Love at the time of dentistry

Chapter-9

7 years later

Manya hurried through the corridors of Maulana Azad Dental Hospital, her alarm clock had failed her again. It was her last day of the 1 year bond she had to complete after her post graduation, so she had less than 24 hours to sort out all her patients. She had to schedule last minute surgeries, see for the post operative care of her previous patients; there were lots to do and very little time. She had known this beforehand but still no one and nothing had prepared her for the back-breaking job which was of an oral surgeon. But still she loved what she did; it was after all her dream. Every day was an adventure for her, something she cherished dearly. "Oh Saumya, you are a life saver, is the patient ready in the minor O.T?" her very efficient nurse was waiting in the preparation area for her, with everything ready for her; she just had to scrub now and get to work. "Yes doctor, everything is just as you want, we were just waiting for you", Saumya replied helping her scrub. "What will I do without you" Manya replied thankfully. Saumya was one of the most efficient nurses in their department and she was lucky that she was assigned to her. Just as she was about to enter the operation theatre, another nurse hurried inside carrying her ringing cell phone, "Doctor, this is the third time your mother has called in a row, I think you should take the call". Manya looked at the nurse in exasperation; she had specifically left her cell phone with the nurse so that she was not disturbed throughout the day. Her mother had impeccable timing. Saumya held the cell phone to her ear, "Mom this better be good because I have no time for chitchat, I am about to go into surgery this minute" "Slow down beta, you'll burst a vein at this rate", her mother's laughing voice came from the other end. Manya looked towards the heaven for help, it was obvious from her mother's tone that she was at leisure and had called exactly to chitchat. "Mom! I told you just now I am really busy, so anything you have to say will have to hurry up", she tried to keep her frustration in check but was having little success. "Hahahahaha, how I love troubling you like this, it's still so much fun, accha khair maine yeh kehne ke liye phone kiya tha ki aaj koshish karke ghar jaldi aana, you do remember we are having a big party today". Did her mother even hear what she had said earlier, Manya thought in wonder. There was no chance she would be free early today, she had back-to-back surgeries scheduled today. But it was no use explaining her schedule to her mom. "Ok mom, I'll try to come as early as I can". There was no escaping today's party. It was being thrown in the honour of her father's childhood friend who was returning from New Zealand after 20 years. Apparently they had been very close family friends too when she was a baby but she didn't remember anything about them. Her father wanted his whole family to welcome them, when now all her 4 sisters were staying together, having finished their studies. Her mother has been planning for this party for ages and she would kill if anything or anyone ruined it. "That's my girl; you know how much your presence would mean at the party". "Mom! I am not some guest you are inviting, I said I will come, now can I go and put that poor man's broken jaw back". "Haahahahaa, jaa mere sher jaa", her mother ended the call laughing. Manya just shook her head in exasperation, "I want no calls from now, even if it is from President Obama, got it", she said sternly to the other nurse and hurried inside the O.T. without any further delay. The whole day passed in suturing, extractions and God knows what all surgeries. She was dead on her feet by the time her day ended and prospect of the coming party was looking more and more unwelcoming. But she didn't have the strength to call her mom and refuse and then have to listen to a lecture on family values again. She drove out of the hospital parking lot towards her apartment which was just a few kms away from the hospital. After her father retired, they had bought a lovely bungalow outside the city to enjoy their retirement days. Her sisters lived with their parents but she had stayed in their old apartment which was nearer to the hospital and made her commuting easier. Her mother was not very happy with this arrangement but had to concede on the practicality of the whole idea, though she had to promise to spend all her weekends, off-days and holidays with them before her mother fully made peace with whole idea of her living alone, not to mention the daily phone calls. She longed for her bed and a hot cup of coffee right now, but she knew she had to hurry and shower just as she reached home if she didn't want to be late for the party. She hurried inside just as she reached home and went straight for the shower. Choosing what to wear today was going to take