PART 50:
Angad knelt down beside Kripa and turned her to her side. He checked her breathing and pulse, and called Aaliyah in a panic. Aaliyah was busy with a surgery. Angad yelled at Aaliyah's nurse in panic, "Dr Aaliyah se kehna main Kripa ko lekar Mumbai hospital pahunch raha hoon….it is an EMERGENCY!"
Kripa had stopped convulsing and was limp and pale now. Angad lifted her gently in both his arms and carried her to his car. He placed her carefully in the back seat and gave her a gentle kiss on her forehead, "main tumhe kuch nahin hone doonga Jaan….just hang in there….for the sake of our child….." Kripa stirred a little, almost as if she had felt and heard him.
Angad rushed her to the hospital, the same hospital where he had trained as a student and surgical resident. Aaliyah had called him and reassured him that she would meet him outside the OT at the hospital. "Angad….you know how risky this condition is?….An emergency c-section is the only answer."
"I know Aaliyah….I have seen several women and babies die when a mother has Eclampsia, but I am sure you will not let that happen."
(Eclampsia is a serious condition of pregnancy when a woman gets very high BP with convulsions. The only treatment is an emergent delivery of the baby.)
Kripa was wheeled into the OT as soon as she got there. The nurse came with a consent form, "is par sign kar dee jiye….aap kya lagte hai patient ke?"
Angad was about to speak as he held the pen in his hand, "main unka p…,"
"Yeh kuch nahin hain patient ke! Main Kartik Jain hoon….Kripa ka bhai….I will sign the consent!"
Angad looked up and saw Harshini and Kartik standing next to him. Kartik glared at Angad and took his pen out, and signed the papers. The nurse thanked him and went back to the OT.
Angad and Kartik stared at each other, none ready to speak to each other. Angad finally broke the silence, "Kartik….Kripa is very critical….aise mauke par hum apne differences door rakhein tho behtar hai."
"Difference aur doori ki baatein tho hum sab ne tum se hi seekhi hain Dr Khanna! If you have any affection left for my sister, just leave! Kripa ka hashr (outcome) jo bhi hoga, wo hamaari zimmedari hai! She is no longer your responsibility!" Kartik said sternly
Harshini lowered her eyes, as Angad's eyes pleaded with her instead.
Angad just backed off and sat down in the waiting area like an ordinary person, anxiously waiting outside for their loved one being operated upon inside the OT. This was the first time he was not the person in charge in the OT, but just an anxious worried man outside the OT. He could now appreciate what all his patients and their families went through when uncertainty looms on their head. He carried the little statue of Ganapati, which Kripa had once placed in their first car, in his pocket these days; he took it out and offered a small prayer in his mind, something he had not done in years.
A nurse came out again and announced, "patient ko anaesthesia de diya hai…wo operation ke liye tayyar hai….aap mein se ek janaa unke saath OT mein reh sakta hai, bachche ko dekhne."
Angad jumped up; he wanted to be the first one to hold his flesh and blood. Kartik intervened, "Harshini Kripa ki behen hai…..she will go inside Sister!"
Harshini glanced at an eager Angad; she wanted to let him go instead, but Kartik's protective stance prevented her from sending Angad inside.
Angad's heart ached, as his tears flowed uncontrollably. Kartik ignored Angad's plight and called Gayatri, "haan maasi….main apne driver ko bhej tha hoon…wo aapko Mumbai le aayega…..main aur Harshini yahin hain….aap fikr mat kariye, Kripa ko kuch nahin hoga."
Angad went back and sat on the bench. He buried his face in his hands and tried to hide his tears, "is se badhi sazaa kya hogi mere liye? Mera bachcha, aur main khud hi usey na choo sakta hoon, na dekh sakta hoon…..mujhse kitni badhi bhool ho gayi…."
A little later, Aaliyah walked out and smiled at Kartik, "Congratulations Kartik….tum ek 4 pound ke baby boy ke maama ban gaye ho!" she said it loudly as she had noticed Angad sitting in the waiting room behind Kartik. Angad was ecstatic; he got up and wiped his tears. He could not hold himself any more and came forward, "Aaliyah, how is Kripa?"
Aaliyah smiled again and touched Angad's arm, "she will be alright…BP abhi bhi high hai, so they will keep her in the ICU for a day or two….but she should be out of danger soon." Aaliyah smiled at Kartik too and walked back to the OT.
Harshini came out, all excited, "bhaiyya…..bahut cute hai mera bhaanja! I got to hold him for a few seconds, but they had to take him to the newborn ICU, as he is premature."
Kartik hugged Harshini and said, "Maasi ke aate hi mithai baantni hai! Chalo unhey phone karke bataa doon ki wo bhi naani ban gayi hain!" Kartik purposely ignored Angad while celebrating the arrival of his nephew with Harshini. Kartik stepped away to make the call.
Angad approached Harshini, who was trying to avoid eye contact with him, "Harshini….kaisa lagta hai wo? Uski aankhein kis rang ki hai? Kripa ki tarah gora hai, ya meri tarah saanwla? Baal kitne hain?" he barraged her with questions.
