Vignettes- 18. Hai re Nandkishore! Thread 1 - Page 92

"Aur yeh aa gaye hum Buaji ke ghar", Khushi looked back and smiled at the timid-looking trio in the back seat of her husband's SUV. Stopping the engine, Arnav turned around as well, "Aap sab please comfortably settle keejiyega. Buaji aapke bete ke achche se khayaal rakhenge."

"Aur hum bhi hain naah yahan, kuch bhi chaahiye toh humse kahiyega", Khushi continued as they all got down, Arnav quickly coming around to the back to help BIttu climb down. Kamla Yadav looked at her curiously, "Aap bhi yahan rehti ho, bitiya?"

"Arre nahi, Aunty, hum toh humare pati ke ghar mein rehte hain. Lekin aap log ko humari zaroorat hai toh hum bhi yahin rukenge", Khushi replied merrily, unaware of how her husband's head had whipped around to stare at her in disbelief, with a muttered "what the!" heard only by Bittu who looked at him askance, feeling the sudden tension in his helper's arm.

Thankfully, Diwakar Yadav spoke up before they could be treated to ASR in full flow, "Nahi, nahi, bitiya. Waise hi aap log humare liye itna kuch kar rahe hain. Humein koi takleef nahi hogi. Waise bhi, yeh toh Bittu ke liye hai, hum toh wapas hospital chale jaayeinge."

And there ended that discussion, and they soon became busy settling in and being settled in, while NK along with Akash and Payal kept Pooja company in the hospital. Akash had just stepped out to take a call and Payal was sitting quietly listening with growing fascination to NK and Pooja's comfortabe banter about their days in Etah when the junior surgeon bustled in.

Seeing Pooja alone in the company of her visitors, without her parents, he stood for a second, looking confused, before wlaking up to NK, who was seated nearest to the bed. "Sir, Ms. Yadav ke parents kahan hai? Unse ek urgent kaam tha."

"Woh change karne gaye hai, what's up?", NK asked, immediately striaghtening in worry.

"Sir, actually Ms. Yadav se baat karne ke liye Hospital Counsellor aanewaali thi, parsoan, surgery se pehle. Par ek family emergency se unko ghar jaana pada aur our part-time counsellor is available only today, actually now, for this week. But she would want a family member or friend present when she talks to the patient. Toh, kya woh log jaldi wapas aayenge?"

"Umm...no. They just left a few minutes back" NK mumbled. Looking over at his Bhabi, who gave him a reassuring nod, he said, "You said family or friend, right? I can stay with her, agar Pooja ko koi problem nahi hai, toh."

Looking down at Pooja, he saw her nod in agreement, and the releived-looking young doctor hurried out, calling back that they would return soon, too rushed to let NK and Pooja know what a harrowing time they were in for, having agreed to the counselling session assuming that it was one of the many formalities of her surgery.

Akash looked up from typing an email when Payal walked out in a little while, looking far too somber for even her. Chucking her under her chin, he quirked an eyebrow at her. Her eyes clouded with worry, she said, "Akash, abhi-abhi hospital ki counsellor aayi hai, andar Pooja se baat karne. Unhone kaha ki ek hi bystander reh sakte hai toh hum Nanheji ko andar chod aaye. Akash, humein lagta hai ki Pooja ko pata chalnewaali hai ki usko asal mein kitni chot lagi hai, uski shakal ki haalat kya hai. Kya Nanheji usko sambhaal paayenge?"

Enfolding her dear face against his chest, he whispered, "In a way, it happened for the best, Payal. Iss mushkil khadi mein agar NK saath de paaya toh, their relationship would become deeper than we could've expected."

Meanwhile, Pooja's heavily bandaged face smiled up at the pleasant-faced lady standing near her. The junior doctor who had come earlier had come in with Ms.Juneja, introduced her and left. She had looked a bit surprised when NK introduced himself to be the patient's boss and added that he was a friend as well, but let it slide, and turned to her patient.

"Hello, Pooja, main Sheila hoon, iss hospital ki counsellor. Kya tumhe pata hai humara yeh meeting kis liye hai?"

Grimacing slightly as the stitches on her face pulled as she talked, Pooja replied softly, "Ji, aap mujhe meri surgery ke baare mein bataana chaahti hai."