extra time because she didn't want to embarrass her father in front of his friend. She finally decided on a light pink chiffon sari, a gift from her sisters on her last birthday. She didn't like to wear saris that much but it had been the dress code at her hospital, so now she had a large collection of beautiful saris, all thanks to her fashion designer sister, Shanaya. She decided to keep her make-up to the minimal, just a light pink eye shadow, little blush to add colour to her cheeks and a nude colour lip gloss. She put on the sapphire earrings which had been her father's gift on her 20th birthday; she left her hair loose on her shoulder, where they fell in waves around her face. Great, she was good to go now. She put her feet in golden sandals and rushed out of her apartment. She was only just late now so she would have to hurry up if she had to prevent her mother's wrath. The party was already in full swing by the time she reached even though she was not that late. "Oh Manu darling, there you are, you look absolutely lovely in that sari, this colour suits you", her mother came and hugged her. Alisha Roy was not a tall woman but she had managed to intimidate all her tall daughters with just her stare in their growing years, even sometimes now also when the need arise. She was also wearing a beautiful white sari with a multi-coloured border with matching jewellery. "Hi mom, you look beautiful tonight, I didn't know I had such a bombshell of a mom", Manya kissed her mother on the cheek and hugged her. However much her mother drove her crazy, she loved her fiercely. "mind your tongue, young lady, you are in civilised company, actually it's all your sister's fault. Fashion designer kya bana diya, hum sabko apni models samajh kar, apne designs try karwati rehti hai". Her middle sister, Shanaya had just become a fashion designer and none of the family members had been spared from her fashion advice. Though her mother may show anger at such 'inconveniences', Manya knew she was very proud of each of her daughters. "Haan to theek hai na kya kharabi hai is mein, ab aap jaisi supermodels aur kahan milengi use", Manya loved to tease her mother, after all she had to take revenge for the morning call. "Accha bas bas, bahut hua, tumhare dad kabse tumhara intezaar kar rahe hain, he wants to introduce you to his friend, all your other sisters have met him , you are the only one left". Her mother left her to find her father and went to attend to some guests. She looked over the crowd of people milling around, trying to find the tall figure of her father. She saw her second sister; Roma was standing in a corner with her bunch of intellectual friends. She was a child psychologist and specialised in helping abused children. At a very young age, she had acquired quite a reputation among her field and was fast on her way to becoming one of the best in her field. "Hey sis, good to see you outside your cave", she hugged her sister. Just like her mother in height and frame, she was of the same temperament too, she didn't suffer fools easily and never let anyone make her feel less of herself. "Well you know mom, you can't escape her when she is in her advance mode", Roma adjusted her glasses with a rueful smile. "Well, it's good to see you in normal human company for once" "hey! Are you saying my patients are not normal, they are as normal as any of the people present here" "ok ok, don't get yourself worked up, I was just kidding, have you seen dad anywhere", Manya tried to calm her sister down, she was very sensitive when it came to her patients and would not hear a word against them from anyone, maybe that's what made her such an excellent psychologist. "Oh dad was in that corner with his friend, I never knew dad had such a close friend and he didn't tell anyone of us about him, it's very unlikely of him". "It happens, sometimes the most important things in your life are the ones in most back corner of your mind." She left her sister with her friends and went towards her father; he was standing with a distinguished looking man, almost the age of her father. She guessed this was the friend in whose honour this party was. Her father called out to her just as he saw her and before she knew it she was enveloped in her father's bear hug. She loved those hugs. They could cure any of her sickness just like that. "Here is my eldest daughter, Manya, Dhanraj, the one I was just telling you about", her father introduced her to his friend, "and this Manu is my closest friend, Dhanraj Raheja." Manya turned to shook his extended hand, he was quite a good-looking man, must have been very handsome in his days. There was something about his face which was familiar to her but she just couldn't place it. "So you are the lovely Manya Anurag hasn't stopped talking about since", Dhanraj Raheja said in a deep, gravelly voice, releasing her hand. "I bet most of it was just