Between love and nation

8

I drag him inside the flat but he was not ready to come inside but still with great difficulty I drag him inside and made him sit on the couch. God he is so heavy just like me when he gets conscious ill asks him, his weight.

I don't know where he put the first aid kit, finally, I found the kit in the washroom. I walk back to the hall and saw Raghu on the couch when I go near him, I found him sleeping on couch.dam his shoulder is bleeding so badly and he is sleeping like nothing happen to him. I sit beside him and slowly opened his shirt, and wiped the blood. I put cream on his wound and wrapped his shoulder with a bandage with great difficulty. Dam he is burning in fever, do something Neha, but what do I do. Yes cold strips, cold strips will help me. I walk inside the kitchen and took out the bowl, I put I ice cubes in it and walk back into the hall. I removed his shoes and wiped his hands and feet carefully. I put a cold strip on his head and he held my hand so tightly. Dam Raghu please be safe. I am right now feeling like his wife, dam why I am feeling butterflies when I called myself his wife. What is this feeling which I am feeling inside my stomach? God am I really imagining myself as his wife.

Dam neha, stop it. You look like an elephant, why raghu will make you his wife and papa, you know how he treated him. Just don't try to take advantage of his care. And you are forgetting what Nikhil told you, no one will marry an elephant-like me. It's not like I am dying to marry anyone but still its hurts so bad when Nikhil words remind me about my condition. But I should thanks to god because of Nikhil I got raghu like a best friend.

I don't know if he considers me as his best friend or not but for me, he is my only best friend after my mom. God, I miss my mom. But at least today I am not alone in this penthouse, raghu is here.

I look at raghu and grace my fingers on his cheeks. a small smile appeared on my face. This guy really doesn't know how to care for himself. He took me with him and protected me.

I don't know why but, some kind of rope always pulled me towards him. The way he looked at me, the way he held me in his strong arms, the way he cared about me, the way he takes care of my happiness, making me crazy for him. I never got his kind of best friend. He is truly a blessing a god for me.

The whole night I put cold strips on his head, he is still holding my hand like I am his favorite teddy bear. I don't know when I doze off. But I know one thing, whenever it is near me, I felt so safe and homely.

Third-person pov :

In the morning when Raghu woke up, he felt so much pain in his shoulder, he tried to touch his shoulder with his another hand but he felt someone on his another shoulder when he turned his face, he saw his angel head on his shoulder, she is sleeping like a baby on his shoulder without any fear. Her long hairs are covering her face and Raghu brushed her hairs from her innocent face. Her soft breath is fanning his lips. He grazes his thumb on her lips and Neha woke up.

When Neha saw his opened eyes, she quickly stands up and hugged him tightly. " thank god you are fine, you made me so scared last night, why you drink this much Raghu, please don't do it again Raghu " said Neha, she totally forgot that she is hovering over Raghu. His heart fluttered in happiness, he felt like he is in heaven, Raghu really slowly hugged her fat body. No one never cared about him like this before, the way she hugged him and the relief which came on her face, he can't describe in words what he felt at this moment after seeing the happiness of neha and care in his eyes for him. " I am fine princess relax so sorry to make you worried," said Raghu then Neha realized her position, she quickly got up and apologized to Raghu for squeezing him. " you sit here i'll go and make something for you," said Neha and put her palm on Raghu's head " thank you Bappa finally your fever has vanished, when you become fine, we'll visit temple together, and don't say no please, last night you were not well. So I told God, if you become fine, we'll go to the temple to join our hands in front of god." said Neha and walk inside the kitchen.

Raghu is watching Neha dreamingly he never felt like this before, she is taking care of him like a mother.

Suddenly Neha came back, she is carrying a pan in her hand " oh Raghu don't take a bath ok and come fast " said Neha but her whole focus is on a hot pan in which she is preparing scrambled eggs for Raghu.

Raghu walks inside the room and his nostrils filled with her sweet aroma, he felt butterflies on his skin. Raghu walked inside the washroom and did his business. he doesn't know what to wear, so he walked out of the washroom in the towel. But to his surprise, there is a shirt on the bed for him, but he clearly remembered that last night he puked on his shirt. " dam that girl, she washed my shirt. How can she do that kind of works for me? " said Raghu to himself and walk outside.

There he saw Neha, she is placing food on the table. " oh you are looking fresh Raghu, I don't know what you like to eat so I made dosa for you and Kaanda poha with scrambled eggs hope you like it and if you don't like it then please let me know so i'll make something else for you.  " said Neha and served him coffee. " so sorry to bother you like this and I love the food which you made for me. but how can you allow me inside your home, for God's sake princess, you can't trust everyone like this? Hope you remember the words of your father, I am a criminal, you shouldn't take me inside your living place like this, what if some bad person was chasing me last night.  " said Raghu and sit on the chair.

" you are my angle Raghu, you saved my life when no one was there with me not even my family. And I have a problem with angels and for god sake, this is your place where I am staying. " Said Neha and poured coffee in her cup.

" but I am a criminal princess do you know what people will think about you, and why you wash my dirty shirt," asked Raghu and took a bite of delicious food and moaned so loud. Neha starts laughing on him. " thank you for the compliment Raghu and by the way  I never cared about peoples because they were not there when I was homeless " said Neha and start serving water to Raghu. " you should care about your reputation princess, this world is not innocent like you .and why you are not eating anything " said Raghu and about to serve breakfast in her plate but Neha pulled the plate away. " no Raghu, I already look like a baby elephant and I am on a diet so you eat, ill eat later and you need energy not me." said Neha and served all poha in his plate.

