Though there were many eateries on Baner Road, she preferred to go to a coffee shop every time since the place was relatively quiet and you could hear the other person speak. They had ordered snacks and were gossiping about their Virat's love life.

'Enjoy your freedom with your girlfriend. Once I am back, I am not going to leave you both alone even while you're having s.e.x,' Kavya teased him by poking him in the arm.

'If that's the case, I better don't tell you my honeymoon room number,' Virat added.

You are never true friends unless you chat about useless and irrelevant topics. Kavya and Virat discussed every silly topic under the sun, but whenever Kavya had to go to her hometown, it made Virat sad and lonely. Kavya was leaving around night-time, alone, as her parents had already left a day before. She was going to return after a week and there were chances that her return might get prolonged depending on the health of her grandmother, which had turned critical in the past few days. Hence, Virat and Kavya had decided to spend some time together since they were not going to see each other for long.

'You are supposed to reach your friend's party, right?' she asked.

'Yeah. Rohan and Riddhima are finally dating each other. So it's party time. I am going directly from here,' Virat stated.

'Cool. Everyone is finding true love these days. Is there some discount offer going on?' Kavya joked.

'Should I laugh?' Virat smirked.

'As if I care,' Kavya said dismissively.

The waiter served the Chocolate Brownie that they had ordered and both pounced on it like they were Tom and Jerry. Within seconds, it was over and they laughed looking at the chocolate on each other's faces. Kavya glanced at Virat as she licked the last bits of chocolate on the spoon. Suddenly, a feeling of emptiness overcame her as she realized she would be staying away from Virat for more than a week.

'Virat...tell me, frankly...What all will you miss about me?' she asked in a low tone.

Virat was busy on his mobile phone. Before he could answer Kavya, he got a call from Rohan enquiring about his whereabouts.

'I am on my way. Reaching in an hour. Sorry buddy, I got stuck in traffic.'

Virat made up an excuse since he wanted to spend some time with Kavya. There was no way he could have reached NIBM in an hour during evening hours. Virat kept his phone aside and asked Kavya to repeat her question.

'You should be paying more attention. I simply asked what will you miss about me in my absence,'

Kavya said in an irritated tone.

'I will miss everything about you. You are a single piece in this whole world. They stopped making friends like you a long time ago,' Virat answered.

He got up from the couch and gave Kavya a tight hug to show how much she meant to him. Soon, they decided it was time to leave. They walked to the parking lot, with Virat guiding her to the car. He opened the door and realized that he had not locked his car.

'How many times do I need to tell you to check whether the doors are locked properly or not? You are so careless, Virat. Do you realize your car could have been stolen?' Kavya shouted.

They stared at each other for a few seconds and burst out laughing. Kavya always shouted at him for being so careless with his things but he never bothered with it.

'Should I leave?' she asked finally.

'Yeah. Take care and happy journey. Call me once you leave for the station,' he said in a sad tone.

Virat and Kavya were inseparable and whenever they were forced to part from each other for a long period of time, neither took it too well. Both were lucky to have each other in their lives and did not for once take their friendship for granted. Though Kavya was leaving for a fortnight, Virat was pained by the temporary separation since he was so used to her company. They spent most of their hours together and it would be difficult for Virat to lead a life in her absence, even for a few days. Virat waved back at Kavya from inside his car. He then scrolled down his message folder to the SMS he had received from Rohan a while ago giving Riddhima's address. He then headed straight to her place.

'Please bring some candles along,' Riddhima asked Rohan over the phone. He was on his way to her home.

They had made preparations to spend a perfect evening together, complete with music and drinks. As he took out his mobile phone from his pocket, he glanced at the wallpaper on the screen which had Riddhima's picture. He had changed his wallpaper to her picture that very morning itself. He typed her a message: You will look ravishing covered in my kisses. You always ask me whether you are better than my ex or not, so let me tell you the truth today-no one can be compared to you, my love. I love you so much and I wonder to myself why? You know what they say -when you know why you like someone, it's a crush and when you can't think of a reason or explanation, its love.

He read the message once again before pressing the send b.u.t.ton. He re-read it twice and then thought of deleting it. After all, it had only been a day since they started seeing each other. He feared what Riddhima would think about him. But the best conversations are those that never take place, like the messages that we never send.

