First sight?
Life. It's something precious. Something priceless. And when you save a life , the feeling you get is inexplicable. Even after so many successful surgeries the feeling of saving a life for her was something she'd always feel elated about. But being a doctor had it's demerits too. There were times when she had lost her patients. And the rotten feeling of not being able to save someone even after trying your level best is again something which cannot be explained. Only a doctor can understand what it feels like. The feeling of defeat and failure was something which couldn't be surmounted. But today she wouldn't think of all that because the patient they were treating since the past one year was now finally going to live a normal life. This case was sensitive and also close to her heart since the patient was a five year old kid whom she had befriended during her internship days. Back then she wasn't a part of this case but being promoted as a resident doctor just a week back her senior had handed over this case to her. Happy would be an understatement for her today. She was finally going to give the five year old's parents the best news they could've ever heard from her. A feeling of pain passed through her remembering the last two times she had met them. The sense of failure and defeat in their eyes when she had told them that their little girl would possibly not survive had made her feel like a loser. She was agitated that even after so much of studying she couldn't save the life of a five year old. The baby hadn't even seen the better part of the world and was going through so much of pain when she should have been enjoying at school with her friends. But her senior doctor had made her understand that it wasn't in their hands. The girl wasn't strong enough to undergo surgery. And today by some miracle she had survived the surgery successfully. She had been improving a lot in the past week but everyone in her team was still unsure if she was strong enough to go through the procedure and the little angel had proved them all wrong by being such a brave kid.
"Mr.Banerjee.?" She called out to the kid's father with a big smile on her face. Mr.Banerjee seemed to come out of his trance as the worry lines on his forehead were replaced by a slight unsure smile on his face. His eyes were getting teary. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to make peace with his overworked mind and settled himself on the bench in the waiting room. Looking up at her standing beside him with a smile and a nod which indicated that his baby girl was now free from all the pain she had suffered made his unsure smile a little more bright.
"You go inform your wife Mr.Banerjee.. I'll see if you can meet her." He mouthed a small trembling thank you and watched her leave the waiting room.
For someone completing her reports Riddhima looked way too much happy. Nothing could change her mood today she was sure of that. She smiled again remembering how her patient's mother had kissed her daughter when she had been allowed to meet her baby to which the five year old nautanki had made a face. Their small family moment in the ward had made Riddhima giggle with moist eyes.
"Go home Riddhima."
She looked up to see Kunal , her senior and also a good friend , standing in front of her with a few files in his hand and an irritated look on his face. And here comes the Hitler , she thought. Riddhima wasn't calling him a hitler because he was a senior.. Absolutely not.. He was bearable ..actually he was real adorable and amazing as a senior doctor but as a friend the guy was an irritating daft . But she couldn't have thanked her stars enough to have him as her attending. He was a great guy and was really sweet. The love he had for kids and the way he treated them with so much care and affection always intrigued her. She still remembered how apprehensive she was when she had talked to him the first time. Being the new intern in the hospital wasn't something easy. Though she had been here a lot during her childhood days what with her father being the dean of the hospital but it was still awkward for her since she was going to be an employee now and not just a kid roaming about playing with the nurses and doctors while her father would be busy in some surgery. And she had masked her nervousness really well but Kunal had seen through the bright smile , the fear in her eyes. His constant tries on making her feel comfortable around everyone had been the ice breaking moment for them and since then they had been really good friends.
"I'll just complete these reports first and then head home," she replied with a smile.
"You haven't slept since two days and I don't want you sitting here in the OPD anymore. Go home now before I go call Anjali." If she was going to be adamant he knew how to convince her into giving up. And threatening her with Anjali's name , her elder cousin who was also a doctor in the hospital , was the only way. Riddhima had once overworked herself and that had resulted into her getting sick and staying at home for two days and boy was Anjali angry. She had given an earful to Riddhima and when she was done with her she had also fired poor Kunal for not taking care of his interns. Anjali was very protective towards Riddhima since she was her baby sister and was the only one who could scare Riddhima.
"She's not in today." Riddhima smirked victoriously. She knew Kunal would threaten her like this and was glad her Di had taken an off today. Kunal sighed and seated himself on the other chair in the OPD cabin facing her.
