No Disguise - Chapter 17

Ophelia's POV

That one phone call from Danny could change my life forever. Sooner or later this had to happen; only thing was I never thought of this. I never thought of future. Last night only I had thought about the possibilities of future and unfortunately this had not occurred in my mind. Of course I had to go to Paris someday to collect Olive's certificates. Had this happened one day before, I would have been happy to collect all Olive's certificates and identity and lead a life as Olive. But what was the use in living in Olive's disguise, when Danny would not love me ever.

I sighed for the hundredth time in the day; the next day was going to decide my fate. But I had no way to escape from it, or I would be escaping from myself. I had to face the reality.

I closed my eyes and held my head in my hands, allowing me some time to relax and come out of the mental battle. A scene started playing in my mind when we would have reached at my home.

"Ophel, how could you do this? This is the worst thing that you did to your sister." My mom shouting in my ear.

"You are abandoned now Ophel." My dad also learned to shout. Generally he spoke calmly, but the intensity of his talk would make you do whatever he has intended. But if he had raised his voice, then definitely I had done a crime sort of thing.

"This is not the first time, but this is the worst." My mother repeated emphasizing how bad I was.

I stood there looking down, but I could feel both their glares on me. I could see the presence of another person in the same room, sitting in some corner, with his head down, sadness written all over his face. His handsome face seemed to have squeezed and elongated. I so wanted to go and comfort him, but did not have the guts to get away from my parents scolding. So I let him be in his state and continued to get the harsh wordings from my parents.

The scene drifted to another room where the lifeless body of Olive lied on a white bed. In her coma stage also, she seemed so impatient, as if she just wanted to come out of the bed and run out. As if she wanted so badly to be alive again, but failed in repeated attempt. I could almost feel her restlessness, but she still did not have the motivation to bring all her thoughts into reality. I could feel her pain.

After some time Danny started moving towards Olive's room, he sat near her bed and took her hand in his. I watched him kiss her hand so tenderly. Tears started flowing from his eyes, rolled on to his cheeks and reached Olivia's hands. As if I could feel how much she recognized his touch and his tear.

"Please come back Olive. I will be waiting for you." He said in broken voice not caring to wipe out his tears. It broke me into pieces. I was nothing to them and I deserved it probably. Then he turned to me.

Somebody had said correctly: If looks could kill, I would have been dead by then. His eyes contained fire, anger, hate, hatred, rage, insanity - it all were only for one person - ME.

"You are so dead. You are so dead. You are going to pay for this." Danny's voice made the earth slip away under my feet.

"Ophelia." My full name sounded so terrible on his lips, as if the name did not belong to me.

"Ophelia Bosch." Danny again.

I came out of my tiny scary dream only when he shook me violently causing me to drop the file that was on my lap. I frantically looked at him and blinked. Finally I realized that I was so lost in the dream, it almost seemed like reality. Danny was already bent down to collect my scattered papers, I soon joined him and muttered a "Sorry".

It was already six, so we were to leave the office. On the way home Danny suggested to pack some dinner as he was not in the mood of cooking, neither was I. That was the only conversation we had throughout the evening before lunch. It was so freaking silent, a killing silence, as if, almost transparent, yet cloudy and foggy. We both knew that we were hiding something.

"Ophel!" Danny knocked on my door.

"Yes Danny." He opened the door and peeped from behind the door as if it was uncomfortable for him to come to my room. I looked at him expectantly and with fear.

"Dinner." He said confidently and smiling, my heart melted all over again. I nodded and followed him downstairs to have dinner.

"Pack your things today itself and we can carry the bags to office." He said not paying much attention to my reaction, while I was nervous like hell, well afraid would be the more appropriate word.

"Um, where would we keep the bags?" I managed to say in between my food.

"Near the security!" He said as if it was obviously understood and I had unnecessarily asked him. I just nodded and that was the end of conversation.

I knew a sleepless night was coming again, simply I said "Good night" and headed towards my room, not even looking back at him once. It was getting difficult for me to handle his glare. I started packing my things, then suddenly I realized why I was packing so less clothes. This might end up in adieu from here, it was better for me to pack all my things. This was not a two-day journey for me. Taking out my bag, I started stuffing everything possible.

Like the previous night, that night also continued thinking about all equations between me, Olive and Danny. My parents also came to my mind. How would they react when they see me with Danny? All these thoughts kept me awake all night and it was morning again, when I wished night was better.

Danny's POV

My eyes were wide open, for so many reasons; there was fear, nervousness, eagerness and all the above GUILT. Though I was almost sure that this girl staying with me is Ophel and not Olive, but my mind still questioned me sometimes - AM I DOING RIGHT?