Rohan reached Riddhima's house and knocked on the door. She let him inside, though something had changed this time; earlier he used to visit to learn French and now he was here to teach her how to French kiss, if the stars favoured him. He called Virat to ask him where was and how long he'd take to reach.

Virat was about to reach Rohan's place when suddenly he took a U-turn in high speed. The other cars came to a halt the moment Virat took the sudden turn and sped away. While he was waiting for the signal to turn green, he received a message. He immediately called on the unknown number and before the person on the other end could explain the whole thing, he ended the call. Suddenly, he felt numb- like his whole world had come crashing down. He couldn't believe his ears. It was, by far, the worst news of his life.

He stepped on the accelerator and drove the car at full speed. He informed Rohan that he couldn't make it as he had to see Kavya urgently. He parked the car outside a hospital and rushed in. As he made his way towards the main entrance to the hospital, he realized he had not locked the car.

Kavya's words reverberated in his ears: 'How many times should I tell you to check whether the doors are locked properly or not? You are so careless, Virat.' As he thought about how she had lectured him for being careless, tears rolled down his eyes.

He thought about all the crazy moments they had spent together. He remembered their long drives and the way she tickled him while he drove. She was the pa.s.sword to his life like he was to hers.

Without each other for support, they were left clueless. Virat's mind had gone completely blank and he didn't know what to do. In such situations, Kavya would be the first person he would've called, but who should he call in her absence? Kavya had been admitted in the hospital and as he stood by the door to her hospital room, he missed that support of hers he had always taken for granted.

With heavy steps, he walked towards the hospital bed. It was heartbreaking for him to see his best friend in the hospital, someone he was laughing with just a few hours ago. It was heartbreaking to see such a jolly person lying in a hospital bed hooked up to machines. It was hard for him to imagine that she was the same Kavya who used to tease him every now and then. She was the same Kavya who would wipe the tears off his eyes. The same Kavya was now lying lifeless on the bed. He felt uneasy looking at her in that condition. The doctors had kept her under observation and didn't tell Virat why she had been admitted. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined something so heartbreaking.

Kavya's parents were informed and Virat dealt with the rest of the formalities. He tried to keep a check on his emotions and knew that if he let a single tear flow, he would never be able to stop. He managed to remain composed, at least until he got back in his shower where his tears could mix with the water and n.o.body would know. He sat outside the room, begging for this to be nothing but a dream. He desperately wanted to collapse into someone's arms. He had told Mehak about it all and she rushed to join him, leaving all her work aside.

When someone you love, someone you wished to spend your life with, departs unexpectedly, it leaves you completely drained-physically and mentally. Virat wanted to scream in pain but tried to gather courage since he knew Kavya needed him. For all the times she had stood by him, it was time for him to payback.

A few hours earlier...

Coffee Cafe Day, Baner Virat waved Kavya goodbye and drove away. Kavya stood there, alone and helpless, with different emotions running through her head. Though she was going away for a fortnight, it felt like a year to her.

She remembered how he made her so happy and carefree. As much as we wish for things to stay the same, uncertainty is an inevitable part of our life. Kavya had thought of celebrating her birthday with Virat and Mahek, but if she had to stay for long in her hometown, she might have to celebrate it alone, without her friends. This made her more upset and she stood there looking at his car until it disappeared from her sight. She just hoped to return before her birthday and wished for a miracle which would prolong her stay in Pune.

Just when her mind was buzzing with a million questions, she got a call from her mom.

'Yes, mom. I have packed my bags. Dad will be come to pick me up, right?' she said walking on the pavement trying to hail an autorickshaw.

'Yes, beta. He will be there to pick you up before your train reaches. Don't worry. Now, where are you? There is so much noise in the background,' her mom asked.

'I had come to meet Virat and now I'm looking for an auto to go home. He was getting late and so he left in a hurry. He would've dropped me, but I told him not to.'

Since there were very few autos around, she was having difficulty finding one to take her home. The few that she tried to hail whizzed past her without stopping. Upon spotting an auto on the other side of the road, she put the call on hold and screamed at the top of her lungs, 'Chaloge bhaiya?' The auto driver turned the meter down and told her to come to his side of the road.

