Chained✔

3.Fire Meets Ice

Aditya went towards his car and Zoya sat outside the mosque waiting for her bus. She took out her book and started revising so that she could answer perfectly in the interview. Aditya stopped in his tracks to look at her and when he saw her with the book , he smirked and said 'Ratta maar kar log test clear kar sakte hai lekin kabhi ache doctors nhi ban sakte.' With that he opened his car's door and drove off leaving Zoya puzzled. Zoya thought to herself 'Bade hi badtameez aur behaya the yeh janab. Na jaan na pehchaan, aake judgement paas karke chale gye.'
She shook her head in disgust and went back to her book and soon her bus arrived. She rode and reached the destination of her interview. She patted her disheveled face with a wet wipe so that she could look a little presentable and straightened up her kurti. She looked at her watch , she was five minutes late for her interview.She took a deep breath and entered 'Mrinalini Nursing Home'. This was where she was to interview for her internship. She glanced at a card which contained this address and the name Dr.Aditya Hooda on it. She had heard he was the best neurosurgeon and every year he used to select a group of interns to work and learn under him. If she cleared this interview she could work and learn under him. She crumpled up the piece of paper and went to the reception and the front office executive led her to Aditya's cabin.

Zoya rapped on the door and Aditya beckoned her to come in without looking up.Zoya started 'Good Morning sir, I am Zo..'
Aditya cut her in mid sentence and without looking up said 'Kindly leave.'
Zoya stammered 'I beg your pardon.'
Aditya looked up finally and looked at Zoya from head to toe and then said 'I said , please leave. Your interview won't be conducted today.'
Zoya took a step back and said 'Lekin kyun?'
Aditya said 'Kyunki , Miss..' he took a pause as he looked at a sheaf of paper which had a list of names , 'Zoya Siddiquie, you are five minutes too late for the interview.'
Zoya said 'Haan voh traffic tha, aur hum..'
Aditya said 'In paanch minute mein ek patient ki jaan ja sakti thi. Aapko wakt ki kadar nhi hai , toh aap patients ki kadar kaise karengi. Agar traffic tha , toh aap apne ghar se do ghante pehle nikalti. I hate people who come even a single second late.'
Zoya said 'Sir lekin, hum bohot dinon se iss interview ka wait kar rhe the. Aap ek baar..'
Aditya said 'Agar raat ke 11 baje tak aap wait kar sakti hai aur agar tab tak main kisi ko finalise nhi karta hoon toh be my guest. But at the moment leave.'

Zoya understood her dismissal and fumed inside. She thought 'Paanch minute ke liye hum poori raat ruke. Ek mauka toh de sakte the. Inko lagta hai ki hum 11 baje tak rukenge nhi lekin yeh Zoya Siddiquie ko jaante nhi hai, humse better intern inhe milegi hi nhi.'

At the same time Aditya got a call from Mri and she said 'Adiii, aapko yaad hai na kal kya hai?'
Aditya teased her and said 'Nhi toh. Kal aisa kya hai Mri? Mujhe toh kuch aisa yaad nhi aa rha.'
Mri snorted angrily and said 'Adi....'
Aditya laughed at her cute anger and said 'Kal ka din kaise bhool sakta hoon main. Ab phone kara hai kal ke liye toh koi farmaish hogi. Bolo kya chaiye?'
Mri chirped happily and said 'Aap promise karte ho. Jo maangu voh ?'
Aditya said 'Pinky promise. Tumhari saari farmaishein saraankhon pe.'
Mri said 'Toh pehli farmaish yeh ki aap mere sone se pehle aaj ghar aaoge. Matlab 11 baje se pehle, doosri yeh ki kal poora din aap mere saath rahoge, aur teesri yeh ki aap ma , pa ko bologe ki voh mujhse milne aaye iss birthday. 6 mahine ho gye unse mile hue. America kya chale gye unhe toh ab meri yaad hi nhi aati. Itne busy kyun hai voh dono. Mahine mein bas ek -do baar hi baat hoti hai phone pe. Mujhe voh dono idhar chaiye merr birthday pe bas."
Aditya gulped and said 'Mri tumhari pehli do farmaish poori ho jaayengi lekin teesri ke liye thoda wakt do. Tumhare mom aur dad bohot busy hai , mann toh unka bhi bohot tha tumse milne ka lekin iss baar nhi hoga. Tumhe pata hai na voh log vahan ek bada business set kar rhe hai aur tumhare liye ek bada sa ghar bana rhe hai , time lagta hai na in sabke liye.But she said , she will come soon.'

