Tanvi gets up to say bye to Farhan yet feels dizzy. She composes herself before Farhan can notice, and moves towards the entrance. She doesn't cross the living room when she finds Samrat entering. Her mind spins seeing him after their morning argument. As their eyes meet, her vision skims. What! This is not her stupid brain or emotions overwhelming her! It's a dizzy spell! She may have exhausted herself over the desert? Is it heatstroke?

All her thoughts fly out of her brain as her body wobbles. Both Samrat and Farhan rush to steady her, but it is Samrat who holds her before she can go crashing to the floor. His arms are cool against her burning waist. It's not her waist that burns. Her entire body is on fire; she wants to discard the cotton shirt she is wearing and happily lounge in the spaghetti top underneath, though it is utterly embarrassing for her to do so in front of Samrat and Farhan. However, before she can even unbutton her collar that is choking her neck, she passes out.

"Tanvi! Hey!" Samrat pats her cheek as he easily supports her weight as she goes limp in his arms. He looks at Farhan for answers. "Farhan, kya hua isey?"

Farhan shrugs, though he looks worried. "Pata nahi. Abhi tak theek thi! It could be heat exhaustion! Or... heat stroke."

Samrat curses under his breath. "This girl... Come on, Farhan, let's take her to the hospital!"

Farhan nods. Samrat dashes out, carrying Tanvi in his arms.

***

Again, Dr Anuja is the one who's in the ER at the night hour. She immediately treats Tanvi. Farhan and Samrat wait a little farther away from the spot the two ladies are. Tanvi lies on the same bed Samrat lay on not long ago, curtains obscuring her from his view. He realises he wasn't worried when it was him. But now...

He breathes in deeply and lets out a shaky breath. Beside him, Farhan is trying his best to keep his calm. He pats Farhan's arm. "Sorry, dost. Wasn't blaming you or anything for her condition back then, Farhan."

Farhan rolls his eyes. "Dadh, come on! Don't apologise. I took no offense! Kuch bhi, yaar! I know we can't help but worry about our friend. Ab, she will be fine, but we will worry na..."

Samrat nods and recalls the time when Tanvi said the same. She was worried when he returned late the day he flew the Shakti aircraft. It's a heavy, wistful feeling. It hurts him she went through all of that suffering for him.

She has been suffering ever since. If not for him... If she didn't love him but someone else, she'd be happy. Ugh, but even this new thought hurts, surprisingly.

***

About an hour later, Dr Anuja allows the men to check on Tanvi, who's asleep and looks peaceful. Samrat and Farhan heave collective sighs of relief at the prognosis that their mutual best friend is already doing well.

"She needs rest and now fluids." Anuja says with a shake of her head. Adjusting her doctor's coat and tucking away her notepad and pen. "It was you that night, Samrat. And now it's your friend. You officers need to take care of yourselves."

"Right..." Samrat nods at Anuja. "We'll be careful. Thank you, Doctor."

Anuja leaves. Farhan sits on a stool next to Tanvi's bedside, holding her hand. Samrat pulls another to sit on.

"Tu thik ho jayegi, Tanz... Anuja says you're already fine! But dhyan rakhna tha na..." Farhan says sorrowfully, taking one of Tanvi's hands.

Samrat observes the gesture with a stiff, wistful smile. Farhan suddenly looks at him.

"Uh, tu thodi der akele rehna chahta uske saath, toh reh le, Sam."

Before Samrat can respond with a "no", Farhan leaves, gently releasing Tanvi's hand and properly tucking her in.

Left alone with Tanvi inside the ER, Samrat sighs and holds his forehead. He remembers telling Farhan he wanted to be with Tanvi that night when she was asleep in the cafeteria. It was shortly after her confession. She had been avoiding him, ending their friendship, and he missed her.

And now... He misses her now too. That hasn't changed. He doesn't even know why they were fighting this afternoon. Maybe he should've been soft as always, but he was annoyed and couldn't stop retorting back. And then he has to make her hate him and help her move on. He sighs again heavily.

"What a crazy situation..."

Tanvi opens her eyes, hearing his voice. Her hazy gaze focuses on him. As recognition hits her, she reaches her hand out towards him.

"Samrat..."

His name is a hoarse whisper from her lips. It surprises him she still wants to hold his hand after their fight, but the look in her eyes tells him none of that matters at the moment. It dawns on him she's in a delirium.

"Sam... don't go... please be with me, okay... I feel awful! Hold my hand, please!"

It's a silly cliche request that she chokes out through half-lidded eyes, one Samrat obeys without questions. His fingers entangle in hers as he reassures her nonverbally of his presence. She smiles and closes her eyes, falling into sleep. He looks away from her exhausted yet beautiful face and down at their joined hands. Just a glance. He has the sudden urge to bring her hand to his lips!

He stops short, realising what he's doing. He chuckles, looking at her. "Yeh mujhe kya ho raha tha..." he murmurs.

She opens her eyes with difficulty, yet again chokes out something. It's inaudible at first. But she repeats it more firmly for him to hear.

"I... love ... you... I love you, Sam..."

Emotion floods Samrat's heart like never-before. There's a quaint, almost sad smile on Tanvi's face that breaks his heart. As she holds his gaze, he's close to bursting with some unnamed intense emotion.

I love you too... the reply arises somewhere from within the depths of his soul. It's a realisation that shakes him to the core, but it's also an undeniable truth now. While he's left gasping for air at the sudden feelings in his chest, she once again snoozes peacefully, this time refusing to wake up under the effect of the medicine that Dr Anuja gave him. He sighs and chuckles bitterly.

"I love you too..." he admits dejectedly, his voice a whisper. "How could I not love you? All this time, I'd been stupidly, stubbornly labelling you as my friend. But the truth is that I'm so completely enamoured with you. Par main tumhe bata nahi sakta. I can't tell you. And this changes nothing. I still have to show you my worst side. I can never be the right one for you."

He clasps her hand more tightly and brings it to his forehead, leaning against it and closing his eyes.

"But why must I realise this now? This is going to make things even harder for me... and you. Life has always been cruel to me, Ya Allah..."

Samrat swallows his bitter feelings, just as Farhan reenters the room. Farhan doesn't ask what transpired in his absence. They decide to wait together until Tanvi wakes up, which, according to Dr Anuja, is about two-three hours after which they can take her home.

***

✨🩵TBC✨🩵

✨💙WC: 1183✨💙

🌈📚Up next: Tanvi wakes up after which she thanks Farhan... Samrat is also there in the background, watching her softly. When they meet for work later though, he's a different guy!

✍️💭💋AN: V & C! Stay tuned!❤️‍🩹❣️