Chapter 2
9.00 am:
"..as per our sources, this is one of the many cases of drinking and driving. Actor-singer, Armaan Malik, is admitted in the Sanjeevni and will be taken in custody for further questioning afterwards. This is Rishab Saxena from Star News..." I switched off the television and sighed. It has been two days since the arrival of the accident case.
Jack Sean, a friend of Mr. Malik is the only one who is in a better place now. As for the couple, both have suffered serious injuries and have been treated. As the after effects of the treatments lasts for days, both the husband and wife are unconscious as for now. As for Armaan Malik, he had been admitted with various cuts and injuries. He, too, is unconscious for now and no case has been made against him since no statement has been noted by the police.
I notice my cell ringing on the other end of the room, and it is Rahul.
"Hey."
"Hey, Mrs. Kumar has regained conscious."
"That is great." I tell him, though I could sense the stress in his tone.
"Listen to this.. she refuses to file a case against Armaan Malik." With this, I throw away my cushion and stand up, enraged.
"WHAT?"
"Yes. When we ask her why, she doesn't say anything else except Armaan Malik is not at fault and starts demanding to see her husband."
"She's traumatized."
"Exactly. Listen. I need you down here. I know your shift has just ended hours ago, but please-"
"It is okay, Rahul. I will be there in an hour."
"Alright." He disconnects the call, and I head to the washroom for a shower. I know what I had to do.
9.45 am:
No sooner do I step inside the Hospital compound, that I am surrounded by news reporters. Unfortunately, it was a well-known fact to everyone that I was Armaan Malik's doctor in-charge. The horde of peace-sucking reporters surrounded me almost immediately, making it impossible for me to move, or even breathe.
"Excuse me, please!" I shout, but it is ignored, since I'm surrounded by a bunch of curious reporters right now.
"Dr. Gupta, can you please tell us something about Armaan Malik's condition right now, please?"
I decided to give something away about his health condition, so that I can make my way inside.
"He had been brought in with severe limb and head injuries. He has been treated and is under observation. He is unconscious as of now." As I began speaking, I realized that the crowd had suddenly grown silent.. Of course, everyone wanted to know how their beloved Armaan Malik was feeling now. I noticed that I could easily go inside and spoke slowly, moving towards the entrance.
"That is all I can say for now." With that I walked inside the building, and the security took care of the reporters behind me. At the entrance was Rahul, waiting for me desperately.
"Oh, thank god you're here!"
"What happened?" I put on my doctors coat and hung the ID card around my neck.
"She's not listening to ANYONE. She's not taking any medicine, not eating anything.. all she does is cry and demands to see her husband. I-" I sensed his tensed behavior as he spoke. He seemed pretty distressed and decided to help him.
"Okay, I will try and talk to her. Is that what you want?" I stopped, looking at him. At that he relaxed slightly and smiled at me, nodding.
"Thank you, Riddhima. You're a life saver." He had already began rushing towards the ICU where Mr. Kumar had been admitted.
"Don't mention it." I smiled at him and walked to the lift.
9.55 am:
"Good Morning, Madam." The lift man greeted me, as I stepped inside the lift.
"Good Morning, Ramu. Sab theek?"
"Haan ji, Madam." He smiled at me shyly, and then turned away.
"1st floor, please." And he followed my request.
Soon I was out of the lift and walking in the corridor, towards Mrs. Kumar's room. I stopped near the door, to observe her momentarily and immediately noticed that she was still in tears. She angrily pushed aside the food tray and told the nurse-in-charge to be out of her site. Sister Lovely did as said, when she noticed me waiting at the door.
"Mrs. Kumar?" I walked inside the room slowly. Mrs. Kumar needed to be fed immediately, or it would lead to the detoriation of her health conditions. Obviously, if she doesn't receive the required minerals and vitamins, the medicines wouldn't act and her injuries wouldn't heal soon. I had to talk her into eating something, remembering what my dadi had told me once.
"If you want to take someone's pain away, try to understand how that person feels."
"I do not need anything! Please.. please.. just leave me alone." She almost yelled at me and looked away, still sobbing heavily.
