The next day, we all were geared up for the big task. I remember well, it was Mahavir Jayanti and, in my heart, I had this feeling that we all were going to do well on that auspicious day.

But fate kept threatening us time and again. We were about to take her out of the hospital when her dad was asked to do something. We were given a set of doc.u.ments to be signed and the last one was a disclaimer which read: *The patient's condition is serious and this entire transition is being done on the wish of patient's family. In case of any further damage which may/may not lead to the death of the patient, the hospital will not be held responsible.'

Her father signed that paper and we came out after making the entire payment.

In the next half an hour, we were on the road. Every single minute involved extreme caution. Throughout, I kept saying G.o.d's name in my heart. It was the first time I had been in an ambulance. Being in an ambulance is so different from being on the road, watching an ambulance. I never knew it was so frightening. The siren kept torturing me. Everything was going fine, still, every now and then, I kept asking the doctor with us. And, every time, his response was positive.

Pa.s.sing those forty-five minutes of restlessness, we finally reached Apollo. They immediately took her to the ICU and we were asked to complete the formalities. It took us almost an hour after which we were allowed to see her just once. I was the last person to leave the ICU. I stood there in front of a new doctor who was going to handle her case. He was the senior-most person amid all those people in white ap.r.o.ns and his team got busy studying the MRI and X-Rays. I wanted to talk to him. But when he appeared in front of me, waiting for me to say something, I just could not.

*What happened?' he asked, placing his hand on my shoulder.

*A ...'

*Yes?'

I looked down, trying to speak.

*Son! What happened?' He raised my chin.

*Can you save her for me?' was all I could say before tears ran down my face.

*That's what we always try to do here. Don't worry, things will get better. You take care of yourself. We will take care of her.'

Somebody called him and he got busy again, studying her reports.

I came out of the ICU. The toughest job of the day was over. She was successfully admitted in her new hospital. There was a feeling of victory and a new ray of hope within our hearts.

Later that night, talking to her mom, Dad said, *She is now in safer hands.'

That was the first night since her accident when I slept a little better.

*But you said she was going to be all right!'

*See, gentlemen, don't lose your calm. We can't promise you the moon. We are trying our best.'

The next evening, I was talking to the doctors. They were saying that her condition was deteriorating because of the fall in her platelet count. Suddenly, things appeared very different from what we had planned, what we had hoped and expected.

Later, in the middle of the night, an alarm-bell rang when the doctors told us, *Her body needs blood.'

*Blood? Again?' I asked.

*This time, we need platelets to be injected into her body. Their level has fallen way below the expected.'

*We can get that from the blood bank, right?' her dad asked.

*These cells don't last for more than four to six hours. So they can't be stored in a blood bank. We need people who can donate plasma cells to her.'

*So can I donate those cells?' I asked. *Only a person whose blood group matches hers and whose cell-match test is positive can donate.'

*How much time do we have?'

*We need to do this as soon as possible,' they replied and returned to work, in haste.

The situation was really bad. Apart from her dad, no one else in her entire family had the A+ blood group. And worse, he was prohibited from donating blood because of his old age. In the middle of that tough night, Deepu, Dad and I were facing another challenge.

Deepu was trying to get in touch with all possible contacts. We also gave a call to the HR folks in her office to see if there was any possibility to get a blood-match from her co-workers. I dialed Pushkar's number to tell him about the need of the moment.

Half an hour later, we got to hear something positive. Some guy from his office, whose blood group matched with hers, was ready. But our bad luck didn't let up. He had consumed liquor that evening in a party. There was alcohol in his blood and the test report said, *Negative.'

An hour later, Deepu managed to get some good news. Someone in their neighborhood had agreed to help. As soon as that person appeared, he was taken to the lab for the initial tests. In a while, we learnt that his blood matched the requirements and he went to donate his platelets. Back in the waiting-room, we felt a little relaxed knowing that we were able to meet the immediate needs.

After his blood donation, I was talking to the person who was no less than G.o.d's own messenger.

*I don't know you and I don't know how to thank you,' I said.

