RAKSHIT KHURANA:

          " I Love you , My Shit 💖 "

I looked at my mobile screen and read the last message from a certain special someone for the nth time this hour. In fact, I had been staring at the message for the past two hours.

"Are you sure that you are okay, RK?" I heard my manager, Deepak, ask in worry.

"Yes, I am perfectly fine. Why would you ask, though?" I asked before closing my phone and putting it back inside my jacket.

"You have been staring at your phone for the past hour without blinking. Are you waiting for an important message or call?" he asked with concern.

"No. I was just going through my DMs and random memes," I lied smoothly, as I had been doing for the past three years.

"But you don't look fine to me. Is everything alright?" he asked with worry.

"Yes, yes, I'm fine. Just nervous. Today is going to be my biggest performance," I said while trying to compose my racing heartbeats.

"Oh please... it's your forty-fifth live concert in the last three years, and you're still nervous? Chill, bro, your fans are going to go crazy if they heard you," Deepak said, chuckling.

"It doesn't matter how many times I have performed; it still feels like my first time," I said genuinely, and he shook his head before scrolling through his phone.

I looked towards the mirror and adjusted my leather jacket properly. I wasn't lying when I said I was nervous because I was. My lucky charm hadn't wished me yet, and thinking about that made me nervous as hell.

I pulled out my phone again and checked for any messages from my Ita, but there were none. In fact, she hadn't been online for the past two hours.

Where are you, Ita?

"Oh my God," I heard Deepak gasp loudly. I turned to look at him and found him staring at his phone with a shocked expression.

"What happened? Why are you gasping like that?" I asked while trying to call her number, but it was switched off. A frown came to my face while thinking about her whereabouts.

"I was just going through the news and happened to see the breaking news about an accident involving a girl. The reports say there is no chance she will survive," he said in a low voice, making my chest tighten with an unknown emotion.

"May God help her," I whispered for the girl who was fighting for her life.

"It's a hit-and-run case. But I think they are going to catch the culprit soon as the girl is from an influential family," he whispered, which was audible to me.

"Oh... Who is she?" I asked while combing my hair with the brush.

"She's the eldest daughter of our Collector, Mr. Arvind Goswami," he said, and my hand stopped midway. I felt my heart thudding at an unknown speed. My eyes got teary. I turned towards him.

"Wh...what is...is her name?" I asked, stuttering.

Please don't be her.

Please don't be my Ita.

Please, God, please don't be her.

I prayed mentally.

"Oh... her name is Madhu... Madhumita Goswami," he said, and I felt the earth slip beneath my feet. The brush fell from my hand with a thud.

"Nooo, please God, no," I whispered, my voice tightening.

"I need to go," I said, and this time Deepak heard me.

"Go where?" Deepak asked while standing up from the sofa and coming towards me.

"Which hospital?" I asked. Each word came out with difficulty as I felt myself draining.

"What?" Deepak asked, confused at my sudden change in behavior.

"Which hospital is she in?" I asked loudly, making him gulp.

"Fortis Hospital, South Delhi," he said, and I took my car keys and turned to leave but was stopped by Deepak.

"Wait. Where are you going?" he asked while coming closer.

"To the hospital," I said, my patience draining with each second. The urge to see my Ita increasing with each moment.

"Are you mad, RK? The concert is about to start in half an hour. Thousands of people are waiting for you outside in the stadium, and you're leaving all of them for a girl?" he shouted, and I grabbed his collar, pulling him close.

"Not just a girl, my life. If you say anything ill about her, I'm going to slit your throat," I said while tightening my hold on his collar.

"But what about your fans? What about your reputation? And what about the financial loss?" he asked, worry evident in his tone.

"I don't know. I don't care about anything but her. Do whatever you have to do. But I'm going, right now," I said before leaving for the hospital, to my girl.

Please be okay, Ita. I can't lose you.

♡

I somehow managed to reach the hospital within the next half hour without getting killed. I ran towards the hospital without even bothering to park my car properly.

I ran inside the hospital towards the reception. The receptionist and attendants looked shocked to see me.

"Madhu... Madhumita Goswami. Accident case. Where?" I asked while catching my breath. Even saying her name hurt me.

"Oh my God... RK? Is that really you?" the receptionist asked, shocked.

"Where. Is. She?" I asked while banging my hands on the table, making her flinch and come out of her daze.

"Operation theatre, 1st floor," the receptionist said in a trembling voice, and I ran towards the stairs, skipping steps.

I reached the floor and saw her family and some police officers waiting outside the operation theatre. Her little sister noticed me first and ran towards me, hugging me tightly.

"Rakshit Bava..." Swasika called me while crying. Her mother was also crying in her father's embrace.

(Bava is an adjective used to address brother-in-law in Telugu)

"Shh... don't cry. She will be fine. She has to be fine," I said while consoling her, more like consoling myself.

I walked towards her parents, and her mother cried while looking at me.

"She was coming to you. She wanted to surprise you. But then..." She couldn't complete her sentence as she sobbed.

"Don't cry, Aunty. She will be fine," I said, but my mind was stuck on what she said.

She was coming to you.

She wanted to surprise you.

My Ita was coming to see me. After two long months, she was finally coming to see me.

The door of the operation theatre opened, gaining our attention. We stood up and hurriedly went towards the surgeon.

"How is my daughter?" Arvind Uncle asked.

"The surgery was successful, Mr. Goswami. But she has a right ulnar fracture and a left tibial fracture. Also, there was severe blood loss and injury to the brain, but she's out of danger for now," the surgeon said, making us thank God.

"But I have to warn you that due to the severe injury and blood loss to the brain, there may be a chance she will lose her memory," he said, making me panic.

The surgeon must have seen our reactions because he said, "It's just a possibility. Let's hope for the best. We will shift her to the ICU. After twenty-four hours of observation, you can meet her when she gains consciousness."

"Thank you, sir, for saving my daughter," Veena Aunty said while joining her hands in front of the surgeon, who smiled at her before leaving.

♡

Twenty-four hours are over now.

Ita had been shifted to the ICU after the surgery and was under observation. The nurse informed us that she had gained consciousness.

I took a deep breath before entering the room. Her whole family was surrounding her, asking about her well-being. I looked at her and was met with her chocolate brown eyes, which didn't hold the love and joy they usually did when they met mine.

My mind started whispering that something was wrong, but my heart didn't listen.

I moved closer to her bed. My heart ached at the sight. Her head was bandaged. Her right arm and left leg were in casts. There were multiple scratches on her face and limbs. But still, she managed to look like the most beautiful woman in the world.

"It...Madhu, how are you feeling now?" I asked, stopping myself from calling her by the nickname I gave her. But her next words literally broke my heart into a million pieces.

"Who are you?" she asked, looking at me, confused. And I felt like I had been stabbed multiple times in the chest.

It was just three words, but they shattered my heart and changed my life completely.

♡