Dawn

Chapter 03 - Echo

Echo

[noun]

repetition of a feeling, idea or event

The days that passed right after Imlie's accident were not ones he cared to remember. Aryan had been around death before and he knew it was calling. He'd be damned if he let Imlie walk into that light.

He had held Imlie's hand in the ambulance, all the way to Ballia, the closest town with a hospital outside of Pagdandiya, talking to her limp form and coaxing her to hold on.

He had wanted to take her to Delhi to get treated but the time was short and her condition too fragile to travel longer. He called in favours from the best doctors in Delhi instead. 

Within a short time, he'd had a top trauma surgeon delivered to the small hospital to operate on Imlie. A tense few hours later, he'd been informed that they had successfully stopped all cranial bleeding and removed the bullet from her arm.

She had however slipped into a low-level coma from the blood loss. All they could do now was monitor her situation and wait until her body decided it was healed enough to bring her out of sleep. They didn't know if there would be any lingering effects. That couldn't be determined until she was awake.

The police had located Meethi in the meanwhile and informed her of the events that had passed. It was Aryan who held Meethi as she first cried by Imlie's bed, distraught at her child's injuries.

It was Aryan who'd boosted Meethi's confidence, reminding her that her daughter was a fighter. 

It was Aryan, still, who had promised her that Imlie would make it home, his own unwavering belief in Imlie forming an anchor for Meethi as well.

He had known that Imlie was fearless, but he realized over the course of this event just how little she valued her own life when someone she loved was in danger. Even if the person was worthless, he thought bitterly. Oh yes, she had saved her Babusaheb alright.

Aditya had endured injuries to his hands and face and was very weak. His body had taken a severe beating but for all intents and purposes, he was recuperating well. He was being treated in a different wing of the hospital under security while the police investigated his involvement in the whole incident. 

Meethi had sensed Aryan's reluctance in dealing with Mr.Tripathi, so she had taken charge of caring for him while they waited for the authorities to clear Aditya of all suspicion. Aryan had seen to it that Meethi could come and go freely without restrictions.

Since the case was so politically sensitive, none of Aditya's family members had been allowed to visit him or see him yet. No amount of bullying or pleading by the Chaturvedi's or Tripathi's had worked, and they had been forced to wait, relying on Meethi's kindness to help Aditya as he recovered in the hospital.

Aryan had made one quick trip to Delhi the morning after the surgery to soothe his mother's worry, only to return to the hospital by nightfall.

"I can't stay, Ma. I just wanted to see you and Didi and give you some peace of mind," he'd said.

"But Aru, you just came back." Narmada had only just held her son after this nightmarish incident.

"Imlie is still there, Ma, in a coma. And her mother is dealing with Mr.Tripathi while the police inquiry is ongoing. I need to be there in case something happens."

Narmada and Arpita had nodded, understanding that Aryan felt responsible. He wasn't one to shirk his duty or push it on to someone else.

Aryan had spent the next week either in or near Imlie's room, usually typing away on his laptop, answering his family's phone calls or reading over work files. He would leave every time Meethi came in to check on Imlie, saying that she deserved to spend time with her daughter in private.