He swore loudly to himself. Why the hell was he thinking about her first thing in the morning? It was the first time in many months that he had woken up preoccupied by thoughts not pertaining to his work. He couldn’t let that happen. He tried to get up but was too sore and shouted out for Gopal.
“Coming, Gautam Baba.” Gopal rushed into his room flustered and out of breath. “Kya hua? Are you okay? Should I call Dr. Sameera?”
“Just shut up and calm down, Gopal. You’ll do nothing of the sort.” Gautam’s curtness took Gopal by surprise. “Why are you obsessed with Sameera? Is she some magician who can cure all ills? Don’t try to call anyone without my permission. Is that clear?”
Gopal was dumbfounded. Gautam had never screamed at him. He lowered his gaze and mumbled, “Theek hai, Gautam Baba. I will not call anyone. When you yelled I thought you may have hurt yourself, so I was very scared.”
Gopal’s eyes brimmed with love and concern but his voice was heavy with hurt and pain. Gautam was overcome with embarrassment.
“Sorry for yelling, Gopal. I seem to be losing my mind after the accident. Don’t worry so much about me, I’m getting better. I don’t want you to fall sick with anxiety. Now help me get up and get dressed. I’m starving. What’s for breakfast?”
The mere mention of food cheered up Gopal; he liked nothing more than cooking and feeding Gautam. “Garma garam aaloo ke parathe.”
“Aaloo parathe? No way,” Gautam retorted. “Just give me some milk and muesli first; I’ll have some fruit later.”
“You kids know nothing about nutrition. Pure desi ghee does no harm. It is good for broken bones.” He shook his head. “Your bones need lubrication. Ghee will fix your strength and reduce the pain.”
Gautam couldn’t help laughing. “Let’s replace all the medicines with a tin of your miracle ghee.”
“You can make as much fun of me as you want, but I know I am right.”
The day moved ahead at snail’s pace. Sameera had still not called to confirm and Gautam wouldn’t enquire. He called Jai at work to check on the team’s progress.
As soon as the call ended, he called Gopal to his room. “Gopal when did you change the sheets on my bed?”
“Just two days ago, Gautam Baba.”
“They look shabby. Change the sheets again and please use something decent. Do you have new white linen sheets?”
“If you have not bought new linen sheets, how will I have them? You’ve never been fussy about these things. What’s happened suddenly?”
“Nothing, just do as I say.”
While surfing channels, he chanced upon Katy Perry’s ‘Fireworks’ video. He missed dancing as he used to in the old days, but the thought of dancing reminded him of Sameera in her silver lehenga. It’s just an association, nothing more.
Despite his rationalizations, Gautam felt restless.
He called out to Gopal again, “Gopal, come here. Can you use my electric razor and give me a shave?” Gopal nodded and got the razor.
When he was finished, Gautam asked him to get a mirror. “No, the shave is not a close one. I still don’t look clean enough. Do it once more. And I hate my hair. Get some water to wet my hair and then get me my gel from the bathroom.”
“Are we going somewhere, Gautam Baba?”
“Can’t I look good at home?”
Gautam brushed his curly hair vigorously. “Get me my bottle of cologne. No not that one, the other one. I have changed my mind, get the first one.”
Gopal nervously pottered around, trying his best to keep peace with a visibly irate Gautam. Post lunch, much to Gopal’s relief, Gautam settled for a nap but the moment he woke up, his incessant demands began again.
Gopal prayed for the day to be over and was about to revolt against mopping the room for the third time that day when the doorbell rang. Sameera stood at the door. Before she could say anything, Gopal blurted out. “I am so happy to see you, Doctor sahib.”
≈
ELEVEN
“Why, is our patient in pain again?” asked Sameera with concern.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with him, but I’ve never seen him so restless before.”
