Nine

Ivan was extremely shocked. Maybe it was at this point that he really came to understand the phrase-

"It's a very small world."

His eyes contracted as he stared at the ring Nelly submitted alongside the letter. He then had a very vivid flashback of what took place eight years ago during the latest hours of the night. He was out during his hustling days when some fierce looking men, numbered at three, approached him.

"Stop right there or we'll violently rip you apart with this knife!" One of the men had shouted to bring him to a halt.

"Please, I beg you. I do not have anything on me. All I have here is some little money which I just…"

Ouch! The memory struck. Ivan wasn't able to complete those words before the gang leader plunged the knife into his stomach. He didn't stop at that, he buried additional three stabs at multiple spots on the lower region of Ivan's abdomen.

"You say this isn't a lot of money, huh? You greedy and senseless fellow!" One of the men had also shamelessly remarked after searching Ivan and finding more than he expected to find.

"Oh my God! I can't believe they could do this to another human being!" Ivan, in his subconscious state, could hear the deeply concerned voice of a young female. His vision was blurry, but he could recognize the voice of every age grade of females. It was rather a funny talent he'd laugh at.

"Relax young man, you don't need to stretch yourself because the stitches are still fresh." The Doctor had said to Ivan after he regained consciousness and immediately tried to get on his feet.

"How did I get here?" Ivan looked frightened as he asked. Why?

Judging from the luxurious looking sterile white wall or the ward and all that it contained - a TV, sofa, a reading table and some book stands; Ivan was so certain that he wouldn't be able to afford the bills of such an over-established hospital. This was why he shivered.

"The lady who brought you here has already paid for your bills." How relieved Ivan was to hear such a comment from the Doctor. But now his worries were replaced by curiosity.

"Does it mean she helped a total stranger?" He wondered alone after the Doctor had left.

Ivan waited for some days but he never saw her. He then handed his ring to the doctor-

"Take this Sir. Give it to the young lady who saved my life. Tell her it's my own way of saying thank you for what she did for me. I may never get the chance to see her again but I want you to let her know that she gave me a second chance in life and I'll always be grateful to her."

Ivan realized immediately after his flashback that life has played a very huge trick on him.

"I swore to find her and prove to her how grateful I am, whereas she was under my roof?" Ivan was puzzled at his mistake.

He was even more confused. "She was a jerk at the time, how then did she go out of her way to save my life and pay for my bills even after humiliating me?"

Ivan needed answers, he picked his phone and dialed Nelly's number but it didn't go through.

Nelly was already at the airport with Ash. He was the one handling all of her bags, he was there for her as always.

"Don't you think your girlfriend will be mad at you? I mean, today is her mom's birthday and you are supposed to be among the first to arrive." Nelly dialogue.

"What? How can I leave you here all by yourself? That's never going to happen, Nelly. I'll always be the one who faces the rest of the world with you."

Nelly smiled. Definitely the first genuine smile she has had in more than a couple of months. There was more from where that smile came from. Ash wasn't done yet with making Nelly know how he felt about her.

"If the world is against you, I want to be the one standing with you against the entire world. If you are crashing, I want to be the one who you land on. And if there's anyone who has to suffer for you to be elevated, I will happily volunteer myself, Nelly."

With these loving words from Ash, Nelly didn't know when she gave him a very warm and tight embrace.

It was time for her flight. She was going to leave a lot behind. Her company, father who was sick and even the father of her unborn child.

Nelly had visited her father already and she also knew that Ash had her back on that one.

"I'll always remember to check on your dad. I'll make it a hubby and fall in love with it." Ash always had reassuring words to say, he was a gift from heaven if you asked Nelly.

"Bring! Bring!"

Ash's phone rang as he hurried back into his car. He had to meet up with his girlfriend's mother birthday party. He had been pre - informed on several occasions so he knew how furious his girl would be if he failed to make it or even to make it on time. Judging from the obvious, he had just barely ten minutes to be there and the drive from the airport to the house was twenty five minutes. Ash preferred not to pick the call.

Nelly smiled when she remembered the glorious moment she had with Ivan in the bedroom.

"Is he going to look for me? Is he going to be bothered that I left or would he rejoice?" These were the thoughts that plagued Nelly's mind as she sat in the plane. Then tears began to find their way down her cheeks. She flipped back to reality. She knew none of what happened made any difference.

Nelly was broken beyond whatever. It was greater than the multiple stab wounds age had saved Ivan from eight years ago. Just then she grabbed her stomach and cried out in discomfort.