Just This Once

Chapter 11

Akshat

We soon reached the hospital and she almost rushed to the reception.

Finding a place to park my motorbike, I sprinted my way in.

The receptionist was typing on her computer and Arushi was tapping her foot on the ground impatiently.

I went towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, I gave her a nod when she looked back at me with those glossy eyes and tear stained face. It pained my heart to look at her like that.

"It'd be on the 4th floor OT number 7, but you will have to wait before we shift her to a ward." The receptionist said.

"Can I just go and have a look at her?" Arushi asked in a shaky voice.

"I'm sorry but that's against our protocols to allow anyone to enter the OT." The receptionist answered with a sad smile.

Arushi's face fell down after listening to her. She gave a small nod before turning to walk away.

I followed her but stopped when the same receptionist said, "Hey listen, you can see her from the right corner, there is a glass wall to the OT."

"Thankyou so much." Arushi said before walking towards the lift.

I understood the situation and did not ask her anything for now.

We reached the 4th floor and found the OT 7. As the receptionist said, there was a glass wall, although the curtains were placed, the wind was helping a lot.

I saw a woman in her mid forties lying with an oxygen mask and all the IVs attached.

I heard a sob and looked at Arushi, tears were continuously flowing from her eyes. She placed a hand of the cold glass and looked inside.

After a few seconds, she turned around and placed her back to the wall, as if she has seen enough to break down right this moment.

I just couldn't control and hugged her to myself. Placing her head on my chest.

She clutched my shirt and cried. My shirt was going to be wet, but do I care? No.

She was shaking and crying so bad that it hurts.

It hurts to see her like this.

I was running my hand at her back and other was patting her head. Meanwhile whispering sweet nothing in her ears.

After sometime, she calmed down a little and pulled away. I wiped her under eyes and she kept looking down.

"Your shirt.....I'm sorry." She said just above a whisper.

"I don't care, soak me all you want, but please don't cry like this." I said caressing her cheek.

She moved her eyes up to look at me. Holding the stare for sometime, she looked away.

She took a deep breath before saying, "She.... she's my mother. The hospital people called me."

I was lost to my words. She waited a few seconds, but receiving no answers from me, she continued, "Don't ask about my father. I'd be shocked if I saw him here. I don't kn-"