Savithri
I was driving my car and had to stop at the sahar road signal. She was on her scooter, and had also stopped at the signal. She looked sprightly, with an athletic build, dark and a beautiful pair of lovely eyes. Suddenly from nowhere a tempo came in fast, lost control and rammed into her. Lucky, she was having her helmet on. She went sprawling on the rough road. I jumped out, and meanwhile the police at the signal also came rushing, while the public stopped the tempo to give its own punishment to the driver. I lifted her and took her into the car. The cops also came with me and we took her to the hospital. She was badly injured and had fractured her leg. She had to be admitted as an in-ptient.. After her x-ray and other wound dressings were done, i asked the doctor about her. “she will have to be here for 2 weeks at least. She has had two fractures and she has to be kept here for observations” he said. I asked that she be moved into a single ward, and they did. When she had stabilised, and i was told i could go and see her, i went in. She was obviously in pain. And humiliated, as all accident victims are. She was in bandages on her leg and her forearm, and was heavily bandaged around her head. “all i can say is thanks for what you did” she said and started crying. I took her hands and asked her to pull herself up. “nothing to thank me for. Anyone would have done the same. The cop was a good person too. He came and got you in fast” i said. I asked her whether i could call her parents or family and inform them of this. She said her mother was in hyderabad and she was working in mumbai and was in a ladies hostel. I too her mother’s phone contact and called her up and spoke to her in telugu telling her what had happened and that she need not worry as she was now in hospital and was being looked after well, and gave the phone to this girl to speak. She couldn’t as she was full of tears. I told her mother that her daughter will call her a little later and disconnected the call. “can i know your name?” I asked. “savitri” she said. “i am raghu and i too am from andhra” i told her. We were talking and a little later the doctor on duty came in and said that i need to be with her at least for a few days, as she had to be operated upon to for her arms and leg mostly the next morning. “i presume you are her husband” he said. “no. But i will be there” i assured him and he left. We called her mother again and i told her the latest, and told her that the situation was under control, and that i would be there with her. Neither she nor i could sleep that night as she was in pain and i had to be next to her trying my best to comfort her. We eventually slept around 3 a.m and by 7 the para medics had come to prepare her for the surgery. I was asked to sign some papers absolving the hospital if anything goes wrong. She looked at me and i signed. She was wheeled in and i called her mother to inform her of what was happening. I went home had my bath, had some breakfast and came back around 11, and around 1 p.m. she was brought in, still under anesthesia and placed on the bed. “we had to join the bones at both the fractures using metal screws” the doctor said, and told me that she will recover within an hour and left. When she came back into the real world couple of hours later, she saw me and smiled, saying, “heck. It is hurting.” I sat next to her and held her hands and asked to just relax. I called her mother and made her talk to her. There were tears both sides and when it ended savitri was crying. “how much did all this cost? She asked. “you don’t worry about it. I will get this through insurance. I have already filed a fir and that constable was really helpful. I will also get the insurance to get you a new vehicle as the scooter is a write- off.” That night and the next few nights i spent at the hospital, and was in and out, bringing her food from home. One evening, i was sitting next to her, and i thought she was asleep. Suddenly, she took out her hand from underneath the cover and held mine warmly. “you know. I have fallen in love with you. And i don’t even know much about you.” I squeezed her hand and then told her about myself. When i told her i was yet single, her face lit up. Till then, as she was under a blanket, i couldn’t see much of her except her lovely dark face, her curly shoulder length hair, and the large liquid eyes, and a generous mouth, her face accentuated by her large gypsy earrings, and a tiny nose ring. I squeezed her hands and confessed that i too had fallen in love with her, and that is what had kept me with her, taking care of her needs in the hospital. She turned her face the other side, and i saw tears rolling down her cheeks. “why? Anything that i said hurt you?” I asked. She shook her head, and was quiet. A little later, she sat on the bed, and told me that she had been engaged to a person who was a relation, and though he was in mumbai and she had phoned him three or four times, he never called her or visited her. “forget it” i said. “i am with you, and will be with you always. My love for you is intense and definite.” She took my hand in hers and pressed it to her heart. She became cheerful after this. Two days later she was discharged and i brought her home aft we paying the bill. When she came to know that it had all cost around rs.30,000/ she became quiet and embarrassed. “i am sorry. But i will pay you back soon,” she said. I am not even thinking about it i said. The previous evening i had bought her dresses for her to wear and a lot of make up kit. She went in for her bath and came out an hour later, decked like a star, head bent shyly. It was too much for me. I just went and held her and pulled her to me in a tight embrace, and felt her breasts warm and soft against my chest. She lifted her head offering me her warm and succulent lips on which i hungrily placed mine.