IN MY FADING MEMORIES - Part 3 on page 2 updated 12/02/2022 - Page 2

CHAPTER 3

Time : 7:50 pm

Place: Arogya Nidhi Hospital

He entered into the lift and pressed the number 4 to reach the gastro enteric ward. His face wore no expression. He looked very tired at the beginning of the shift itself. His mind couldn't focus on anything since he heard that news. It has been 3 years since all that happened. Still he couldn't move on from that. It's not that he is not able to forget her. But he is not able to digest the deceit she gave him. He had been a lunatic for 4 long years behind her. He sacrificed everything for her. He spent many vacations with her without even going to his home. He dumped all the promises he made to his family and friends and dedicated all his time to her. Every time she had a problem, he would go running to her leaving everything behind. And what did he get in return, a punch on his face and a title called 'Masochist'.

When he was busy in such thoughts, the lift doors opened. He heaved a dejected sigh and came out of the elevator. He straightly went to his table and took out the schedule book. He noticed that he had the supervising duty for the rest of the night.

For the first half an hour, he checked the charts of all the patients. Just then someone came from behind and shouted,

"Boo!!!"

He turned back startled and saw Anu standing there, giggling.

Arjun said looking at her seriously,

"This is a hospital. Can't you see the patients are sleeping?", saying so he went back to his table.

Anu also went behind him pouting and sat opposite to him. She kept staring at him. But Arjun didn't say anything. Instead he took out one of his textbook and began reading.

But Anu didn't shift her gaze from him. She kept staring at him with a pout on her face.

Finally after few seconds, Arjun spoke by himself,

"What? What are you staring at? You don't want to go home?"

"I want to. But I thought I will meet you once before I go. And here you are, acting like a hostel warden.", She said pouting.

"Then why are you still here? Go.", He replied and again immersed himself in the book.

Anu understood that something is wrong. Hence she asked, this time more softly,

"What happened Arjun? Is everything alright?"

"Yes. Yes. Everything is fine.", Arjun replied in a rather disinterested tone.

"Then why are you acting so serious?", She asked.

"Pchhh! Anu, you are disturbing me. You either sit silently or go back home.", Arjun replied sternly making Anu pout once again.

"Ok, you don't want to say. Then don't. Afterall, who am I? Just a friend. I will stay today and leave tomorrow. Then you don't have to bear my rant.", She commented in a dramatic manner.

"Thank you so much", Arjun replied in a sarcastic manner.

Anu got shocked at his comment and replied angrily,

"But remember, that day you will definitely miss me and my care.", Saying so she got up and went to a nearby bed and sat near the patient, her face away from Arjun.

At first Arjun neglected her antics but later went to her and called,

"Anu."

But she didn't reply and turned away from him.

"Anu.", Once again Arjun called, more softly.

But she didn't budge.

"Anu, look at me.", he said turning her towards him by her chin.

"What? I look at you or not, I talk to you or not, how does that bother you? I am after all your friend, that's all, right? You don't have to tell me anything.", She said angrily and lowered her head.

Arjun then slowly lifted her head and said,

"Hey Anu, what are you saying? Don't you know, you are my best friend. Infact, best of the best. By the way, don't tell this to Shree.", Arjun said and laughed.

"Yeah, that's why you are hiding all the things and shouting at me.", She said.

Arjun heaved a defeated sigh and collapsed on the bed.

He took a pause and said,

"It's Vaishali."

Hearing that Anu felt a pinch in her heart. She felt her heart pumping out tears into her eyes. Hence she lowered her head and said, mostly to herself,

"Vaishali? What's about her? Did she call you? What did she say? Did she say 'miss you'? What did you say in return? Obviously, 'miss you too'. Then what did she say? Did she say 'I love you'? And you would have obviously said 'I love you too'. So, did you fix the marriage date?"

Arjun felt perplexed upon hearing her questions. He said,

"Hey! Who is marrying whom? No one is reconciling with anyone here. Even if she wants to, I don't want.", he replied irritatedly.

Anu's face lit up. Of course, Arjun didn't notice that.

"Then what?", Anu asked.

"She got engaged it seems."

Excitement arose in Anu's heart. But she controlled it and asked,

"Who told you?"

"Ma".

That's all. Confirmed. If its not for Arjun, she would have performed a Zingaat there itself.

They both sat there silently for the next few seconds, one in disappointment and other in happiness.

Just then an intern came running into the ward and said,

"Sir, there's an emergency. It's an accident case. Total 14 people. We need people for OT.", He said and they both immediately sprinted towards the elevator.

On their way down, Arjun asked,

"More details."

The intern replied,

"Sir, it was a huge crash between a car and a van. Most of them are critical. As of now there are no casualities but,,,", he said and took a pause.

Arjun understood what he meant. Meanwhile Anu asked,

"Any children among them?"

