The Valley || ONC2023

Chapter 11

It was difficult for Bhairavi to accept that her sixth sense, the one she prided herself on, had proved wrong, and after waiting for longer than she had expected, Maithili's mother's patience ran out. Concluding that anything was better than just wasting her time standing and waiting for the irresponsible fellow: Dheera, to return, she walked towards the building. 

'Just what I thought.' With her doubts confirmed, she shook her head. 'It is a hospital.' Bhairavi's thoughts returned to what Dheera had said, 'I hope his acquaintance is alright.' As her feet took her closer to the establishment, Bhairavi couldn't help but pray for the health of the woman the youngster had gone to visit.

Shortly after, a familiar vehicle caught her attention. Surprisingly, it was the only vehicle in the parking lot. Bhairavi gasped as the vehicle's number plate came into view. "What is this doing here!? Unless… " She exclaimed, running her fingers over the number she had memorized the day they had boarded it for the first time.

"Did someone get hurt!? Did Mia… No. I can't…I shouldn't think like that." Then another, more sinister thought nudged her, "Why didn't Raghav inform us?" Fingers shaking, she dialed her daughter's number. 

"The number you are trying to reach is out of coverage area. Please-"

She followed it up by calling every one of her group members, only to feel defeated when none of the calls went through. 

"Fine." She spat out and called their tour guide. 

"The number you are calling is switched off-"

Bhairavi fisted her hand, "Why are you never available, ha!? Useless!"

There was only one number she could call now. If no one responded, she would be out of options. Bhairavi closed her eyes and dialed the number below directly Raghav's, and half a ring later, Golu picked up. 

"Madam-ji, Namaste."

Namaste, my ass! "Golu," Bhairavi took a deep calming breath and continued sweetly, "I tried calling Raghav bu-"

"Oh, Madam-ji, there was an accident-"

"Who's hurt!?" 

"Boss's phone," Golu replied, amused. "It fell into the spring and won't turn on."

Bhairavi spaced out for a moment. 

"Madam-ji?"

"Ah. Yes. Are you all still at The Springs."

"Well, yes and no. I am at The Springs. But the boss-man left with the van. He took… "

Raghav had apparently left Golu and driven off to The Valley to drop the Madam-jis off. Further probing had revealed that Golu had been stationed at the Springs to receive someone important. Golu had not revealed the name of that someone, and Bhairavi hadn't pushed him for it lest he gets suspicious.

Disconnecting the call, Bhairavi entered the establishment; she concluded that it must not be popular, for she didn't come across anyone, staff or otherwise. She was about to venture deeper when her eyes fell on a door with the nameplate with the words: Hospital Administrator, Dr. Sonia Raina, engraved on it. 

Alarm bells went off in her mind. 'Sonia Raina, as in Raghav's stepmother!?' her heart went into overdrive at the information. 'If she is in charge, I can't loiter around like this. If Raghav is involved, I need to not-get-caught.' She scanned the area and found the perfect place. Without wasting even a single moment, she hid in the staff restroom. She knew from experience that that was the hub of information exchange in any organization. If there was anything that was making waves in the hospital, this was where she would be able to hear it. With time to kill, she Googled the hospital: RG Pvt Limited, but before the results could show, her network vanished, turning her phone into a steel box.