Author's Pov

The last thing Dolly remembered was Aryan holding her before she fell unconscious.

Dolly was immediately rushed to the hospital as she was not opening her eyes.

Dolly stirred her eyes a bit and opened them only to find herself in a different environment. She looked at the ceiling that was painted in white and cream undertones.

She tried to get up using all of her energy.

Suddenly someone besides her tried to hold her hand and help her. When she turned her face to look at the person it was non-other than Aryan.

Dolly: what are you doing here? And where is my family?

Aryan: Dolly do you even know you were passed out for an entire day?

Aryan said still holding her hand.

Dolly: what? You are kidding right?

Aryan: I certainly am not! Everyone was tired waiting here none of them wanted to but me and Swayam bhai sent everyone home. Cabir bhai and Manik bhai will come back after few hours and then me and Swayam bhai will leave.

Dolly: what? I don't even feel like I was out for that long? What happened to me?

Dolly said while placing her hand on her heart. She felt her heart beat slowly then it usually did. She noticed she was breathing slowly.

Aryan noticed her actions. Aryan placed his hand on the side of dolly's face.

Aryan: are you feeling alright? Does it hurt?

Dolly looked straight into Aryan's eyes; she felt a different kind of turmoil stirring up inside her heart. She felt like she was experiencing something different.

Dolly: no, I am alright. Thank you.

She said settling down properly in her bed.

Aryan: just a moment I'll call the doctor to check up on you since you are up.

Aryan rushed outside to find doctor.

After few moments he returned with doctor.

Doctor came in and examined Dolly while Aryan stood outside the room.

Dolly: hello uncle.

Doctor: how do you feel dear? Do you feel anything abnormal? Or any difficulties in breathing?

Dolly: Uncle I felt like I was breathing at a slower pace than usual. Is it alright is my heart failing?

The doctor had a straight face on because he cannot show any kind of emotions to their patients. Though however attached they are to them, this is how it is for them. They have to be at their professional behavior.

Doctor: okay we did a check up on you yesterday everything seemed fine. We'll get a check-up done today again. I would suggest you to rest completely. And by that, I mean avoiding to lift you arm unless and until absolutely required. Not even for eating food. You have people around you who can do it for you.

Dolly was a kid still, at heart at least but she was not clueless to understand that what doctor was hinting at.

Dolly: Uncle I am an adult and I have rights to know about my health conditions. You can't hide those things from me. Is my heart starting to fail again?

Dolly asked like a fearless warrior who is about to die but yet full of pride and not wanting to show the fear in their eyes.

Doctor: yes. Usually, another heart transplant would be something that I would suggest my patients but, in your case, you already had a transplant before and it was too long ago. Your body is not healthy enough to undergo such a major operation again. Knowing your history in and out a pacemaker or any other devices wouldn't hold for long because your heart is already in a situation where we transplant would be suggested with two months. I am sorry to say this but even if we try other options, you hardly have three to six months.

Aryan: I'll call Swayam bhai. He needs to know this doctor.

Dolly: No Aryan. Doctor uncle I am the patient and I have the right, whether to disclose it to anyone or not. Aryan, I swear if you said a single word about this to anyone you won't be alive to see another day.

Aryan: speak for yourself Dolly. Look at you. You are the one who's miserable not me. You are the one who's going to die. Why don't you every let people in on your pain? Why do you always want to keep everything to yourself and suffer alone? Don't you see that you hurt the people very close to you every time you do this. This isn't the first time right. You hid it from everyone in the beginning too. You'll seriously die alone. Go ahead make it difficult for doctor uncle too by educating him about a patient's right. I'll go tell Swayam bhai that you are finally awake. He was bawling his eyes out for someone who doesn't even deserve it.

Aryan glanced at Dolly's eyes. He knew he was harsh with his words. He said things he shouldn't have said. He said things he didn't mean. In reality he wanted to be there for her every second, hold her hand as a friend if nothing more. He knew he liked her the very second, he saw her. And that too for what? Just to know that she's never going to accept him and he is always going to be trashed. It was a lonely journey but he was going to go on this journey alone but yes. His heart pricked every time he said she's about to die. God knows how he controlled himself from not throwing himself in her arms when the doctor said that she doesn't has much of time left. He wanted to be there for her.

Aryan rushed out of the room and headed straight to the washroom. He let the tears fall at their pace which he seemed to be holding for a long time. This is not how its supposed to be. For the first time he fell for a girl. This is not how your first love is supposed to end. This is not how bad you get hurt for the very first time. This is not how it's supposed to be. Not like this. A breakup or a rejection would have been fine, it would have been a relief that they were still under the same sky. Safe and sound. But not this. Was he so out of luck that the first girl he ever fell for was going to die? He probably wont even get the chance of admitting it to her.

