"Sabke baare main sochna tum, bas Anuj ke baare main nahin? Mat sochna ki kya beeti hai us par jab tumhe chot lagi. Mat sochna ki kese jeeyega wo tumhare bina, agar tumhe kabhi kuch ho gaya toh. Mat sochna. Mat sochna", As he took another step back, he hit the back of his knee against the bed and lost his balance as he started to fall back. Acting quickly while Anupama clasped his one hand, he used the other to hold on to the curtain as it slipped off the rod and fell on both of them, blanketing them in white.

Their eyes met and both continued to look at each other, surprised as Anupama slowly pulled him to his feet, as he stood in front of her, and raised his other hand to hold the curtain above their heads.

Ek tujhko hi bas dekh kar

Bhooli mujhko hi meri nazar

Enamored, he stared at her, his earlier outburst forgotten. But when it came back to him, realizing that he had been one big asshole to her, he started to move away when he found that they were still holding hands. He loosened his fingers then, and waited for her to do the same but she didn't. Her grip only tightened in response and his eyes rounded in surprise before he found himself getting lost in her eyes,which in the moment held an insurmountable depth.

Tujhko shayad nahi hai khabar

Tujhko jeete hain hum kis kadar

"Are you better now?"Anupama spoke finally, breaking their trance and he nodded his head, half transfixed, half embarrassed.

"I-I am so sorry, Anu.I didn't know w..what came over me and I...you...",Anuj searched for appropriate words,stealing his gaze from her.

Internally, he reproached himself. He had crossed a line today, one that wasn't his to cross.

After a moment of consideration as Anupama decided to speak, Anuj looked up into her eyes baffled.

"Aap pagal hain kya?"She reprimanded him while he tried to decipher and untangle the storm of emotions swirling in her eyes.

"Aise overreact kyun kar rahe thhe?" She added and then it dawned on him. His rudeness had upset her thoroughly, to the point that he couldn't read her eyes accurately.

Filled with shame, he glanced away before looking at her again, determined to apologize."Anu...I—

"Agar aapko panic attack ho jata toh? Matlab, bilkul dhyaan nahi rakhte apna aur mujhe bewakoof kehte hain!" She scolded him then, her fist clenched by her side.

His eyes flickered momentarily between her stormy eyes and the pressure building in her fist. Was she....furious on him, because of him?

That aside, he was worried, she would punch him for his transgression.

But her fingers loosened as she pinched the bridge of her nose and glared his way, "Aapki medicines ab tak chal rahi hain aur aap hai ki ekdum se itna stress main aagaye. Itna gussa karna acha nahi hai aapke liye".

Anuj nodded.Yes, Anu. Tumhara gussa bhi meri sehat ke liye acha nahi hai. Nonetheless, he tried to pacify her.

"Main wo—

"Aur aap ye sab baatein apne mann main aise...dabakar baithe thhe?"

But she had sliced him off, "Aapko pata nahi hai ki aise dil main cheezein rakhne se insaan andar se ghut jata hai...par fir bhi aapne mujhse kuch nahi bola, aur abhi ek dum se...vo..volcano ki tarah fatt pade. Aap sahi main pagal hain!"

The tables had turned fairly quickly. He felt like a kid who had eaten more than his assigned share of toffies in a day, and was now being told off for the said behavior. Anuj stole his gaze as Anupama went on her scolding spree.

"Nazrein mat churaiye.Idhar dekhiye!" She motioned him to meet her gaze, and as he did she continued to chastise him, "Mujhse share nahi kar sakte thhe. Meri har problem main toh kood kar aa jate hain, par khud ki taqleef nahi batate. Mujhe sapne thodi aaenge!"

Par mujhe aate hain. Vo bhi tumhare. Tumhe nahi aate?

As Anupama saw Anuj sport a sullen look, she had a faint idea, that he wasn't listening to her and felt the corner of her lips twitch in annoyance.

"Anuj!" As she snapped, Anuj fumbled trying to save his ass lest she set fire on it. Going by his nonchalance, she might as well.

"Haan..main..nahi..matlab..."

"Aur—kya keh rahe thhe? Mujhe fikra nahi hai! Mujhe aapki padi nahi hai! Aap mere kon hain? Aapko sachi main aisa lagta hai, Anuj?"

As her voice wavered at the end of her question, other thoughts fled him and he felt his heart clench.He shook his head then. She was hurt by his words. "Nhi, Anu...maine gusse main..mera wo matlab nhi-

"Matlab toh wahi tha aapka!" She interrupted him yet again.

He really needed to call his lawyer over because his defense was in shambles, under her gaze.

Anupama continued,appalled by his silence. "Aap bhagwan hain jo aap ko hamesha pata hoga ki mere mann main kya chal raha hai? You think that I don't think of you. Yaad toh unhe kiya jata hai, jinhe hum bhool jate hain. Aaj kal toh aap 24 ghante mere dimaag ke chakkar kaat te hain! Main chahkar bhi aapka khayal nhi nikal pati, aur ye kehte hain ki main sochti nahi!"

