Loving You

Chapter 10 - Akshara - Anger Talks

"And this is your last patient. Devon Woodland. Mr. Woodland is 60 years old and recently has his heart surgery and now it's on the road to recovery. Right Mr. Woodland?"

"Hell yes Doctor. It feels nice."

Abhimanyu gave Mr. Woodland a warm head nod. "And Mr. Woodland, this is Ms Akshara Singhania, your music therapist. She is here doing research to see if music actually helps impact and minimize patients recovery time or not. So you be good to her okay?"

"Yes Doctor." Mr. Woodland gave Abhimanyu a gentleman's salute.

Abhimanyu turned around to face me, holding out Mr. Woodland's file for me.  "You will be responsible for giving Mr Woodland music therapy twice a week, Wednesday and Friday at 4pm, okay?"

Abhimanyu's voice was restless; uncertain. I could feel he had a lot more to say, especially after I had ignored his apology in the hallway earlier. But he also had his doctor game face on. I didn't know how he was able to switch his emotions on and off this easily. Guess that is something only med school can teach you.

Unfortunately, turning my emotions on and off on a whim did not come as easily to me. Dr. Abhimanyu Birla may be an amazing cardiac surgeon who had saved countless lives and adored by many, but he was just a very pathetic, rude, and a jerk of a human being.

"Yes, Doctor." I pursed my lips into a flat line, speaking the bare minimum, avoiding any eye contact with him.

I went to grab the file folder from Abhimanyu's hands but was met with resistance. I pulled on the file, trying to ease it from his clutches but he wasn't letting give. Instead, his hold on the file tightened. No, Akshu. Don't look up at his face. But had I ever listened to myself before? No.

Glancing up at his face, I glared at him to let go of the file while continuing to silently pull it from his hands. But no luck. Instead he took this moment to glance back at me, his eyes going soft, almost as if he was trying to apologize for his earlier behaviour. But I was in no mood to forgive. At least not yet.

A part of me felt as if though he was thoroughly enjoying my silent struggles. So I decided to do what any mature person would do. I decided to pull harder, the resolve on my face becoming evident. And after a few more moments of me pulling and him standing still, I finally managed to free the file from his hands —or should I say he let go of the file from his hands.

I turned around to face Mr. Woodland, who looked very much amused at our little Cold War. "Hello, Mr. Woodland, my name is Akshara and as you are aware, I'll be your music therapist. I am very happy that you're doing better after your surgery. And I just hope I'm able to speed up your recovery process with my music."

"I'm sure you will, Akshara. I can't wait for our sessions together," he replied with his most charming smile.

"I know Dr. Birla said i'm only supposed to be giving you music therapy twice a week, but if you feel like you need more sessions, please let your nurse know and I'd be happy to accommodate you!"

"Of course. Thank you."

"Okay then, see you soon!"

I turned around to face Abhimanyu and in an instant the smile from my face turned into a frown as I remembered his smug face from his office and the accusations he had thrown at me. Without uttering a single word, I stepped away from Mr. Woodland's room.

"Akshara."

My feet came to an immediate halt but my body refused to turn around and face my new boss.

"Akshara. I'm talking to you." He repeated, coming up to stand beside me. I could feel his eyes on me.

"Listening doesn't require eyes. I don't have to look at you to listen to you." Pissed was an understatement. I was livid at Abhimanyu's earlier behaviour. "Doctor Abhimanyu." I emphasized, as a gesture of professionalism. That's all we are and going to remain. Professionals.

"I don't care about how you talk to others. Look at them, don't look at them, I don't care. But I expect you to look at me when I'm talking to you. Okay?"

I turned my head up to face him. "Yes. Doctor. Abhimanyu." I could be petty too.

Abhimanyu cleared his throat, "As you know, I'm starting you off with 5 patients. All of their patient history is provided to you in the patient files that I provided you with. Every patient that I introduced you to belongs to a different age group, come from different backgrounds and have different wants and needs. I expect you to find the right balance and treat them all equally. Okay?"

"Yes, sir." Is that all he wanted to tell me? It's not as if I didn't know all this already.

"Good."

"Can I leave now?"

"Leave?" He asked, surprised, shocked even.

"Yes. I don't set timings like a 9-5 job. Since my job is patient based, HR told me that I only have to come in to attend to my patients and then I am free to do as I like. And since today was just an introduction day, which I'm assuming is done, I rather go home and study the patient files."

Abhimanyu's expression made me think he wasn't aware of the work-time leniency my job offered. Did he actually think I'd be in the hospital for an entire day? Wait...did he want me to be?

"Oh right, right! I forgot! Well, I'll see you tomorrow then."

As he turned around to leave, he stopped in his steps, "Oh by the way, don't forget to check in with me every day."

"Why? The job didn't say anything about me having to check in with you every day."

"You are treating my patients, essentially using them as Guinea pigs for your little thesis paper. The least you can do is check in with me and give me an update on how my patients are progressing."

Oh no he did not just say that. Only if I wasn't holding the file folders he had given me containing the patient history, I would have punched him in the face. I don't condone violence but maybe it was time for me to chance my principles.

"Yes. Sir." I grit out. I turned on my heel and left without uttering a single word. I needed to leave this hospital before I did something drastic.

There was no way this Dr. Abhimanyu Birla was the same Abhi I had met a few days ago who had been drunk out of his mind, crying over his girlfriend and friend. He was definitely not the same vulnerable Abhi that I had dropped off to his lonesome, barren apartment. I missed that drunk Abhi because he had heart. And because this Abhimanyu Birla was heartless.

<<<<>>>>

Akshara thinks Abhimanyu is heartless. But is he? Abhimanyu has definitely gotten off on the wrong foot with Akshara. But can be make amends? And where would be the perfect place to do that? Perhaps, the same place where it all started?