He cried and cried. He rubbed his eyes vigorously in an attempt to stop the tears from falling but everything went in vain.

Finally, after what felt like eternity, he was able to get a hold of his emotions. He jumped out of the cubicle trying to smile and look happy. But one look at the mirror and few tears escaped his eyes. Is this how it has come down to? From never hiding his emotions while speaking with anyone to pretending to smile? This sequence of events was a harsh reality check for him. He washed his face with cold water. Feeling the warmth of his face in his hands he slightly pressed his eyes to stop from crying anymore. His eyes were already slightly red and his faced glowed with the after-glow you have from crying. His eyes which held joy in them were now replaced with sorrow.

He went back to the room.

Swayam: where did you go? Dolly said you went ahead to call me?

Aryan: yes, I just went to use the washroom. I was going to call you after.

Swayam: and what happened to your eyes? They seem red.

Dolly shot a glance to Aryan at this and their eyes briefly met for a second exchanging thousand emotions with neither of them could have ever in words.

Aryan: nothing bhai. I was using a cleanser and it went into my eyes. Nothing major.

Swayam would have believed this but not Dolly. Because this is what she goes through too. Hiding her emotions and pretending.

But she felt a tinge of pain when she heard this from Aryan. Because she knew he was not the kind of person to pretend. If the last few interactions with him taught her anything about him then it was that he never hesitated for speaking out his mind and today he did. He lied. It was enough for dolly to understand that he was equally hurt from the news that she received today.

Swayam received a call and he started denying for the meeting, saying that he wont attend it any cost since his baby sister was hospitalized.

Aryan: Bhai just go attend it. It seems important or else the person on other end won't be so persistence. I am here with her. If anything, important comes up, I'll call you. It's matter of two days. Ask everyone else to relax at home they might be worried too. I'll stay with her don't worry. You all can after two days to pick her up. I know it's a meeting about labels so others will be busy too.

Swayam: I genuinely don't want to go.

Dolly: it's fine bhai you can go. I feel so tired, I think I am going to sleep for the rest of the time till I am discharged. Go bhai. I'll call you if anything comes up.

Swayam: are you sure? Will you be comfortable with him?

Dolly: yes, bhai he isn't going to eat me!

Swayam: seemed so last time.

Dolly: bhai!!! Just go already. Will you?

Swayam: okay. Now I am assured. Call me if you need anything okay? I'll try my best to come as soon as possible.

Dolly nodded at him and Swayam hugged her and Aryan before leaving.

He gave them a truckload of instructions and both of them nodded.

Swayam finally left and Aryan bought some food for dolly as it was about time for her dinner.

Aryan pulled the table from the side which slides into a mini tray. He placed the food and poured the soup in the bowl. Grabbed a cup of water and placed it there.

He grabbed a wet wipe from the drawer and cleaned his hands.

He took the bowl of soup and filled a spoon and blew some air on it and brought it to dolly mouth for her to drink.

Dolly: what the hell are you doing?

Dolly said in a fierce tone.

Aryan wasn't surprised at the tone and words that Dolly spit out.

He kind of knew how she was going to react in certain situations by now.

Aryan: Your heart is going to stop but you can still see from your eyes, right? Didn't you hear, what doctor uncle said? Not to strain yourself for eating food if there are people around you.

Aryan glanced at her and her eyes softened at what Aryan said. They held a sorrow in them. Aryan wanted to comfort her but he knew he didn't have that right yet.

He just forwarded the spoon full of soup to her mouth and she drank it without saying anything.

He feed her the soup. And moved to the light sautéed veggies with rice.

He even feed her that and she silently ate it even though she despised the taste.

Aryan: I'll ask doctor if we can feed you something with more flavors. I'll see to it that you have something tasty tomorrow.

Aryan grabbed a tissue and whipped her face. All this while dolly was staring at his face.

More like trying to decipher the emotions. And she was a bit successful too. Hurt, longing were few emotions she found.

He adjusted the back rest of the bed. And brought her tablet from the side table. Turing on an episode of F.R.I.E.N.D.S he placed it on the stand and pugged in the air pods for her.

He placed the cellphone besides her so that she can call anyone if she needs.

