A/N: Heyya peeps!
I should have mentioned this in my first author's note itself, but since it completely skipped my mind then, I'm gonna do so now.
I am not a medical student. In fact I study Mathematics, which technically bears no connection to medicine whatsoever. But it has been a hobby of mine to research 'wiki' & 'google' for med related thingies and hence the inspiration for this story. I might get some details wrong. I just hope med students won't be offended and would be kind enough to rectify my errors. Thank u 'Rhymes' and 'Himani' for your valuable insight. But since i've already penned down 'pathology', so i'll keep it that way to avoid confusion. In future would bear in mind to get the facts straight!!!!
Do read & review as always!!!
CHAPTER 2 : The Fall
"If there is an upside to free-falling, It's the chance you give your friends to catch you!"
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-DISSECTION HALL-
Corpses draped in white, laid 'face-up' on the dissection tables, the pungent smell of chemicles overpowering the senses clearly made a perfect mix of a surreal horror movie.
"Partners go stand near one table each and lift the cloth. And listen carefully, ...in case it turns out to be someone u know, u are free to request an exchange", instructed Prof Vardhan.
Sanyukta saw the entire class hesistantly move towards their respective tables. Kaustuki and Jiggy were standing opposite to Sanyukta, but were too terrified to lift the cover.
Sanyukta turned around looking for Randhir and saw him take a table towards the end and near his friends. She made her way towards him and stood adjacently.
But before she could utter a single word to her partner, he lifted the cover exposing the cadaver. The sight left Sanyukta petrified. The body they had chosen had a raw gaping skull, holes in the temple, burnt and completely peeled skin of the face, clearly a case of accident. Sanyukta winced. The sight was gruesome and the smell was nauseating.
She felt weak. No amount of training could prepare anyone for this. Sanyukta held onto the table for support. All of a sudden the room appeared dizzy before her.
What happened next barely registered in her cranium. Her legs gave away and she uttered the first word that came to her mind.
"Randhir"
And all was blank. Sanyukta Agarwal became the first student that year to become victim to the infamous 'dissection hall'.
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He was someone who fit the term 'born with a golden spoon' perfectly. The son of the nation's most successful surgeons, Randhir Shekhawat was an inborn genius. At a very tender age itself he had shown signs of being attracted to the 'medical' profession. 'The doctor's set' was his first toy as an infant.
But destiny had different plans in store for him. The lavish childhood that he had received by dint of birth had been snatched away from him by the cruel hands of death. Sure, he inherited a 'multi-billion' fortune, but in turn lost the most precious thing in a child's life - the love & care of 'parents'.
Witnessing a twin murder at the mere age of 10 and that too of the most important people in his life, took a toll on his psyche. He became cold and detached. There was a burning desire buried deep within him to avenge his parents. But there was nothing he could about it. The frustration ate him away from within. So instaed of wasting himself away, he channeled all his hatred and anger onto his academics and came out with flying colors. He aced the medical entrance scoring a whooping 483 out of 500, far ahead of the one who came second with a score of 439.
Having had a traumatized childhood, Randhir had grown up to become a recluse. His only friends were the ones who had now accompanied him to medical college - Karan(his best friend), Parth (who was like a brother to him), Smriti (who was one of his earliest friends) and Ishita, his girfriend. All 5 of them had 'doctors' for both sets of parents. Infact, the parents of all the other 4 were also a part of "The Hope Foundation" and they had all grown up together and studied in the same school.
He became friends with Ishita in standard iv, the same year he lost his parents. It wasn't until the 10th standard that Ishita confessed to having 'feelings' for him. His first reaction was to back away. But she was really nice to him and they were always together. So he decided to give the 'relationship' a try. And they had been a 'couple' since the last 2 years.
For Randhir, the only people who mattered to him were his 4 friends, the helper in the 'Shekhawat' mansion (Ramu chacha) who took care of him all through his adolescence and his uncle, Dr. Dinesh Shekhawat, who meant the world to Randhir.
Dinesh loved Randhir very much and always tried his best to not make him feel his parents' absence.
Medical was Randhir's ultimate passion, his parents being his idols. The "Founders Medical College" was in fact a part of his parents' foundation. It was the 'numero-uno' med college in the country.
