Page 68 of Born in Grief

“Mrs. Gokhale.” That hated name stopped her by the door. “It’s not a good idea for you to build castles in the air.”

“I beg your pardon?” Dhrithi stiffened, her angry gaze meeting the other woman’s pitying one.

“You have enough problems. Don’t add to them. And more importantly, don’t add to his.” Dr. Rawat dismissed her by bending towards the file on her desk, not bothering to watch her leave.

We’ll talk.

Amay’s quiet promise from earlier that day echoed in her head as she found her way through the crowded hospital corridors. She pulled out her phone and checked it. No call or message from him.

He was busy. He was in surgery. It wasn’t like he could take a break to message or call her.

She punched the button for the elevator and waited along with the horde of people milling around for the same reason. She would just have to wait for him to get home that night to havethe conversation she knew they both desperately needed to have.

Don’t add to his problems.

She was doing that, wasn’t she? She’d not just added to his problems, she’d dumped a truckload of them on his doorstep.

The doors slid open and there he was. Standing at the back, his arms folded across his chest, his scrubs looking crumpled and stained, a surgical cap still perched on his head. He looked exhausted, lines of fatigue etched into his lean, austere face.

“Amay!”

The name escaped her before she could control herself. She saw his colleague glance at him in surprise as she stepped into the lift. There were too many people between them for her to reach him. She tried but she couldn’t make it through. She slowed her struggle when she realised he wasn’t making an effort to get closer to her.

Dhrithi stilled, meeting Amay’s guarded gaze and what she saw in it made her heart quail. Gone was the friend she remembered, the man who’d teased and coaxed her back to health, the one who’d helped her find her feet in a world gone mad. Gone was the Amay who’d kissed her senseless, teaching her mind and body to feel again.

He stood in silence, frost and reserve cloaking him. A bitter shield against the world and anyone who thought they could get close.

This was the man who’d operated on her, who’d stared at her like she was a nightmare from his past. Or rather like she’d brought the nightmares of his past into his present.

The elevator dinged and the doors opened, people streaming out of it, lessening the congestion in the cramped space. She stepped to one side, averting her gaze from him, keenly aware of the fact that he hadn’t greeted her.

The elevator cab kept emptying out as they stopped at different floors. Constantly jostled by people, Dhrithi found herself shunted back until she was standing beside Amay. She didn’t look at him, preferring instead to stare straight ahead.

She didn’t miss the fact that he shifted slightly, putting more distance between them, almost as if he didn’t want to touch her, even by mistake.

Dhrithi blinked back hurt tears as her fragile hopes crumbled and scattered like dust in a storm.

When the doors slid open at the floor she needed to get off on, she stepped forward only to come to an abrupt halt. His strong fingers wrapped around her wrist stopping her from going anywhere. Dhrithi glanced at his hand and then back at his face.

“Yes?” she asked.

“You are well?” he demanded, his voice low and controlled. “The checkup went okay?”

The doors slid shut and the elevator began its upward glide to another floor. Dhrithi growled, a frustrated sound that startled the few people left in the elevator.

“Yes.” Dhrithi yanked her hand out of his grip, massaging her wrist in a vain bid to erase the imprint of his long fingers on her skin. “It went well. Thank you for concern.”

“I’m only concerned as your doctor,” he said stiffly.

“Well, don’t be,” she snapped. “I’m doing great thanks to your stellar work. I’ll make sure I give you a five star review on Google or something.”

“Thanks,” he said dryly. “It would probably save my career.”

The doors slid open again and she marched out, not bothering to check which floor it was. Amay’s eyes drilled holes into her back but she didn’t bother to look around. She’d get home and pack up her stuff and move out of his place. She didn’t need this. She didn’t need another man messing with her head. She didn’t need him, the one guy she’d believed would never hurt her, dragging her on this emotional rollercoaster.

She blinked back the tears that stung her eyes.

Dammit. She didn’t need him but she wanted him. She wanted him so bad!

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