Smiling as she shook her head, Sheila Juneja pulled a chair near Pooja's bed, on the opposite side of where NK was sitting, and replied, "Actually, no. You have had a traumatic incident, Pooja, and main yahan tumhe apne aap se milwaane ke lie aayi hoon. To introduce yourself to the new 'you', and to tell you how to make decisions in your new skin."

Finally realising what was about to happen, NK shifted in his seat uncomfortably as Pooja turned her head to look at him in confusion.

Seeing the different reactions her words had caused, Sheila said, "Pooja, what do you know about this surgery?"

"Yeh, ki mere chehre ko kuch zyada hi chot lagi hai aur use theek karane ke liye hai."

"That's right. Now let me tell you in detail...", and the counsellor gently proceeded to tell Pooja about the attack on her face, how her skin and underlying muscles had been torn to shreds in places and how several of her bones had fractured, how the repair had been done in Etah, and that her surgeries in Delhi were of a finer nature, meant to put her face as near as possible to what it had been earlier.

After a shocked gasp in the beginning, Pooja had grown unnaturally quiet, and except for the trembling in her hand which had somehow ended up clasped tight in NK's, he would have thought that she had fallen asleep. Once the counsellor stopped her monologue, she sat waiting, knowing that Pooja would take her own time in responding. Her role was to guide the patient, to make the patient take strength from within and from her loved ones.

After what seemed like hours to a frantic NK, Pooja pulled her hand from his, and in a voice so soft that he had to strain to make out the words, said, "Mujhe dekhna hai...". Flicking her eyes to NK, she repeated, "Mera chehra...mujhe dekhna hai."

At NK's terrified look, the counsellor nodded her head in encouragement. Almost shivering from fear, wishing with all his heart that one of his cousins or sisters-in-law were there with him, NK got up and taking the vanity-mirror that was packed in her bag, brought it to her.

Taking the mirror, Pooja proceeded to calmly examine her bandaged face. Turning her head slightly, she asked the counsellor, who was seated quietly by her side, "Toh aapka matlab hai ki inn bandages ke neeche jo bhi hai, woh meri purani chehra nahi hai. Itni chot lagi hai ki main apne aapko pehchaan nahi paaoongi, iss surgery kiya na hota toh."

Her years of experience telling her that this was the calm before the storm, Sheila nodded, letting Pooja vent whenever she was ready. But, the next question took her by surprise, "Aur yeh fine surgery jo honewaali hai, kya woh aisi sabhi cases mein ki jaati hai?"

At her negative answer, Pooja asked again, "Kyun?"

"Kyunki yeh surgery difficult hai, exclusively Delhi aur Mumbai mein hi available hai aur very expensive hai. You're lucky that you have the means to move on in life, Pooja."

Taking a minute to digest it, Pooja turned to NK, "Why?"

At his blank stare, she asked, even more forcefully this time, "NK Sir, why are you here?"

"And here we are", Khushi looked back and smiled at the timid-looking trio in the back seat of her husband's SUV, having battled Delhi's rtaffic to reac Lakshmi Nagar. Stopping the engine, Arnav turned around as well, "Please settle down comfortably. Buaji will take good care of your son."

"And I'm also there in case you need any help whatsoever", Khushi continued as they all got down, Arnav quickly coming around to the back to help BIttu climb down. Kamla Yadav looked at her curiously, "Do you live here as well, bitiya?"

"Arre nahi, Aunty, I live at my husband's house. But if you need me here, I'll stay back", Khushi replied merrily, unaware of how her husband's head had whipped around to stare at her in disbelief, with a muttered "what the!" heard only by Bittu who looked at him askance, feeling the sudden tension in his helper's arm.

Thankfully, Diwakar Yadav spoke up before they could be treated to ASR in full flow, "Nahi, nahi, bitiya. You've already helped us so much. Anyway, this is for Bittu, we'll be heading back to the hospital as soon as we freshen up."

And there ended that discussion, and they soon became busy settling in and being settled in by Buaji, while NK along with Akash and Payal kept Pooja company in the hospital. Akash had just stepped out to take a call and Payal was sitting quietly listening with growing fascination to NK and Pooja's comfortabe banter about their days in Etah when the junior surgeon bustled in.

Seeing Pooja alone in the company of her visitors, without her parents, he stood for a second, looking confused, before wlaking up to NK, who was seated nearest to the bed. "Sir, where are Ms. Yadav's parents? I need to meet them immediately."

"They've gone home to change, what's up?", NK asked, immediately striaghtening in worry.