*If not me, then someone else,' he replied, sipping fruit juice served by the hospital staff.

We arranged a cab to drop him back home.

*She is a nice person. I know her. Don't worry; she will be fine soon,' he said as he sat in the cab and shook hands with me. I didn't know what to say to that person. Words were not enough for the help he had given us.

At around three in the morning, Deepu's cousin brother reached the hospital. It was his turn to stay back and we all left for home to take some rest.

But the fear that something worse would come up again still persisted deep inside me.

Her condition showed a little improvement in the next ten hours. The plasma count in her blood was better than before. But she was not in a stage where the doctors could say that she was out of danger. They could not be sure of a positive development, but they gave us hope.

Back in my hometown, my family was worried about me. It was a week since I had left them. First, my Mumma was concerned about Khushi, and then for me. She was worried about all that must be going on in my mind amid all this. She knew I was not doing well. Mumma wanted to be with me at this time. She could make out that I needed her. She too wanted to be with me. My father said she had not been feeling well for the last two days. She wanted to see Khushi, the girl she had been talking to for months.

When I called her up, she asked me if I could come back to her and then, both of us could return to Faridabad. I had no idea what I should do, though I wanted her to be with me.

Then, something else came to my attention, as I was living with her family. The people visiting her home were making me self-conscious. When her family was questioned about my ident.i.ty. When they were asked, *So he is staying with you? Since a week?' Such questions made me apprehensive. Was I making their life uncomfortable? People at times talk s.h.i.t, I knew that. I was not bothered about myself, but I didn't want to be the source of trouble and gossip about their family.

In next twenty-four hours, a few more units of blood platelets were given to her. We managed to get the support of everyone in her office. Their HR asked for donations through mails from the employees.

Soon things seemed to be getting better. Our endless efforts were showing results. Her blood platelet count was returning to normal.

Later that evening, Khushi's dad told me that my mom had called him up. He said that my family needed me.

*Your mom was so worried. She wants to see you and she wishes to be here. If you wish, you can go back and bring her with you.'

*I understand her situation. But I don't want to leave Khushi in this condition.'

*We all are here to take care of her. Let's think wisely and handle things well. I will leave the decision to you.'

*I will talk to the doctors and then make my decision.'

I went to the doctor's chamber. There was a lady doctor whom I had sometimes seen diagnosing Khushi. She was part of the team handling her case.

*Ma'am, can I talk to you for a while?'

*Yes.' And before I could walk up to her desk, she asked, *You are from the family of the patient on bed number 305, right?'

*Uh ... Yes, Ma'am.'

*Tell me.'

*Ma'am, due to certain reasons my family wants me back for a short time. My mom needs me and I have to bring her here along with me. As I'm not mentally prepared to do this, I want your suggestion.' I was silent for a moment, then added, *You understand what I mean?'

*I do,' she said and asked me, *May I know your relation to the patient?'

*She is my fiancee.'

*Oh, I thought you were family.'

*By now, I am a member of her family,' I said very clearly.

She looked at me for a while and then looked at my hands.

*Just two days before our engagement, she met with this accident.

It's just the ring that's left, otherwise she is my fiancee,' I clarified for her as she looked for the ring on my finger.

She looked aside and thought for a while, then turned back to me, smiling with affection, and said, *Thank you.'

*Sorry?' I wondered what she meant.

*You know, her face, her brain and her entire body have suffered so much damage ...'

*Yes, I know.'

*We are trying our best, but there is no guarantee that, for the rest of her life, she will be as beautiful as she was before. You know that too?'

*Yes, I know.'

*That you are standing by her, knowing all this, is what made me thank you ... In my profession, I have seen several instances where the girls' in-laws tend to break things up with them at the earliest. Being a woman, I understand how much that girl and her family need your support. And more than that I understand how much you love her.'

I was silent for a while. Then, in a shaking voice, I asked her, *Can you save my love?'

*G.o.d will help us all to save your love.' She put her hand on my shoulder, trying to comfort me and raise my hopes.

