A Thousand Truths

Chapter 3

"Aaru, now what do you plan to do. You certainly need to join a hospital, what have you thought. Which hospital will you be joining?" Aarohi's grandfather asked her three days after the result.

"Aaru certainly would not be going back to Shantipur, will you Aaru? Dadu please tell her that now I would not let her go back to Sanjeevani. She can work with any hospital here. They would gladly take her in. she is a topper after all, and that too, a topper from Sanjeevani. We have so many good hospitals here in Raisar also." Akshara jumped in between the conversation.

"yes, Akshu. But first let us hear what she has decided, then we will tell her what to do." He gently stroked her head, he exactly knew what was Akshara dreading, he too was dreading the same thing. But somewhere he felt that no matter what they say, Aarohi will find a way to go back to Sanjeevani. He still turned to Aarohi and said, "So Aaru tell us what have you thought?"

Aarohi completed her MBBS at Sanjeevani medical college. In the first year of college itself, she had decided that she will be joining Sanjeevani hospital as an intern. After all, it was one of the best hospitals in India. All the doctors and the professors in the institute were beyond amazing, extremely qualified, and exceptionally talented. She had learned so much from them in these five years and would not waste the opportunity to work with them as an intern. Her teachers, doctors, and her friends over there were like a family to her now, and Sanjeevani was like a second home to her.

"Dadu I will join a hospital here in Raisar, probably Birla Hospital, if they take me in, you know since it is the best hospital in the city."

Neither Akshara nor their grandfather could believe what they were hearing. Akshara almost jumped and went to where Aarohi was sitting and knelt beside her and said, "Aaru you are not lying right? You will be joining a hospital here, in Raisar? You would not be leaving us and going away? you would be staying with us ?" Akshara was in tears.

"Yes, Akshu! why is it so hard for you to believe? I am not going anywhere. Trust me. I will be here, constantly annoying you and not letting you live in peace." Aarohi joked slightly

Aarohi knew that this was the worst decision that she could ever make in her entire career. But she could not do it now. She could not go back to Shantipur now. She needed time and space. She needed to be away from Shantipur and from ........ him.

I wish I had the strength to go back and join Sanjeevani. But she knew she did not have it. That's why she spent the last three days searching for all the good hospitals here in Raisar and even applied to a few of the best ones.

" I will go and give this good news to everyone in the home. Everyone would be so so happy. Aaru I am so happy that you took this decision. I love you." Saying this, Akshara ran away to find everyone. Aarohi also went inside her room. Her grandfather looked on as she left. He was not able to understand why did Aarohi choose Raisar? he was happy, in fact very happy, but he could not see that happiness on Aarohi's face. It was as if someone forced her to take this decision, and he did not want any of his grandchildren to do anything in their lives with a heavy heart.

Aarohi ran inside her room as soon as she came upstairs and lay on her bed, tears rolling down her eyes. She hated it, she hated every part of her being that forced her to take this decision, she hated the fact that she was being so weak and that she was letting her emotions control such important decisions of her life. She could not bear it that one, just one person could make her change all her decisions, could make her run away from all that was hers. Her crying had now turned into sobs. She wanted the pain to not be felt. She wanted to go back to Sanjeevani. She could not be here in Raisar. She wanted to go back to Shantipur, to Sanjeevani, to Pankhuri, to Rudra, to everyone, yet here she was crying and preparing to go to Birla hospital. She hated herself for it.

And suddenly the phone rang, it was Pankhuri.

"I can't do it Pankhuri, I want to come back, but I can't. I don't know what to do." She said in between her sobs.

There was no response from the other side for a few minutes and then Pankhuri finally spoke, "Aaru it is fine, it's okay if you are not coming back. It is not easy. Give it some time and I promise that you will find the strength to return. And none of us are going anywhere. You know Sanjeevani will take you back the moment you come, you have the word. You know we all will be here waiting for you and no one is going to ask you any questions. I'll make sure that everyone understands and support your decision. So take as long as you want to take. It is okay. None of it is going to matter. "

Pankhuri's words calmed Aarohi down, she had stopped crying. Only Pankhuri could handle Aarohi whenever she felt anxious about anything in her life. She was the calm to all her chaos. Both of them talked for very long after that and Aarohi fell asleep with her phone on her ear and Pankhuri hung up only after she was sure that Aarohi had slept.