"Sir, actually the Hospital Counsellor was supposed to meet Ms. Yadav the day after tomorrow, before her surgery. But she had to leave unexpectedly due to a family emergency and our part-time counsellor is available only today, actually now, for this week. But she would want a family member or friend present when she talks to the patient. So, will her family be back soon?"

"Umm...no. They just left a few minutes back" NK mumbled. Looking over at his Bhabi, who gave him a reassuring nod, he said, "You said family or friend, right? I can stay with her, if Pooja has no problem with it."

Looking down at Pooja, he saw her nod in agreement, and the relieved-looking young doctor hurried out, calling back that they would return soon, too rushed to let NK and Pooja know what a harrowing time they were in for, having agreed to the counselling session assuming that it was one of the many formalities of her surgery.

Akash looked up from typing an email when Payal walked out in a little while, looking far too somber for even her. Chucking her under her chin, he quirked an eyebrow at her. Her eyes clouded with worry, she said, "Akash, the hospital counsellor has come to talk to Pooja. She insisted on having only one bystander, so I left Nanheji inside. Akash, I think Pooja will finally realise the extent of damage that has happened to her face. Will Nanheji be able to handle this?"

Enfolding her dear face against his chest, he whispered, "In a way, it happened for the best, Payal. If NK can see her through this, their relationship would become deeper than we could've expected."

Meanwhile, Pooja's heavily bandaged face smiled up at the pleasant-faced lady standing near her. The junior doctor who had come earlier had come in with Ms.Juneja, introduced her and left. She had looked a bit surprised when NK introduced himself to be the patient's boss and added that he was a friend as well, but let it slide, and turned to her patient.

"Hello, Pooja, I'm Sheila, the hospital counsellor. Do you know why I'm here?"

Grimacing slightly as the stitches on her face pulled as she talked, Pooja replied softly, "To talk to me about my surgery."

Smiling as she shook her head, Sheila Juneja pulled a chair near Pooja's bed, on the opposite side of where NK was sitting, and replied, "Actually, no. You have had a traumatic incident, Pooja, and I'm here to help you get acquainted with yourself. To introduce yourself to the new 'you', and to tell you how to make decisions in your new skin."

Finally realising what was about to happen, NK shifted in his seat uncomfortably as Pooja turned her head to look at him in confusion.

Seeing the different reactions her words had caused, Sheila said, "Pooja, what do you know about this surgery?"

"That my face was hurt and this surgery will repair the wounds."

"That's right. Now let me tell you in detail...", and the counsellor gently proceeded to tell Pooja about the attack on her face, how her skin and underlying muscles had been torn to shreds in places and how several of her bones had fractured, how the repair had been done in Etah, and that her surgeries in Delhi were of a finer nature, meant to put her face as near as possible to what it had been earlier.

After a shocked gasp in the beginning, Pooja had grown unnaturally quiet, and except for the trembling in her hand which had somehow ended up clasped tight in NK's, he would have thought that she had fallen asleep. Once the counsellor stopped her monologue, she sat waiting, knowing that Pooja would take her own time in responding. Her role was to guide the patient, to make the patient take strength from within and from her loved ones.

After what seemed like hours to a frantic NK, Pooja pulled her hand from his, and in a voice so soft that he had to strain to make out the words, said, "I want to see...". Flicking her eyes to NK, she repeated, "My face...let me see my face."

At NK's terrified look, the counsellor nodded her head in encouragement. Almost shivering from fear, wishing with all his heart that one of his cousins or sisters-in-law were there with him, NK got up and taking the vanity-mirror that was packed in her bag, brought it to her.

Taking the mirror, Pooja proceeded to calmly examine her bandaged face. Turning her head slightly, she asked the counsellor, who was seated quietly by her side, "You mean my face is not there anymore. Whatever is under these bandages doesn't resemble my face, and never will, unless this surgery is successful."

Her years of experience telling her that this was the calm before the storm, Sheila nodded, letting Pooja vent whenever she was ready. But, the next question took her by surprise, "And this fine surgery, is it done for all such cases?"

At her negative answer, Pooja asked again, "Why?"

"Because the surgery is difficult, exclusively done in Delhi and Mumbai and very expensive. You're lucky that you have the means to move on in life, Pooja."

Taking a minute to digest it, Pooja turned to NK, "Why?"

At his blank stare, she asked, even more forcefully this time, "NK Sir, why are you here?"