"Atul.?" he asked her grinning and she grinned back nodding her head slightly. Atul Joshi , her Di's boyfriend and to-be-husband , was a sweet guy and also an amazing cardiologist in Sanjeevni. Anjali and Atul were head over heels in love with each other. Riddhima sometimes wondered how they fell in love. Because Anjali and Atul were two antithetical people. If Anjali was stubborn and strong headed then Atul was sweet and adjusting. Maybe that is why they were perfect for each other. Because they balance each other. And also isn't it how they say - opposites attract.
"They're out selecting the engagement rings. I can't believe they're getting married already. Feels like just yesterday when they had become friends."
"Well.. I'm glad they're getting married. They'll be together all the time at home. Atleast then I won't be entering their cabins to be scandalized to see them clinging to each other," he said scrunching his nose remembering those numerous times when he had entered their cabins only to see them glued to each other. It wasn't like Anjali and Atul to be public about their affection and to think of it , it wasn't even public.. they were in their own cabins and Kunal had been the one stepping in without knocking. But who was to convince Kunal about that? For him he could never be wrong ! And Anjali and Atul were wrong to be with each other in their personal time and personal cabins. Yes , they were wrong !
Riddhima hit him slightly on his arm while he looked at her irritated, "What.?"
"That's my sister you are talking about," came her reply.
"Go tell her to be a little more careful then. They could've atleast locked the door. You have no idea how-"
"Lalalalallalalala.. I'm not listening to you .. Lalalalalala," Riddhima sang out loud to block her ears from hearing anything she would repent later. Now it was Kunal who had hit her on her head with a file to knock some sense into her for singing like a maniac in the middle of the day that too in the OPD. She glared at him before going back to her pending paperwork trying to ignore his presence.
"I'm leaving.. Complete these reports fast and leave the hospital. I don't want to see your boring face anymore," Kunal said getting up from the chair.
"Yeah yeah. Now toh the only face you'll want to see is that of your new found girlfriend." Riddhima teased him to see him trying to hide his nervousness with a fake sardonic smile.
"I don't have a girlfriend. I've got some work. See you later." He muttered the last two sentences and left the cabin in a hurry leaving a giggling Riddhima behind. She had been really excited and anxious when she had heard him talking on the phone one day and he had sounded so polite and sweet that she was sure there was some major gadbad. Because Kunal and chivalry were two words which would never be in one single sentence. And the next day when she had questioned him about the call he was all red and wouldn't talk to her the entire day which had approved all her doubts. But she was still confused as to why he wasn't agreeing to being in a relationship. It wasn't like they'd disapprove of it or something. He had introduced them to some of his girlfriends before then what was wrong this time!? She had later shrugged it off thinking it was his personal matter and his wish.
"Hey Nikki ! I'm leaving.. See you on Monday." Riddhima smiled at Nikki who was studying some case file sitting on the sofa in their cabin. She had just finished her work and was here to fetch her bag and mobile . Nikita looked up from her file and frowned.
"Go away from here."
Riddhima looked at her confused ,"What.?"
"Not you.. Him.!" She turned around to come face to face with a fuming Abhi who had just entered the cabin.
"Hey Abhi.. What are you doing here.? Come to see Nikki." Riddhima tried to lighten the atmosphere teasing Abhi , Nikita's fianc. Abhimanyu Modi and Nikita Malhotra , the pair made in heaven , pun unintended cause they were a pair made in Heaven , Heaven Restaurant in Delhi. Their parents being family friends had a brainstorm and wanted these two to get married so that like in films even they can turn their friendship into some sort of rishtedaari and the two of them were ready for the marriage since they had met a couple of times before. They wanted to take things slow to know each other well but since the story started on a filmy note how could things go normal.? Nikki had received an acceptance letter from Sanjeevni where Abhi was a resident and had to shift to Mumbai the next week. The next thing they knew they were engaged in a matter two days since their parents wanted to officialise their relationship. And bam! Nikki and Abhi enter the hospital only to find each other unbearable. The outcome being their everyday baseless fights. To top it all Nikki reported to Abhi since both of them were orthopaedic majors and it had made the thing all the more worse with Abhi ordering Nikki around and Nikki being offended at his 'bossy chauvinism' as she called it.
"Why would I come to meet her.? As if I don't have anything else to do." Abhi retorted rudely.
"Then what are you doing in the residents cabin.? As far as I remember we're just four residents and you are not one of us. So just get lost." Nikki stood up from the couch while dramatically throwing the file on the table.
"Riddhima tell her not to shout. I am her senior and she'd better respect me," he told Riddhima but his gaze still glued at Nikki .
