š©ŗ Chapter 4: The Decision
The ICU door was being pounded on violently.
"Open the door!" a dangerous voice echoed from outside.
Anaya's heart was beating so fast she could even hear her own breath.
Riya clung to Kabir in fear.
"Kabirā¦ please do somethingā¦ these people have reached hereā¦"
Kabir stood completely calm.
As if all this was normal for him.
His gaze was fixed only on Anaya.
"Now decide, Anaya..." he said softly.
"Are you on my sideā¦ or theirs?"
For Anaya, this was all very sudden.
On one side was her dutyā¦ her professionā¦
And on the other sideā¦ this manā¦ who was clearly a part of some dangerous world.
The door shook violently again.
"Saying it for the last timeāopen the door!"
Anaya took a deep breath.
She looked into Kabir's eyesā¦
There was no fear there.
Only a challenge.
And for some unknown reasonā¦
Anaya made her decision.
"Turn off the lights!" Anaya commanded immediately.
Riya and the ward boy were shocked.
"What?" Riya asked.
"Trust me," Anaya said firmly.
A faint smile appeared on Kabir's lips.
As if he already knew what Anaya would do.
Anaya turned off the main lights of the ICU.
Only the emergency blue light remained in the room.
"Everyone, step aside," Anaya said.
Then she slowly walked toward the door.
Her hand went to the handleā¦
Her heart was poundingā¦
And she opened the door.
3 men barged in.
Black clothesā¦ rough lookā¦ anger in their eyes.
"Who is Kabir?" one asked directly.
Anaya said in a completely calm toneā
"There is no Kabir here. This is an ICU."
"Don't lie!" the second man stepped forward angrily.
"We know he's right here!"
Anaya looked them straight in the eye.
"The patients are critical. If you disturb them, it will become a police case."
One man tried to grab her collarā
Just thenā¦
Kabir's voice came from behindā
"Leave her."
Silence fell over the room in a second.
Everyone's gaze shifted to Kabir.
He was slowly walking forward.
Despite being weakā¦ his presence was so powerful that even those men stopped for a second.
"You guys were looking for me, right?" Kabir said in a cold voice.
Riya was in shock.
"Kabir, what are you doing?!"
Anaya's heart began to sink.
"What have I doneā¦" she thought.
One man stepped forward.
"Finally found youā¦ Kabir Malhotra."
Kabir gave a faint smile.
"You should have met me earlierā¦ when your boss broke the deal."
Anaya couldn't understand the conversation between them.
But this much was clearā
This wasn't a normal rivalry.
"You won't escape this time," one man said angrily.
Kabir stepped right up close.
So close that Anaya could feel his breath.
"Do you think I'm alone?" Kabir said softly.
The man hesitated a bit.
Just then, the sound of police sirens came from outside. šØ
They looked at each other.
"Let's get out of here!" one said hurriedly.
While leaving, one man looked at Kabirā
"The game isn't overā¦"
And they all ran away.
Silence engulfed the room once again.
Only Anaya's heavy breathing could be heard.
Riya grabbed Kabir.
"Are you crazy?! Have you seen your condition?!"
Kabir pushed her away gently.
His gaze was only on Anaya.
"Thanksā¦" he said softly.
Anaya was in shock.
"Thanks?" she said, almost angrily.
"Do you have any idea what just happened? This is a hospital, not a battlefield!"
Kabir stepped closer to her.
"Yet you helped me," he said softly.
Anaya's anger grew.
"I am a nurse! I protected a patientā¦ not you!"
Kabir smirked slightly.
"It will take you time to understand the differenceā¦"
Anaya stepped away from him.
"People like youā¦" she said angrily,
"ā¦only create problems."
Kabir's expression turned a bit serious.
"Do you think I am like this by choice?"
Anaya stopped.
This was the first time there was a hint of emotion in Kabir's voice.
"Every person has a story, Anayaā¦"
"The only difference isā¦ my story is a bit dangerous."
Anaya was looking into his eyes.
There wasn't just danger there anymoreā¦
There was something else tooā¦
Pain.
Riya interruptedā
"Kabir, enough. We have to leave this place."
Kabir nodded.
But before leaving, he came close to Anaya.
So close that Anaya's heart raced again.
"This is just the beginningā¦" he said softly.
"You are now a part of this story."
Anaya immediately retortedā
"I am not a part of any story."
Kabir smiled faintly, looking into her eyesā
"You think you have a choiceā¦"
"But some connectionsā¦ are formed without permission."
Kabir walked away from there.
Riya followed him.
Anaya was left standing there.
Her mind was blank.
She looked at her handsā¦
Which were still trembling slightly.
"What have I doneā¦" she whispered.
Standing outside the ICU, Anaya looked at the sky.
Everything seemed normalā¦
But her life was no longer normal.
Kabir Malhotraā¦
A nameā¦
That had now made a place in both her heart and her life.
Whether she wanted it or not.
Somewhere far awayā¦
Kabir was sitting in the car.
He closed his eyesā¦
And said softlyā
"The game has just begunā¦"
To be continuedā¦