"It is okay, Mrs. Kumar. I am not here to force you. I'm just here to tell you about your husband." I knew I would catch her attention at that, and thats exactly what happened. You looked at me expectantly and caught my hands immediately.
"Doctor, how is he now? No one is taking me to him. Please doctor, he needs me." She cried bitterly, "please I need to see him. Please."
"Mrs. Kumar, you're husband had several injuries, when he was brought in. But he has been treated, and he is recovering very quickly." I tried to smile and felt her sobering down. I took her hand in between my palms as a gesture that she can trust my words.
"It can be fatal to his health, if we take you there now." I looked into her eyes and told her, as she listened to me very carefully. "Now, Mrs. Kumar, we don't want that, do we?" Without blinking my eyes, I waiting for her to nod her head, which she did after a moment.
"I promise I'll take you to him, once he recovers fully. But Mrs. Kumar, he won't be happy, if he hears that you've been ignoring your health completely, would he?" I asked her softly, waiting for her to reply.
"And I don't want him to tell us that we didn't take care of you." I smiled at her as I knew that she wouldn't refuse the food and medicines now.
"Do you promise to take me to him?" She asked me, highly expectant in her tone. I nodded at that.
"Yes. I promise." I squeezed her hands gently. Silently, I offered her the tray of food kept near the bed and she took it wordlessly. Immediately, I got up to read the chart, when I heard her soft voice behind me, "what is your name, doctor?"
"Dr. Riddhima Gupta."
11.00 am:
I was dragged into the canteen by Rahul and Atul, who tried to make me eat something, when I was informed that Armaan Malik has regained consciousness. I could already feel hot rage flowing in me. It was all his fault that Mr and Mrs. Kumar had landed up in a hospital. I still cannot forget the drenched and tearful faces of their children, when they were informed of the accident of their parents.
"Hello, Mr. Malik." I slammed the door open on purpose, and I saw the swarm of nurses surrounding him making way for me.
"I'm Dr. Riddhima Gupta, I'm your doctor-in-charge." I took his chart to record his health conditions.
"Hello, gorgeous!" I heard him say, in his charming and flirty tone. I ignored it.
"How are you feeling now, Mr. Malik?"
"Like I've suddenly landed up in heaven." I knew where he was heading and secretly hoped that he experiences hell as well. Unfortunately, as his doctor in charge, I was supposed to perform all his regular tests, now.
I pulled out the Stethoscope from my pocket and placed its head on his chest.
Normal, I concluded, when heard a soft blow of air, continued by a whisper and I could feel a jolt of electricity running down my spine.
"Do you feel it? My heartbeat?" He whispered in my ears, and smirked when I shivered slightly.
"Yeah, it tends to do that when a beautiful girl comes near it." He shifted closer to me. I looked into his deep blue eyeballs and opened my mouth to speak. As it turns out, I was suddenly out of words.
"Please behave yourself, okay?"
I nearly jumped back in shock, when I heard Atul cough behind me. Armaan Malik, being the ass that he was, simply smirked at that.
"Um, Riddhima? The officer has come to meet Armaan." That seemed to catch his attention, as he looked in the direction.
"WHAT? But the accident is NOT my fault, I swear." I screamed, attempting to make people believe him. And then he looked at me, and I looked away, disgusted. Obviously, drinking and driving is not his fault.
"But Mrs. Kumar has not given any statement yet. So who called the police?" Atul asked me. Armaan immediately grasping the situation understood that Mrs. Kumar was the injured patient.
"I did." I declared, making Atul, Rahul.. and Armaan look at me, shocked.
"What? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?" He yelled at me.
"I don't think I have to repeat myself, Mr. Malik, but you need to behave yourself." I told him in a higher tone this time.
I bend over to whisper him a message, "..and I will make sure that you pay for your deeds." I whisper and he looks at me, too shocked to say anything. This is definitely not what he had expected.
With that I walk out of the room, and lock the room behind me, after allowing the police officer to make his way inside Armaan Malik's room.
Edited by Heart - 13 years ago
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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193