Sameera had finally decided to come. She had been like a cat on a hot tin roof all day in her clinic. Her nurses had seldom seen her so distracted and preoccupied. Even Mr. Verma, one of her regular patients who came for traction every day, remarked that she did not look as bright as usual. Her mammoth reservoir of patience had suddenly run dry.
Normally she would push her patients to try harder while simultaneously being empathetic towards their pain; she always got them to do what was needed without getting frustrated.
But that day she was a different person. She snapped when Mrs. Ahuja complained she would not squeeze the therapy ball for more than one set. “Then please don’t waste my time,” she said. Taken aback, Mrs. Ahuja meekly completed her routine.
Finally at lunchtime, Sameera sat alone and tried to clear her head. Why was she so anxious? He was supposed to be very intelligent, but she had never had an intellectually stimulating conversation with him. He was supposed to be very good at his work, but then so was she. Yes he was young and good looking but she had several young, good looking and sometimes even famous patients who were much better behaved. They would be in awe of her skill and beauty while he was rude, unpredictable and moody. That certainly could not explain why she felt attracted to him. Or could it?
She knew she avoided guys who tried to woo her, always tried to avoid unnecessary attention; Gautam never sought her, never approached her and never tried to start a conversation with her. Delhi could have been the first and last time they met, but fate brought them together again. Something about him was honestly endearing—his deep brown eyes, his brusqueness.
What shocked Sameera the most was the physical attraction she felt towards him. That scared her. She wanted to walk away unscathed. She hardly knew him and with all that she had seen in her life, she just could not risk getting involved.
Yet, as the evening approached, she cancelled her much-loved piano class and headed for his home. Though she tried to disguise this act as professionalism, in her heart she knew that there was much more than ethics involved.
***
Gautam was lying propped up on his bed, looking expectantly at the door when Sameera entered. He was looking even more dashing than she remembered.
“Hello patient. I am glad that you look better.” She looked around the room. “Expecting someone special?” She wanted him to deny it but he just smiled.
He was thrilled. She had not called all day but now that she had come, he didn’t want to complain and start the evening on a sour note.
“Let’s see how those ligaments are behaving today. The swelling is much less. There seems to be...”
But his mind was elsewhere. How could she look so lovely all the time? She was dressed in a simple white chikan kameez and a light blue churidar, with not a crease out of place. How did she manage to stay so pristine in the humidity and filth of Mumbai? Her hair was pulled up loosely in a bun, clasped with a butterfly clip that let stray strands escape and fall softly around her face. The most striking feature was her neck, exposed for the first time minus the veil of her cascading hair. He stared at the neck, long, slender and white, just like a swan’s. Uncluttered with jewelry, it was a canvas waiting for an artist’s touch. He longed to be that artist. No longer in control of his surging emotions, he just wanted to stroke her neck, to feel the softness with his lips.
“Are you feeling feverish, Gautam?” Sameera’s voice broke his trance. “Your face is quite red. I wonder how I missed it earlier. Let me check your temperature and blood pressure.”
With his heart beating as wildly as it was, Gautam was quite sure that if he allowed her to check his BP, he would be spending the night under observation in a hospital. “No, I’m fine, just feeling a little hot. Could you ask Gopal to turn up the AC?”
“Let me do that.” Her perfume filled hi
s senses as she leaned across him to get the remote. “That should be better.”
She pulled her chair close to him and resumed her work.
Not trusting himself anymore, he just lay back with his eyes shut as Sameera gently attended to his wounds. He was relaxed and for the first time felt no resentment. He longed to know her better and decided to start afresh. He would apologize for his previously moody behavior and caustic tongue and let bygones be bygones. He had been completely wrong and hasty in his judgment. He did not care for the past. She was here, with him, and strangely, that felt very good. He opened his eyes and saw her looking at him.
“What are you thinking about? Your guest?”
Gautam blushed. “Nothing; just relaxing. Your treatment is very soothing.”
If she was keen to meet the rude Gautam, a polite and suave Gautam would surely be irresistible. She was on sticky ground and needed to escape. “Let me not push my luck and leave quickly before your special guest arrives.”
