Dr. Beast and His Inamorata

1. An Accident

Change. From tomorrow, along with the city, Agra I was living in, the people, and the environment will be changed. I will be living a new life. My comfortability will be compromised—I thought while giving a once-over at my boudoir lilac-painted walls, my three-mirror white-dressing tables, and most importantly my queen-size bed. I sighed. That's what I wanted, I glanced at my allotment letter and lifted my lips corners with pride. This was my dream. My aim. Not only to study in the best hospital in Lucknow but also in my favorite branch, General Surgery. And from the following day, I will get scrubbed, give incisions to a human, stitch his wound, bandage him, etcetera.

From the edge of my bed, where I had been sitting, I peeked at my image in the mirror that revealed, I hadn't combed my hair yet. Well my Dada, will yell that I am making late. I don't usually make it late but that day I was quite anxious—as I have to stay without my Dada and Mama also. I strode to the dressing table, with the paddle brush, I untangled my shoulder-length wavy hair. I always like to try new things, and this time I experimented with my hair. I grabbed my hair at the top of my head and tied it into a pineapple hairstyle with a black braided rubber band. Swaying my ponytail to and fro, I realized that stupid pineapple hairstyle was resembling me with a Poland chicken, the one with a large feathery crust on top of her head.

I groaned, untied my hair, and threw that stupid rubber band out of my boudoir window. I took a pearl stud hairpin and tucked a strand of hair on the right side of my forehead just above the ear. Then I looked cute, as always. 

"Ishika!! Are you ready!" a tense, thick voice heeded my attention towards that person dressed in an Armani navy blue suit. And as usual, he was looking splendidly handsome. Though he's my biological father, people assume him as my elder brother. Except for height, my other genes were blessed by my Dada. Black, almond-round eyes, round lips, small and round nose, jovial nature and to make others smile. But the hesitation masked on his face had affected his cheerful attitude that made me concerned.

And to be one occasional pessimist, I anticipate that be any loss in business or one of his factories to catch fire. Cause that's what showed in movies: rival business people in grudge destroys the famous and high earning factories.

"Yes, Dada, I am!" I replied glancing from top to bottom at my reflection in the mirror. Mint was my favorite color. Therefore, I wore a mint mid-thigh plain shirt and blue torn jeans. Then whirled, "But, what happened to my Dada?"

He smiled that was unnatural, I could perceive. Then straightening his, without a single crease coat and peeping through the mirror which was precisely to avoid eye contact with me, he complimented. "Did I say you are looking, pretty?"

"Yeah. My reflection in the mirror says it. Now, tell me what is bothering you?" He turned around, his back facing me. He is unintentionally taking the test of my patience, which I was hating. "Dada?" I shouted

"Hmm...Ishu, there is a slight change in our journey planning." He rambled in one breath.

"We are already, getting late, Dada!" I mentioned it cause I have to go through the admission process that day.

"Our one textile factory in Agra is still busy in summer collections, right? It's the month of May—"

"—and the winter collection has not started, yet. You told me a few days ago." I cut him off, as this was the same concern he has been addressing me on the breakfast table every morning since the first of May. "Next what?" I probed with a serious tone.

"Our Kanpur textile factory is ready to start the winter collection. But before that, your Mama wants to present her winter designs to our business partners. And they said, it will be best, If we present today. So, we_"