On his first day in here, Randhir had to miss both the theory classes due to some urgent work. He was however back before lab started. He entered the dissection hall and the tension inside was palpable. The students seemed on edge and scared of what awaited them. Randhir smirked inwardly.
"Fools" he thought. For him corpses meant nothing. He was unfazed by the 'hype' around 'anatomy'. May be it was because he was born in a family of doctors and had the medical gene in him. But deep down he knew that wasn't the case.
Prof Vardhan had long been a family friend. Randhir was pleased to see him as the lab professor. But then the prof decided to pair him with some silly girl. He thought of requesting for a different partner, but then decided not to make a scene. The girl could just stay wherever she wanted while he would carry on with his work. It's not like he needed a partner anyway!
Ishita too wasn't happy with this choice of pairing 'alphabetically'.
"Come on Ishi, it's just an effing lab...Besides u & I don't need partners, do we?" he told her while they were waiting outside.
She made a face and replied, "Of course we don't...But u have been paired with a tramp! What good can possibly come out of that?"
Before Randhir could reply, the door to the lab opened and in they went.
Randhir and Ishita decided to choose nearby tables along with Karan, Parth and Smriti. He barely noticed when Sanyukta came and stood near him. They were supposed to be 'studying' the atmosphere today. Randhir didn't need to study the atmosphere. He was accustomed to it. He knew what to expect.
"I felt his heart stop beating...He died in my arms...They died right in front of me while I could do nothing...What's a mere corpse! They died and i couldn't do anything..."
Without a second thought he pulled the cover off his cadaver and heard a 'unified' gasp go across the room. He was the first one to have pulled the covers off.
That was when he heard his name uttered.
"Randhir"
It sounded like the girl next to him. Before he could react, he felt her grasp his left arm and felt a tug at his lab coat before sensing that she was about to collapse. He whipped around and caught her by the waist and tried to steady her. By now the class was panicky.
"Randhir, make her sit" instructed prof vardhan, "God, students these days...can't stand the sight of a cadaver and aspire to become a doctor."
Randhir looked at the girl's face and realized she had fainted.
"I will take her", said a meek voice.
Randhir looked up to find a tribal girl staring back at him. Without another word, he shoved a limp sanyukta into Kaustuki's awaiting hands and brushed his lab-coat where it had developed 'crease' from Sanyukta's 'fall'.
Kaustuki, helped by her partner Jiggy, carried Sanyukta away to the clinic. On her way out of the lab, Kaustuki noticed 4 other girls sitting down under the fan and wiping their faces with wet handkerchiefs, apparently feeling unwell. But none had blacked out except Sanyukta.
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-CLINIC-
"Uhhh" muttered Sanyukta as she opened her eyes and stared around the place. She was lying on a soft bed and there was a glass of glucose kept on the table beside her.
"Sanyu, how are u feeling now? Are u ok?" Kaustuki asked softly.
Sanyukta frowned. Where was she? And it all came back to her...the open skull, the rancid smell...
"I passed out, didn't i?" she enquired.
Kaustuki nodded in affirmation.
It was then that Sanyukta noticed the bespectacled guy standing at the door.
"Jignesh right?" she asked.
He nodded shyly.
"Jignesh helped me bring u here after u...well..." explained Kaustuki.
"Thanks Jignesh" Sanyukta said.
"It's ok Sanyukta. Don't worry...U will get used to it..." the guy replied with a smile.
"But kaustuki...Did i fall? Everyone must have made fun of me right?"
"No one made fun of u Sanyu...There were other students who fell sick too...Anatomy is gross, everyone knows that...But yeah, u didn't fall.." finished Kaustuki with a smile.
Sanyukta looked puzzled, "I didn't? How come?"
"He caught u...Randhir..." came her reply.
Sanyukta shivered at her words.
"Randhir caught me?" she thought.
"U spoke his name before fainting...U remember right?" this time Kaustuki spoke with a hint of playfulness.
Sanyukta's eyes widened.
"Shit!!!!! I did, didn't i? How could I have been so weak? How am I ever going to face anyone ever again?"
It was Jignesh who replied, "Sanyukta, u are overthinking it! Relax...It's med school...fainting is allowed!!"
A smile automatically graced Sanyukta's features as Jignesh said those words. There in that room she realized that on her first day itself she had made not one, but two very good friends.
"We should head back to the hostel Sanyu..." Kaustuki spoke.