“No special guest. Why don’t you stay for tea?”
She wanted to bolt. “I’d love to, but I really need to rush. I’m late for my pilates class.” She got up hurriedly and almost knocked the chair over.
“Before I leave, here’s some good news. Your leg looks much better and you can try walking for some time if it does not hurt. Don’t overdo it initially. Take it slow. We can try physiotherapy every alternate day. So I will see you day after tomorrow now. Take care.”
As always, she left before he could say anything further.
Gopal entered the room bearing a tray with two cups of piping hot tea and a bowl of poha. “She’s left and I don’t want to eat anything. Also, change the bed sheets. I want the old one again.”
≈
TWELVE
Sameera dashed out to get some fresh air and more importantly, a fresh perspective. What had she just fled from?
Tanya was already on her exercise mat when Sameera entered the pilates studio.
“Hi Sam, you’re late again. Where are you coming from?”
“Had a session with Gautam.”
“Was he nasty again?”
“Why should he be nasty? Anyway, I don’t want to discuss my patients.”
“That’s a tectonic change of heart. What’s up sweetie?”
The class started just then and there was no opportunity to talk.
As soon as the instructor left, Tanya turned to Sameera.
“On a serious note, how is Gautam doing?”
“Much better, thank God. The poor guy was in terrible pain but he’s a tough cookie.”
“Till last week he was a complete pain in the ass.” Tanya winked. “Why this humongous change? Is it his killer looks?”
“Tanya, you are absolutely fixated on Gautam’s looks. Wonder what Sanjay would say if he heard.”
“That reminds me, Sanjay’s coming next week. How could I forget to tell you? He’s asked you to keep an evening free; we’ll have fun together.”
“Why should I be the kabab mein haddi?”
“I don’t mind being left alone with him,” grinned Tanya, “but he wants to meet you as well as Gautam. We girls can keep each other company while the guys catch up. Come. It’ll be fun.”
Sameera was quiet. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to meet Gautam socially.
***
Their sessions continued. Gautam became chattier and more relaxed. He was impressed when he found out that she played the piano. She discovered how passionately involved he was in his work. They discovered a common passion for books and music.
She was glad that Sanjay would be coming soon, a secret that she had managed to keep from him. It would help distract him from his work and would help with his mood swings.
≈
THIRTEEN
“Surprise!”
Gautam looked up, startled by a loud shout. His face split into a grin when he saw Sanjay, Tanya and Sameera standing in his room. He struggled to his feet, remembered Sameera’s instructions and gingerly wrapped his arms around his friend. “Sanjay, tu yahan? This is one hell of a surprise.”
The friends hugged for a long time. Then Sanjay pushed Gautam away in mock anger. “Such a big accident and you don’t even call me.”
Gautam smiled. “I was hoping you would get to hear about it and come over to meet me. Was dead bored, yaar. Can’t tell you how thrilled I am to see you.”
“Why didn’t you call me? Too much of a dude to tell me that you were hurt, hmm? Pagal hai.”
“Excuse me boys,” Tanya interrupted, “if you long-lost friends permit, can we at least come inside and sit down?”
Gautam brushed Sanjay aside and held out his hand to Tanya. “Sorry, Tanya. Please do come in. You look gorgeous.”
Sameera was pleasantly surprised to see Gautam’s charming side. Tanya hugged Gautam warmly.
”Mind the arm,” warned Sameera. Her concern made Gautam smile and he hobbled gallantly towards her.
“Thanks for bringing my friend over, Sameera,” Gautam said politely, “and thanks for coming along,” he added, avoiding her gaze.
Tanya sighed. “Aww, Gautam you are so charming. Sam always complains that you are too severe and cold. You are too critical of these poor guys, Sam.”
