Chapter 11
In the dead of the night, the huge trees looked like dark figures staring at him. Arnav did not venture too far into the Amra Kunj. He just needed to blow off the tension building inside his head. So, he walked around for a bit.
The Doctorâs words were nagging him, drilling a hole into his world.
What does this money-grubbing doctor know about him and his father? Absolutely nothing!
It was too late to call his Nani. She must already be asleep or he could have called her and told her she was right all along.
She had warned him not to trust anyone in the Mahal. Yet, Arnav felt the tiniest seed of doubt that was now planted in his head. And he hated its presence, unable to shake it off.
So many questions now swirled in his mind. Questions that he hadnât bothered with earlier. Why would he have? He had never planned to come here, see these faces.His life was running fine. But, now he was here. These questions that were long buried were raising its ugly head. And he didnât want to seek the answers. He knew it will turn his life upside down all over again.
But was the doctor right? How long can he evade his father? How long can he postpone the inevitable conversation?
He should get it done with. He should go to him and tell him everything straight forward. That he will not forgive and forget. No matter what!
Arnav looked westward and could see the faint gleam of the lamps. His motherâs grave. He felt the urge to walk up to her and pour his heart out once again.
But, what good it would do him? First, he needs to get some things straight with his father. Deciding that, he strode back to the Mahal.
On his way, he purposely walked through the garage. Akashâs car was still not there.
Arnav wondered what was taking Akash so long. He also wondered if Khushi would tell everything he told her to Akash.
He didnât mind if she did. He would even be grateful. It would save him the pain of repeating it all over.
As Arnav thought about it, his mind went back to the moment Khushi had held his face in her hands. He could still feel her fingers caressing his cheek. He marveled at the fact that she did not get scared. For a moment there, he had lost himself in the rage against his father. But, she had not run away. She had stayed and listened to him. Small mercies of life!
Or was it small? Now that Arnav thought about it, he felt it was a big thing.
She tried her best to understand him. She did not judge him. Arnav knew he shouldnât read too much into it yet he did. It meant more to him than it should. Talking to her was not a mistake, Arnav felt.
He was grateful of her presence. Next time he sees her, he will tell her that.
Tucking away that thought, Arnav walked into the Mahal and then towards the room of his father.
He didnât know how we would begin. Should he just barge in and say everything that comes to his mind?
That sounds about right.
He knocked at the door once. Twice.
There was noise inside the room. Something fell on the floor with a loud clattering.
What was the old man doing?
Arnav didnât wait to knock the third time. He pushed the door and it opened.
He walked and instantly noticed the mess. Things had fallen off the table and his father was clawing at his chest, sitting on the floor.
This was the last thing he had expected.
He quickly walked in and bent down before the man.
âWhat is wrong?âHe asked, noticing the sweaty face.
His father pointed at the drawer that was half open.
âInhaler! Canât find itâ The words were raspy and fragmented.
It was an Asthma attack, Arnav realized. He remembered reading it in his medical file. Something about the association of Asthma with lung cancer!
Damn it!
He quickly stood up and pulled the drawer out, emptying the contents on the floor. There was no inhaler in it.
âWhere are the other ones?â He demanded but he watched in horror as the old man bent over with heavy coughing, spitting up blood.
What the hell was happening?
Arnav ran out of the room and towards the doctorâs room on the first floor.
He knocked quickly and loudly.
The ten second sit took for the door to open he held his breath.
âArnav, what are...â
âHe is having some kind of attack, he is cough..â
Arnav couldnât finish. The doctor had already rushed past him. Arnav watched the speed with which the man climbed down the stairs. It was the same speed Arnav had come up with.
He didnât linger to think what it meant. He hurried downstairs and walked back into the Mahal.
âHelp me move him. We need to get him to the hospitalâ The doctor said to him, already checking Birendra Singh Malik who now seemed unconscious yet was breathing at irregular intervals.
Arnav hesitated for two seconds. How did he end up helping these two? Thatâs not what he was supposed to be doing.
âWhat the hell are you doing? Help me lift himâ The Doctor looked at Arnav.
âYou go get the car out. Iâll bring himâ Arnav said.
