Hearts Crossed

8

Rishabh was feeling irritated and tried to lift his hand to remove whatever was on his face, but the heaviness of his hand woke him up even more. He blinked his eyes to see better, his left lid weighed down by stitches. Rishabh tilted his chin down, the most he could do in his state, to try and see what was holding down his hand. He was surprised to see long hair splayed on his bed sheet and tried to remember how he had ended up here.

He remembered getting the call and going out to search for Prerna. He had found her in a hotel and fought some bad guys. After that it was mostly blurry, but he remembered asking for his brother. He only asked for Ritwik in troubling situations. Rishabh took a big breath before reaching over with his free hand. He tried to keep as still as possible as his left hand crossed his chest, but when he needed to stretch just a bit more to reach the call button, his side hurt and he grimaced in pain.

Rishabh quickly pushed the button and released his arm, breathing hard to subside the pain. Soon enough, his house manager came in quietly.

"Mr. Bajaj, aap uth gaye!"

"Pain killer, please," Rishabh breathed, and the man rushed to add more morphine in his drip. "How long have I been here, Kamal?"

"32 hours hone wale hain, sir. Aap kal pura din soye hue the," Kamal informed him.

Rishabh pointed with his brows. "Aur yeh?"

Kamal sighed, his tone telling Rishabh that something was wrong. "Miss Prerna aap ke side se eik minute bhi nahi hati. Jabh se aapki goli nikali hai, yeh yahin baithi hui hain."

"Aise hi?" Rishabh was shocked.

"Ji, sir. Na inhon ne khaana khaya na kapde change kiye. Bas aap ke saath baithi hui hain."

"Aap ne hataaya nahi?"

"Sabh ne bohot koshish ki hai, lekin yeh kisi ki nahi maani."

"Accha. Miss Davis se kahein woh aah kar Prerna ko utha lein," Rishabh ordered, and Kamal nodded.

"Ji, sir," he began to leave but Rishabh stopped him again.

"Iss sabh ka bhai ko pata nahi chalna chahiye."

"Kisi ne nahi bataya, sir. Jaisa aap kaheinge waisa hoga. Main Miss Davis ko bhejta hoon," Kamal finally left, and Miss Davis came in soon after.

"You called, Mr. Bajaj?" Davis asked.

"Aap Prerna ko utha dein, aur please unka khayaal rakkhein."

Davis smiled. "Yes, sir. Abhi uthate hain," she replied and gently came beside Prerna, shaking her.

"Huh?" Prerna immediately lifted her head. "Mr. Bajaj ko kuch hua? Mr. Bajaj thik hain?" Prerna frantically asked, her eyes on Ms. Davis.

"Prerna," Rishabh said, and she finally turned to him.

"Mr. Bajaj! Aap uth gaye! Main ne toh nahi jagaaya aap ko? Aap ko dard to nahi ho raha?"

"Prerna, it's okay. I'm fine," he tried to convince her. "Aur haalat nahi bigdi. Lekin aap ki bohot kharaab lag rahi hai," he said with a kind smile.

Prerna was confused, then realized she probably looked crazy, still in her ruined wedding look.

"I heard aap mere housekeepers ko tung kar rahi thein?" He joked.

Prerna managed a small laugh. "Nahi toh. Bas, main chahti thi ke jabh aap uthein toh main aapke saath hoon, take main dekh sakoon."

"Abh toh main uth gaya hoon. Aap Ms. Davis ke saath jaa kar guest room mein rest kar lein," he suggested, and Ms. Davis stepped forward to escort her.

"Lekin, agar meri absence mein aapko kuch ho gaya toh?" Prerna worried.

"Aap jayein gi toh doctor mujhe change karein ge na?" He said and Prerna finally understood.

"Oh. Right. Phir main jaati hoon," Prerna turned to Ms. Davis.

"Please. I'll be fine," he assured her and Prerna finally left the room.

Nisha could barely hold back her tears as she escorted the crying parents out of her room.

"Hamare bacche ka kya hoga, doctor? Aur hum kahan jayein?!" The father asked her.

The hospital she worked at was one of the few who offered the services required for the child.

"Believe me, mera khud dil toot raha hai. Agar school ki wajah se yahan hona na parta toh main kahin aur jaati. Aap eik kaam karo. Hospital ke against complaint likho. Jabh ziyada complaints hongi, toh koi dekhe ga to zaroor."

"Abhi hum kya karein?" The mother cried.

Nisha consoled them and referred them to another hospital that could take care of the routine requirements for their kid. Once the family left, she went back to her office and cried.

The management for the youth ward was terrible. They put money in front of health, and many poor families had to be turned away from service. It broke her heart having to send sick kids home.

During her lunch time, Nisha decided to make a complaint. She got her stuff and took a rickshaw to the police station. She filed a report against her board director, suggesting that someone was not using the donation funds properly. As she was leaving the station, an officer stepped in her way.

"Acchi didi!" He called her.

"Excuse me?" Nisha looked at him with a confused brow. There was no way she could be an elder sister to the familiar man in front of her.

"Aap ki photo mere office mein hai. Aap ne bazaar mein eik bacche ko bachaya tha."

Nisha was shocked he knew that. "Oh! Haan, that was me," she blushed and fixed her hair. "Meri jagah koi bhi hota to..."

"Sabh aisa nahi karte jaisa aapne kiya," the officer commended her.

"Oh. Woh baccha ghar toh pohonch gaya na?"

"Haan. We tracked down his family and made sure he got back home."

"That's good, officer... Rick?" She finally remembered the quick meeting they had.

"Ritwik, actually. Aap yahan kaam se ayi thi?" He asked as he walked her out.

"Haan. Woh, main ne complain likhwani thi," Nisha told him.

"Oh? Anything serious?"

"Kind of. Work place ke against hai."

"That's big. Koi aapko tung to nahi kar raha?" Ritwik leaned in jokingly.

"Nahi. Mujhe nahi. Lekin I think kuch malpractice chal rahi hain. Report mein likh diya main ne."

"That's good. Chalo, as a favor to our hero didi..."

Nisha giggled at the title. "Oh, please!"

"Main khud dekhta hoon aapki FIR and see agar uska kuch bun sakta hai."

"Sir, aap ki zaroorat hai," a peon said, attracting Ritwik's attention.

"I should get back to work, too," Nisha said.

"Yeah. Take care. Aur kuch garbar ho toh you have my number," he waved and hopped back into the station.

Nisha grabbed a passing officer. "Yeh, sir kon hai?"

The man looked back at the station door. "Jo abhi aap se baat kar rahe thhey?"

"Haan."

"Woh sir hai. Yahan ke ACP. Aur kuch?"

Nisha's eyes blew up. "No, thanks."

"Bye, ma'am."

Shit.