"Ah, some children between 5 to 10 years and there are 2 small babies also. I think they were present in the car during the crash.", the intern replied.

By then they reached the ground floor. The situation there was chaotic. Many people were roaming here and there. Patients were being brought inside. The victims were screaming and groaning in pain. The victims were being attended by someone or the other doctor available as soon as they were brought inside.

Anu and Arjun ran through the crowd checking if they were needed anywhere. Just then Anu's eyes fell on a stretcher that was moving inside. Two little babies were kept on the stretcher. They were completely covered in blood. Anu ran towards them while Arjun moved forward.

Anu reached them and started doing the preliminary check. Then she asked the other staff there,

"Any preview?"

"Both of them have few head injuries, some might be huge. There are some cuts and one of them got a glass piece in their head while the other one got it in the torso. There might also be some compressional shock due to the accident.", a nurse replied.

"Okay, lets get them operated. You guys do one thing, find me a room in this floor itself. We can't shift them to the OT right now. And then go and grab all the OT equipment needed. Also call anyone who is available from the neo-natal. All this in 2 mins. Now spread.", she instructed the staff present there.

Then she asked again,

"Did someone inform Subhadra mam?"

"Yeah. Subhadra mam, Sameer Sir and all other HODs have been informed. Including Ayesha mam. They will be here very soon.", another nurse informed.

Anu nodded and everyone spread to do their designated tasks.

******************

As Arjun kept moving forward, he came across a victim on a stretcher. The hospital staff were taking him inside. Arjun decided to take care of him as the victim seemed to be very critical.

As they kept moving towards the ER Arjun noticed him keenly. He might be in his late 20s or early 30s. He had a moderately built body and a fair skin tone. His entire body was covered with blood. Arjun noticed a huge wound on his head. Blood kept oozing out from it. He kept groaning in pain as they moved inside.

Once they entered the ER ward, everyone hurriedly began making arrangements for the operation. Everyone could see that the patient was losing his time. So everyone was trying their best to make things quick. Meanwhile Arjun began doing the first aid. But the patient stopped him by holding his hand and said gasping for breath, as tears rolled down his eyes,

"Doctor, doctor! Please leave me. Please leave me. You please go to my kids. My two kids. They are 4 months old each. They..they are both...both..twins. Doctor please go look after them. Please.", as he kept speaking his breathe became more rapid. Tears kept rolling down his cheeks. On the other hand, the team got worried about his detoriating condition. Hence Arjun said,

"Sir, please. Your kids will be fine. I am sure they are being taken care of by someone out there. Now you should be worrying about yourself. Please let us treat you.", Arjun said keeping a gauge over his head as the wound kept sending out more blood.

But the patient didn't give up and spoke once again,

"Doctor, doctor please go and check on them. They are too little. My wife, please tell me that she is fine. Doctor please, please save them. Don't worry about me."

"Listen sir, they will all be fine. Nurse, give him the anaesthesia. Sir, pls relax.", Arjun tried to persuade him.

But before he could proceed any further, the monitor beside gave out a loud beep and all the curves on the screen turned into flat lines.

Arjun immediately checked for some pulse at his wrist and at his neck, but he got nothing. He looked at the person's face. It was blank, his eyes staring into an eternal vaccum.

Arjun let out a defeated sigh and said slowly,

"Time of death: 8:54pm", saying so he left from there.

He came into the lobby and sat in one of the chairs. The lobby was more calm and empty during that part of evening than any other day, perhaps due to the emergency.

He sat there, resting his elbows on his lap and his palms around his neck. Well now this seems to be the perfect start for his shift. Now he is sure that this man's face will be haunting him for the next few days. But unlike any other time, this time his heart felt different. Heavy in an unusual way. The way he was begging him to save his kids, that pinched his heart. And the fact that he couldn't save him didn't help him either.

"Sir! Sir!", the nurse's voice broke his trance.

He looked at her questioningly.

"Sir, that patient's wife is also critical. She is also refusing to take the treatment.", she informed and Arjun sprang up from his place.

"What does she want?", he asked.

"She wants to see her husband and kids it seems.", she replied worriedly.

"Phew!!!", he let out a frustrated sigh.

By the time he reached her room, he could hear feeble shrieks, squeals and cries from inside.

When he entered inside, he saw her crying and pleading the staff there to let her see her family.

Her voice already felt very weak by then. Arjun went to her and spoke in somewhat stern voice,

"Look mam, they will all be fine. First you should focus about your condition. You should let us treat you.", he said, as he was not ready to lose another person for the night.

"Okay, okay. But..but, please. If..if something happens to me, please don't abandon my kids. Me or my husband has nobody with us. Please take care of them.", she said as her breath was slowly giving up.

"Okay mam, now first let us treat you.", he said proceeding for the treatment.