Harshini glanced at Angad and said softly, "jiju…bilkul aapki naak aur honth hai, rang aur baal Kripa didi ke jaise hain," she stopped herself from saying anymore, when she saw Kartik approaching them.
Angad walked away, hiding from Kartik's gaze, as he did not want Harshini to get into trouble.
Angad slipped away and walked towards the familiar ICU of the hospital. He was so familiar with each hallway and elevator of this hospital, but today every thing looked alien and intimidating to him, just like it would to a stranger in this huge hospital. He stopped by the gift shop and bought a dozen red roses. He then took the elevator to the ICU.
He let himself into the ICU with his doctor's badge.
"Hello Dr Khanna! Aapko bahut dino se dekha nahin.," one of the ICU staff members asked him
"Hello Sister Molly, main yahan patient Kripa Khanna ko dekhne aaya hoon. She must have just arrived from the Gynae OT"
"Kripa Khanna? Us naam ka patient tho nahin hai sir….abhi abhi ek Kripa Sharma aayi hain…wo tho nahin hai?" Sister Molly asked
"Kripa Sharma?" Angad felt as if someone had slapped him hard on his face; a slap harder and more painful than the one Kripa had given him.
He just nodded gently, "haan…wo hi."
"Wo wahan bed # 204 par hain sir…..aap unke doctor hain?"
"Nahin, main…main….bas ek well wisher hoon….thanks sister Molly."
Angad went to Kripa's bedside. She was still unconscious with tubes, catheters and monitors attached to her. He had seen several patients in such conditions before, but his heart broke at seeing his lovely wife so helpless and restrained by modern medical technology.
He placed the flowers at her bedside and touched her hand. It felt warm and soft, just the way it always was. He sat down beside her and bowed his head on her hand. He whispered, "ho sake tho mujhey maaf kar dena Kripa…..main tumhara gunahgaar hoon…..main hamesha tumhara intezaar karoonga."
Sister Molly came up behind him, "Dr Khanna….yeh Mrs Khanna hain?"
Angad looked up at the nurse with moist eyes and nodded.
"Koi baat nahin , sab theek ho jaayega." The nurse said
Angad got up to leave, "Sister…promise me you will not tell her I was here….this is my humble request."
The nurse nodded, "don't worry Doctor….we nurses only do what a doctor orders!"
Angad thanked her and walked out of the ICU. As he walked out, he saw the signs for the 'Newborn ICU," he could not control himself and decided to sneak inside the NICU.
He scrubbed himself properly and wore a surgeon's mask and gown before he went in. He knew he did not have the right to go in, as he had no newborn patients there, but his fatherly feelings could not keep him away from his only child.
He looked for his son's incubator amongst the sea of tiny incubators with tiny babies everywhere.
He finally saw an incubator with the name, "Baby Boy Sharma" written on it. This slap was even harder than the one he got in the main ICU.
That one sign on the incubator made him realize that he had lost everything in his life. He was a rich and famous surgeon in this city, with the richest clients, a mansion, multiple cars, multiple servants, a huge bank balance, but was still the poorest man on the face of the earth.
He walked slowly towards the incubator and opened it's doors. He saw a frail little, cute baby sleeping inside with a monitor and a feeding tube attached to him. He could not believe that this was his own flesh and blood….so tiny, but so innocent and adorable. He wanted to hold his son, but he knew he could not do it in this condition. He crawled his finger gently near his son's hand. As soon as his finger touched the baby's hand, the baby reflexly grasped his finger in his tiny hands. Angad smiled through his tears and thought, "yeh meri zindagi ka sabse badha tohfa hai…..beta ab main tera saath kabhie nahin chodoonga…..your papa will always be there for you." Angad took out the Ganapati statue from his pocket and placed it in one corner of the incubator, "jab tak yeh tere saath hain, koi tera kuch nahin bigaad sakta."
Angad saw the neonatal specialist approaching them. He withdrew his hand and walked away from his son's bedside.
The little touch of his son's hand had made one thing clear to him- HE COULD NOT STAY IN MUMBAI ANY LONGER, HE WOULD MOVE TO RAMGARH AND BE THERE FOR HIS SON.
This song expresses Angad's feelings as he walks out of the NICU:
"tera mera rishta' from "awaarapan"
http://ww.smashits.com/music/forthcoming/s...1/awarapan.html
tera yakin kyon maine kiya nahi, tujhse raah kyon juda
mujh pe yeh zindagi karti rahi sitam, tune hi di hai panah
tera mera rishta puraana - 3
hai kya tadap hai, hai yeh kaisi saza
tu kyun mujhe aaj yaad aa gaya
bechain din mere, bechain raat hai
kya main karu kuchh bata
yeh mere paanv hi khud meri bediyaan
uss se tu mujhe chhooda
tera mera rishta purana - 4
kya mujh mein hai shaks woh keh raha
aa aab main du karz tera chuka
aankhen hai nam meri, saasein chubhan meri
zakham huwa pir haara, dil ke viraane mein
mere phasane mein, tu hi toh har dum raha
tera mera rishta purana - 4
oh tera mera rishta purana – 2
…to be continued…
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