Abhira Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Fate's Lesson - Part 6

Flashback:

Abhimanyu returned to the hospital for his rounds after dropping Akshara till the car. On the request of a senior police personnel, Dr. Abhimanyu pushed his schedule a little ahead and went in to check IPS Gautam Singh, the man Akshara had saved and helped bring to the hospital.

"Ex.. excuse me doctor," Gautam spoke in a low voice, "Can you please call that girl, that singer?"

Abhi paused, blinked at him in confusion, and then glanced at the assistant doctor. Had the patient suffered a greater trauma on the head than he deduced from the reports?

"I'm sorry, who?"

"That girl, uh... therapist. Music therapist." Gautam glanced at the assistant doctor, "I want to meet the music therapist of your hospital."

Abhimanyu glanced at the assistant doctor smiling back at him.

"Mr. Singh, we don't have a music therapist. I-"

"Sir," The assistant doctor interrupted Abhimanyu and whispered, "Dr. Mahima ne aaj hi appoint kiya hai unhein. Head of Department, Music Therapy."

Abhi's heart skipped a beat. He tried joining the dots, maybe Akshara had ended up in the garden in front of Birla Hospital because she had come here.

"Kk..kaun hai, music therapist?" He glanced at the doctor and then at Gautam.

"Akshara." Came Jiya's voice from the door, "Akshara Goenka."

Abhimanyu staggered on his feet. He slowly turned to face a young woman standing at the door with a smile on her face.

Jiya walked in and held Gautam's palm, "That girl, Akshara, she's an angel. Sirf Gautam ki nahi, meri bhi jaan bachayi hai usne, nayi zindagi di hai humein." She spoke with utmost love in her eyes, there was no second thought to the truth in her words.

Abhimanyu couldn't believe his ears.

"Akshu... Kya matlab Akshu ne aapki jaan bachayi?" Abhimanyu raised his voice, then stared at the assistant doctor in horror, "Kya hua tha Dr. Samir? What is the patient saying?"

The couple sat to watch the unusual sight of the usually poised and calm heart surgeon's heart in his mouth as Abhimanyu picked up his stethoscope and donned it around his shoulder, ready to rush.

"How did I not see!" Abhimanyu whispered as he stood to check the final vitals of the patient, "Akshu behosh ho gayi thi... I.. just..."

Jiya and Gautam watched Dr. Abhimanyu quickly scribing some notes and giving it to the assistant doctor, in an attempt to fulfil his duty before he could run out of the room.

"Oooo... Akshuuu!"

Abhi stopped in his tracks. The couple had some tease up their sleeve.

"Don't worry, she is absolutely fine." Jiya dismissed the assistant doctor and stood to face Dr. Abhimanyu, "Haan lekin... dil ka diagnosis nahi kiya maine." She raised her hands in surrender.

"In fact, tabhi main sochun, ki Akshu humari kahani itni jaldi kaise samajh gayi?" Jiya pointed to Gautam and her, "Hayye, jo dil ka haal samajh jaate hain woh sab samajh jaate hain, nahi?"

Abhimanyu didn't know how to respond. But the fact that Akshara was indeed okay made him stop and listen curiously about the role Akshara played in their story.