A Hundred Flukes

Jalebi

Chapter 21

"Arnav I am on my way to the address you texted me, unfortunately my car has broken down, I am looking for a taxi, I may reach late." informed the worried doctor.

"It's okay Dr. Kapoor, people there can handle their crisis, you take a cab back home." replied ASR nonchalantly sitting behind the wheel.

"Are you sure? You sounded a little..."

"Yeah, it's just fine. You need not bother anymore." he assured.

A while later at Lakshmi Nagar...

The doctor from the local dispensary whose sweet dreams had been disrupted at an unholy time of night by a lawyer who had banged at his door and had then literally dragged him out of his house for an emergency causing the doctor's wife to call police for the fear of her husband being abducted, delivered a glucose injection to the patient. He also checked her blood pressure that was slightly low and diagnosed the cause of her illness to be exhaustion and possible starvation. He assured her family that she may wake up within an hour.

The two women thanked him and the lawyer dropped him home before the police reached. He explained the doctor that the patient was his beloved and he apologized for the inconvenience he had caused.

When the police arrived, they were informed that no harm had been done, at which the sub inspector got miffed and after mouthing a few bad words left.

****

ASR drove angrily. Angry because it was the safest thing to feel. Safest because any other emotion confused him. His temper's paradox lied in the fact that it's hotness calmed him. Calmed him for he could always treat himself with a logical explanation for his anger. Presently he had convinced himself that the incidents which had taken place in the past one hour or so didn't bother him one bit, it was people's behavior in general that irked him, be it his own grandmother or some absurd Gupta family. 

At Shantivan his aunt and grandmother deduced that he had left in a hurry to his girlfriend's place, the first time the two women agreed over something, although they held contradicting opinions over his action. His Uncle felt that the only thing to be worried about presently was would team India win the series against Pakistan or the entire series would crumble at the mercy of rains. Anjali on the other hand worried, making frequent calls on his mobile phone for she didn't like the look he had on his face when he left. Akash who had just returned from the industry visit, received the following message from his brother: Mehrauli GH succumbed to rain, 1 laborer injured. Admitted in Apollo.

He wondered how his brother's messages always sounded like Newspaper headlines while making his way to the hospital. Visiting the victim was of crucial importance to the labor policy for it displayed that their employer cared for the workers.

Arnav entered his mansion from the back door, avoiding his family and their obvious jarring questions once they saw his dusty suit and bruised hands, but call it Murphy's law, Anjali was found right there, apparently worked up.

"Whatever happened to you?" she exclaimed as she noticed his clothes, "Why do you look like you have just come from an excavation site?"

"Di please, I need some time alone." he said raising his hand to silence her, her eyes fell over the cuts.

"Arnav you are hurt?" she said her forehead creasing with concern, "Rahim kaka, get me the First Aid kit please" she called to the servant.

"C'mon Di, it's just a scratch and...why are you still awake?" he said taking the first aid box from the servant.