Its been a loooooooooooooong day... lol years actually since I wrote something here and published. Well, just another random plot. Hope you like it!

"Words in double quotes." - Talking

'Words in single quotes.' - Thoughts

Moving on... 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

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My One and Only

Laksh could feel his skin crawl as he glanced at the well organised room. Nothing was out of place actually. Everything was arranged perfectly.

Too perfectly.

The photo of the person to whom the room belonged to hung in the wall for all to see.

She was no doubt beautiful, but seemed to now be in her mind 40s. 'Probably had a face and body to be drowled over by boys and envied by girls during her College days.' Laksh thought in amusement. However, it wasn't enough to settle the bile that threatened to come out of his mouth out of nervousness.

The door creaked open making him jerk his head to the side to look at the approaching female he was thinking about.

"Good morning, Mr. Maheshwari. Sorry for the delay. There was a stubborn patient that needed to be disciplined."

"Di-disciplined?" Laksh stuttered out, already imagining thousands of painful scenerios in his mind. He heard a giggle to his right and whipped his head to look at her. "Ragini, this isn't funny." He whispered quietly, hoping the doctor wouldn't notice.

"Yes, disciplined." replied the doctor. Watching him fidget under her gaze, she chuckled. "Oh no. Don't worry. I didn't mean forceful means. I just talked him down and gave him an injection to calm him down."

Laksh nodded, releasing the breath he didn't know he was holding back. "I see. Nice to meet you, Dr. Sen."

"Call me Niharika, Mr. Maheshwari. Dr. Sen makes me sound old." She said with a playful smirk.

'I was right about her being a heartbreaker. She's flirting despite me being much younger than her.' Laksh thought with a smile. He could also feel the heated glare coming from beside him where he knew Ragini was glaring at home, making his smile widen. "Then you can call me Laksh. After all, I probably would be your brother's age."

Niharika seemed somewhat taken aback by his reply, but laughed out loud. "Nice! It's not everyday that my charm fails to work. Don't worry, I was just trying to ease the tension and become more friendly."

'Yeah, right!' Laksh thought with a snort, Ragini repeating his motion.

"Okay Mr. Mah- I mean Laksh. What seems to be the problem?"

"There's no problem. That's what I've been trying to tell my family! But they wouldn't listen until I agreed to visit you."

"Well, you seem like a fine young gentleman with a good sense of humour and wit. How come you ended up here in my chamber?"

"Exactly!" Laksh's eyes lit up, thinking he finally got someone who won't misjudge him. "I told my family the exact same thing. But they just wouldn't listen! I mean look at me. Do I look depressed to you? I'm freaking fine to a T!"

Dr. Sen chuckled at his enthusiastic reply. "Your brother sure thinks something is wrong. I mean he practically bribed 10 of my clients so that they cancel their appointment today to make space for you."

Laksh rolled his eyes, both mentally and physically. "Sanky has always been an overprotective brother. He worries way too much anyways! Look, I admit I was depressed for sometime but...but now I'm okay."

Dr. Sen put her elbows on the table, entwined her fingers and placed her chin on them, looking at him with narrowed eyes. "Every depressed and schizophrenic thinks they're fine when they come here."

"Look doctor, I'm different from them because neither am I depressed nor schizophrenic, okay!?"

"Okay, then tell me why you were depressed and why do you think now you're not?"

Laksh looked down in guilt and shame. "I...I don't want to talk about it."

"I guess that is because you're not over it and are still guilty and depressed. Which is why I believe your brother is right."

"That's not true. I. Am. Fine!"

"Okay then, tell me why you were depressed. If you can talk about it, then I'll believe you."

"Is this what psychiatrists do? Try to ruin the mental state of the patient?"

"Well, if the mental state is already ruined and we're ruining a ruined mental state, doesn't that mean we're actually curing the person?"

Laksh blinked trying to understand what she just said. "Is this some sort of game to you?"

