Heart's A Mess - Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

Arnav watched as she fist pumped the air celebrating her victory. She swiveled around, blew him a flying kiss and then proceeded to run back to where her intern was waiting. He shook his head as he realized that she had been playing him the entire time; she knew he would not let the unknown man die. Arnav cursed himself for giving up so easily but then also smiled at her spirit. Dr. Gupta was a fire cracker!

"Sir you should come back inside. It's not good for you to be out in the cold for so long. I'll make sure Dr. Gupta and her companion make it on to the aircraft." Aman gently steered his boss back inside the plane.

Arnav growled. "I'm perfectly fine Aman." He stalked off back to his seat annoyed with himself. Arnav Singh Raizada didn't like to lose.

As good as her word, Dr. Gupta and her companion, a gangly, dorky looking fellow, were back on the jet within five minutes..eski's in hand. Khushi couldn't wipe the smug smile off her face and it was irritating him to no end.

Purposely sinking into the seat opposite him, she clutched the red eski to her chest and sighed in contentment. Smirking, she waggled her eyebrows at him, basking in her victory. Arnav wanted to poke out his tongue at her but then realized that it would incredibly childish.

"Cabin crew prepare for departure." The captain's dulcet voice echoed out in the cabin. Khushi wiggled in her seat, trying to reach the back pocket of her pants. Fishing out her mobile she made a quick call back to Cleveland.

"Gupta you better have good news for me." No matter how angry he tried to sound, Khushi could hear the worry in her bosses' voice.

Kicking off her shoes, she stretched out her legs and grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I'm sitting in the comfort of a jet on my way to Cleveland." She repeated the dialogue she had spoken to him earlier, except with a whole lot more enthusiasm.

"So you're telling me, that I can now remove the heart and put in on bypass?"

"Yes I am."

Oliver Danes let out a sigh of relief. "I knew I could count on you. Now get your smug ass back here. What's your ETA?"

"We are going to be pushed for time. From take off to landing is about 35 minutes. The distance from the airstrip to the hospital is about 10 minutes. Our ETD is approximately 5 minutes. So that gives me about 5 minutes leeway to get the organs to you."

"Well better get a move on then."

"Aye aye captain!"

Satisfied at having given her boss good news, she disconnected the call only to make another quick one.

"Maam, we really need you to switch your mobile off." An air attendant looked down at her sternly.

Khushi grimaced up at her and pleaded..."I swear its another 30 seconds and then you won't see another electronic device in my hand."

"30 seconds or I throw it out the window myself."

Khushi grinned. "Deal."

The phone rang once, then twice. Finally on the third ring someone picked up.

"Hi, this is Dr. Gupta. We have an organ procurement and I just wanted to confirm our transport from the airstrip to Cleveland Clinic."

"Yes Maam, we have an ambulance on standby." The attendant confirmed.

"Good. Can you let them know that we will be requiring lights and sirens all the way?"

"They already know Dr. Gupta."

"Brilliant. Just needed confirmation. Our ETA is 35 minutes."

"We'll be waiting."

Seeing the airhostess glare at her, Khushi made a show of disconnecting the call and switching off her mobile. Finally she could breathe! Leaning her elbow against the armrest, she looked out the window. Naturally her eyes fell shut and with in 30 seconds she was travelling into the world of dreams.

Arnav meanwhile had been watching the whirlwind speed with which she was working. Her efficiency and dedication was impressive and had she not been a doctor he would have convinced her to work for him. He realized that in the hurry to get onto the plane she had forgotten to secure her belt. Standing up, he tried to gently pry the eski from her hands.

Big mistake.

She jerked back violently. "That's my heart! Who said you can take it?"

The irony of her statement was not lost on him. He looked into her eyes and stared her down. Khushi gulped. She had been too busy arguing with him to pay any real attention to his face let alone his eyes. She saw pools of chocolate interspaced with flecks of gold or was that the trickery of the light. Her eye blinked very slowly and she found herself turning a little to mush.

Arnav meanwhile had successfully removed the eski and handed it to her companion. He leaned in closer and her breath hitched. It seemed that Ms. Gupta wasn't completely unaffected by him then. Torturously he ran his hands down the side of her hips, till he hit the belt. The effect of his touch, caused her muscles to quiver involuntarily. He whispered in her ear..

"All done."

"Huh?" she answered in a stupor. The sharp snap of the belt clicking into place bough her out of her daze.

Aman who had watched the entire exchange, smirked.

"Ummm... right. Thanks." She mumbled nervously.

He thrust the eski back in her lap and winked..."There, your hearts all yours again."

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The plane took off and had been travelling at peak altitude for the past 10 minutes; Khushi drummed her fingers impatiently on the eski top. Arnav wasn't exactly a patient man on the best of days and she had already gotten the best of him.

"Would you STOP that?" he snapped.

Khushi had the decency to look sheepish as she shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry."

Arnav took the chance to resume the conversation..."Tell me what would you have done if I hadn't called you back?"

She grinned. "I knew you would."

"Yes but what if I hadn't."

"Then I would have waited to the last possible second before running back to accept your stupid conditions."

"So I should have just waited a little longer." He shook his head, disappointed in himself.

Khushi scrunched up her nose. "I guess...if your wanted to win that is. But there would have been no point."

Now he was confused... "Why?"

"Well because then I would have hated you. The date wouldn't have been very much fun."

"And now you don't?"

"Don't what?"

"Hate me."

"No."

"So you like me?"

"I like you just as much as the next stranger I meet on the street." Khushi looked out of the window once more indicating that the conversation was over. Arnav grinned. There would be no winning with her. "Better than nothing." He mumbled under his breath. Khushi caught what he said and fought back a smile.

