Enchanted Love

Alex stood up from the floor without showing his pain which was threatening him to give up. Clara gasped seeing how he fell from the ladder.

“Did you wet your pants?” Clara and Alex widened their eyes at the question asked by a little kid. They look at him confusedly.

“How old are you to wet your pants?” The kid asked again with a stern expression. Clara couldn’t hold her laughter as she burst out. She tried closing her mouth but couldn’t reduce her volume.

“Get out, you little kid” Alex yelled at the kid who got angry with his sudden outburst.

“First you get inside the bathroom” the kid dared to yell back. Clara laughed again, making Alex all mad.

“Stop it” Alex yelled at Clara now. She stopped laughing but she looked at the kid with a smile.

“Sid. What happened dear?” Shreya came running to the room and gasped loudly seeing how the ladder was laying over the floor.

“Sachin, when did you come?” Shreya asked the kid as she engulfed him in a hug.

“Who is this?” Alex asked as he tried to use a towel to wipe his pants which were wet due to the water.

“Do you remember, Mira?” Shreya asked with twinkling eyes. The name Mira made Clara stop her from smiling. That shows how much she hates the person. But to contradict, Alex smiled broadly hearing his favourite name.

“Mira, is she coming?” Alex asked with a beaming smile.

“It’s her brother, Sachin” instant smile appeared over Alex’s lips as he pulled Sachin to his side

“That kid? He has grown up so fast” Alex pulled his cheeks while Sachin didn’t like the sudden change from Alex.

“By the way, how can I not remember her? Even we met last year.” Alex mumbled but soon his smile disappeared as a number of scenes got played. It’s indeed a long and dark year for everyone.

“Oh yeah, my bad” she replied and pulled Sachin to give him something to eat. She didn’t even notice Clara standing there.

“Where is it?” Clara inquired but was not sure how she should address them? Does she have the right to call them mom, dad?

“Don’t strain too much. We will hire another doctor. You can leave.” Alex commented abruptly, making Clara startled. Why does it have to start again?

“I am not any toy for you to play with. I have signed the contract and you can’t fire me unless you have any solid reason.” Clara yelled at him, crossing her arms. Alex took a deep look at her. As far as he knew, something more is bothering her and she wants this job so bad.

“I guess you have some more plans with this job!” Alex commented

“I have better things to do than to cling to your job. But I won’t let you do this to me. If you fire me like this, be ready to face legal actions” Clara threatened him. All the while Alex is busy noticing her features. She purposefully wore a black colour dress which unlocks another memory of them.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Flashback:

“What is this new condition?” Alex asked, all frustrated with a large pout.

“This is final and you have to follow this.” Clara declared.

“You mean, I shouldn’t hug you or even touch you or even talk to you whenever you wear black?” Alex asked, repeating her decision.

“Yup. It simply means that I am angry with you for something and you have to find that and console me.” Clara smiled as if she was very clever in finding this rule.

“Let me add one more rule to this.” Saying so, Alex pulled her to his side as he snuggled in her neck.

“If I succeed in convincing you, I will help you to change your dress” Clara gasped but she didn’t get any chance to review the rules as Alex kissed her lips to stop her from talking too much.

Flashback ends.

Did she wear the dress to provoke him? Or to see him in pain? Alex tried to read her intentions.

“Answer me, Mr Smith” Clara yelled, bringing him back to reality. Clara rolled her eyes when she heard no reply from his side. She turned to leave the place but her eyes fell over the mirror thereby. She gasped when she saw her black gown. Did she notice the colour when she wore it? She never gets ready by looking in the mirror nowadays and thus ends up not noticing this.

She looked back at Alex as she realised where he was lost. Her skin crawled recalling the story behind the black dress. Moreover, her eyes line up automatically realising that her happy days are no more happy for her. She tried to divert her eyes so that Alex didn’t notice her tears. But he is all set to read her every inch of detail and thus notices everything.

“No need to take any legal actions” both were alerted with Shreya’s voice.

“Alex, ask her to continue her job. But I will be there 24/7 with her watching her” Shreya declared.

“If your game is finished, can you show me the patient’s room?” Clara interrupted suddenly. Alex didn’t like the way she addressed his parents. But he kept his expression stable as he walked past her. Soon a pain shot up to his spine as he stumbled in seconds and fell over the wall. Clara pulled him instantly saving him from a great fall.

“Alex?” Shreya ran to his side with full worries.

“Are you okay?” Clara asked carefully, helping him to sit on the couch.

“It’s painful,” Alex mumbled in his hoarse voice. But Clara could sense how much it must be painful for him. He is always a man who voices out only when it’s unbearable.

“Is your neck stiff?” Clara asked instantly, calculating the cause for the pain. Alex just blinked in response.

“It might not be a fracture but can be soft tissue injury” Clara slightly touched the backbone to confirm it. Alex flinched instantly.

“We know that you are a physiotherapist. But I don’t think that you can just predict the cause by touching and seeing. I will call the proper doctor to check my Alex” Shreya pulled Clara away from Alex and helped him lay down on the bed.

****

“Your back muscles are strained. Nothing to worry about it” the doctor checked Alex and prescribed some pain killers.

“Thank you, doctor. If I didn’t call you, we would be scared by this girl. She is all set to scare us with some big threatening disease.” Shreya blames Clara who is not at all affected by any words of hers.

“There is a medical term for this and that’s Soft tissue injury.” The doctor knew what Clara told them. He smiled at the girl who looked too young to be experienced like this. It’s not a severe thing to identify but at the same time, it’s not very easy for a beginner to tell the cause without any proper tests.

“It’s just a painkiller. You should do some physical exercise so that it doesn’t get severe.” The doctor mentioned another doctor’s name and the number who might be helping Alex with therapies.

“Why should we call another one if we already have one?” Shreya voiced out eyeing Clara.

“I won’t do anything for free. If you think that I will do his treatment along with your brother’s treatment, I am sorry.” Clara replied instantly as Shreya’s eyes popped out visibly. Is this the same girl she knew? Somehow she believed that Clara might have some reason for her actions. She wished that they all were wrong in judging Clara. She genuinely wanted Clara to come back to their life. But the girl is hell bent to prove everyone right in judging her.

“Aunty, I am fine. I don’t need anyone’s help” Alex snapped angrily and tried to get up while his pain made him sit again. Clara laughed at him silently, making him all mad.

“Morning one hour and evening one hour. I will treat you. Make sure to give my treatment fees separately” Clara took her file to note down his condition while Alex didn’t like the way he is helpless.

****

Clara entered the room as Shreya came along with her. She looked at the person whom she loved the most next to her father.

The man who was once cheerful and always enthusiastic is now lying down helpless. He turned to see Clara and a shock registered on his face and more than the shock, he felt the urge to pull her for a hug.

“Where is Mrs Smith?” Clara asked, ignoring all the emotions as she jumped down the pain clogging in her throat. Shreya wiped her tears as she looked at the left side of the room where Jenny was sleeping with all wires attached to her. Clara’s breath hitched when she studied the files of both.