The answer to this question made me bipolar. If I were doing right in trying to prove her Ophel, then there was guilt that I had spent so many days with her, kissed her, tried to have physical relation with her and I was far away from my Olive. I was not there when she needed me. And if I were doing wrong in proving her Ophel, then I could never show my face to her again. The guilt of doubting her would kill me each time I would look into her eyes. And she would never forgive me.

I was feeling torn out from inside me. From yesterday onwards Ophel was surprisingly silent. I mostly knew that she was afraid because I would be soon bringing out her truth in the open, but sometimes I thought - was she sad because her sister was in coma. But I could almost see the reason of her silence being the FEAR.

I felt like going on a mission sometimes where I needed to shed lights on some truth. Somehow I managed to get some sleep after mid-night.

The dream hunted me again, only this time worse. Olive's face did not go from my eyes, her blood soaked face, unshed tears, the fear, the questions - all were there in her eyes.

All of a sudden I woke up breathing heavily and sweating. This dream had been there with me from the day she came here. This was definitely an indication that something was wrong. After all there was a connection between us.

I could not sleep anymore. There was nothing much for packing, but still I started doing packing. It was just a small bag containing some of my t-shirts, my jeans, vests and undies and some usual stuff. At some point I was thinking I should have been happy to see Olive or sad to see her in coma. Well, soon that will be discovered.

The next day when I asked Ophel to get her bag, she strolled a big trolley. I wondered how many days she was thinking she could stay there? Anyway, that was none of my concern, so I just let her do whatever she wanted.

I didn't know what she was doing the whole day, but I was literally on the edge of my chair. You could not call it excitement, but it was restlessness.

Soon the office hours ended, but we had to leave after around two hours. Going back to home and coming back for airport would have been stressed, so going to airport from office was definitely a good idea. After finishing all my work, I went to meet her. Surprisingly she had not even called once or asked anything.

"Olive!"

She just turned, I could see her eyes were red, she was definitely crying, I didn't know whether I was concerned for her or not, but I could not help myself.

"Olive, what happened?" My voice came out worried.

"Nothing, just was thinking of my sister." It was clear that it was half lie.

"It will be okay, she will be fine." I could assure this much only because I myself was so worried.

She let out small tears slide down her face and I had to bring her to a hug, somehow it seemed to calm her.

"Come on, let's go have some early dinner, then we can start for the airport."

"What about the car?"

"After coming back from dinner, we will park it in the office itself and will hire a taxi to airport."

"Okay." She nodded and got up from her seat.

We were almost out of the office, when I heard Gina calling from behind, "Miss Olivia."

We both turned towards her, listening to her at that moment was the most irritating thing.

"Make it fast." I whispered to Olive while Gina came running towards her and she just nodded. "I am going to take the car." With that I started leaving when she just reached. But I could hear what she was talking, before I was far from them.

"Miss Olivia Today is Friday and you have to sign this as an agreement that you will submit the proofs on Monday..." Her voice was no more audible now. I turned back to see Olive walking fast to catch up with me, probably she quickly signed and came after me.

We went to a small diner and the dinner went in silence. By 9 pm, we headed towards the airport.

Our flight landed early morning in Paris and the moment I stepped out in Paris air, it was all familiar, all lovable, all Olivia.

Ophelia's POV

The two hours flight journey seemed to be my longest journey ever. Danny kept his eyes closed, but I knew he was not sleeping. My eyes kept wandering outside the flight. My lips were silent, but my mind was speaking a thousand words - all at a time. Usually the view of Paris would have mesmerized me to death, but that day it failed to impress me. The place I loved the most seemed like a grave to me.

In the morning I had thought to inform mom and dad that I was coming. I even called and knew about their whereabouts but could not have the guts to tell them that I would be there soon. How was I supposed to explain Danny to my parents? Well I just thought, "Let's see."

The nearer I came to our house, the more my heart pounded in my rib cage. Soon the sight of my house came to my view. I looked at it warily, nothing would have changed in one week, but still I felt different. My parents were at hospital, I knew that, but I told Danny that we could shower and go to hospital and he agreed.

I took the keys from below the vase where mom used to keep the key. Nobody could ever doubt that under that vase, which was so unused and at such a place, could hide a key beneath it.

By nine am, we both set off for the hospital. The taxi pulled up in front of the hospital, suddenly something came to my mind. While Danny was paying the taxi rent, I rushed towards the hospital and I knew Danny was not following till a good amount of time. I asked the receptionist about where Olive's room is, all the time keeping an eye on the door, but Danny was nowhere to be seen. She gave me her room number and I rushed towards it.

