Aarav winced at the knock on his office door, a persistent chime echoed through his throbbing head. Disoriented, he stumbled to the door, opening it to find Shailee standing there, her eyes filled with a mix of worry and frustration.
"What happened to you? You suddenly disappeared," she accused, her voice a blend of anger and concern. Shailee's words were a reminder of the chaotic events from the night before.
Aarav, still groggy from the ordeal, struggled to find the right words. "Shailee, I had to take care of something important."
Her frustration boiled over, and she raised her voice. "Important? You vanish without a word, and all I get is 'something important'? Do you realize how worried I was?"
He attempted to soothe her, his tone gentle. "I understand, and I'm sorry. It's just that things got complicated at the hospital, and I couldn't explain at the time."
Her eyes welled up with tears, her emotions pouring out. "Complicated? Aarav, we share everything. You can't just shut me out like this."
Aarav, unable to paraphrase his yesterday's encounter, chose his words carefully. "I promise, Shailee, it's not about shutting you out. There was an emergency... I didn't mean to worry you."
Her anger softened into sadness, and she collapsed into tears. "I thought something happened to you."
He, realizing the impact of his actions, embraced her gently. "I'm here, Shailee. I didn't mean to make you feel that way. I care about you, but there are circumstances I need to handle. Please believe me."
As Shailee clung to Aarav, he comforted her with genuine concern.
Aarav's telephone rang, piercing through the room's silence. The caller ID revealed the hospital's number, instantly tightening the knot in his stomach. He broke away from the embrace.
With a deep breath, he answered.
"Okay! I'll be there." He stated.
"Babe! I have work," He held her hands, "how about I compensate it with dinner this weekend?" He proposed.
"Alright! I'll see you this weekend." She stated, planting a kiss over his lips before leaving.
Aarav startled by her expression, wondered....It's not like we haven't kissed before, why does it feel different this time?; He wondered.
He shook his head as if, shoving away all the thoughts and made way to the administrator's office.
...
"Good morning, Dr. Aarav."
"Good morning, Zoya! Fill me up, what happened?" Aarav ordered.
"The girl you brought in yesterday , has paid her bill and left the hospital this morning."
Aarav's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "Left? But she was unconscious last night. How could she just walk out? was she with someone?"
The administrator hesitated before responding, "No, she was alone and It's as if she vanished after settling the bill. Should we file a report?...since, it could be a suicide attempt."
Aarav, puzzled but not wanting to dwell on the mysterious turn of events, replied, "No need. Just keep me updated if anything unusual comes up."
As he made his way towards the exit, a thought stopped him on his tracks.
"She filled the form?" Aarav questioned.