Doctor shook his head.
âNo. We do this together. You hold his upper bodyâ The doctor instructed and Arnav found himself moving.
In five minutes they were inside the doctorâs car. Arnav was driving. He watched from the front mirror as the Doctor pressed his fatherâs chest repeatedly but earned no response. Birendra Singh Malik was completely unconscious.
Arnavâs own initial shock was wearing off. He kept looking through the mirror. It looked like the Doctor was going to break down any moment.
âWhat happened to him?â Arnav asked so he wouldnât have to witness that. He knew their friendship went back to years ago.
âHe must have taken somethingâ The Doctor answered, counting the pulse now.
âWhat?â Arnav felt his hands loosening on the steering wheel.
âNo..I didnât mean..Not something to harm himself. Some medication! I am guessing something from his old batch of medicines. It must have triggered the asthma attack" The doctor kept explaining and Arnav nodded.
âIt is all my mistake! I shouldnât have said anything to him in the first place. I shouldnât have fought. I should have been there to give him his medicines. He must have gotten confused. I am such an..â The rant went on and Arnav didnât want to hear any more of it.
âAll I want to know is if he is going to die right now?â
That worked and the doctor shot a death glare towards him.
âPretend all that you donât care but this is the second time you have come to his rescueâ The doctor said and went back to focusing on his patient.
Arnav focused very hard on the road ahead and not on the words. He did not even want to acknowledge those words.
So, he listened in silence as the doctor called up Akash and told him to come to the hospital.
~~**~~
By the time Akash reached the hospital, Birendra Singh Malik was inside the ICU. Doctor Kumar was inside too.
So, he found Arnav seated on a bench in the gallery outside the room. He rushed to his side.
âWhat happened, Bhai?â He asked, panic written all over his face.
âNo ideaâ Arnav answered. He didnât feel like explaining whatever little the doctor had told him on the car ride.
âIs he going to be alright? Is it something serious?â Akash asked again.
âI donât know, Akashâ This time Arnav looked up at Akash and said in tight words.
Akash ran a hand through his hair and took a seat beside Arnav on the bench.
âWho found him?âAkash asked again after a minuteâs silence.
âI didâ Arnav replied, looking ahead.
âHow did he look? Was he conscious? Did he say something?â
Arnav knew Akash was highly stressed. It was evident from the desperate tone of his questions.
âNo, he didnât say anything. He lost consciousness when I went to call the doctor. He was having trouble breathing and then he coughed a lot. I donât know anything moreâ Arnav supplied the information.
Akash nodded his head at each sentence, tapping his feet loudly on the floor.
âI am scared, Bhai. What if it is serious? What if..â
Arnav looked at Akashâs face. His face was crumpled and heavy.
âCome hereâ Arnav said and Akash instantly reached to Arnav, hugging him.
âEverything will be alrightâ Arnav said as he softly patted his brotherâs back.
âReally, Bhai?â Akash asked.
âReallyâ Arnav answered.
âI love you, Bhaiâ Akash said.
âI know that you doâ Arnav nodded his head.
âI didnât mean to hurt you earlierâ Akash said.
âI know that tooâ Arnav replied.
âForgive me, Bhaiâ
âI already haveâ Arnav replied and Akash pulled back from the hug.
âBhai, thank..â
âShut up and go get two cups of coffee. Seems like we will be here for some timeâ Arnav said and Akash was instantly on his feet.
~~**~~
Next morning, when Khushi walked into the hospital she found Akash talking to Doctor Kumar.
âHow is Malik Uncle now?â She asked to both of them. Khushi didnât fail to notice how both of them looked tired and unkempt.
âConscious now! Doing betterâ Doctor Kumar said to her. She instantly felt relieved.
âWhat had happened, Uncle?â She asked further.
âCarelessness!He took some medication that is now written off his prescription. It didnât react well with the other medicines and triggered his Asthma. There was also some trace of lung inflammation. It was a huge scare. But, he will get better. So, donât you worryâ Dr. Kumar placed a hand on her head, noticing her misted eyes upon hearing the details.
âSo, he will get discharged?â Khushi asked.
âMaybe tomorrowâ Akash added.