Dr. Sen shrugged with a bored look. "I face patients like you all the time Laksh. I'm not the villain here and you need to understand that. I'm here to help."

"Well, I don't need any help! Why are YOU TRY-" Laksh stopped mid-sentence when he saw tears in Ragini's eyes. She was shaking her head with tears in her eyes. 'Shit! She never liked when I shouted. I scared her again. Can't I do anything right for her?!'

Dr. Sen observed his silence with narrowed eyes. "Mr. Maheshwari.... Laksh, look at me. I am not here to criticize you. Neither am I here just for the payment. I can just sign your case as 'treatment completed' and you'll be free to go. I'll get my payment. But that's not what I took this job for."

Laksh could see the honesty and determination in her eyes and he swallowed, finally calming down.

"My job is to find the path of healing for the ones that aren't being able to find it themselves. everyone needs someone to help them. Even when you think that you can sort it out by yourself, sometimes it's okay to just let others take control and surrender your troubles to them. So please...please let me help you."

There was silence for a minute and the only sounds that could be heard was of the ticking clock.

Laksh breathed in a shaky breath. "It...it started after I tried to ki...." Laksh flinched, as if it was physically hurting him to admit the truth. He felt a warm hand cover his and looked up to see Ragini smile at him. "It started after I tried to kill my wife Ragini."

Dr. Sen grit her teeth to stop the gasp that wanted to escape her. she had heard various cases in her life time as a psychiatrist, but every odd case like this always shocked her. humans were truly and utterly terrifying creatures sometimes.

She nodded, encouraging him to go on. "You said trying. You...you didn't actually kill her, did you?"

Laksh shook his head. "No. I drove the car towards the cliff, but it was me who ended up over the edge instead of her. She realized it, but she saved me. She risked her life to save me. Both she and Sanky even after...even after all the troubles I caused them. Even after...even after the insults that I threw at them. I told them to go and die! Who does that to his own brother and wife!?" Laksh let his tears flow, not caring that he was openly crying in front of a stranger. "I'm the worst person alive! It should have been me who slipped. It should have been me who accidently tripped and fell off the cliff. It should have been me. It should have been ME! ME!"

Dr. Sen felt bad for asking further, but she had a job to do. She wouldn't be able to heal him if she gets emotional. "So...she died?"

Laksh smiled tearily. "Fortunately, no. She luckily survived. And I can't be thankful that she's always here for me. I don't...I don't know how I would ever live without her. I...I can't live without her. I just can't!" Laksh smiled tearily at Ragini who returned it.

"Well, you're a lucky guy Mr. Maheshwari. And this Ragini person you speak of...she also seems like a sweet person."

Laksh nodded with a genuine smile. "She is an angel, the personification of goodness."

The doctor nodded. "She must be beautiful too?"

"She is my Aphrodite."

"Ah, you seem smitten. You sure she didn't cast a love spell upon you?" joked Niharika.

Laksh chuckled. "Well, considering I made it obvious I hated her every moment until I realize my idiocy, I think not."

"Haha... I see. She really was lucky to finally get her loved returned."

Laksh nodded solemnly. "Yes. I love her and will always do."

"She really loved you too, didn't she?"

"Yes, she did."

"She cared for you more than her own life."

"She indeed did."

Dr. Sen smiled and stood up, raising her hand towards him to shake. "Well, Laksh, I am glad you told me your story. And you're right. You're okay. But please visit me once more. I mean, since no one in your family is willing to listen to you, I maybe a good friend for you. Is that okay?"

"I could use some hours away from home where they always look like I'm insane. Thanks doc." He stood up and shook her head with a smile. "We'll be leaving now. See ya!"

Dr. Sen waved with her own grin in place as he went away.

However, once he closed the door behind him, her smile dropped in an instant. She pressed the button on her desk to alert the receptionist so that she might send Sanskar in.

"So? What do you think?" asked Sanskar as he sat down before her.

"Your brother is...is a complicated case you could say."

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To be continued...

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~ 🌹 Mona 🌹