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The plane touched down and Khushi flew out the door, without bothering to wish her generous benefactor good-bye. It was only when she was sitting in the ambulance did she realize how rude she must have come across. No mater how arrogant the man seemed, he did lend her his plane without charge.

Slapping the back of her own head, she made a mental note to remember to send him a thank you bottle of wine or something. The ambulance pulled up the emergency entrance of the clinic and once again, Khushi could not help but be blown away by the establishment in which she worked.

Cleveland Clinic Ohio. America's number one and most likely the worlds number one healthcare institution for cardiac care. The facilities were second to none and the outer building, curved in a c-like formation, was covered in a green fibro-glass. The drive up to the building was pleasant; a large water pool was periodically interspaced with water fountains and surrounded by greenery. Apparently running water was good feng-shui. It was all very new world.

Sometimes she felt like she was working in the Star Trek Enterprise.

Pushing all those thoughts aside for the moment, she made her way straight to OR 4 where Dr. Danes was waiting for her.

"Out of my way...organs coming through!" she yelled as she tried to moderate her pace between a light jog and fast walk so as not to disturb the delicate muscle lying in the eski.

When she finally did make her entry into the room outside OR 4; it was rather grandiose. Khushi slid across the floor, Tom Cruise risky business style.

Surgeons, nurses and the anesthetist on the other side of the glass clapped in thunderous applause.

"And she makes it with a minute to spare!" Dr Danes delivered his statement sports commentator style.

Khushi handed over the eski's gladly as she bent over trying to catch her breath. Another one of her colleagues yelled.. "Seriously Gupta...I told you, its time to get fit!"

Flipping him the bird, she walked away.

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It was now 6.45 am and Khushi was catching up on some well deserved sleep in the on call room. Well she was catching up on some sleep...

There was a sharp rap on the door, a second later the door was swung open and the harsh light of the hospital corridor shone through the room. Shielding her eyes, she groaned not very gracefully.

Dr. Danes patted her leg.

"Come on sunshine, time to tell the family the good news."

This was the part of the job Khushi looked forward to the most. In her excitement she forgot she was on the top bunk and rolled straight on the floor, falling from a distance of about 2 metres.

Her boss looked down at her, offering his hand.

"Ouch! That had to hurt. You seriously are the clumsiest surgeon I have ever had the pleasure of teaching."

***********************************************************************

20 minutes later, feeling much better about herself, she made her way to the nurses station. Picking up the charts for the day, she began to read through them before ward rounds began. Suddenly she had the uncanny feeling she was being watched.

She turned around to see her three amigo's staring over her shoulder very suspiciously.

"What's going on?" Khushi asked sceptically, an eyebrow raised.

"Nothing!" they all said at once, while shaking their heads, which made her all the more convinced that something was definitely going on. "Spit it out!"

They pointed toward her tiny cubicle. Khushi looked between the cubicle and the nurses several times, silently asking for clues. They refused to give her any. Throwing her hands up in exasperation she made her way over to the tiny desk that had been assigned to her. It was overflowing with case reports, medical journals and patient files.

There, precariously placed on top of all that mess was a take away cup of coffee. It had a bright pink sticky note attached. She snatched the pink note away quickly...

Dinner anyway?

Arnav

P.S Your desk is a nightmare.

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So to answer your question...no Arnav does not know Khushi from before. Thankyou to all those who commented. Like I said I can't reply to all of you but I will reply to about five people per update. I will also try and make it five different people everytime except for when the comment is so awesome I just have to answer you again!

A special thank you here to Jahnvi my jaan who 1. KILLS me by sending me the most delicious pictures of hotwa that make me faintwa and 2. Creates the most awesome banners. Though for this story I have to agree...wait till you know a bit more J You are not faltu! But I still love the one you created anyway. Kisses and hugs. Seriously though that pic of Arnav is now in my favourites..I got all giggly when I looked at it. And yes I LOVE flirty Arnav too.

By the way the picture thing also goes for dumas. That picture of Arnav in his office chair..hai marjawan!

Love Sasak

And if I don't see you guys before then. A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.

Shagun: I loved all your gifs! Yay! They make me feel so special. Thank you for the hug. Mwah xoxo

Preethi28: No there won't be any aukat factor in this story. They will have other things to contend with. Flirty Raizada in my opinion is the best Raizada. I'm glad you are finding it exciting.

Love_SA: OOOHHH initials of someone you like! Eeek! Is this a romance story I am sensing or is it someone famous you like! Feel free to PM about it! I would love to bond over boy stories or even famous people stories. I am very girly that way! Greetings to you in Pakistan.

Sonia_92: You my darling girl are gorgeous. I just don't have enough words to describe how much I love you. I can't believe that was your idea on a not long comment. BAHAHAHHAHAHAH.I laughed so much. Best of luck in all your exams. I am sure you will ace them. There will be no misunderstandings just one devastating secret. Sigh. Also I received your lots and lots and lots of love and I send it back to you in equal measure.

Deepti1906: You and your monkey's. I FREAKING love them!

Kittu1309: You are always most welcome for the PM'S and thankyou for you dedicated commenting. Mwah xoxo

Theoryperson: I want to say I totally love your story too! Xoxo

Ruki. F: HHAHHAHAH. Indeed well done man  Their journey is indeed going to be fun. Super flirty and cute.

Foesb: Thankyou for such a wonderful comment. I am glad you like my feisty Khushi and indeed I think that when they are at loggerheads they are the most entertaining. I am glad you like my writing style'it is a humbling comment to receive.

Nifty-nia: No worry about the delay. I hope you are feeling better! Awww thankyou for the comment about my note. I think any normal person wishes for these things; it doesn't make me any better of a human being. I am also very thankful for your prayers. Arnav won't be particularly broody in this story'he had a reason for that which you will all discover later. As for you being nifty'..hmmm'.are you challenging me to find out?