And so the 3 friends headed towards their hostel.
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Kaustuki and Sanyukta bade bye to Jignesh and headed for the girl's dorm.
"I will make u some noodles..." Kaustuki suggested.
"It's ok Kaustuki...U already missed lab because of me...U don't have to do anymore...Besides it's time I met my room-mate...I hope she's a nice person!"
Kaustuki laughed and said, "You bet she's a nice person!"
"How do u know?" asked Sanyukta in surprise.
"Because i am ur room-mate! Sorry I forgot to mention before!"
And both girls started giggling.
They reached the dorm room and were about to enter when a girl came upto them and said, "Sanyukta, this is for u" and handed a piece of parchment to her.
Sanyukta took it and thanked the girl and asked her name.
"I'm Vidushi Kumar, first year too...I saw u faint...Are u ok?"
"Hi vidushi...I'm fine now! Thank u.."
"ok...I will see u around, I guess...Bye.." replied Vidushi and went towards her room.
"What's in the paper?" Kaustuki asked.
Sanyukta unfolded it and realized it was her scholarship application.
She showed it to Kaustuki before carefully stuffing it away in her bag. But as she was about to do so, something fell out of her purse. Kaustuki bent to pick it up and saw it was a picture.
"Is that u sanyu?" Kaustuki asked.
Sanyukta turned to see her friend holding the picture of two extremely good-looking doctors and a child with rabbit-teeth standing between them.
"Yeah, that's me with Dr Harsh and Dr Renuka Shekhawat...I told u i had their picture with me..."
Kaustuki was amazed.
"So u met them...Wow! They were like out of this planet from what I hear! u are so lucky u got to meet them sanyu..."
Sanyukta smiled and replied, "They saved my dad's life...U have no idea what they mean to me..."
And Sanyukta recounted the incident from her childhood, while Kaustuki heard it all in awe!
"I still can't believe they passed away.." Sanyukta uttered finally.
"Yeah", said kaustuki softly, "It was a car crash...It was all over the television..."
"Yeah...Two brilliant surgeons killed by a freak accident...Unbelievable...There is no justice in this world...Seriously!" replied sanyukta.
"They have a son...he is our age u know...wonder where he is now!" said kaustuki.
Sanyukta was staring ahead wistfully and whispered, "Poor kid...It was his birthday the day they died...Imagine his life..."
"Chhodo sanyu...No sad talks...it's our first day and guess what? u should be proud that u are studying in the college that was founded by ur idols!!"
Sanyukta smiled in response and said, "Yeah!!!! I am proud! One day I am going to become a great surgeon just like them. But first i gotta learn how to overcome my fear of dead-bodies!!!"
And the two girls started laughing. Funny how well they bonded in just the first day!
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It was 6 pm in the evening.
Sanyukta Agarwal sat on her hostel bed as her mind wandered to towards the day's activities. Her first day in med-school, such a special ocassion.
Her phone rang.
'Ma' calling.
"Hello ma, aakhir apko meri yaad aa hi gayi!" she said as she picked up the call.
"Arey sanyu beta! Kaisi hain? Tera pehla din kaisa raha?"
"Ma mein bilkul theek hun...College bohot he badiya hain...Meine naye dost bhi banaye hain (Aur dushman bhi, she thought, but didn't speak out loud)! Aap aur papa kaise ho? Bohot yaad aa rahi hain ghar ki.."
And for the next half an hour, both mother and daughter spoke endlessly about anything & everything before finally hanging up!
Sanyukta felt light after talking to her mother. She looked around for Kaustuki, but the latter was asleep. Sanyukta decided to take a stroll around the campus and went out.
Her thoughts strayed towards 'him'. His blue eyes, husky voice...It was like he had captivated her and she had nowhere to escape.
"He caught me...I should thank him..." she thought.
As luck would have it, she spotted him a bit further away, but surrounded by his 'gang'.
"Chal Sanyu, ek 'thank u' ki hi toh baat hain...Bol de aur kat le...Aur isi bahane usse baat bhi toh kar sakegi..."
With that self-motivating thought Sanyukta approached the gang warily and called out.
"Randhir.."
All five pairs of eyes turned to look at her and sanyukta's confidence faltered immediately.
Randhir was giving her a 'i-know-what-u-are-upto' look.
