Back In Time

~fourteen~

Mrs. Shah signed on a Hospital register and collected another one of the numerous blood tests she and her husband had had to get done for their annual full body check up before she visited Dr. Gandhi the following day in the hospital instead of his clinic.

The hospital seems pretty convenient too. I should probably get a membership card made for emergencies.

She called out to the receptionist on the next counter, and asked for two membership cards; one for her husband and one for herself. And then, she turned around from the counter while the receptionist worked on the same.

There wasn't anything of her particular interest to witness, not that she was expecting to see anything. Nurses roamed, some with patients, others in conversation with white coat clad Doctors, peons walked through the floor with sheets of paper and some with trays full of some kinds of samples. It was just another usual day, in just another usual hospital.

But then, from the corner of her gaze she noticed another white coat clad figure storm out of a room rather hastily. She snapped towards its general direction and watched with amusement. It was only until after a couple of moments that she finally recognized the young doctor that walked out of a patient's room in those quick and agitated strides.

Dr. Gandhi.

If that wasn't surprising enough, a rather familiar woman ran out after him from the room. When she looked through her own eyes, it was just another young girl in her mid twenties, with shoulder length, wavy hair, an average Indian wheat-ish tan for skin; perhaps even a little dusky if you asked her and entirely average looks.

But then, when she looked at her through her son's eyes, she saw a petite woman in a simple, pale yellow kurti and jeans that flattered her dusky complexion beautifully, a confidence in her strides and benevolence in her smile that was unmistakable. The woman was simply gorgeous in all her natural glory.

What is Meera doing in Mumbai? And that too in the hospital? With Dr. Gandhi? Does Vedant know?

She first seemed to call out to Dr. Gandhi, who paused immediately, almost as if he was expecting to be stopped. Then, she placed her hand on his shoulder.

Mrs. Shah's brows drew up in surprise.

Meera knew Dr. Gandhi on a personal level. Not just on a personal level, the ridiculously young Doctor looked like he worshipped her. The clear love and want in his eyes was so stark, Mrs. Shah found her fold her arms before her chest disapprovingly.

Was this girl blind? What was she getting out of leading the Doctor on?

In fact, did Dr. Gandhi even know that she was with her son to begin with?

Mrs. Shah blinked with surprise when Meera turned to her direction, and for a reason unknown to her, Mrs. Shah found herself conceal her face with the first report she held in her hand.

Oh God what am I DOING? I can't be spying on my son's girlfriend like that!

But Meera looked away quite soon, decidedly more distracted with her conversation with the Doctor. And then, she hugged him.

"Your card, ma'am." The receptionist's voice snapped her out of her reverie, and she absently paid up.

As she walked out of the hospital, Mrs. Shah felt more ticked than she had in the longest time. So this is why Meera wasn't ready to settle down?

Of course, she agreed with her husband on the fact that Meera and Vedant both were quite young and there really was no rush. But they weren't toddlers exactly. Heck she was expecting Vedant at Meera's age!

And even if she tried to think like Vedant, and understood Meera's ambitions, she saw no reason for Meera knowing the doctor or embracing him the way she did right in the middle of the hospital floor. She felt insulted for a weird reason.

The reason being, that despite whatever she witnessed not less than five minutes ago, which she clearly didn't approve of, wasn't something she could tell her son about. He was not going to believe her and that was a sure thing.