He glanced at her one last time before leaving. He went out to the balcony on the floor. He needed some air to control his emotions. He is not the kind of person who would hurt others when he is hurting. But this time the pain was so intense. There was hardly anything he could do to make it go. He sat there for over an hour to relax his mind. He glanced at his watch to look at the time and realized that he should tuck her in so that she can rest properly.

He came back to the room only to a heart wrenching scene.

Dolly was sitting on the bed, crying like there is no tomorrow. She didn't realize that Aryan already came back. He stood there for her to realize that he is back.

After a few seconds she realized and to Aryan's shock she started crying more hysterically. He thought she would stop crying and shout at him.

But what he saw made him sad and the tears he was trying to push away started flowing from his eyes too. Dolly followed Aryan's movements.

Aryan sat beside her on bed still keeping a proper distance. Pulled the air pods out from her ears, placing them in their case. Taking her tablet turning it off and placing it on the table. He took a tissue and cleaned her face. He looked into her eyes and it was like that last ounce of sanity that was controlling him from not embracing her.

Dolly cried and cried but when Aryan looked into her eyes, she was not able to hide her emotions of not wanting to hug someone and lean on. Having someone to lean on was what she wanted, someone to share her thoughts with.

Dolly threw her arms around Aryan and held him in a tight embrace. Aryan was shocked would be an understatement. It took him few seconds to register but eventually he did and even he embraced her with equal fervor.

Aryan: who told you to bare it all alone? See what you ended up yourself in.

Dolly's sobs turned more vehement. Aryan did nothing but embraced her more tightly. He almost covered her in his embrace entirely.

Dolly: I am scared. Of dying and being alone. Of being forgotten. Of not having to found something meaningful in life. Of not experiencing things that I want to. I am scared. I am so scared that it scares me to even acknowledge the fact that I am going to die within few months. I want to live Aryan. I have wishes that I want to complete.

Aryan saying it didn't hurt him as much as it pinched his heart to hear these words from her mouth.

Even his sobs turned into more than that. It was like both of them were fighting for their lives.

They embraced each other so closely that they were able of feel each other's heartbeats and breaths.

They stayed like that till their hearts were empty of this news they received. It wasn't easy for either of them.

Finally, Aryan moved his head a bit back and wiped her cheeks full of tears while dolly was still embracing him.

Their faces were in such a close proximity that they were basically breathing into each other. Aryan's hand still rested on her cheeks while Dolly's hands were on his back.

Aryan was looking at her eyes and so was Dolly. There was this sudden urge that Dolly felt, that before he leaves her, she wanted to make him her's.

She moved her head a bit closer to Aryan to see whether he pulls back and to her surprise he did not, all he did was look into her eyes.

Dolly knew that he felt the same as she did and she placed her lips on Aryan's.

Moving her hands from his back to neck. Pulling him a bit closer.

Aryan slightly caressed her cheeks.

It was a way of connecting for both of them. They released their feelings for each other in that kiss just like their eyes spoke volumes to each other. It wasn't a French kiss or a smooch or anything very passionate. But the kiss was pure and intense and deep. They pressed their lips on each other and stayed like there for a while in each other's embrace. After a while Dolly looked up at him while parting from him and placed another peck on his cheek. Both of their breaths were muffled and they were taking deep breaths. They cried so hard that their heart finally felt a bit less stuffed and relaxed. Aryan got another wipe and cleaned her face and left for washroom to wash his face.

He washed his face, wiped it with a tissue and came back. He filled a glass of water for Dolly and placed it near her mouth so that she can drink it.

After she completed drinking water, he left the glass on the side table and lowered the back rest to a comfortable position for her to sleep. He helped her to comfortably lie down and pulled the comforter over her.

All this while Aryan didn't utter a single word.

Dolly: aren't you going to say anything to me? Or at least ask me anything?

Aryan: I am not ready for the answer you are going to give. I don't know your perspective, let me be at peace with whatever happened tonight. You can say it was a mistake tomorrow morning. I'll accept it and act like nothing happened. You need to sleep it's too late. You have cried enough I cannot see you in pain anymore. At least for today my quota of over-whelming emotions is satisfied.

Dolly: why would you consider this, that it's a mistake for me or any of the other things you think?

Aryan did not answer rather he faltered the curtains down and decreased the temperature of air conditioner not giving any heed to whatever she said.

Dolly: would you make another mistake and just hold me for tonight while sleeping before I tell you whether it was a mistake or not.

Aryan halted as he was walking towards the couch to sleep.

He turned back and looked at her, she was holding her hand out for her.

Aryan: there's no use of doing anything. You are going to regret it and the more you regret it, the more it will hurt me.

