Abhira Off-Tracks: Short Stories

The Loss - Part 4

The Loss

The sound of siren filled the air as the ambulance carrying Manish Goenka rolled inside the gates of Birla Hospital. Not for a millisecond did Abhimanyu lift his stethoscope from Bade Papa's heart, but his eyes time and again glanced at the disheveled face of Kairav who had simply lost control over his mind but still had his hands on his phone trying to find out Akshara's whereabouts. Abhimanyu had injected a clot-dissolving medicine in his veins and had informed his team to be ready for a surgery, but for how long Bade Papa could sustain himself to survive the Cardiac Arrest would eventually decide the future of the Goenkas.

"Kya matlab Akshu kahin chali gayi??" Manjiri shook Neil with all the strength her weak arms could gather. "Abhi ne roka nahin?? AKSHU KAHAN HAI?"

"Ma mujhe nahi pata!" Neil cried seeing his mother go berserk at the news, "In fact kisi ko nahi pata Akshara kahan chali gayi. Kairav aur Vansh ne har jagah phone laga diya, na woh kisi se mili hai na kisi ke ghar gayi hai."

Manjiri held her head and buckled her knees to the ground. Her two children were fighting their battles alone. Her fingers trembled at the thought of Abhimanyu operating on Bade Papa with the panic of Akshu being lost while she shuddered at the thought of something happening to Akshara roaming alone on the streets of Udaipur in the darkness of the night.

Dr. Abhimanyu Birla wiped the tears from his tired eyes and washed away his tear stained cheeks. He did not have the time to cry over anything now. If his Akshu was battling an inner battle alone, he too had a battle to fight. A battle against death. His Akshu had lost a lot in life, she couldn't afford to lose her Bade Papa too.

And when it came to his Akshu, Abhimanyu Birla would not risk it with anyone else. Abhi donned his surgery gown, wore his mask and gloves and strode out of his cabin straight inside the OT.

In and out.

Within minutes of Dr. Abhimanyu storming inside the OT, the entire Goenka family watched the nurses and ward boys running in and out of the door with supplies and blood. Arohi stood crying in AG's arms, not having the courage to walk inside the OT. Not that she had the permission anyway, but she wanted to run inside and ask Abhimanyu if her Bade Papa would even survive the cardiac arrest.

Neil and Mahima helped Manjiri sit on the couch as she stared at the ground, lost in thought. Mahima had readied herself to go to the hospital and support Abhimanyu as her husband had been called to another hospital in emergency to assist in a major surgery. Parth and Neil were about to rush in search of Akshara leaving Manjiri under Shefali's care when Neil received Kairav's call.

"Ma, Kairav ne abhi commissioner sahab se bhi baat ki hai aur hum bhi Akshara ko dhundne ja rahe hain, Akshara ka jaise hi kuch pata chalega main aapko inform kar dunga." Neil spoke and rushed to leave.

"Aur agar kuch bhi pata nahi chala toh?"

Neil stopped in his tracks.

"Jab kisi ke sabr ka baandh toot'ta haina Neil, toh toofaan aata hai." Manjiri looked ahead blankly, "Jo aaj Goenka House mein aayi hai. Aur iss toofaan ke baad ka sannata... Woh humare ghar aane wala hai. Jab Abhimanyu ke saath uski Akshara nahi hogi."

Neil shuddered at her words.

---------------

With one eye on the doors of the OT and one on his phone, Kairav waited for some response from both ends. There wasn't one colleague, one soul who knew about Akshara that he hadn't contacted already. Vansh cleaned his brother's wet glasses and took him in a comforting hug.