Ananya's POV :

"The last thing I remember, I was fine" , Janvi said feebly. She was covered in many more bandages than Arav. She'd been in the driver's seat after all. Half of her face was covered in dressing and the remaining part that showed was not a pretty sight. I knew the gashes would heal but the cuts were so deep that the scars would always remain. Our model-like Janvi was gone. Forever.

It was difficult to keep tears from coming to my eyes.

"You're still fine", Arjun said "We love you Janvi".

"Look at my face babies. It looks like that messed up pizza we tried to make at home once", she laughed. But it wasn't difficult to see that there was no mirth behind it.

"Well, pizza is hot", Arjun said trying to cheer her up.

Janvi gave a weak chuckle.

"So Arav is okay?", she asked. Even now, she was concerned only about the other person and not herself! God, this was so unfair!

"Yeah...he is fine", I said. I wasn't about to tell her that Arav had found out about his adoption.

"Shaheer is on his way", Arjun said.

"What?" Janvi asked tensing up "He was supposed to go to Pondicherry today. He had a celebrity shoot there."

She was covered in bandages but was worrying about Shaheer's photoshoot. Man! Shaheer, what did you do right?

"We know", Arjun said "He was halfway there but came back after hearing about you. He'll be here anytime".

"Oh God! He shouldn't be coming. I'm alright here anyway. That shoot is so important for him".

"Not more than you babe", the door opened behind us and Shaheer walked in. Looking as good as I had last seen him, but horrendously worried.

"Shaheer!" Janvi said as she struggled to sit up on the bed.

Shaheer turned and looked at me and Arjun briefly. We took the cue and walked out leaving the two to their moment.

                                      ~~~~~

"See here..umm..I know you had intended to marry my sister", my dad began as we gathered with him and Shaheer outside Janvi's ward. Mom was with Arav.

"Had intended?" Shaheer asked indignantly, "Sir what do you mean had intended? Do you think I wouldn't want to marry her after this accident? Or perhaps you hoped that I wouldn't want to?"

"What I'm saying is.."

"Sir, please", Shaheer said "I know you don't like me. And I see why. But you have to give me a chance. You think I won't love her because of these scars? Or you think she won't love me anymore?"

"What did she tell you?", dad asked.

"She loves me the same. And I, her. Please give me a chance".

"So you still want to marry her?" dad asked but his tone was completely different this time

"Of course", Shaheer said.

Dad looked around. I could tell he was struggling to control himself.

"I see, why it's you", he finally said with a heavy voice.

Shaheer smiled "Thank you", and held out his hand. Dad took it and then pulled him into an unexpected hug.

"Will you keep my sister happy?" I heard him ask.

"Very happy", Shaheer replied.

All I could do was, wipe my eyes.

                                       ~~~~~~

The next two days, immediately after school we came straight to the hospital and stayed there till night. Arav got discharged the day after. Janvi was to stay there for another week.

I was with Arjun and Arav in Janvi's room chatting about the final level of the competition.

"I wish I could just skip it and stay at home", I said glumly.

"Please do", Arjun said "At least I can be happy there for two weeks".

Janvi and Arav exchanged grins.

"You both should go" Janvi said "And one of you get that trophy for me!"

"I bet it won't be me", I mumbled inside my mind so that no one else heard it but me.

Right then, Mom joined us. She came and sat on the bed next to Janvi. She was holding something behind her.

We still hadn't told Janvi that my parents had agreed for her marriage with Shaheer.

Looking at mom's composure, I thought that was it. She was going to tell Janvi now.

Mom pulled out an envelope from behind her. It was tastefully designed with elaborate golden borders and our family deity's picture on it.

My jaw dropped as I realised what it must be. I looked at Arjun who was looking back in a daze. He was thinking the same thing.

Janvi took the envelope curiously and hands shaking, she opened it. Me, Arjun and Arav all leaned in together to see the card inside. My guess was right.

In engraved golden letters, the card read,

"Viraj Family is thrilled to invite you to the engagement party of

Ms. Janvi
with
Mr. Shaheer Khan

on the evening of this February 1st at The Taj Coromandel Hotel, Chennai."

Janvi looked up at mom speechlessly.

"After the engagement let's ask our family priest to fix the marriage date. We'll have one Islamic ceremony and one Hindu ceremony. Is that okay?", mom asked.