Raghu grab her hand but he was very nervous " don't skip your breakfast princess and who told you, you are an elephant, you are my beautiful princess I am mean you look like a princess " said Raghu and served his poha in her plate. " you are too sweet Raghu but this world is not like you. Like you told me a few minutes ago. So you eat and let me do my dieting " said Neha and smiled brightly at Raghu, he felt thousands of butterflies in his stomach, no one never smiled in his direction but she is smiling with him as she knew him from many years. Usually, everyone trembled front in front of him in fear.

" you should eat this poha princess, ok let's make a deal I will help you to lose your weight and you'll make food for me, in return what say ?" said Raghu and shoved spoon of poha in her mouth.

" that's wonderful Raghu but I am too lazy you know and I am searching a job for me, how ill manage everything Raghu," said Neha with a worried face and Raghu made a horrible face, according to him Neha is too innocent for the outer world and he can't see her hurt again. " but why you need a job princess, I think you have everything now," said Raghu with a worried face and Neha gave him breathtaking smile " awww Raghu you are too sweet you know but I can't take your help anymore, you already did too much for me and I don't want to become a burden on you," said Neha and chugged her coffee and start eating her poha.

Raghu knew Neha is just like her father, she will never agree for his free help. " ok but let me find a job for you " said Raghu and Neha start grinning like a small kid.raghu so badly wants to pull her cheeks but he doesn't want to cross his limits.so he kept his hands away from her.

" now I am leaving meet in the park at sharp 5'o clock ok," said Raghu and stand up, when Neha saw him in a towel she starts laughing on Raghu so loudly, she clutched her stomach and fell down on her knees.

When Raghu hear her beautiful lullaby-like laugh, a beautiful smile appeared on his face. He doesn't know why she is laughing like this but he can spend his whole life like this watching her beautiful smile.

Her beautiful laugh is filling his dark world with light, he felt so full so complete with her. Her innocence is satisfying his fearful heart which he covered from everyone. He made huge walls around his heart after the death of sugar and his best friend.

" don't.......tell......me you are......planning to......go out like this," said Neha between her loud laugh. When Raghu saw the towel around his waist, he also starts smiling with her. This is the first time raghu is smiling not because of the towel but because of neha.

After an hour later he changed his pant and walk out." Raghu i'll wait for you on dinner and please don't use your shoulder too much ok take care be safe and come soon, last night I was scared because you were there, so please come for dinner at least  " said Neha with a soft smile, but when Neha saw the uncomfortable look on Raghu's face " Raghu what happened, you don't want to join me on dinner " asked Neha with a worried tone, when Raghu saw her worried face and frowned head, he smiled brightly, "I don't like to come here, actually and I don't want to spoil your image in front of society " said Raghu and walk away from Neha.

Neha doesn't like his answer, that's true she never cared about the outer world, she knew he is criminal but for here, he is an angel who protects her modesty when hungry devils were ready to snatch from her. Neha felt so happy around him because he never judged him like others. He is like a mystery for neha and she doesn't want to solve this mystery, she just wants to get lost in this mystery.

The whole day and night Neha waited for Raghu but he never comes, she talked to her mom and maasi and told them about her day. Her mom was hell worried about her but Neha told her that she is fine. Neha didn't talk to her father and sister because she is angry at them. She is really not feeling good all alone here if raghu was there she will make food for him and talked to him about many things.

Raghu pov :

" Why are you watching your shirt like this Raghu," asked a beautiful girl to Raghu and his smile vanished like it never exists on his face. That girl walked near his table and made herself comfortable on it.

" nothing and why you called me here, you know I am doing all work on time," said Raghu and that girl smiled at Raghu. " I like your presence my husband now let's go, I don't want to waste my time here," said that girl and Raghu glared her angrily.

Raghu did all his work and at the correct sharp 4'o clock " I am leaving, and I don't think I'll come here again " said Raghu but that girl grabs his hand.

" so eager to go home, stay with me I want to discuss something with you," said that girl in a sweet tone but Raghu pulled his hand back and walk out.

Raghu reached to the park and saw sleepy Neha on the swing, he walked near her and made loud growl behind her but Neha ignored his growl and closed her eyes." Dam this girl is crazy " said Raghu to himself and shake Neha shoulder. It's very hard work to wake neha up " wake up sleepyhead, " said Raghu, when Neha opened her eyes her face bloomed like a flower. She threw her arms around his neck for a second and then leave his body.

" Raghu you are really here or am I dreaming " asked Neha and rubbed her eyes. Raghu finds her act so cute and innocent, her voice came out like a baby.

"Stop sleeping, princess now let's go for a jog," said Raghu and drag her on the jogging track. Neha made face but raghu holds her hand and told her to run with him in a strict tone.

After an hour later Neha starts breathing heavily, she sits on her knees and started glaring Raghu for making her exhausted. Raghu also sits beside her, Neha laid on the grass and pulled Raghu also on grass .she unknowingly held his hand and start watching the sky with him.

Raghu felt ticklish in his stomach, his heart starts beating fastly, Raghu start watching Neha with warm eyes. No one never cared about him before but Neha, she is waking up unknown emotion in his heart.