"Prove me that you are Worthy!"

Bondita's POV

"Yes Dr Mihir Doshi, Bondita Das saw you last night in her room." I told him in a sarcastic tone. Only I know how I spent my day when he humiliated me in front of everyone at the dining. Mihir actually questioned my willpower and my dedication that I exhibit for my profession. And I have never given him the right to do so. But it is equally true that I just get out of words in front of him. It doesn't come from within that I answer back. Maybe because I don't have the heart to treat him bad. I wanted to lash out at him for what he said but I chose to walk away because....! Because..! I don't know. Also a part of my mind was saying that he was lying but this feeling got subsided for he hurts me beyond my patience. I felt so small and worthless that I straight away went up to the room 'I am supposed to occupy' and cried the hell out of me. My tears were continusely trailing down my cheeks maybe because I expected something from him but what? What did I expect? I questioned my conscience but no voice came out. Instead I was getting choked by my own tears. The questions were being dried out and a feeling of let down encroached me. I was disheartened.
His mom and dad tried calling me, but I didn't answer back because I was so done for the day already. I didn't have the Appetite to eat, my tear glands were out of supply of that salty water that streams out generally.
The problem is I expected something from Mihir and I don't know what it is. To occupy my mind I tried to read my law books again. But trials not always lead to success.
Mihir was in my head constantly. I thought about him, pondered relentlessly throughout the day. And that's nothing new. From past one week I just think about him and everything related to him. Why he acts strange, why he's tough, why he looks so handsome with those perfectly stitched shirts that he pairs up with his denims or sometimes with trousers. I think about His dark expressive eyes, a small mouth that always speak words which break my heart, his lips that I want to kiss..!
Leave it though.

Around 11 last night I opened the door of my room and I realised that he still hadn't come back.
"I'm here as you wanted. But you are not here... the way I want you." A voice called from behind my mind. Sometimes I don't understand that Where I have landed myself. Mihir was never my destination, but he has become a journey I don't want to trode. Or maybe I do!?
After waiting for him on the main door, with an empty stomach I finally went back and laid myself between the scattered books on the bed. I never realised when sleep took over me and I passed out.
I'm a heavy sleeper And I didn't get up untill I heard something. I opened my eyes to find that my photo frame had slipped from Mihir's hand. It landed on the floor with quite an audible sound. He was alert, standing at some distance, near the couch, and was staring at my photograph while mumbling something in his breathe time to time.
I was too shocked to react and see him like that. Mihir didn't budge and stared at me and my photo for two long hours. His actions didn't let me sleep too. But I chose to not intrude into his privacy. He was smiling and I realised how private this moment was for him. I was happy sharing it secretly. Last night in that particular moment It dawned upon me how much vulnerable he's. How much he cares for me. Precisely I looked through him and found something more than attraction, something which is yet not touched but exists between us. A fine thread of affection that binds us no matter what.
When I woke up today, he wasn't there. He was gone. But I was smiling. Because my heart fluttered in a way it never did before. I really want to know Mihir, know the real me and also want to ask him why he needs me here. I want to ask myself why a part of me wants to be here, by his side?
Yeah I wanted to stay with him, though not the way he made me stay but yes. I have grown fond of him from the first encounter itself. I felt attracted, I felt drawn to Mihir the very moment and now I just want to stay close. I really want to know how it feels to be his girl. It ain't desperation, it's much more than I can define.

"Bondita get out!" He said in a clear voice when I was trying hard to initiate a conversation with him today morning.

"Mih--" it's the first time I called him only by his name but he didn't let me complete instead whispered again
"Jaao Bondita. Please."
However It wasn't disrespectful. It was more of him demanding his space. He wasn't ready for my questions, I sensed. So I walked away only to come back to him. All my roads nowadays lead me to him, whether I want or not. I came to his hospital and found him sobbing. Mihir Doshi also cries - That's new to me.
His sight of crying alone, inflicted pain in my chest, and filled my head with questions that what could have happened to him? What it is that's so painful which left him helpless enough?

"Bon--" he was shocked to see me there in his office, but that doesn't matter. What matters to me is his tears and the reason behind it. Seeing him like that hurts me and I was on verge of wailing when I rested my forehead against His. It came instinctively to me. My hands were cupping his face. It was a moment of silence, an unasked intimacy and a pleasure everyone seeks in life. I don't know about him but I felt good. He wasn't crying and that was enough for me and my heart to be at peace.

But as I'm someone who know him, and I know how can he react in such situations, when he wants to guard himself, he did it in the same way - he jerked my hands away from his face and pushed me. And I know, whatever I'll ask now, he will be just lying to me. Hence I spilled the truth that I saw him in my room last night. At least he won't be able to hide anything now.
He looked everywhere but me. "Get out Bondita..!" He murmured but I have had enough of his antics.

