A Familiar Stranger..

Peter was dead busy nowadays but he couldn't neglect when the doctor called to inform him that the girl was not in her hospital room. After a while, even though he somehow managed to bring her back to the hospital, he was not at ease. He couldn't leave.. He was sure she will disappear again without getting her complete treatment and he felt himself responsible. He was awed at her strength of endurance. She could eat up all her pain without any complaints or demands. He had seen that her legs were bleeding when he saw her sitting on the bench before, but she was not ready to accept his help even then.

Peter had always despised girls, since they demanded something or the other every now and then and exaggerated too much. He was not the type to get into any relationships and he preferred to stay away from whoever came to stick up to him.

He liked it to be alone without any burden or responsibilities. If he was in his usual self, or if this girl was like any other girls he saw before, he would have abandoned her in the hospital and left the place for good. He might have given her all the monetary benefits which was enough to shut anyone's hunger.

But this girl did not sway with money. At the time he rushed to the hospital before, to find her missing,

he had seen the money left by her on the table, which he had given to her the previous day.. He had always believed that money could buy anything, trust, love, or respect.. but this girl kept on proving him wrong.

Bella had already slept in the car while driving. Peter carried her and placed her in her hospital bed. As he turned to leave, he found that she had firmly gripped him with her fingers. He felt it hard to leave her, not after seeing the painful wrinkle that had grown over her face now. Releasing her hold, he went to call the doctor..

After the doctor checked her, he did not look very happy,

" She had been healing very fast and doing very well yesterday.. Now it had worsened. She would need great care to move about now since her leg had started to swell up. What about her parents? Any idea of her family..?" The doctor asked Peter.

" They are not at home, it seems. Some family emergencies. She will have to manage on her own.. How many days it would take doctor?" Peter felt strangely concerned about this girl.

" It may take a few days, a minimum of two or three days atleast."

Thanking the doctor and bidding him good night, Peter sat on the chair near Bella's bedside. He was terribly tired of workload, and this girl was making it more difficult for him. He watched her taking deep irregular breath, her sleep seems disturbed so he held her hands pressing her fingers lightly.. He saw her smiling beautifully as if in a dream.. She looked very pretty when she sleeps. Her lips molded with fine pretty creases glowing in the dim hospital light. After his grandma's death, it was the first time he was taking care of someone at a hospital and he did not felt it that bad..

Early in the morning he woke up with a startle.. His neck was aching due to sleeping in the chair.. He was shocked to find that the girl was not there in the bed. He looked around and felt relieved finally on seeing her coming out of the bathroom. 'Is she always this adamant in asking help?' he wondered seeing her limping as she walked.. She smiled at him and nodded a good morning.. Last night he had practiced a few sign languages so that he can communicate with the girl. He was himself surprised on his little efforts to make her happy. He gave her a good morning in sign language and saw her blushing secretly. It had occurred to him after reading the numerous scribbling on her bedside that it could have been the loneliness making this girl run away from the hospital, so he had decided to bring over his important documents over to the hospital and continue his office work here to give her a company. He had been calling Mark till yesterday night but he was not picking up the phone, so he decided to go to office himself to get the files.

As he parted with girl to set off to his office, he felt the girl giving a sober farewell so he assured her he will come back. Strangely he was behaving like an entirely different person around this girl and he wondered what it was in her, was it really sympathy and guilt, he doubted it..

As he packed up his things in the office, he noticed the third invitation from the international conference. He opened it and was surprised to find that this time it was decided to be held in his office. It would be held after exactly one week and he was given a special task too. He smirked at the demand they had put forward. He could never reject them since they were the highest of officials from all over the world comprising highly influential writers, scholars and businessmen. He did not like his task at all. It sounded silly and rude at the same time. He was asked to take Dona Jacob, the famous young author of pebbles out for a date..! It was not at all a professional thing to be asked and he was enraged. He immediately dialed the incharge.

"This is a part of an investigation and you are an important person in it. Dona had been nominated for Best Debut Author by the mass but we are not convinced by her interviews. Our sources have informed that you have already met Dona once. So we need you to take her out to a casual dinner and extract ideas about her stories. If she seems genuine then she would be qualified for the award. We will make sure that your company earns huge profit on this behalf." The man opposite knew his ways. He had known that Peter's business had been a little rough these days and a boost from any source would lessen his burden and bring his position back to his heights.

Peter reluctantly agreed to make a deal. He was not at all fond of that girl and did not wish to ruin his time either but it was a business deal and there was no way he could step out.

He reached back to the hospital as soon as he could.. Bella had been scribbling something on a piece of paper when Peter entered the room and looked excited when he entered. She was trying hard to hide the too apparent emotion.

Peter had continued his work already sitting at the hospital chair and watched laterally that Bella was looking at the stories in his hand too. She indicated that she too wanted to help and he said it was editing and was difficult. She looked sad and crossed when he underestimated her.

Peter gave her a few sheets to just help her kill some time. Within a few minutes she handed back the paper to him demanding more. He read her editing with an uninterested gaze but was surprised to find the most beautiful writings.. She had melted the story and molded it into a perfect scenario. The event and the characters were portrayed perfectly well that the story gave a new promise, it became a wonder.. He was at a loss of words and wondered who this girl was. Was it just a coincidence that he met her..?