hospital directly.

Now was when I understood why Shrey wanted me to stay here, it was because his wife was too careless to take care of herself, I mean who the hell falls asleep without a blanket? Dint she even wake up at midnight feeling cold or something?

As much as I was worried for her, I was angry too, I don't know why, I mean she clearly meant nothing to me than my best friend's wife but then I wanted to shout at her or something for being so careless.

Of course she wasn't going to die, it was just fever, God! Why was I over reacting?

I waited and waited for what seemed to be like forever but according to my watch it was just half an hour when I saw the doctor walking out of the room.

"How is she? Is she fine? Did she wake up?" I asked worriedly.

"Don't worry, it's just fever, I gave her an injection, she would wake up anytime soon, here this is a list of some medicine, I've written the instructions too, just buy the medicine and make sure she takes them on time and she would be perfectly alright." The doctor said as he handed me a piece of paper and headed away.

I pushed the door open and peeped inside, she was yet asleep so I decided to go buy the medicines until she woke up, the pharmacy was just nearby anyway, I would be back within five minutes.

I kept on looking at my phone on my way to the pharmacy wondering if I should call Shrey and inform him about this or not, I thought a lot about it, even after I bought the medicine and headed back to the hospital and I finally came to the decision that I would let Khushi decide what to do.

I walked back in her room, this time when I opened the door, I found her sited on the bed, she looked at me with a smile and then the smile faded away slowly.

"I thought it was Shrey, but I forgot he's gone... anyway how did I come here?" She asked looking a bit confused.

"Because you are too careless, if you knew you were going to fall asleep on the couch, you should have at least taken a blanket!" I shouted at her, she flinched for a moment but then looked back at me fiercely, even in such a state, I wonder how she managed to look so fierce.

"Stop acting like you care!" She sounded angry and I couldn't understand what she was angry about but I was in no moods to argue, so I walked towards her bed, placed my hand on her forehead checking the fever.

"You seem well now, let's go home, you have to eat something before you take the medicines." I said as I looked at her waiting for her to move but she kept on sitting on the bed and staring at me like I had committed some sort of crime.

"What now?" I asked feeling irritated.

"Nothing, let's go home." She said as she stood up to walk but then stopped, I knew she was weak, I rushed to her aid, I got hold of her and helped her out.

We arrived back at the apartment, I left her in the hall as I quickly rushed to the kitchen to get her the pancake I had made earlier, I put it in a plate and headed back to the hall.

I handed her the plate and walked back to the kitchen to fill a glass of milk for her, when I went back to the hall, she was yet seated there lost in thoughts.

I settled down opposite her holding the glass in my hand, I stared at her while she stared back at me without saying anything.

"You should go to work." She finally said.

"I'm not going anywhere, just eat that then you have to take your medicines with milk, and I'm not going anywhere until you've taken your medicine." I said.

"It was just a fever Arnav, I am not dying so stop acting like my husband, you aren't!" She looked at me angrily, she really hated me so much didn't she? I mean yes I know I hadn't been really good to her plus anytime I met her I was just trying to irritate her or something but I dint think that she could hate me for something like that, I was just pulling her leg.

But then her hateful words triggered back some of the most terrible memories of my life I had been trying to get rid of, I stood up angrily as I placed the glass down before I could do anything stupid like throwing it on the floor or clutching it too tight in my hand until it broke. I inhaled a few deep breaths trying to calm my anger, I dint want to say anything to hurt her but my anger was a terrible thing at times.

"I am not trying to be your husband Khushi, I don't want to be your husband or any damn girl's husband, I was just trying to make sure you were fine because Shrey trusted me and left me here to do that, take care of you, but you know what, you girls are all the same, you never appreciate anything we do for you, all you ever think about is yourselves!"

I walked away from her angrily and then suddenly remembered the medicines, I picked them from the table and walked back towards her as I placed the bag next to the milk glass.

"Those are the medicines, take them after you are done eating." I headed to my room directly and shut the door angrily, I wondered how she managed to make me feel so angry and here I was, still caring about her.