Page 178 - Till the Last Breath . . .

misunderstood, I think.’

‘You like him?’ Kajal asked.
‘Like, as in like? No, no! Not at all. Yes, he is cute. But I don’t like him
in that way. In fact, the way he talks to me, it’s a surprise I don’t hate him,’

she responded.
‘Why don’t you hate him?’ Kajal asked, because in spite of everything,

neither did she. For all the times that Dushyant had been needlessly
oppressive and possessive, she had never managed to hate him. There was a

growing discomfort in their relationship, but not once did her feelings
towards him waver.

‘As I told you, he is misunderstood! And you don’t have to worry about
me. I have my eyes on someone else!’ she smiled and winked, and Kajal
was caught off guard by an unnaturally excited Pihu.

‘Truly?’ Kajal responded, not knowing what to say.
‘Yes, I know it’s crazy and I know I am dying … Well, that’s a problem.

But he is so great and enormously gorgeous,’ she ranted in front of a
confused Kajal.

‘Oh. That’s nice.’
‘He is a doctor, and you wouldn’t guess who he is!’ she continued.

‘Who?’
‘Dr Arman!’ Pihu screeched and waited for Kajal to react.
Kajal looked at her dumbfounded, and said, ‘I don’t know him.’

‘Oh. Okay,’ she whimpered disappointedly and added, ‘He is my doctor,
and he is treating him, too.’

Although Kajal thought of Pihu as a little bit loony, she noted that her
tears had dried up and she felt a little better. She almost felt guilty for

feeling better because Dushyant wasn’t getting any better. The thin thread
of hope he was hanging on to was burning up fast.

‘And you like your doctor?’ Kajal asked.
Pihu’s mom turned restlessly on the couch and they realized they were
talking a little too loudly. Pihu asked her if she could come and sit closer.

Kajal nodded and sat on the other side of the bed, and took Dushyant’s hand
in hers again. He is in no pain, she thought to herself.