exaggeration", Manya said smiling at him politely. The man had natural charm and the years had added class and sophistication to his personality. "At first I thought so but after meeting you I can see that he wasn't speaking falsely, you are a beautiful lady." He smiled at her, there was something about that smile which was very familiar to her but again she couldn't place her finger on it. "Dhanraj here, is a neurosurgeon and quite a reputed one from what I have heard from his tall stories so far", her father added, teasing his friend, "Well, your father never could accept that I was the more intelligent one, so what can I do now", Dhanraj came back at her father. "your father was just telling me that you had just accepted the post of one of the oral surgeons in that new chain of hospitals, Fortis Care as an oral surgeon", he turned towards Manya and asked. "Yes, it's creating quite a buzz in the medical field, this new chain of hospitals, I was lucky enough to get this post." Manya was right, these new hospitals were the place to be in the medicine and dental fields today and she was extremely lucky to secure that post. If Anaya hadn't told her of the new posts coming out before everyone else, she would as well have lost her chance at getting the job. Anaya was also joining alongside her in the same department. She was the only one of her gang who had stayed in Delhi to work. Rest all her friends had returned to their homes to practice. "I am sure luck had nothing to do with it, from what your father has told me you are very hardworking and intelligent girl, we need doctors like you." Dhanraj Raheja told her kindly, " actually it's quite a coincidence that my son has accepted the post of the head of the oral surgery department in your hospital only, it's good that he will now have such capable people under him", he continued. "Oh, your son is also an oral surgeon?" Manya asked out of politeness. Her father had disappeared, leaving her alone with his friend. It was not that she was uncomfortable with him alone but she couldn't shake that feeling off that there was something very familiar about him. "Yes, he came here to do his post graduation and has been working in Delhi ever since, maybe you would have met him, wait I'll call him, you must meet him." He looked over the heads of the other guests trying to locate his son; Manya was trying to look for some means to escape. The day was taking a toll on her, she was lucky to be still standing on her feet without any help. She had had enough of the party and just wanted to go home and fall asleep. She was just about to excuse herself when Dr. Raheja finally situated his son and called him, "Ronit! Come here son!" She freezed in her steps on hearing the name. This can't be true, it can't be the same person, but something deep inside her said it was the same person. She waited for the tall man Dr. Raheja had called to turn so she could see his face. Her heart was in her mouth and she feared that if this tension didn't end soon, she would faint. Finally Dr.Raheja's son came where they were standing; it was Ronit, the man who was responsible for her break-up with Siddharth. He looked as surprised to see her as she was but he hid it much better than she did. She was having a hard time controlling her heart beat let alone hide her reaction to the man whose kisses still left her breathless whenever she thought about them. He looked a little different from what she remembered; the glasses were the same, though she could see little lines near the corner of his eyes, which only added to his character. He had obviously recovered from his shock of seeing her. His face was a mask when he finally came to stand in front of her; suddenly the room had drastically reduced in size. "Manya, I would like you to meet my son, Ronit and Ronit, this is Manya, Anurag's eldest daughter", his father introduced them, knowing little that they needed no introduction. Why was this happening to her now? She had finally able to leave her feelings of broken heart behind and move on with her life and now, this ghost of her past had come back, bringing back all those memories with him. She stood looking at him impassively, not knowing what to say in such a situation. His father didn't guess anything odd between them, but she could swear the air around them had changed. "Well, I'll leave you two to get to know each other", with this Dr. Raheja left them alone and went towards some of the other guests. Don't leave me alone with him, Manya wanted to shout after him but she knew better than to make a scene. She looked up towards him, preparing herself for the worst. He was looking at her with an expression she just couldn't understand. It was always like this with him; she could never know what he was thinking. He slowly took her hand in his' and kissing it softly said in that same sexy voice she remembered so well, "So we meet again."