As soon as I reached there, I found my mom and my dad sitting on the chairs. They looked so pale, so weak, so heart-broken. Tears started filling my eyes and I called out "Mom!"

She looked up at me and immediately burst into tears, while running towards me and hugging me. I looked at my dad and he came to me. I hugged dad too. Once I was set free from their embrace, I looked at them.

"Mom, Dad, Danny also has come." They immediately looked up with lots of questions.

"I met him there and told him everything. He wanted to come, so I also came with him." I said while looking down.

"Okay." My dad breathed.

"You guys could try to talk to him when I see Olive." They nodded and just then Danny appeared.

Instantly my mom broke down again, tears could not stop from her eyes. I looked at my dad and he nodded at me. My dad went to hold mom and motioned Danny to come along and sit with them outside the room.

"Can I see her?" Danny asked and fear was evident in his voice.

"Um, Only one person allowed at a time. So either you or she can go." My dad answered. I wanted to see Olive so badly, whatever it was, I still loved her so much. I pleaded Danny with my eyes and he nodded.

I left them there and started walking towards her room. Each step I took, seemed like I was getting dragged inside the ground. I was not sure how I would react, not that she would react back, but anyway I had to face this. Slowly I opened the door and peeked into it. It was a white-walled room brightly lighted. As soon as the door opened fully, Olive came to view, as lifeless as I had seen her last time. My hands started to tremble on the door knob and a sensation of nausea hit my whole body. I wondered if I could make it to the bed at least. Somehow I collected all my courage and moved towards her avoiding my best to look at her.

Her room had a single window, light blue curtains on them allowing the sunlight to enter through the glass. Big machines were attached to her somehow, a monitor reading her pulse, which looked so abnormal. A pipe ran through her nose and a saline solution was running through her vein. She still had bruises at some places and so many bandages were found on her body. Half of the body was covered in a light blue quilt kind of thing.

I remembered she had a broken ankle, I removed the cover to see the plastered leg, in the process shaking her leg a little.

"Ouch, sorry, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt..." Then I realized she would not feel anything. It's just...

I took the chair near her and sat near the bed. Carefully I touched her hand, I knew she would not feel my care or love, but I still had to see. Then I looked at her closed eyes, finally tears started running like a fountain. It really hurt; hurt bad. Slowly my sobbing was increasing and I felt like, "What a terrible sister I am." All the things which were there in my heart for so long, suddenly started coming out of my mouth.

"I am so... so-sorry Olive, I am just so sorry. I... If I had not been here, this accident itself would not have happened. Even if it... it happened." I paused my whimper to wipe out my tear with my sleeve and continued, "What did I do? Just because... just because mom scolded me, I left you here to struggle yourself. What a bad sister I am. Not even bad, I am the worst. I... I even tried to..." It took a lot of energy to take out the words now.

"I even tried to steal your boyfriend. I am such a nasty girl Olive... I am such a nasty girl. But believe me, nothing has happened between us, he loves you so much that... so much that he can't even think of liking me. And I am there to save your job Olive... I am not denying that I acted nasty for... for getting Danny, but... but it was also because... I wanted to save your job."

I buried my face in her hand and let out all the cry. I again looked up at her face, she was lying like she had not heard anything. This made me cry even more.

"I am sorry Olive, I really am... I know it's not something which can be forgiven, but I still am asking for your forgiveness Olive... Please forgive me.. I am really sorry Olive..." I looked back at her hand again and just then...

Just then I noticed the door was slightly ajar and someone was...

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Comment Replies:

Hi Everyone, thanks to everyone for keeping your support.

@Sammer - Yes, it was Olive in her coma stage... hope you liked this chapter.

@Shruti - As you wished, we finally saw Olive.

@Isha - Yes it was Olive, I guess now you will be more eager to know what happens next.

@Mahak - No Lucy is not murmuring. And not even Olive is murmuring... I mean it was Olive only, but she is dreaming.

@Melodicangel - I am sorry, I am late, but hope you liked the chapter.

@Kat - I also hate her, she is kind of moody, sometimes good, sometimes bad... mostly bad.

@Khushi - I don't want to kill Olive, but let's see.

@Queenie - Thank you so much for liking my story so much and Olive is not alive yet... she was just dreaming...

@Cathy A - I am so glad that you liked this story. I am sorry to post late, but I was really busy at office. Anyway, if you want, you can read my other completed stories too.