"Loose ends!" exclaimed Akira

"What do you even mean by that?" she asked looking all astonished after hearing those unpleasant words that came out of the mouth of the father.

"My child, I mean no harm to you. It is just that when a man objects for the unification of two souls, isn't it right to let the man put forth his words?" said the priest, even though he knew that his words would offer no peace to the tormented couple.

But before Raymond could give out some vile remark, David intervened and said,

"Father! Once the man gets up, I will personally make sure that he narrates his tale to you. But as of now let us not brood over this. Maybe you should rest for a while now. We had a room prepared for you. My assistant would lead you there."

And saying that David snapped his fingers at one of the wedding organizers to escort the priest into the resting areas.

A perplexed Raymond looked at David with nothing but despair written all over his face and asked,

"What now?"

David looked at both of them for a while and then said,

"What do you guys want?"

Akira looked at David and then looked at Raymond. They both looked at each other for a moment and then uttered simultaneously - "Today!"

David nodded and then said, "We will make it happen!" and saying that he got down from the stage as the ambulance siren was audible from a distance now.

Even though Dr. Nelson had not hit his head with full force, but still the wound bled quite a bit, but it was all under control now, given the adept hands of the same person who gave Vikram the injury.

Dr. Nelson had stopped the bleeding and had cleaned the wound already with the available cotton pads, gauze, and rubbing alcohol. Initially, Vikram was out but later on the stinging pain from the usage of rubbing alcohol made him open his eyes.

He was all groggy and felt a mind-numbing pain as if his skull had been cracked open, which in reality was partially true.

"Gaaahhh..."

He yelped in pain and Dr. Nelson who was holding his head in his lap said,

"It is going to be fine."

"Mmmmmhhhh..."

Vikram kept mumbling in his semi-awake state and by that time the ambulance arrived. David explained the situation to the nurses and also to the policemen who came a couple of minutes later.

As the nurses lifted Vikram and put him into the ambulance, Dr. Nelson got in just to check his vitals. Even though he himself had harmed the man, he wanted to make sure that everything was ok. He checked everything from his heart rate to oxygen saturation and only when he found everything well within limits, he could breathe in peace.

Out of impulse he had acted up, he had hurt that man, but his conscience was killing him for that. He took a sigh of relief and said looking at David,

"I will accompany him to the hospital. Don't worry about it."

To which David said, "I have taken care of everything Dr. Nelson. Don't consider yourself guilty if a drunk man slips and hits his head and cracks open his skull."

"What?" exclaimed Dr. Nelson in surprise and that was so not how things had happened.

"Well! That's what happened. That's what my men have told the police. Everyone has vouched for it," said David because he knew perfectly that this man was going to hand over himself to the police for what he had done.

Dr. Nelson sat inside the ambulance in silence trying to contemplate what to say. He was overwhelmed with the gesture of David but something kept eating his heart. He felt uneasy. He was definitely not liking the way things were taking place.

And then she came.

Lifting her dress up a couple of inches, she arrived near the ambulance.

"He will be ok right?" she asked with genuine concern in her voice. But before Dr. Nelson could answer, the nurse who was getting the saline drip ready muttered, "First they drink like crazy and then get a laceration like crazy."

With a blank face, Akira looked at Dr. Nelson who just shrugged his shoulders and then taking a deep breath he said, "Yup just a couple of stitches, and he will be ok."

Hearing that she fell immensely relieved and then stretched her hands towards Dr. Nelson and said,

"Then you come out of the ambulance. Stay here. I need you more."

They were simple words but stirred up a myriad of emotions in the heart of Dr. Nelson. He was hesitant for a moment, but then he saw David who stood behind Akira giving a nod. So he faintly smiled and then said,

"I guess that works for me."

And saying that he got down from the ambulance without holding Akira's hands which she had stretched for him to take the support of.

She pulled her hand back as he got down as she could clearly sense his weird aloofness.

She had too many questions to ask him,

'Where were you?'

'Why were you unreachable?'

'Why you didn't inform me that you were back into the states?'

'What changed that you had to cut me off? What changed that you don't even want to touch my hand?'

But all these questions she bottled up and placed in one corner of her heart. It was not meant to be opened today. Today was only about her and Raymond, and she was not going to let anything or anybody to ruin that including Jaby.

So pushing a smile on her face instead, she asked,

"Do you feel OK?"

But before he could answer, Raymond hugged him tight and said,

"I have no words how to thank you. Every time you save us from something bad. I guess God has sent you to us like a guardian angel."

Dr. Nelson said nothing. He lightly tapped the back of Raymond as a silent breath escaped his mouth.