Aditya closed his eyes at the lie that he was saying to that innocent eight year old. He had hired mimicry artists to imitate her parents voice during the phone calls.  Mri said 'Jab ma , pa aayenge tab ache se daantoongi unhe. Lekin aap apna pehla promise yaad rakhiye aur aaj jaldi se aa jana.'
Aditya smiled and said 'I promise. Now I need to hang up, Bye.'
Mri said 'Bye Adi , I love you.'

As he hung up , Aditya rubbed his face with his palms thinking about his helplessness. How could he break such a heart wrenching truth to Mrinalini. It would completely destroy her and if it destroyed her , it would mean his death as well. He had already lost his elder sister whom he had always loved with his heart. For him she was like his guardian, the only woman he had ever trusted. After her death he had lost himself and Mri had been the only reason he was still sane but if Mrinalini lost her sanity with this ugly truth , he wouldn't be able to face himself.

He got up and washed his face and sat down again and carried on with the interviews. He finished with the last candidate at half past ten. He looked at his watch and thought 'Itne dumb interns maine apni poori zindagi mein nhi dekhe. But thank god the interview thing is over on time. I just have to take a round in the ICU and then I can leave for home and be there on time for Mri.'

He came out and saw Zoya sipping a cup of coffee. He ignored her and went. Zoya caught sight of him and said 'Sir. Ab toh aap humara interview le sakte hai na.'
Aditya looked at her 'Better luck next time. I am in a bit of hurry.'
With that he went and Zoya narrowed her eyes and thought 'Hum poori raat intezaar karte rhe iss interview ke liye aur yeh humein aise Ignore karke ja rhe hai. Humara interview toh aaj hi hoga aur yeh job bhi humein hi milegi.Hum bhi dekhte hai ki inko kitni jaldi hai.'

She followed Aditya and saw him coming out of the ICU and heading towards Aditya's personal lift. That's when an idea struck her and she went to the control room and pulled a few knobs to stop the lift. The lift stopped and Aditya shouted for help. The lift was isolated from the main building and since it was dark no one was nearby. Zoya came and said in a cool voice in front of the lift 'Sir,madad hum aapki kar sakte hai agar aap humara interview le le.'
Aditya shouted furiously 'Dr.Siddiquie , yeh mazak agar aapne kara hai toh yeh aapko bohot bhaari padega.'
Zoya smirked and shouted back 'Sir, aapke paanch minute ke liye humne 9 ghante intezaar kara hai. Interview milna humara haq hai aur aapka interview lena aapka farz.'

Aditya gritted his teeth and said 'Zoya, get me the hell out of here. And then we will talk.'

Zoya thought that she should start the lift before a pandemonium was created. So she went and switched the controls on.

She came back and saw Aditya wearing a very dark and angry look. He held her arms and pinned her to the wall and said 'How dare you? How dare you do this? Tumhe andaza bhi hai ki tumne apne befazool harkat se mujhe kitna late kiya hai. Maine aaj Mri ko promise kara tha ki main ghar jaldi pohonchoonga. Ab tumhari jaisi ek useless intern ke liye mera voh promise toot gya.'

He pushed her further in the wall and glared at her . But Zoya held herself and fought back and said 'Aapne humara interview lene se mana kiya kyunki aapko wakt par kaam karna acha lagta hai. Ab jab humara 11 baje ka interview tha tab aap apne kaam ke liye usse chod ke chale gye. Yeh nayansaafi hai Dr.Hooda, aur nayansaafi hum bardaash nhi karte hai. Sirf aapka parivaar hai kya ? Humara bhi ek parivar hai jinke liye humein yeh job chaiye. Jinke liye humein ghar wakt pe pohchna hota hai lekin aapki wajah se hum itni raat tak yahan baithe rhe. This is unfair. And I swear I will not bear any unfair treatment just because you are senior to me.'

Both of them looked at each other with equal amount of rage, disgust and passion. Both weren't ready to bow down and it was face off between fire and ice. Now it was left to see whether the fire would melt the ice or the ice would freeze the fire or both would intertwine and create a flood of fire.

So people aka my beautiful readers, how was this chapter. Please do leave your comments and reviews and do vote. Lots of love....