“It’s nice to know that you talk about me to your friends even if the context’s not flattering. Better than being ignored.” This time Gautam looked straight into her eyes. Sameera blushed. “I didn’t mean to corner you. I was rude and bad-tempered earlier but hope to make up for all that.”
“See, I told you. He’s a gem, but you need to be a johari to value him,” Sanjay joked.
The four settled down in Gautam’s small but neat living room. It was an uncluttered, masculine room where utility, not aesthetics, was paramount. Tanya insisted that Gautam sit comfortably on the couch; the girls fussed around him, putting cushions under his leg, reprimanding him for moving around too much. Sameera sat on the other end of the couch while Tanya snuggled in with Sanjay on the beanbag.
Gopal entered the room carrying a tray laden with hot mugs of tea and a platter full of mouth-watering snacks.
“Gopal, no tea today. Sanjay and I will have a double Jack Daniels with Coke. Ladies, I have Bacardi and wine at home and can call the wine shop for anything else you want.”
“White wine is perfect but if you don’t mind, I would love to have Gopal’s tea first. Tanya try some, it is awesome,” said Sameera, smiling at Gopal.
Gautam and Sanjay regaled the girls with their teenage stories.
“The first time Sanjay and I had Jack Daniels was at his elder sister’s wedding when we were fifteen years old. We lounged around the bar acting all grown up and at every opportunity kept swigging peg after peg. Before we knew what was happening, we were both sky high. Tanya, your darling fiancé morphed into Shah Rukh Khan and started singing ‘tujhe dekha to ye jaana sanam’ at the top of his tuneless voice. I, being the less vocal of the two, decided to get some sleep; so I swept off the all bottles from the bar counter and made myself comfortable.”
The room erupted with laughter. “Dad was quite okay with his teenage son and his friend getting drunk. Which Punjabi wedding is complete without some drunken drama anyway? But it was the broken bottles that landed us in trouble.”
“I had thought you were born a cynical adult; I cannot, for the life of me, visualize you as a crazy teenager,” said Sameera, shaking her head.
As the room fell silent Gautam declared, “I promise there is a lot more to me than that.” He stretched out his hand instinctively towards her but she jumped up abruptly before their hands could meet.
“Need to stretch my legs,” Sameera said.
Gautam looked puzzled but Tanya gave him a reassuring smile.
Sanjay and Tanya wanted all of them to head to the newest pub in town.
“Gautam, will you be able to manage?” Sameera asked.
“If you stand by him, he can manage any task in this world, Sameera,” Sanjay said grinn
ing broadly.
Gautam did not want to disappoint his friend. “My leg is much better and Sameera is with us if anything goes wrong. So let’s go.”
Once again, he offered Sameera his hand but withdrew it quickly as he remembered her recent reaction. Why was she so averse to his touch?
***
After ages, Gautam felt completely relaxed as if a load had been lifted off him. The fact that Sameera was sitting next to him made him happy. He wanted to live in the present, determined not to let his insecurity convert him into the rude monster he was habitually becoming.
Sameera glanced at Gautam. With his edginess gone, he looked very different but, could she reciprocate? She felt warm in the face as she recalled how he had tried to hold her hand, looking straight into her eyes. She liked him, and it made her nervous.
She was lost in her thoughts as thousands of images from her past flashed by.
≈
FOURTEEN
People were always surprised that an attractive girl like her was single and did not even have a boyfriend. It was not for lack of suitors; ever since she could remember, she had been showered with male attention. There was no denying that even as a child she was stunningly beautiful. As a teenager, she would get innumerable Valentine Days cards. While she always laughed off the attention, her mother became increasingly more protective. Sameera had her own fair share of crushes and finally, in grade nine, she fell in love for the first time, with Pavan, the new boy in class who treated her as a friend. With him, she could wear anything without worrying about hemlines or necklines. By then, her friends had also experienced their magical first kiss; she too longed to kiss Pavan.
Just when things were beginning to look sunny with Pavan, disaster struck.
Yours Accidentally Page 4