Do We Change?

● Messier Mess

" Ma'am , I am really sorry but he wouldn't budge off. He was in fact too adamant for the appointment ....." 

Aarohi looked blankly at her assistant who went on repeating this same line for the umpteenth time , almost after every patient left her cabin and before a new patient would enter. She waved her hand , dismissively at her , a sign to show that it was not her fault and she didn't require any more of her 'sorrys'. It wasn't unusual for patients to show up at odd moments demanding for an immediate appointment. She was a doctor and this was her profession. A profession that had no time bound , a profession that required her presence in the oddest of the moments. Thereafter she didn't blame her assistant at all. 

Today was her half day off.  She was supposed to leave this place as early as possible and reach her house to attend something very important. And that something happened to be her engagement. Had it been any other girl, she would have taken her entire day off. But this was Aarohi and she never kept her career after anything or anyone. Or may be she kept it after someone - God! she doesn't want to think about him now.

A vibratory sound indicated her phone received a new notification. She looked for it , only to find a message from Kairav Bhaiya. 

Aaru be quick. Bade papa is getting too anxious. 

Her Bade papa ,  her grandfather, always preferred punctuality and perfection.  Both of which she couldn't master much. That was one of the reasons that made her pretty edgy relationship with her grandfather. Aarohi looked at her watch , it read 2:00 p.m. The program begins at six. She needed to reach home, get dolled up by her sister and go for her engagement. Her grandfather already had some heart issues , she couldn't give him anymore anxiety. As she asked her assistant to bring this last patient in, she busied herself typing a reassuring reply to her brother. Her head already bend on her mobile phone , she didn't notice the new patient coming in, until he spoke ,

" good afternoon, Doctor . Aarohi" 

Her fingers that had been busy typing suddenly froze midway as she looked up to the source of the voice. The voice that was so nauseatingly familiar, a voice that held those bad memories, a voice that belonged to her not so favorite brother in law. A single look at his face and all those bad memories came hurling back , all those insults that he threw at her , suddenly remembered. The last thing that she would have wanted to do now was to meet Abhimanyu Birla. 

Her jaws tightened , as she clenched her hands into fists, nails digging , almost making holes into her palms. With gritted teeth she let out , 

" What. Do. You. Want?" 

And Abhimanyu Birla, who somewhat bore the same expression like her , replied, 

" Dr. Aarohi. I suppose we need to talk."

Aarohi looked at him and then to her empty coffee cup. She already had three cups since morning and she knew that a fourth one wouldn't be medically prescribed. But if she had to talk with her brother in law, she would have required a twenty more cups , to subdue the headache that was already beginning to form.

" Why ?" Aarohi asked ,clearly not understanding what this husband of her sister was upto .

" I want to talk to you about my brother."

Aarohi sighed. It was always about 'his' brother  , 'his' Aakshu,  'his' mother and all those he proclaimed as' his'. She had never seen someone so possesive about people they claim to be their's and she would have probably appreciated this trait of his , had he not been always against her. For now , Aarohi was scared where this conversation would lead them . History had always proved that whenever her brother in law and her needed to 'talk' ,  that never led to good circumstances.