"So that you can again get in. Without my knowledge. Tell me?" I lashed out.

"I came to your room because mom told me you didn't eat anything, I came to say --" he heaved a sigh and continued "forget it."

"I won't. And why do you care if I eat or not. After all your purpose is fulfilled - I am living in your house. Right?"

"Get out Bondita. I'm not in a mood to fight." His one hand rested on his waist and other rubbed the bridge of his nose. I think it has become his favourite three lettered sentence in past 24 hours - GET OUT BONDITA.

"I'll go and then you will come to my room and will talk to my photograph or do something similar like that. If that's the case - to aa kyu nhi jaate mere paas." I don't know what I was saying. Fuck. Bondita you just confessed something. Am I asking him to be with me? I gasped at the thought.

"You won't be able to endure what will come with me!?" He turned and walked to me with slow steps.

"But I want to try...!" Try what? Him? "I wanna know what it feels to endure....!" My pretentious confidence began to dry out as he was looking straight in my eyes. "you!" I completed. I realised why. Why my Pretense was drying out - Because reality was hitting me.

"Its fire..!" He lowered himself to me. Is he trying to intimidate? Well what else I can expect when I'm openly inviting him.

But now that it is happening. I won't stop it, us, him or myself. I won't.

"Maybe roses..!" I retorted with fierceness.

"Then more of thorns!"

"Lagta nhi hai..!" I smirked. Okay nice!  I wanted to pat my back.

"Tum mujhe janti nhi ho!" His hot breathe fanned my earlobe. He had his face near my temples and with his husky voice I was losing it big time. His left hand moved through my loose hairs as he tucked them behind my ear. His closeness strands me like no other.

"Lemme know you then." I flinched my arm to avoid his touch. He was not letting me focus, I know. I folded my hands in front of my chest.

"Prove it to me!" He moved back a little, forcing his hands in his pockets.

"What?" I raised my brows.

"That you are worthy..!"

"Of your love?" What a question! My heart mocked me.

" -- Of my attention! Of all the pain I shall bring with me. Prove me you are worthy!" He again lowered to me with  his hands still in his pockets. His eyes had something I don't know. A truth which he is hiding probably. And what kind of pain? What he always talk about? Why he lables himself like that?

"But --" I wavered at his confident voice.

"There you go!!" He smirked for I gave him the chance to laugh at me.

"Mihi --"

"Thanks Bondita. Now go!" He pointed to the gate.

"I'm ready!" I blurted because I can't back off.

"There's a case - you gonna handle it for me!" He was quick.

"Are you really checking out my skills"

"Yes I am! Dr Mihir Doshi don't waste his time on random chicks like you!" Can he stop being rude to me!? There's a limit of pushing someone away from yourself. And he crosses it. Always.

"Buzz off!" I eyed him.

"How short your endurance was. I'm impressed." Mihir smirked.

"Don't provoke me!"

"I'm not. I'm just telling you the truth. Bardasht nahi kar paogi mujhe." His gaze turned serious, confiding as if he was warning me of something he is scared about.

"I can."

"You can back off If you want. Because after this I won't allow." Mihir looked earnestly.

"I won't. Bring it on!" I don't know from where it was coming. Why I am so into him!? I don't know. It's just he pulls me to him. That's it.

"Khel rhi ho mere sath?" He questioned as he turned me around and held me from behind. He rested his face on my shoulder as he spoke "you wanna mess with me?" He walked his fingers down my arms causing goosebumps to arise on my neck. He's both a distraction and an attention seeker.

"Agar inaam tum ho,, to tumhare sath khelne me harz nhi..!" I looked at him in his eyes, from side, trying not to sound weak because of his sweet torture. Our lips were inches apart. And I swear I never felt such huge amount of sexual tension oozing around me.
His face muscles softened and he let go of me. As I got detached from his body frame I said "I am going back home." I caught myself together. It was too much for today. His presence makes me go weak.

"Wait I'm coming with you!" He said from behind. This day is going to be long.

____________

Author's POV

"Oh my goodness! He looks exactly like you." Bondita exclaimed at the cctv footage Mihir showed her. Her one hand rested on her waist, another covered her open mouth. The footage had a man walking upto some patient's room through the corridor. The man looked like Mihir in physique, hair cut and by his side profiles.

___________

Mihir told her the fiasco he is in from past two weeks. Few high level assassins, who were caught by the police were admitted to the hospital he works in. They had tried to kill themselves before police can force them to spill their reality. "are they some terrorists?" Bondita exclaimed when he told her. "Maybe one day they would have become." He said.
The treatment was going fine when suddenly they all vanished in thin air. All five of them eloped from the hospital one night and when police checked the footage, They saw doctors like Mihir entering their rooms and then the cameras stopped working. Allegations have been put on hospital staff.
"None of the cop is even thinking of strengthening their own force. Everything happened because they were careless enough to allow the traitors to flee away but it is being overlooked."