'Mom, I've got an auto. I will call you once I reach home. Take care. Bye,' Kavya said signalling the auto driver to wait for a moment.

'Ok, beta. Take care. And don't talk to strangers on the train. Take everything you need with you.'

'Don't irritate me, mom,' Kavya smirked and hung up.

She disconnected the call and saw an unread message pop up on her mobile screen. She read it while hurriedly crossing the road. It was Mehak: Hey, Babe. Happy journey and do miss us. We will miss you, especially....

Before she could read the complete message, a tempo coming at her at full speed knocked her down.

All of a sudden, traffic came to a standstill and a huge crowd gathered around her. Before she could realize what had actually happened, she felt a sharp pain all over her body. She was lying in a pool of blood, with injuries all over her body. The tempo driver had feared a collision with another bike coming from the wrong lane, so he had turned his vehicle around, only to crash into Kavya. Some people started abusing the tempo driver while some took his side saying it was not his fault and just an accident.

Whoever's fault it was, the bottom-line was that Kavya was lying on the road soaked in blood.

She couldn't move even an inch of her body. She was seriously wounded and had sustained injuries on the head and face. Her nose was bleeding and her legs were badly bruised. No one around her bothered to call an ambulance or cared to pick her up and rush her to the hospital. She could see some bikers driving by on the other lane and tried to scream for help but no sound escaped her lips. The crowd kept watching her as she floundered in pain. Each minute seemed like a lifetime. She wished she could call Virat but even her hands felt lifeless and she could not lift them up.

'Help...help...someone call the ambulance,' someone screamed.

Another person called for the ambulance and told them to rush to the spot looking at the grave nature of her injuries. She was taken to Mid Point hospital and two people from the crowd volunteered to go with her. One of them checked the 'last dialled' list in her mobile and informed everyone she had called in the recent past. Virat and her mom were two of them. She was immediately admitted in the emergency and was kept under observation till she regained consciousness.

All her happiness had come to an abrupt end. It had put a sudden stop on her life, something she hadn't expected. All the lives a.s.sociated with her were shattered. Virat rushed to the hospital once he was told what had happened.

Every time Virat and Kavya met, they made each other laugh. Every time she smiled, it made the sun come out from behind the clouds of his heart. It seemed impossible to live without her. But now he was left with only hope. A hope to smile together again, a hope to tease each other again, a hope of her shouting at him for not keeping things in place, hope a for walking together again around the college campus.

Sometimes, life is so unpredictable; you meet a person and everything goes along at its own smooth pace. The next moment, you get the news that the person is fighting for their life and it renders you miserable and heartbroken.

Mid Point Hospital, Aundh Misfortune flooded the lives of Kavya's parents. Upon hearing the news of her daughter's tragic accident, they were shocked. Waiting outside Kavya's hospital room, Virat was lost his thoughts.

I should have dropped you. I shouldn't have left you alone. What if no one would have helped you? I wouldn't have forgiven myself my entire life. I had planned a surprise for you on your birthday. Tell me, this is all a big joke and that you will get up and come along for a movie and cut the cake too. I owe you a drink, too, remember? Ok, don't show up for the birthday party but please get up. Hold my hand and never let go. Just give me one more chance to tell you how much you mean to me. I am ready to fight with the almighty to bring you back. I am ready to bribe him too, but just... come back. I can't see you like this in a hospital bed, cold and numb. Please pull through; I know you can make it. Don't make me cry. Are you so angry with me? My life is nothing without you. There are other ways to tease me, why choose this one? Whether I appreciate you or not, you're always in my heart and I need you to comfort me. I am not going to let you shut your eyes forever. Our friendship can't be so short. How can I say goodbye so soon?

A Different Kind of Pain Mid Point Hospital, Aundh Virat had never thought something like this would happen and that he would end up missing Kavya so much. He had never asked G.o.d for anything before in his entire life, but this situation forced him to pray for Kavya. He closed his eyes and prayed to G.o.d for her speedy recovery. He wouldn't have minded switching places with Kavya and be the one suffering. In fact, he would have accepted it happily had it meant Kavya would be okay. He wanted Kavya back in his life, and was willing to do whatever it took.

