Dark Night Dawning

Chapter 21

It was three weeks since Arnav had moved in and Khushi realized that he was having some trouble at work. He had been yelling on the phone and when she had asked him about it he had said that Akash was having some issue with a new client. He had gone into the room and banged the door shut. The next day she brought some plants and put them in the courtyard. She knew that tending to plants would de-stress him a little bit.

Two days later, when Khushi was walking back from the grocery store, she saw her neighbour's four year old son Rohan walking on the compound wall of his house. She ran toward him so that she could pick him up from there, but it was too late, the boy fell off the wall and hit his head against a stone lying on the street. Khushi screamed as she saw the blood flowing from his wound profusely. The child's forehead had opened up. Khushi picked up the child and ran into the house laying him on a cot in the courtyard. Arnav who was on the phone rushed to her side to see what had happened.

Arnav averted his eyes as he was unable to see the wound, on the little boy. Rohan was smallest of the group of boys who he had been playing cricket with on the street in the past few days. The boy's old grandmother walked into the house tears streaming down her cheek, blaming herself for her negligence. She was in charge of taking care of the boy as both his parents were away at work.

'Khushi, he is bleeding like hell,' shouted Arnav, 'we will have to take him to a hospital right away!'

'That's what I am planning to do Arnavji,' said Khushi walking up to him, 'I was looking for the keys to my dad's scooter.'

'What ____? Let's take the car dammit!'

'Arnavji, it will be faster to reach the hospital on a two wheeler compared to that big monster of yours.'

Arnav realized Khushi was right. The roads this area was quite narrow. 'Alright then, let's go!'

'You?' Khushi asked in surprise.

'How will you manage to drive and hold Rohan?' aske Arnav looking at her incredulously, 'Are you planning to ask his 75 year old grandmother?'

'No....alright...... you hold him and I'll drive.'

'What the ____?'She had got be kidding!

'I know these roads better than you!' Khushi argued.

Khushi assured the boy's grandmother that they would take care of him and they set out for the hospital. Arnav sat behind Khushi holding onto the injured child who was kicking and screaming his head off due to the pain. After a few minutes driving it became apparent that there might more causalities if Khushi continued to drive. The boy was moving so much that she wasn't able to balance the vehicle with her strength. Arnav asked to stop. The got off the vehicle and Arnav handed her the child. 'The boy knows you better and he may be calmer if you hold him.'

'Do you think you will be able to drive on these roads?' she asked him doubtfully.

'Khushi, I grew up in Lucknow!'

But not these roads Laad Governor! Khushi muttered as she reluctantly sat behind while Arnav drove the rest of the way.

When Khushi and Arnav reached the hospital they were informed that the paediatrician on duty was out and would be in any time soon. Arnav was livid. He wanted to go to another hospital right away. Khushi told him that it would be better to wait for the doctor a few more minutes as the other hospital was more expensive and the boy's parents might not be able to afford it.

'You know I can take care of that Khushi.'

'I know Arnavji but his parents might not like it,' she explained, 'Moreover the nurses have stopped the bleeding and told us that he is out of immediate danger.'