In the neonatal ICU,

Anu and her team were struggling hard to save the babies. They had to treat the two babies simultaneously. Though the Seniors were informed about the accident, they couldn't make it on time. Hence Anu and other resident were leading the surgery by themselves.

After 8 long hours i.e., 5:30 am the next day,

Anu's team finally completed the surgeries. It was one of the longest surgeries Anu had ever performed. By the end of the surgery, they were are all completely drenched in sweat and were dying for air. Anyhow they were able to save both the kids. Though they have to be kept under critical observation for some days, they were out of danger.

"Good job team.", she said and came out, throwing the scrubs in the bin.

She took a deep breath as soon as she came out. She tried to fill her lungs with maximum amount of air. Then her eyes fell on Arjun who was sitting there. His face wore a sullen look. He was sadly staring at the floor. Anu understood something was off. She slowly went towards him and sat beside him. She rested her head on his shoulder and said,

"Oh God! I am so tired. I just want to sleep. But still, my surgery was a success. Yours?"

She asked looking at him. Arjun didn't reply anything but clicked his tongue in a no. Anu understood what happened.

"Hey Ajju! Sorry yaar. Now you don't think about it. This happens.", Anu tried to soothe him.

But Arjun nodded his head in no and said, wiping his eyes,

"No. No, it's not okay. It's not okay Anu. Two of my patients died the same day, in front of my own eyes. That too, they belong to the same family, wife and husband. And you know what's the worst part, they had two baby kids. Now those kids will never forgive me.", as he said his eyes became more red.

Anu placed her hand on his back and said,

"Ajju! Don't say it that way. Why won't they forgive you? Afterall you didn't cause the accident, right? Now forget it."

"How can I forget? Do you know who those kids are? They are the ones whom you have treated a while earlier. By the way, how are they?", he asked.

"They are fortunate. Both of them are out of danger.", she replied.

"What fortunate? They lost such loving parents on the same day. They have to live like orphans for the rest of their lives. They are really unfortunate."

Anu didn't reply and he continued,

"You know, how much those parents loved their kids? Even in their final moments they kept talking about their children. Really, how selfless parents can be?", he said and got silent.

But that talk regarding parents, stirred some bad memories in Anu. She spoke in a trance,

"Yeah, parents are always selfless and they always try to do good to their children. It's only children who are selfish and do bad to their parents."

Arjun snapped at her words. He understood that his words switched the wrong buttons in her. So he tried to switch the topic.

"Okay. Let's forget all this. I think I will leave for today. Will you come?", he asked.

"Huh? No! I will stay here and leave at 9'o clock. You leave.", she said.

"Are you sure you can manage till 9?", he asked, getting up from his place.

"Yeah, I can manage. You go.", she said giving him a small smile.

Arjun also gave a small smile in response and left.

************

Arjun sat in his car in the parking lot. He kept staring outside blankly. He still couldn't take the death of that couple. The way they were pleading him to save their kids, asking him not to abandon them, kept roaming in front of his eyes. The kids were saved as they had asked, but what about their future now? One day they will wake up and cry for their parents, then what is he going to tell them? That he couldn't save them being a doctor.

Arjun couldn't control himself anymore. He burst out into sobs. He has dealt with many casualities till now, but today the thought that he might be responsible for their parents death isn't letting him stay in peace. He didn't know why, but all of a sudden he felt like calling his parents. He immediately took out his phone and dialled his mother's number. He took deep breaths to control his sobs as the call connected.

"Hello Junnu", his mother greeted him.

His mother voice again brought tears into his eyes. But he controlled himself somehow and spoke,

"Hello Ma."

"Junnu, what happened? Are you crying?", His mother asked him.

"No, no, it's just that...I missed you all.", He replied controlling his emotions.

"Is it? Then come to house for few days.", His mother suggested.

"No, that's not needed. I am fine. Just felt like talking to you.", He replied.

"Accha? Fine then."

Arjun then took a pause for few seconds and spoke again,

"Ma, you and Papa did a lot to me, right? What do you both want from me? You never ask me anything. Today you ask me anything you want, I will do it for you.", Arjun said.

"Arey, what will we need from you? What happened to you?", His mother said not understanding what happened to him.

"No, Ma. You tell me, what do you want from me? Just name it.", He insisted.

"Really, I don't want anything from you. You studied hard, became a doctor. Made us so proud. Now what else do we need? It's just that, we want you to get married and have your little kids. Then we can both happily lead our lives by looking after them. And if you get a wife, we can rest assured about you for the rest of our lives. That's all.", His mother stated.

Hearing that Arjun said nothing but exhaled a deep breath. Hearing that Arjun's mother said,

"See that's why I don't ask you anything. You get angry again...",

"Okay, I am ready to get married.", Arjun said cutting across his mother.

"What?", His mother asked shocked.

"I am ready to get married, tell me if you find someone.", He said and cut the call.

He took in a confident breathe and started his car and sped off.

***************