"Riddhima , tell this moron to leave right now. He can go flirt with the I.C.U nurses in their locker room. They don't come in the residents' cabin." Nikki shouted back , murderously glaring at Abhi.
Riddhima looked at Abhi first and then Nikki .. She wasn't listening to them anymore. She couldn't. Her ears were hurting with the loud shouting. Just when she was about to stop them she heard another voice , "Oye donkey.. Just stop stalking me and leave me alone," entering the cabin. Riddhima closed her eyes in defeat when she saw an infuritated Muskaan enter the cabin with an equally infuriated and irritated Rahul right behind her.
"Pagal hai kya Muskaan.? Even if you were the last woman alive I wouldn't stalk you," came Rahul's immediate retort.
Ha ! As if. Riddhima thought trying to control her grin.
"These women. They live in this bubble where they think all we do is stalk them. Have you ever tried looking at the mirror.? You'd actually realize how wrong you are," Abhi supported Rahul giving him a meaningful look.
"And all you guys do is talk about the hot ICU nurse.. Men and their one track minds," Muskaan wasn't even a minute late to start a fight against Abhi too as she stood next to Nikki while both the ladies subjected Abhi with their mean glares. In order to support the poor guy Rahul went and gave him a thump on his back saying , "They don't get it Abhi .. They'll be dumb their entire lives ," with a smirk plastered on his face.
The girls looked at their dushman party and frowned.
"Don't get what.?" Nikki asked.
Kunal entered the cafeteria and noticed Riddhima sitting on a table all alone smiling aimlessly while sipping her coffee.
"Oye heroine! What's wrong.?" Riddhima was startled at first but realizing it was Kunal she glared at him. Kunal who was leaning on the table stopped grinning when he saw her glare and stood straight ,
"What's wrong with you.? One minute you're smiling and the next you're glaring," he complained.
"I am absolutely alright.. Why can't you just go talk to your girlfriend rather than irritating me.?" she asked him with a saccharine smile.
"Cause I don't have one. And why didn't you go home.?" He was really annoyed with this girlfriend issue Riddhima had brought up now-a-days. Everytime she talked to him she had to bring it up.
"I was just leaving and then I did the biggest mistake of going into the cabin.. WW3," Riddhima said while massaging her forehead trying to ignore the throbbing pain. She had a headache. A severe headache , but Kunal didn't have to know that cause if he'd find out then the chamcha will go tell her Anjy Di and that was the last thing she'd wish for. It wasn't like Anjali would get worried because Riddhima had a headache . She's not some psychotic overprotective sister but she'd definitely shout at her for not going home when she clearly didn't have any work left. Also , she really wanted the rest of the day to go well and a headache wasn't just going to spoil it.
"Sorry!"
Riddhima turned her head to see who had shouted the apology and to whom but all she could notice was an intern blushing profusely while staring dreamily at the cafeteria door? The voice had seemed unusually familiar but she couldn't really pin point why or how. Also what was wrong with the intern? She was all flushed as if she had seen Tom Cruise! No arguements there.. Tom Cruise is H O T and whatever her friends say she's going to love that guy forever. And anyways , he was better than Nikki's Shah Rukh and Muskaan's Salman anyday!
"I don't understand Abhi and Nikki..Why don't they just go and tell their parents that they don't want to get married. We'll be saved from this roz ka drama. Ek toh your sister and that Joshi who can't stop being all lovey-dovey and then those two riots ,Muskaan and Rahul ,who can't stop thinking of how to murder the other. Sanjeevni and it's love stories." Kunal sighed melodramatically while sitting down. Riddhima smiled at what he said , "And also tu aur teri mysterious girlfriend," she couldn't help but add that cheekily yet a little disturbed at that voice and the stupid intern who was now walking around the cafeteria all dreamy dreamy.
"All we need is a dulha for you now," Kunal continued ignoring Riddhima's 'girlfriend' comment like he always does. A royal frown adorned Riddhima's face as she heard him. The daft had to irritate her!
"I'm leaving," she said getting up from her chair taking her bag with her , "Atleast itna toh bata , is she a doctor.?" and she smiled a satisfied smile looking at an uncomfortable Kunal trying to get up from his chair too. And that smile accompanied her as she strode out of the building and towards the parking area only to realize that she hadn't been home since two days and her car wasn't in the parking lot. But to her utter surprise the usually busy streets where you could hardly find any cabs she had found one in just a minute. Maybe the day was really blessed for Riddhima.
Edited by anomaly. - 11 years ago
Real Estate