"So some people pretend to be the doctors, copied your body language and looks and.." she added.

"And helped them flee. Probably. I don't know anything. All four of us don't know anything." Mihir replied.

_____________

"He looks but he ain't me. I wasn't there in the hospital that day." He told her.

"Where were you?"

"I was nowhere..!" Mihir heaved a lonely and cold sigh and stood up from the chair only to walk upto the window of his room. He was looking outside when Bondita placed her hand on his shoulder and asked "you need to tell me. Where were you that day?"

"I.. I was in my car, I was driving all night." He kept on looking outside, though he allowed his shoulders to relax under her touch. It was soothing.

"And you didn't even come home,, that too without eating anything?"

"How do you know I didn't eat?" He finally faced her.

"You were having a bad mood so it's easy to guess..!" She replied. "But Why?" Bondita frowned.

"Guess that yourself. I'm too predictable. Right?" Mihir mocked her.

"Can't you answer like a normal man does?" 

"I can't tell you that." the gravity of the situation hit him. Meanwhile Bondita looked hopeless when he continued "But yeah I wasn't home, neither hospital. I haven't done this. It is not me." Mihir's voice trembled and she realised that he's really scared regarding his job.

"I know Dr Mihir. I trust you." The latter sentence came out as a whisper as she saw through him. She asked him "where are the other clippings?"

"Cameras got knocked off after recording this part. Similar things happened with my three fellow doctors. Its a trap Bondita. Its a trap so that our medical team gets accused of helping those assassins in fleeing away. We are being framed. It's all false. I didn't..!" His voice trailed off as she pulled him by his hands and cupped his face. They looked at each other with glassy orbs. Mihir was feeling better under her aura. She brings peace in his chaotic life, she calms his thumping heart, she is a medicine to all his invisible ailments. She is his perfect obsession.

"I have temporarily lost my practice of neurosurgery." He was losing hopes, she realised and it was breaking her heart.

"What?" She let go of him.

"Yeah don't tell mom and dad about this." He said detaching himself from her.

"I won't but they will get to know from somewhere..soon. Then why not from you?  Itna chipate kyu ho khud ko sabse? Yaha tak ki Khud se bhi?"

"Because I haven't done anything which is worth boasting." He referred to his past which is oblivion to her.

"But at least tell your parents, they won't be disappointed in you, trust me Mihir." She said in a go and realised that she called him by his name. "Sorry..! Dr Mihir." She corrected but he looked at her with certainty.

"Call me by my name."

"Are you--"

"I have never been this serious Bondita" her heart palpitated on listening her name. Though it's not the first time he called her Bondita but his tone made her heart skip a beat. He was low yet clear in his approach. Their eyes met for a brief moment. She walked upto him and held his hand using her both "if you weren't home, then what did you tell the police?" Her hand still caressing his, comforting his tainted soul, freeing it from some guilts.

"I told them I was with my friend." His gaze was transfixed at her.

"And no friend is ready to get involved in this matter. Right?"

"Yes because I don't have friends." He stated and continued "but I haven't done anything. I don't deserve this loss. My practise of neurosurgery is everything for me. My profession keeps me sane."

"I know. Now relax. You don't have to justify yourself in front of me. I know you didn't do this. I know you can't do anything wrong like this." Mihir's heart sank at her words. He was reminded of his past, he hides. How can she trust him? "In just a span of one week, is it easy to trust someone?" He didn't realise when he voiced his thoughts.

"A foetus trusts his mother the moment he's born. Can we explain that?" She smiled.

"It can be. It's love that's bound to happen. Its very intimate." He replied as a matter of fact but as soon as he realised the gravity of his words, Mihir walked back and ran his hand over his face. are they in love? Is love bound to happen between them? Is it this intimate?

"Well.. the bottom line is..umm..! I have to handle this case...yeah!" Bondita fumbled, her fingers moved in a loose fist. She bit her lower lip.

"Don't you worry, you are just going to find the leads. Case will be presented in the court by my personal lawyer. He told her with worn out eyes that emoted nothing.

"So you are telling me that I will find the leads, the solution to your problem and someone else will present it in the court. Are you using me?" She withdrew her hands from his. He felt abandoned. Lonely. "I mean wow! I'll do all the hardwork and someone else will reap the fruits. Are you for real Dr Mihir Doshi?" Bondita yelled in despair. A moment ago she felt like they belong to each other, and the very next they seem strangers enough to let go. The moment she thinks they are moving ahead in their way, she finds herself at the same position she was at.