Chapter 25
Afew hours later, Sameer stood at the door watching her as Raashi slept soundly in her bed.
She had slightly sprained her back because of the fall.
But the doctor had assured him she would be fine in a few days.
That moment when the bike had careered towards her at full speed had been the worst in his life.
He couldn’t even describe the feeling of utter helplessness that had washed over him as he sat in his car, so far away from her, unable to protect her.
He had yelled at her to move. Luckily for him she had heard him and stepped back, or else she could have been seriously injured. He shuddered at that thought.
“She will be fine, Sameer,” Kabier told him, squeezing his shoulder. “Come on, let her rest.”
By the time he had reached Raashi’s home, Keya and Kabier were already there at her house.
His sisters had made the calls informing Rishi and Kabier of her accident.
Keya had a spare key to Raashi’s house and was waiting when he arrived, ready to help.
She helped him settle Raashi on her bed.
Raashi fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. Rishi had reached soon after.
Sameer shut the door and went outside to the hall to join the others. They were waiting to hear what exactly had happened.
“So, this guy just came at her at full speed?” Kabier asked.
“Yeah, he never stopped even after. Just zoomed past, least concerned that he had injured someone,” Sameer replied angrily.
“So reckless and dangerous,” Rishi said.
“At least she’s fine,” Keya said.
The doorbell rang and Sheena entered with their grandfather. They both looked panicked and upset. Sameer calmed them down and repeated the events of the entire incident to them.
“One minute we were so happy. I had just proposed to her. She was so delighted and then the next moment she was lying on the ground injured.” Sameer shut his eyes recollecting the horrific moment. When he opened his eyes, there was absolute silence around him.
“Why are you all staring at me?” Sameer asked.
Sheena was the first one to speak. “Did you just say you proposed to her?”
Sameer nodded. “Didn’t the twins tell you guys? They were there. They know I proposed and Raashi accepted. I thought they must have already told you all.”
“Guess the girls didn’t want to steal your moment.” Rishi stepped forward and hugged him. “I am so happy for you guys.”
“Me too,” Kabier said.
Sheena folded her arms across her chest. “Raashi agreed to marry you?”
“Yes!”
“Why?” she asked.
“Because, I love him Sheena,” Raashi announced from the doorway. “And he loves me.”
She took a step inside the room and flinched in pain. Sameer was immediately by her side. He put an arm around her, supporting her. “You need to be in bed. You are still in pain,” Sameer told her.
Raashi kissed his cheek. “No, I want to be here telling all these people who care about us that we are in love and getting married. Besides, I am feeling better. The pain is also bearable.”
“This is so fantastic,” Keya hugged her. “I am so happy.” Then she pointed to her growing baby bump. “Gosh, I am going to be enormous very soon. You better get married quickly.”
Kabier put his hands on his wife’s shoulders. “You will look perfect whenever they get married. So don’t rush them.”
Janak moved from the window, where he had been listening to them all and went to Raashi. “How are you, my dear?”
She smiled. “I’m a little injured, but feeling better already. I’m just so, so happy.”
“Well, then I am happy if you’re happy. That’s all I want.” Janak told her kissing both her cheeks.
He turned to Sameer. “You sure took a long time doing the right thing.”
“Not without a little help from you,” Sameer told his grandfather.
The two men shared a cunning look. The last few months flashed in her mind and her eyes popped. “Is that why you gave me the land?”
“Well, what other way was there to get the two of you together again? You’re both so damn stubborn. You needed a little push in the right direction,” Janak declared, sounding elated.
She leaned up and pecked his old, weathered cheek. “Thank you for everything, as always. You are my greatest strength and I thank God every day for you.”
Janak beamed at her words.
Raashi turned to Sheena who stood a distance away and held a hand out to her. When Sheena refused to meet her gaze, Raashi called out to her, “Sheena, come here and give me a hug. You know I can’t move.”
Sameer knew that Sheena had been steadfast in her support to Raashi throughout. She had fought with him for his heartless behavior towards Raashi and she continued to maintain a strained relation with him because of that. But, now it was time to put the past behind them.
“Will you forgive me now, Sheena?” Sameer asked her, as she stood in front of them.
Sheena nodded slowly. Sameer kissed her cheek giving her a hug.
“So guys, I won the bet,” Keya told Rishi and Kabier. “Which means, you owe me twenty thousand each,” Raashi heard Keya say.
“What bet?” Sameer asked.
Keya told them about the bet they had made the night of Sheena’s party.
Raashi scowled at all of them. “That is such a horrid thing to do. I cannot believe you guys would bet on our relationship like that.”
“Oh, please! All of us were confident of the outcome. It was going to happen, we just didn’t know when,” Keya shrugged. “It’s you guys who took such a long time to realize that you were meant to be together.”