Then I asked her what I had come to ask her. I explained the condition back home and asked if I should go back to get my mom. *I am not sure what I should do. I don't want to leave Khushi here in this condition to get my mom.'

*Listen. She is going to need you the most when she opens her eyes. And, with G.o.d's grace, if everything goes fine, it will still take four or five days.'

*Four or five days?'

*Yes. Till then, she will be on sedatives. So it's better that you go back and do whatever needs to be done, so that you can come back at the right time. I can understand your mom's state too and I would advice you to go back home, meet your mother and then bring her here.'

Hearing her answer, I made up my mind to go back to my parents and then return to Faridabad by the next week.

The next morning, I saw Khushi for the last time before boarding my plane back to Bhubaneswar. She was calm and unconscious. I kept staring at her face for a while. In my heart, I talked to her. *I will come back and you will see me when you open your eyes. See you soon, my dear!'

I kissed her hand and I left that place.

Back in my hometown, my presence helped mom get better. Dad too kept encouraging me. We all were going through the worst phase of our lives. Yet, our being together allowed us to stay positive. I saw them praying, every hour of their life, pleading to G.o.d to save Khushi's life for me, and for them.

Every few hours I would phone Faridabad. Every time I called up, I was desperate to hear something positive. And three days later, we finally did hear something positive. The doctors revealed that she has shown a considerable amount of improvement. Her blood pressure had stabilized, the platelet count was normal and she was better than she had ever been in the past two weeks, though she still had not regained consciousness.

It was Friday night, I remember.

I thanked G.o.d like anything. We all thanked Him. That news brought some happiness to sorrowful faces. After their ambiguous statements, the doctors had started making better remarks now. Even though they still used to end with, *We believe she is doing good. But to be sure we have to wait till she regains consciousness.'

Therefore, each one of us was waiting for her to open her eyes.

As soon as I got the good news, I boarded the bus to Bhubaneswar. I wanted to book air tickets to Faridabad for my entire family. In haste, I skipped my dinner too. Moments later, I was in the third row, occupying the extreme right seat in the bus. Inside, the lights were turned off. The window pane on my right was open and I could see the moon and the stars shining in the sky. I was happy. I kept staring at the sky for hours before I felt tired enough to sleep. I could feel my eyes getting heavier. I leaned my head against the window and rested for a while.

And then, after several minutes, something strange happened. Something which I could not believe. Shuffling in my sleep, I turned to my left. And I was speechless the next second.

She was sitting right beside me.

Khushi was sitting right beside me.

My shocked eyes kept staring at her. I tried to speak but could not. Hundreds of questions ran through my mind in that one instant and I could not decide which one I should ask first. I looked here and there. In the darkness, every other pa.s.senger was sleeping.

She smiled. The accident had left no marks on her face or her body. She appeared so beautiful. Just like she had always been. She was wearing her engagement sari.

I was still struggling to understand how this could be.

Very innocently, she put her hand to my forehead, sliding it down to my cheek and resting it there. Then she asked me, *How are you dear?'

I tried to speak, but my mouth was dry. I swallowed. *I don't believe this. You were ... How ...?' Those questions remained incomplete.

*I know what you are wondering. But I am here for you. Only for you.'

*But you were far away from me, in Apollo ... unconscious ...' I was trying to accept whatever I was seeing.

Gently, she kept answering my queries, *Shona! I can never be away from you. I was always here, and will always be here. Right beside you, forever.'

I could see her love for me in those eyes. Something in me started believing that whatever was happening was true. I was feeling comfortable and delighted.

After a few moments of silence I spoke, *I missed you so much, Khushi. For two weeks I couldn't talk to you and you were ...'

*Shhhhh!' She held her finger to my lips, not allowing me to speak further. *I know how you've been missing me. I am sorry, dear. That's why, despite all obstacles, I have come to you-the one I love.'

She kissed me.

And then, she had a small box in her hands. I watched her opening it in front of me. It was the engagement ring that she got for me. With her beautiful smile, she brought the ring out and looking up, she took my hand.