Janvi couldn't speak, but mom understood.

                                      ~~~~~

I grabbed my phone and ran out into the reception area, "Pooja! You're gonna die hearing this" I was screaming, "My aunt is getting engaged!"

"What? Really?" Pooja exclaimed.

"Yeah! With her long time boyfriend", I squealed "It's on the first of February. That too in a Taj hotel! Can you believe it?"

"Whoa! This is some serious shit", she whooped.

"I know right", I said happily.

"Ananya! Ananya! Come here!", I turned around to see mom walking up to me.

"Talk to you later", I told Pooja and hung up.

"You're roaming around joblessly aren't you? Here's something for you to do. We had ordered syringe packages from the store outside. It would be ready now. Go pay for it and bring it here", she said handing out a five hundred rupee note.

"Why aren't you sending Arjun?", I sulked.

"Okay fine, leave it if you don't want to go. I'll send Arjun", mom said "I thought you could get Doritos with the change".

"Forget Arjun, I'll do it" I said grabbing the money and running out.

The owner of the store was not there. It was a surgical supplies store but also sold other medicines. There was only a young sales girl. She was visibly new. I assumed it because she didn't exactly know what I was talking about when I told about the syringes.

But she was smart. She went around to look for the package and in the meantime asked me

"How old are you?"

"Seventeen".

"In that case, do you need heating pads or anything?"

"What? No", I said.

"You came from that hospital right? Do you work there?"

"No, no. I just came here to get the package" I said massaging my head.

"You seem tired", she asked instantly "Do you want any headache medicines?"

"No", I said.

"Not even Vicks?" she asked.

"No".

"Do you need any other surgical supplies at that hospital? Sutures?"

"No".

"By the way do they do plastic surgeries in that hospital?" she asked.

"No no. There is not a single cosmetologist in that hospital. We don't do any cosmetic procedures. Not even rhinoplasty".

The girl blinked at me at my rapid use of medical terms.

"What is that rhino..thing?" she asked.

"Rhinoplasty. It's a surgery done to change the shape of the nose", I said.

"Oh okay", she said interestedly "How many stitches do they put after each surgery".

By now the girl had totally impressed me with her ability to steer the conversation to try and make me buy something else. I wanted to see how long she could go on.

"I don't know. It's different for every surgery. For example, it takes about fifteen to thirty stitches for C sections", I said.

"What on earth is a C section now?" she asked looking puzzled. She didn't know what a C section was?

"C section refers to cesarean delivery", I said "You know, when the baby is delivered through surgery...and umm", I struggled to explain "Like...surely you've heard of that?"

"Oh yeah", she said now nodding her head, "But we never do it back in my village. We don't even go to the hospital. Most ladies give birth at home".

"I guess, I should've just said cesarean instead of saying C section", I shrugged.

She finally found the package and gave it to me.I got the it from her and pulled out the five hundred rupee note from my pocket and handed it to her.

"Do you know the owners of the hospital personally?" she asked.

"Umm..yeah", I said after a pause, wondering what she would say next.

"Oh", she said looking a little more comfortable now "Can you ask for a free appointment for my father? He needs treatment for his asthma but we don't have money to give him treatment".

I smiled without replying as I saw her run her hand through the overflowing cash holder, pulled out the change and handed it out to me.

"Um.. you haven't answered my question yet?" she asked looking at me expectantly as she dismissed a call on her smartphone absent mindedly

"Sorry dear, I can't get you a free appointment", I said taking the change from her hand "Asthma medications are much cheaper than smartphones".

The girl gave me a sour look. All her chirpy pleasentness had evaporated. Her painful effort for ten minutes had failed. I walked off without waiting for a reply.

For many years after, I would still wonder about why people always wanted to take advantage of things like this. Sometimes, doctors are like water taps. Unthanked when they run and cursed when they don't.

                                     ~~~~~

"Back to school tomorrow!", Arav said cheerfully as dad drove the three of us home later that night.

"Just for you", I said not very happily "It's back to Walter's Residency for us".

"And back to Kishan", Arjun came close to me and whispered in my ear.

But unfortunately dad heard us.

"Kishan? Kishan, who?" he asked.

"Not Kishan dad. I said Kissan", Arjun explained "You know Kissan mixed fruit jam? Sweet, tasty and makes you want to eat it all up" .

I burst into laughter.