âThatâs great!â She said and then looked over the two men one more time.
âI think both of you should go back to the Mahal, Uncle. I am here now. I will sit with Malik Uncle. You two can go. Rest some bit and come back freshâ She suggested.
Both the men instantly shook their heads.
Khushi frowned.
âWhat use are two of you if you are tired yourselves? Akash can barely keep his eyes openâ Khushi said, when he yawned.
âI will stay with him, Uncle. Itâs just a matter of few hoursâ She said again.
âNo, Khushi. You alone..â
âI will stay with her hereâ It was Arnav who joined them now.
All three looked at him.
He looked clean and fresh. Last night, he had left after talking to Akash for some time.
âYou need to sleep, Akash. Go rest and come back in a few hours. Take the doctor alongâ Arnav addressed Akash while Dr. Kumar stood silently.
âYes. Arnav and I will make sure to call you in case anything comes up. Okay, doctor uncle?â Khushi looked at the doctor who slowly nodded his head.
âWe will be back in two hoursâ Akash said and walked away with the doctor.
Only Arnav and Khushi remained.
âI will go and see himâ She said to Arnav. He nodded his head.
She turned to go but then turned to him again.
âAre you okay?â She asked him quietly.
âI am fineâ He said, looking away. He knew she was talking about his last night revelations.God, he had almost cried before her. She had actually cried. For him. That was a first. No one has ever cried for him.
âGood. I want you to be fineâ He was momentarily caught off-guard when she hugged him. Did she think he needs a hug? Was she giving him pity?
He didnât think over that too much because being hugged felt too good. This felt different from Akashâs hug.
He wanted to say thank you but the words remained stuck in his mouth. So, he just stood there.
Khushi pulled back in a few seconds.
âDonât disappear. Iâll be back in ten minutesâ She smiled at him and then gestured towards the nearest door.
âIs that the room?â
âYesâ He said and she walked into it.
Arnav seated himself on the bench outside the door though they had also been allotted a modest waiting room just down the gallery.
~~**~~
Birendra Singh Malik was resting with his eyes closed when he heard the soft footsteps and the familiar sound of silver anklets.
âI am ready for round three. Kumar and Akash already took their turns rebuking meâ He opened his eyes and looked at Khushi.
âItâs not like you didnât deserve itâ Khushi said, taking the small stool which was placed by the bed.
âItâs not like I purposely made myself sick. I think the medicines got mixed while being shifted from my room to the new roomâ Malik said.
âThatâs still carelessness, Malik Uncle. How can you just mix your medicines? How can you not notice?â Khushi demanded.
âSo, I am getting the third round!â Malik commented, looking at the ceiling above.
âAlthough, I think I do deserve it for ruining your day. The doctors here said I canât leave until tomorrow eveningâ Malik said with a tinge of disappointment.
Khushi shook her head.
âYou didnât ruin anythingâ
âWell, I donât think this hospital will be an ideal location for your birthday partyâ Malik said.
âThatâs what youâre thinking about, Malik Uncle? Really?â
âObviously! Itâs your birthday tomorrow. How are we to celebrate if weâre stuck here?â Malik said.
âYou should have thought that earlier, no? Before you mixed up your medicines!â Khushi said.
âYouâre cruelâ Birendra Singh Malik said to Khushiâs fake angry face before the two of them broke into a smile.
âWeâre so dramaticâ Khushi exclaimed.
âThatâs why we stick together. Unlike Kumar and Akash who are boring peopleâ Malik said, grinning at Khushi.
For a second, Khushi watched the face before her.
So alight and charming despite being sick! Yet, this was the same face that took Arnavâs smiles from him. The thought alone made Khushiâs smile vanish slowly.
She knew Akash hasnât told everything to her yet she knew a certain part of her will never love her Malik Uncle like before. The illusion that her Malik Uncle was perfect has been broken.
Sooner or later, she might understand his actions against Arnav but will any of it erase Arnavâs pain? Will any of it justify what he went through? As a child without her mother, Khushi knew how desperately Arnav must have needed his fatherâs love and support. But, Malik Uncle had repeatedly failed as a father to him.