He said as his voice fumbled.

Dolly: why are you being such a jerk. Am I that bad of a person?

Aryan: no, you are not. You are the most selfless person I have met till date.

Dolly: then why won't you?

Dolly said almost shouting at him.

Aryan was a bit annoyed too. Neither can he express what he feels properly and nor can he ignore her pleads constantly when that what he wants too.

Dolly: why are you being so rude? Who was giving me lectures about not baring it alone? I knew this will happen. The moment I let someone in they'll be tired and they'll leave me alone you did the same. You are the same too.

Dolly started speaking loudly while ended up crying towards the end.

Aryan immediately rushed to her and held her hand. She tired to push him away but Aryan held her cheeks in her hand.

Aryan finally shouted at her.

Aryan: I am scared. It scares me. To tell you that you are the first girl I ever fell for. You are the first one I have cried for. It scares me that whatever happened tonight would be just due to the heat of moment and emotional vulnerability and you'll regret it tomorrow. You'll not want to see my face tomorrow. You'll find it awkward between us and you'll not look at me the same tomorrow. I like you. More like I am falling really hard for you. I am afraid that I would want to hold you more, not just tonight but every day and you wouldn't want that. I am afraid of saying this out loud. I am afraid that I won't be ready for the answer. Give me a night to make myself ready for your answer.

Dolly was looking at Aryan all this while without blinking. She thought that maybe Aryan doesn't like her or something but the cards were reversed here. He likes her.

She smiled while a few drops of tears escaped her eyes.

She removed his hands from her cheeks and held them in her hands.

Dolly: Aryan. I like you. More like I am falling very hard for you. I am afraid I would want to hold you more than you do.

Aryan was shocked and surprised. He looked into her eyes still dazed from whatever she said.

She nudged him.

Aryan looked into her eyes to confirm whatever she was saying was true.

She placed her forehead on his while relaxing.

Dolly: definitely not before you but yes, I started liking you. I like you. Please be mine. I know its very selfish of me to ask you to be with me when my time is limited its like making you place your foot on land-mine purposefully. I know it's wrong but I can't help it.

Aryan was too much into his emotions to even form words and reply to whatever she said. Instead, he placed a kiss on her forehead and slipped into the comforter besides her, and held her in his embrace.

Aryan slowly whispered in her ears: I am yours.

He placed a soft kiss on her ears while ruffling her hair slowly, while she just embraced him more tightly in response to his answer to her.

Drained emotionally and mentally both of them fell into a deep slumber.

It was around 8 in the morning when Aryan opened his eyes. He glanced at his watch to look at the time and then slowly got out of the bed without disturbing her sleep. He took a bath quickly and changed into fresh clothes. He went besides the bed and held Dolly's hand while admiring her sleeping figure.

He didn't realize when sleep took over him again. Past days have been very hard on him, his exhaustion was very visible on this face.

Dolly twitched her eyes for a few minutes before adjusting to the light. When she glanced around, she saw how Aryan was in a fresh pair of clothes. He was holding her hand and sleeping. Dolly smiled at the sight of this.

This was very new to her and she was sure all in to experience it all.

After struggling to reach for the glass of water without disturbing Aryan she still failed and Aryan woke up.

Aryan: you are up. How did you sleep last night?

Dolly: just very fine.

She giggled while brushing her noes with Aryan, and Aryan showed her the most-toothy grin ever.

Aryan: do you want to freshen up a bit?

Dolly nodded in a yes.

Aryan quickly got up and fetched some water in a bowl along with a small towel.

Aryan: is the temperature of the water fine? Do you want it hotter?

Dolly: no, its fine.

Aryan first wiped her face gently and placed a sweet kiss on her forehead and then wiped her hands and her feet.

Aryan: well, you are not allowed to bath so you'll have to work with this. Do you want to change your gown and eat something?

Dolly: yes, it stinks. And I am very hungry.

Aryan first got up and bought some food for her and fed her and then he requested the nurse for another gown.

Aryan: Do you need my help in changing?

Dolly: woah you and blunt and shameless.

Aryan: no, I am not! I was asking out of concern you dirty head. I would love too though.

Aryan said while winking at her.

Dolly laughed at his sentence.

Aryan nodded and left the room for a while he heard her calling him after a while and then he entered the room.

Aryan: what do you want to do now?

Dolly: just sit and talk with you.

Aryan: I would love that very much too. Coming to talks, are you actually not going to tell anyone about this?

Dolly: No, I am not.

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Thank you,

Love,
Div.