10 Chapter 9: "We Only Live Once"

I took her soft palm in my hands; kissed and said, "And there is a thing I want to share with you."

My phone ranged, and it was from the publicist. I kept her hand safely on the bed and went out to talk.

"Hello, Good morning, Sir!" I wished.

"I'm extremely sorry that I couldn't speak to you completely last night," I added.

"It's okay, Mr Merugu. I understand," he said.

"By the way," he said and continued, "There's a question I wanted to ask you."

"Go ahead, Sir."

"I read your book."

"Oh! That's great, Sir!" I said.

"Did Prachi say yes to him?"

"When is he going to talk to his mother?"

"You made me curious."

My tears rolled out by looking at her without any sense and told, "She said yes."

"What happened after that?"

His question made me partly dead. How I could tell him that his love lost its love, and that girl is in the hospital struggling against death. It fragmented my beautiful world with her. There was nothing left for other than waiting for her recovery, but till then I had my tears shredding time to time for her absence. My mute made him repeat his question.

"There will be a Volume 2, Sir," I answered.

"Do you mind if I call you afterwards?" I asked.

"Okay, have a great day Mr Merugu."

I hung up the call and went back to her. As I was taking the seat, the doctor arrived. He hurried to Prachi and asked her how she was feeling.

I rolled my eyes onto him and taunted, "Is she answering you?"

He had spectacles carried by his nose; He looked at me lowering his brows and questioned, "Who're you?"

"I'm her boyfriend," I answered.

"Oh! I see. You were the one who said fuck this hospital, right?" He asked.

"I don't know what you are talking about," I replied bluntly and avoided the eye contact.

He denied by keeping his journal on Prachi and frowned, "No, you did."

"No, I didn't."

"No, you did."

"No!"

"No!"

"No!"

"No!"

"Stop now!" He said and walked out with his journal.

I guffawed at the behaviour of that doctor. He was very funny.

"Did you complete talking, Raghav?" Her mom asked sneaking from the door.

"Please, Aunt," I blushed.

The way they reacted at me after knowing my relationship with her made me joy, but I was sad at the same time because Prachi couldn't see it.

"Awww... See your face turned to red."

"My marriage will have no objection," I said to myself.

I took Prachi's hand in mine and said, "Thanks, mom."

We had a chat for 2 hours, and I left the hospital with a fresh mind hoping that I would become her husband as soon as she healed up completely. There was a cold breezing outside. I heard my message tone, and it was from Harini. She wanted to meet me alone and alone was placed in a double quotation. That alone grabbed my attention. I pressed back and started walking home. Suddenly, the whole accident scene appeared in front of my eyes. I became sad again. The heart doesn't have a controlling habit of emotions, and this was the only emotion I didn't want to get over. I ended up in the place where she got hit by a car. The blood was still wet. My tears rolled out.

"Prachi!" I whispered as I touched the blood.

I saw a truck heading towards me with a high speed. She was on the truck waving at me, and I stood smiling with tears.

"Prachi! I'm coming."

The driver was shouting at me to get away but, I didn't listen to him. I was making myself comfortable on the road. He horned several times but, I stuck in her. When that was about to hit me, someone forcibly pulled my hand towards them, and the truck passed away.

"Who is that fucki...?" I lowered brows in anger and looked back.

I got a hard slap on my face.

"What the hell are you doing?" She shouted as her eyes filled up with tears.

"Mom," I said to myself.

She held my collar and pulled me close.

"Do you know what pain is?" She pressed her voice.

She gave me a fierce look which made me afraid of death.

"Tell me!" She shouted.

I remained silent.

"When your father died, I was in pain."

"My life became useless when you stopped talking to me."

Her tears were rolling continuously. It killed me inside. She was divulging her pain. I could see her hurt more than me.

"I don't know why I'm living," she confessed.

"Why don't you speak to me, Ragh?" She asked, wailing.

"Raghav!" she yelled as she kept her head on my chest.

"We only live once," She proclaimed.

"Do you know what happened today?" She asked.

"You happened to me," she said.

"Today is 13th June 2015."

"Is it?" I wide-eyed by the date she said.

"Can we have a walk on the beach, Ragh?" She asked.

My silence answered her. She grasped my fingers and walked to the beach.

"When you were little, we used to come here," she said.

"You enjoyed being here and used to kiss me all over my face to say thanks," she laughed.

"Unfortunately, everything has changed," she sighed.

We looked at each other.

She wiped her tears with a smile and said, "I never saw your childhood again."

Her smile was enough to break out my tears. When I tried to hate her from all of my heart, she emerged an ocean of love for me in her heart. I've realized how much she missed me in her life and her presence in my life. My grandfather used to say that my mom loves me more than my dad but, I denied that every time.

We had a long walk after these years. The silence told everything. We sat on the beach and had a look at the sea. A beautiful sound of the wave relieved all the pain from my heart. She took a deep breath and looked at me.

"Did I ever kiss you?" She asked.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked to myself.

She mildly drew me close and kissed on my forehead. At that moment, I forgot all the hate I had for her.

"Ragh! I love you, and I don't want your love in return," She avowed.

I wide-eyed by her statement.

"If I stay here longer, then I will end up being talking with her," I judged myself and got up.

I looked at her smiling at me and murmured, "You are the most beautiful, Mom!"

"Ok! Give me a hand," She said and got up with the help of my hand.

As we entered the home, we parted ways. She walked into her bedroom, and I walked into mine. I looked at my watch, and it showed me 7 a.m.

My phone started ringing continuously but, I didn't answer any of them as my mood was completely off without her presence. I fresh up myself and wore normal outfits. As I came down to the hall, I saw Bhargav on the sofa.

"Hey! Bhargav, how are you?" I yelled and walked towards him.

He gave a smile and slapped me. That was so hard.

"Why did you slap me?" I asked loudly.

"You are such a selfish man. I thought for a second that you hanged yourself to death because of her," He mumbled.

I tittered and said, "Not that! She's unconscious."

"Are you serious?" He shouted.

"Is there anything I can help you people?" someone asked from the door and started walking towards us.

"Who're you?" I asked as I couldn't see her properly because the sun was hitting my eyes.

"I'm Harini, Ragh!" She excited.

"Happy birthday my Ragh," She hugged me tightly.

"Thank you!" I replied and gestured Bhargav who brought her here.

He smiled like a prince and said with swag, "I drew her here with me."

"I'll kill you," I signed.

"Thank you, Harini!"

Before I speak something, she kissed me on the lips. At the same time, my mom came out of her bedroom.