She knew she could never overlook that.
âWhat is it?â Birendra Singh Malik asked her noticing the shadows on her face.
Khushi shook her head. She knew the time for this conversation will come later. But, it will.
âJust thinking of a polite way to tell you that I donât want a ânot so surprisingâ Surprise Birthday party this yearâ She said.
âWhy not? You love the giftsâ Birendra Singh Malik instantly retorted.
âBecause, I have matured this year! I want a small dinner party. Just you, Doctor Uncle, Babuji, Akash me and Arnavâ She said, actually meaning it.
âBut..â
âNo buts! We will arrange a quiet, nice dinner after you are discharged from here. So, no parties! I have already told Akash and Babuji not to do any of itâ Khushi continued.
"This is not fun at all"
"Consider that your punishment for ruining my day then" Khushi gave a sly smile to the man.
"Alright. No surprise party!" Birendra Singh Malik said.
"Good. Now, I am going to be just outside. You try to rest some more, okay Malik Uncle? I'll keep checking in some time" Khushi said, getting up.
"You don't need to check. I can barely keep my eyes open" Birendra Singh Malik said and Khushi slowly walked out of the room.
When she stepped out in the gallery, she didn't find Arnav around.
She noticed a waiting room just a few feet away and peeped inside it too. He wasn't there as well.
So, she came back and sat on the bench. Once she called and updated her father about Malik Uncle's health she looked around.
It was then she noticed Arnav at the other end of the hall. He seemed to be on a phone call himself and judging by the expressions on his face, it didn't look like he was enjoying the conversation.
He kept talking and noticed her looking his way.
Their eyes connected across the gallery and Khushi couldn't look away. She watched as he disconnected the call and then walked towards her.
She recalled how she had touched his face last night. It had felt like the right thing to do then. He had needed the comfort and she had acted on instinct. She had also ignored the bit of warmth that she had felt when he had leaned his face into her hands.
Had that been strange for him? It sure had been for her. But, her concern for him had overridden any sense of strangeness that she felt then.
And then the hug today! What was with her and this need for constantly overstepping the physical boundaries? She should watch that.
She didn't want Arnav to misunderstand her. So, she will be careful, she decided. More words and less touching. She hadn't missed the surprise on Akash's face when he had seen her and Arnav in the library. He had even seemed taken aback by the fact how quickly she had befriended Arnav.
Khushi knew her boundaries. And she also knew she wanted Arnav's friendship. Every day, he was becoming more transparent to her. Every day, she felt she was getting to know him a little more. It was a nice feeling.
"Should I get you something to eat?" He asked her when he reached her side.
"No. I had breakfast before coming here" She replied.
"There's a waiting room just over there. You can go and sit inside" He said to her.
"Why? Where will you be?" She narrowed an eye at him.
"Just around" He casually shrugged his shoulders.
"Have you find someone interesting around? One of the nurses maybe?" She asked playfully.
"Yes. We were just fooling around in one of the store rooms" He gave her a reply and noticed how her cheeks flamed.
"You're incorrigible, Arnav. This is a hospital" She said, still blushing.
Arnav couldn't help but smile at her shyness.
"You're right! Next time I will take her someplace else" He avoided the laugh when Khushi's eyes widened.
"You're wicked!" She said before walking off towards the waiting room.
Arnav watched her go and realized he was still smiling. The phone conversation with his Nani was no longer lurking in his head.
When he had told her about what Dr. Kumar had said to him, she had been enraged and asked him to come back immediately. He had said no and thereafter the conversation hadn't gone well.
Once again, she had invoked his mother's name and had said he shouldn't live with those who killed her.
"This time I will not run, Nani. I will stay and face these people. I will get to the bottom of everything"
"There is no bottom of anything, Chote. Don't let them win by listening to them. Come back to your home"
That's when his eyes had met Khushi's.
"I will talk to you later, Nani. Please take care of yourself and don't worry about me" He had said and disconnected.
He wondered if Khushi had felt the connection too. A small moment last night when she had looked in his eyes.
Maybe this city might finally heal him a little.
___________________________________________________________
Next Chapter
Edited by Pearl_Oyster - 6 years ago
540