Jude jo tere khawab se

Toh toote hum neend se

His gaze snapped to her,stunned as she confessed her thoughts. 'She thinks of me?'

"Kehte hain ki mujhse pyaar karte hain par inhe nahi dikhtaki main bhi...mujhe bhi inki fikra hai, farq padta hai", she wiped her eyes then and pinned Anuj with a resolute look.

Yeh kaisa tera ishq hai Saajna

'Hold it, you damn butterflies. Stop dancing at her smoldering look. Focus!'

"Par shayad ye meri galti hai ki maine kuch kaha nahi. Mujhe nahi aata apne aap ko express karna...aapki tarah. Jo jazbaat meri khud ki samajh main nahi aate, main unhe aapko kese samjhaun? Kese kahoon ki pyaar hai jab mujhe khud hi nahi pata hai—

'There there it's the eternal friendzo—

"—K-Kese keh doon ki sirf dosti hai kyu ki usse toh ye rishta bahot aage aa chukka hai".

Jude jo tere khawab se

Toh toote hum neend se

'...What?' Eyes widening in disbelief, he focused his gaze on her and felt something unfurl in her dark set orbs. A far reaching emotion,foreign yet familiar, a feeling of acceptance.

"Par fir bhi main aaj aapse ek baat kahungi, wo baat jiske lie I'm 100% sure".

"K-Kya?" Anuj asked, his stomach knotting with anxiety and anticipation. His heart beat was starting to pick its pace for some reason, and he had a good feeling.

Anupama glanced away for a few moments and when she looked back, he saw a strange hesitation in her eyes. "Y-Yahi ki main aapko p..p...pasand karti hoon", she announced.

Anuj nodded suit, his processor slow on the uptake, "Like a friend, you mean? I mean itna toh ma—

She shook her head in negative then, "I like like you, Anuj. And no, this is not dosti wala like". She glanced away then feeling the heat rise to her cheeks.

And as he saw her blush, his ears colored too and the butterflies erupted full force. "Oh".

Yeh kaisa tera ishq hai Saajna

'OHH!'

A pure hearted excitement took over and Anupama saw him light up like a sunshine, her overworked heart skipping another beat at the sight of his happiness.

He wasn't just happy. He was ecstatic to the point of insanity. His heart had soared all the way to his mouth, dropped back into his stomach and started to jump left, right and center.

She liked him! She liked liked him! As in romantically!

I have a chance. I have a chance!'

Trying to contain his excitement, he looked at her but she hurriedly looked away as their eyes met. She was flustered! And the flush become her.

"Beautiful!" While Anuj committed her flustered visage to his memory, Anupama brushed the non-existent flicks behind her ear. Her standing straight in the face of his loving gaze was a miracle in itself but the assault was too much for her heart. As she repeated the futile action again, out of sheer nervousness, her bangle grazed against the wound making her wince. "Ah!"

Snapping out of his stupor, he instantly moved closer and moved her hand away as he gently brushed his fingers against the wound, his eyes scrunched in pain."Zyada dard ho raha hai?"

She tried to steal a glance when he wasn't looking but quickly looked down as he looked down into her eyes, at the same time.

Having caught her in the act, his heart started to sing and her name escaped his lips, like a revered chant. "Anu.."

He had never seen her so close, and my god, she looked a vision, even now. She was taking his breath away by merely looking at him like that. Anuj found himself leaning close, the pull of her proximity dulling his rationale.

Tere bina kabhi raatein na ho meri

Tere kareeb ho, mere yeh din sabhi

As his low voice called out her name, her heart fluttered,but she refused to look up, deeply embarrassed. But as he tipped her chin up,she could not help but get drawn in.

There was something so magnetic about his eyes, their transparency and candour that she was held hypnotized while he leaned towards her.

.

.

.

.

"Oh, how did this happen?" The nurse entering the room exclaimed seeing that the curtain had fallen over someone. The duo's eyes widened as the moment broke and they quickly jumped away from each other,throwing the curtain off.

Anuj massaged the back of his neck as a shiver coursed through his spine. What was he going to do?!

While Anupama rubbed her hands up and down her arm, in an attempt to ward off the goosebumps that had spread over her skin. What were they...about to do?!

"Chalein?" Anuj asked, looking away and as she nodded, both walked out of the room, and the hospital, surrounded by a foreign, still familiar feeling of warmth and content.

"Anuj?"

"Hmm"

Anupama stopped in her steps and turned to face him. "Not everything is black and white. Similarly, there exists a spectrum of emotions between love and hatred too. I don't love Kavya or Mr. Shah, but I don't hate them either. My sense of humanity towards them is a bit skewed and I agree,perhaps because of our complicated relationships. But I agree with you too. I don't want to get involved between them any longer, but to break that habit, I need your support. Will you?" She forwarded her hand and he clasped it tightly, his smile brilliant, "Tumhare liye kuch bhi, Anu."

And heave ho!! I conclude this scenario! Now, hope you guys will enjoy the read because I did enjoy the writing thoroughly.