"Oh look guys! It's miss 'fainting fancy'!!! What do u want behenji?" taunted ishita.
Smriti laughed and added, "Come to join us in our discussions?"
"She is here to share her valuable insight with us...So spill miss expert! what are u waiting for?" Karan remarked.
Parth however was quiet. He could sense Sanyukta's uneasiness. He stared from Sanyukta to randhir. The former was flushed and looking stricken, while the latter was scanning the former with his razor-sharp gaze.
"Randhir", sanyukta addressed him, ignoring the jibes, "I have come to say 'thank u'...I'm scared of dead-bodies and blood..."
Before she could go any further, Randhir snickered.
Sanyukta fell silent while mentally cursing herself for being foolish enough to come here.
"Sanyukta Agarwal, right?" he asked, his tone icy, his gaze hard, "As far as i recall, and I have photographic memory, ur father's a grocery store owner, right?"
Sanyukta gulped. Him too? Was the soul behind the 'exquisite' face so tarnished that he would stoop low enough to insult her father like the rest?
She nodded, not meeting his eyes. Tears were threatening to escape any moment as the humiliation got the better of her senses.
"That means u aren't that well off...So tell me, how did u manage to bribe into this college? I'm curious.."
His querry left her bewildered.
"Excuse me?" she asked meekly, "I got through the entrance.."
Randhir comsidered her for a moment, their eyes having a 'stare-me-down' contest. He then abruptly got up from his seat, while the rest of the gang witnessed the scene in utter silence and curious faces. Everyone wanted to know where Randhir was going with this.
He approached her. She went rigid. He was so close. Her heart was fluttering wildly. She was literally hyperventilating.
"Are u sure u got through the entrance?"
She gulped once again before stammering, "Y-yes...Rank 281"
He raised a brow, smirked and said, "281??? So u are here on scholarship quota I'm assuming?"
She nodded. What was he doing? What did he want?
"That explains...Dead-bodies? Seriously?"
That was when the entire gang burst out laughing...Well all except parth, who was smiling.
Sanyukta however still looked baffled.
Randhir realized that she didn't get his point and so he explained, "U call urself a medical aspirant and u talk like a damned roadside layman! It's 'cadaver' not 'dead-body'...'C-A-D-A-V-E-R'.." he spelled it out for her, earning more laughter from his friends.
Sanyukta slapped herself mentally.
"Stupid stupid me!!! Dead-body? Tu medical college mein hain sanyu,,,apna gaon mein nhi..."
She looked up to see him staring at her with meek interest as if gauging her reaction.
"I'm sorry...My bad...Won't happen again...Cadaver...I will keep that in mind..."
Her words only earned her more jears from Ishita & Smriti. Randhir however just turned away and spoke to his group, "Let's go somewhere where we can be at peace.."
He looked at Sanyukta while uttering the word 'peace' and she winced.
Sanyukta turned and was about to leave when he called her again.
"Oh and agarwal...ur fear of blood...It's 'hemophobia'...And relax, cadavers don't have blood.."
He smirked one last time and walked away, while Sanyukta stood still staring at the retreating figure as one thought crossed her mind, "What a guy!"
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Sanyukta returned to her hostel, all-the-while thinking about 'Randhir'. That one encounter made her realize how confident he seemed to be and how sure he was of himself. She had always admired people like him. No doubt he was rude, but u will seldom find a compassionate 'genius', right?
She sat on her bed and checked the time.
8pm. The moonlight was streaming through her window.
Sanyukta took out her diary and sat down to write about her first day in medical college.
The last paragraph she wrote was "His name is Randhir. He looks like a greek god! And he is someone I've always aspired to become - calm, confident and controlled."
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Meanwhile in the boy's hostel, Randhir shared a room for 3 with Karan & Parth.
Karan was talking over the phone with Smriti, who happened to be his girlfriend, while Parth was studying.
Randhir was sitting idle on the bed and staring at his study-desk.
A picture-frame with a 'couple' and their 8 year old son sat on the desk. Unnoticed by either of his room-mates, a lone tear escaped his eyes as he stared at the photo. He clenched his fists.
"The world thinks it was an accident. They covered it up. They killed my parents. They shattered my life...And i'm not resting until i find out who this 'they' are..."
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Love,
#Anu😳
Edited by federized2210 - 11 years ago
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