In the heart of chaos

Chapter 29

Aarohi was reviewing some patient reports in her office when her phone buzzed with a notification. It was from Dr. Mehera, informing her about an urgent meeting that had been scheduled by none other than Dr. Abhimanyu Birla. Aarohi sighed, already feeling a knot tighten in her stomach. She had hoped the tension between them would ease after their last explosive confrontation, but it seemed there was no such luck.

She made her way to the conference room, where Rishi was already seated, lazily spinning a pen between his fingers. He raised an eyebrow at her, offering a sarcastic grin. "Ready for another round of Birla drama?" he teased, earning a half-hearted smile from Aarohi.

"I was born ready," she quipped, but her voice lacked enthusiasm.

Moments later, the door swung open, and Abhimanyu walked in, holding a thick file in his hand. Akshara trailed behind him, her eyes darting nervously between Abhimanyu and Aarohi. The atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense.

"Thank you both for coming," Abhimanyu said, his tone clipped. He wasted no time, pulling out the reports and laying them on the table. "These are Aarav's medical reports. We've run a full diagnostic, and it looks like..." He paused for a moment, clearly uncomfortable discussing something so serious. "He has a tumor, and it's located in a particularly tricky spot in his brain."

Aarohi's expression shifted to one of concern, and Rishi straightened in his seat, immediately slipping into professional mode.

"What's the current prognosis?" Aarohi asked, her voice steady but her eyes filled with determination.

"We need to operate as soon as possible," Abhimanyu said, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "But the thing is, we need the best neurosurgeons on this. And right now...that's you both." His words were laced with reluctance, and it was clear he hated asking them for help.

Aarohi exchanged a quick glance with Rishi, who raised an eyebrow, silently waiting for her to respond. Aarohi took a deep breath and nodded. "We'll do it. For Aarav. His health is what matters most here."

But as she spoke, Abhimanyu's face darkened. There was something in her tone that seemed to rub him the wrong way. Before anyone could stop him, his frustration boiled over. "Don't act like you're doing us a favor, Aarohi! This is your nephew's life on the line, not some professional win for you!"

Aarohi's eyes flashed with anger. "Don't you dare try to guilt-trip me, Abhimanyu. I'm doing this for Aarav, not for you. You asked for help, and I'm giving it. But that doesn't mean I owe you anything!"

Rishi leaned back in his chair, watching the exchange with mild amusement. He had seen them bicker before, but this was something else. The tension between them was almost palpable.

Abhimanyu's hand clenched into a fist, and just as he opened his mouth to shout, Akshara reached out and grabbed his arm. "Abhi, stop," she said firmly, her voice cutting through the rising heat in the room. "This isn't the time to fight."

Abhimanyu's shoulders slumped as Akshara's words seemed to deflate his anger. He turned to her, his expression softening. "I just...I don't want anything to go wrong," he muttered, his frustration clearly masking his fear.

Aarohi's hardened expression faltered for a moment as she saw the genuine worry in Abhimanyu's eyes. She understood the stakes here—this wasn't about their personal issues anymore. This was about Aarav, her nephew, and a child who needed the best possible care.

"Nothing will go wrong," Aarohi said, her voice firm but not unkind. "We'll do everything we can to make sure Aarav gets through this. You have my word."

Rishi, who had been silent throughout the exchange, finally spoke up, his tone light but meaningful. "Look, we all know what's at stake here. We need to put aside the personal stuff for now and focus on the surgery. That's what matters most."

Abhimanyu nodded, though the tension in the air hadn't fully dissipated. "I'll leave the technical details to you both. The surgery needs to be scheduled as soon as possible. We'll make sure all preparations are in place."

Akshara gave Aarohi a small, hesitant smile. "Thank you, Aarohi. For helping Aarav. It means a lot."

Aarohi merely nodded, avoiding any deeper exchange. She wasn't doing this for gratitude; she was doing it because it was the right thing to do.

As Abhimanyu and Akshara stood up to leave, Abhimanyu paused at the door, turning back to look at Aarohi and Rishi. "Just...don't mess this up," he said, his voice filled with an unspoken plea, before exiting the room.

Once the door closed behind them, Aarohi let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "That man is impossible," she muttered under her breath, rubbing her temples.

Rishi snorted, leaning back in his chair. "Tell me about it. I'm starting to think they're both impossible. You and I better get some coffee before this whole situation drives us insane."

Aarohi chuckled, the weight of the upcoming surgery still heavy on her, but for now, she allowed herself a small moment of relief. "You're not wrong."

Together, they left the room, the looming surgery hanging over their heads, but for now, they were a team—whether they liked it or not.