Just then he heard Mehak's voice asking, 'Virat, how is Kavya? What happened exactly? Did you inform her parents? What did the doctor say?'

He could tell she was worried about her. She had grown increasingly close with Kavya in the past couple of months and wanted to know if she was doing okay. As soon as he saw Mahek, he couldn't control himself anymore; he collapsed in her arms, crying like a little baby. He recounted the entire scenario to her and hugged her in dismay.

'Stop crying. Everything will be all right. If you will act weak like this, then who will be her strength?' said Mahek wrapping her arms around him.

'I shouldn't have listened to her. I should have dropped her home even though she kept saying no.'

'Did you inform her parents?' Mehak asked.

Virat nodded and told her that they'll be reaching any moment. How cruel can life be? It was Christmas week and they were sitting in the hospital praying for their friend. So many times we take our life for granted and say 'I wish I could die' or 'I will die if you don't do this and that' without realizing that someday our wish might just come true.

Mahek brought some sandwiches for Virat but he refused to eat. Mahek didn't force him too much since she knew his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Kavya. Just when she took a seat beside him, they saw Kavya's parents walking towards them. Virat got up from his seat and took them to the ICU where Kavya was admitted. Her mom broke down as soon as she saw her little girl hooked to machines. Her dad went to speak with the doctor to find out how grave her condition was and to complete the necessary formalities as well.

'We will keep her under observation for the next 48 hours. There are many st.i.tches on her legs and she has suffered a severe head injury. There's damage to her brain. Even after she comes back to her senses, she may have partial memory loss or loss of vision. You all need to be strong.'

Silence filled the air for a few seconds until Kavya's dad asked, 'Doctor, will she recover soon?'

The doctor just gave a pat on her dad's shoulder and left. Virat felt like threatening the doctor into treating her properly and giving her the best possible care, but in such situations we forget that doctors are not G.o.ds who can do everything. All they could do was wait for Kavya to come back to life.

They waited impatiently for the hours to pa.s.s, holding on to the belief that Kavya would open her eyes and break into a smile, bringing back joy into their world. No one was able to sleep and almost everyone had given up on eating. Each minute made them physically weak. Their only glimmer of hope was that Kavya was responding well to medicines and treatment. Virat was missing her kid-like behaviour and her sweet smile. It hurts when the hand that supports you is suddenly s.n.a.t.c.hed away from your life, leaving you to think what went wrong. Mahek, too, was missing the sweet friend she had found in Kavya. Most hurt in all this were her parents. They couldn't see their daughter covered in bandages and in so much pain. She had been the apple of their eyes and they had always treated her like a princess and always protected her with love and care. Finally, after 24 hours had pa.s.sed, the doctor approached them with a smile on his face, saying she was out of danger, though unconscious at the moment.

Virat peeped into her room through the little window. She looks so innocent, he thought. It seemed as though she was watching a beautiful dream and would open her eyes only once the dream ended. Her body was covered with a bed sheet and different machines were monitoring her heartbeat, blood pressure; and pulse rate, and it scared Virat. He felt helpless, like nothing was in his control. He could take care of a bruise on the knee, but this was above his scope of knowledge. Everytime her heartbeat showed a decline on the monitor, he would break out into a sweat, worried he was losing her. Though he was crying on the inside, he didn't let his real emotions show and kept up a brave front in front of her parents who were crying inconsolably.

It was 3 pm in the afternoon when everyone finally decided to grab something to eat. Right after Mahek had taken a bite of her sandwich, she saw Kavya move slightly. She dropped her sandwich on the ground and rushed to call the doctors. They came rushing to examine her. Kavya was doing everything in her capacity to fight against the odds. As she slowly opened her eyes, everyone stood by her side in eager antic.i.p.ation. One of the doctors examined her while the nurses a.s.sisted him in checking her pulses.

'How are you feeling now?' the doctor asked but Kavya didn't respond.

He repeated his question, 'Kavya, how are you feeling?'

She still gave a blank expression. Everyone got tense. Her parents tried to communicate with her but failed. Her mom broke down in tears again, asking what was wrong. Kavya was struggling to talk.

Virat went closer to her but she didn't even look at him. Her eyes were fixed on the ceiling above.

