"How did this even happen ?"
"She got low perfusion to her organs. She started having hyperventilation. She lost her rhythm and she just couldn't breathe. Samantha...", Vaishnav told me.
"How is Dr. Vaishnav related to Dr. Samantha ?", Srivastav asked out of curiosity.
"Ofcourse I am. I am her husband... Atleast I used to be", Vaishnav shed off a tear.
None of this seemed real. I could just remember how Vaishnav was thrashing around the surgery ward just because his wife got to be Head of Surgery and not him. His ego came in between and they got separated. But now, he's the President of the hospital.
"Where's Trisha ? Does she ?...", I asked.
"Na, she doesn't know. I'll take care of that... Anyways I'm the one responsible for this", Vaishnav said and walked away.
"What did he mean by that ?", Srivastav asked me.
"He's just depressed. He was the one operating on her", Sagar interrupted.
"It's starting to get late, Dr. Raghav. I suppose you had to get dinner", Srivastav said.
"Ya, just call me if needed", I said as I got into my car. I fidled for a while with my phone. Tried to text Sarita. I knew she was worried about me. That's when another notification popped up- 01:00:00 remaining.
That Revolution app again !
***
Ting. Tong.
The door opened. Sarita stood blank for a second and then she collapsed. I caught her just in time.
"Sarita, what the..."
I thought she had quit alcohol. But her current condition didn't go hand in hand with that. I carried her to the bedroom.
She was murmuring something. Random.
"Fisssss.. Arrowww... fisssss.... Don't kill me haaaooooo."
"Sarita atleast don't do this infront of Varad", I said as I changed my clothes.
"I'm going to get dinner. See you later", I closed the door and hurried towards the kitchen downstairs.
Wow. Kadhai Paneer ha ?!.
As I was enjoying my dinner, I heard something fall upstairs. I quickly ran there only to find out that Varad's toy horse had fallen off his bed.
I closed the door as I went downstairs.
Hey wait. The bedroom's door was wide open. I went towards it cautiously. Winds were blowing at maximum speed
through the open window.
Phew. It was just the wind. I closed the door again.
My phone buzzed- 00:30:00 remaining.
I seriously need to uninstall this app. But who put this app in my phone in the first place ?
My phone buzzed again. This time, it was Srivastav. "Hello inspector"
"Dr. Raghav, you were right. There was something pointed inside Mrs. Vanita's Artery."
"I knew it. What was that thing ?"
"I know this isn't a good time, but can you come to the station for a few minutes ?"
"I'll be there."
***
As I entered the police station, I overheard a few things. "This Raghav seems to know much about the case."
"But sir, shouldn't we careful not to let him know the extra details ?"
"There are no extra details. He'll be here soon...Here he is."
"You called me inspector ?", I asked formally.
"Doctor, please have a seat", Srivastav continued. "As you said it could be an arrow. Just something pointed. And according to the autopsy,
It was an ARROW."
"Your can't be serious. How can it...", I said.
How the fuck am I supposed to believe that there was an arrow inside a woman's Aorta all this time.
***
He showed me some photos.
The arrow looked regular bamboo stick with some wierd inscriptions on
it. And had a sharp metal point.
Another photo was of the body.
A close up photo of a really out of the world tattoo craved in the femoral triangle, near the groin.
And cuts all over the body.
"What's this supposed to mean, inspector ?"
"I think this is one of the many cases we had this year. It had stopped for quite a while and it had started all again."
"A serial killer ? Who somehow is able to teleport an arrow in a person's Aorta to disrupt the circulation ?"
"And a drug expert too. We found traces of the drug found in Dr. Samantha's body in Mrs. Vinita too."
"What's the name of this drug ?", It has to have a name right ?"
"No. It's unknown. It has been found for the first time. It has effects similar to Alcohol. But in much higher degree. It also somehow accelerates the constriction of this artery, Aorta."
"Mrs. Vinita had argued with a neighbour in the evening before the crime happened. And it was the same neighbour who had brought her into the hospital. He says she looked as if she was high."
I didn't listen to the rest of the things. I couldn't.
Sarita's condition came to my mind. How she was murmuring. Fissss.... Arrow...... Fissss....
Shit. Shit. Shit. How could I miss it ?
I didn't say anything. I ran away from the station. Got into my car. Got it on full speed.
Thrashed the door open. There was compete silence in the house. I heard the door knob click.
TANNNNNNNNGGGGGGG
Something hard hit my skull. I could feel the metal behind my head.
"Who....Sarita ?!", I said as my vision blurred.
A woman right in front of me. I couldn't tell who it was. Sarita ?
My hands seemed cold. I could feel blood. I heard a scream. A loud scream.
With that my eyes shut.
YOU ARE READING
IGNOMINY
Short Story[ Completed ~ around 12k words ] Raghav, a rookie surgeon goes against his seniors to save an old lady from an odd illness. But he soon regrets doing so as this starts a vicious cycle of events affecting the life of his own and that of his loved one...
