The Last Wish

CH 6 : " Abandoned"

Parvati stood in the airport washroom, tears streaming down her face. After a while, she composed herself and left the airport, hailing a taxi to take her away.

Meanwhile, Nikhil had already reached the hospital, his heart racing. His father was rushed to the emergency room, and a nurse directed Nikhil to the front desk. As he approached, the staff handed him a piece of paper and explained, "We'll need patient identification, medical history, any personal physician's details, medication information, allergies, and insurance info. Also, have you filed an FIR?"

"FIR?" Nikhil asked, perplexed.

"Yes," the nurse replied, her tone reassuring. "Since it was an accident, you need to report it."

Nikhil felt his head spin, he had never faced such a situation before. The weight of it all overwhelmed him. I don't know anything, he thought.

"You don't know?" The staff looked at him with judging eyes. "Do you have any other family members here? Where is your mother?" the staff inquired.

"No, it's just me," Nikhil's voice trembled as he responded, He stood alone, grappling with the overwhelming confusion and fear that had taken hold of him.

Suddenly, a comforting hand rested on Nikhil's shoulder. He turned around to find Parvati standing there.

"I don't know what to do," Nikhil confessed, desperation etched across his face. Despite his previous feelings towards Parvati, a sense of relief washed over him in her presence.

Parvati took the form from his trembling hands and examined it. "You have his passport, right?" she asked.

Nikhil nodded, his anxiety evident. "Yes..."

Why is she here? Wasn't she supposed to go back to Mumbai, Nikhil thought.

"Excuse me, we need blood for the patient. The blood bank is on the floor above. Here's the receipt; just show it to the staff, and they'll provide you with the blood," a nurse informed Nikhil as she emerged from the emergency ward.

Parvati turned to the nurse, concern evident in her voice. "Is it serious?"

"No, he's fine. There's nothing to worry about." The nurse assured them.

"But, Doctor, my father was in an accident 9 months ago. He suffered a head injury and was in a coma for 2 months. It was a very serious accident." Nikhil interrupted, felt compelled to share important details.

"Oh... Okay, Do you have his medical file?" the nurse inquired.

"Yes, I have it. I'll bring it right away," Nikhil replied.

"I'll also get the blood," Parvati chimed in, taking the receipt from Nikhil's hand.

"Okay," Nikhil nodded.

In the midst of the chaos, Parvati's phone rang, but she swiftly dismissed the call from Shruti. Her focus was entirely on the urgent situation.

Meanwhile, after completing the necessary procedures, Nikhil found a seat and sat down anxiously. Soon, exhaustion overtook him, and he dozed off in the chair, slipping into a dream.

In the dream, a lonely child sat on a bed, radiating sadness. Nikhil realized with a start that the child was himself; it wasn't just a dream, but a vivid recollection of his own childhood.

Approaching the lonely child, Suyash took a seat beside him on the bed.

"Dad, why did Mom leave us?" the child asked, his voice filled with innocence and confusion.

Suyash sighed, his eyes distant as he tried to explain. "Well, your mom had something important to do, so she had to leave."

"But how could she leave us like that? Why can't we go with her?" the child persisted, his young heart grappling with the idea of abandonment.