'Kavya, don't you recognize me? I'm Virat. How are you? We missed you so much. We were so afraid. We thought we had lost you forever. You know, I even prayed to G.o.d for the first time in my life for your fast recovery. After all, we have to celebrate your birthday with a bang...'

Kavya still didn't show any reaction to what he was saying. Virat was getting increasingly worried.

'Are you feeling better?' Virat continued asking her but this time, his tone showed traces of tension.

She slowly moved her eyes towards Virat but within a fraction of second, she again looked away.

'There is too much darkness here. I can't see anything. Mom, are you there? I can't see you, Mom.

Virat, where are you standing? Is dad here?' she murmured.

The doctor told everyone to wait outside as he questioned Kavya. She was speaking fine but everyone was confused and worried about her reaction. They couldn't control their anxiety and wanted to know what was going on. Though she had woken up, it seemed like she hadn't fully recovered. For a fraction of a second, everyone was happy, but their happiness was temporary. Though there was enough light in the room, she couldn't see. It could mean only one thing... they shuddered to even think about it. The doctors came out in a few minutes and told what they had been trying to avoid. Kavya had lost her vision!

Their world came crashing down. How would Kavya engage with the world now? It seemed like she was struggling with a range of emotions-from shock and anger to sadness and frustration. Her life had lost its colours, except for black, which isn't the most rea.s.suring colour to wake up to. Her parents tried to console Kavya, but somewhere deep down within themselves, they too were bleeding tears of sorrow.

Their little princess had lost her vision! They stood beside her, holding one of her hands. Virat couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't digest the fact that Kavya couldn't see him anymore which meant that they couldn't go around the city on his bike irritating people, they couldn't watch a movie together, and she couldn't tell him which colour t-shirts look better on him. Mahek too was sobbing away in a corner.

Kavya was trying to recollect how the accident exactly happened. She had lost her hope to live. She didn't say anything to anyone and was lost in her own thoughts.

Now what am I supposed to do? How would I cope? Dad was just going to gift me a new bike on this birthday, but now what's the use? How will I go out shopping?

Her family had to finally accept her condition and figure out how they could support her. Kavya felt guilty of putting her parents through so much hurt and pain.

'Mom, now I am just a burden to you guys. It was my time to take care of you in your old age but now you need to take care of me. I have become useless,' Kavya cried.

'No beta. You are still our princess and you will always be. You are not only our daughter but our son too. A child can never be a burden on their parents. Don't stress out. We all are here for you,' her mom rea.s.sured her and gave her a tight hug.

'Virat, are you here? Where are you? Come near me,' Kavya added.

Virat cursed the fate that put her through this. The girl who would pinch him, jump on him, and do all kinds of crazy things in the world couldn't see him anymore.

He went closer to her and said, 'Kavya, get well soon. We will go out again and have fun. We will again blow bubbles in the air and trouble everyone on our way. This time, I won't stop you,' Virat said controlling his tears.

Kavya smiled slightly and said, 'But I can't be your security guard anymore.'

Virat couldn't control his emotions anymore and a drop of tear fell on her hand.

'What is this, Virat? Why are you crying? You should be happy that now no one can trouble you to clean your room. Does Mahek know how sloppy you are?'

'Yes, I do,' Mahek said from a distance.

'Oh, Mahek. Sorry, I didn't see you...oh, I mean, hear you,' Kavya said correcting her mistake.

She felt uncomfortable using the word 'see' as it held no value in her life anymore. It was important for everyone to be sensitive and empathetic towards her treatment because the degree of depression Kavya may be overcome by was high. So many times we see blind people around us but never understand their pain and struggle. It's rightly said that we can understand what a person goes through only when we are forced to walk in their shoes. One moment had changed everything.

31st December, 2009, New Year's Eve Midpoint Hospital, Aundh Virat had decided to spend New Year's Eve with Kavya at the hospital itself. Doctors had said that she would be discharged within 6 weeks, depending on the rate of her recovery. Looking at her response to the treatment, everyone was happy. The doctors said that if she co-operates and shows the same kind of progress, they could take her home in a month. There was no way that Virat and Mahek would have celebrated their first new year together leaving Kavya alone in a hospital bed. They decided to stay with her and share their happiness with her.