For You

Chapter 13

A Person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

- Jean De La Fontaine

Next day, Ajay went to police station on time and got back to his normal duties. He knew that SP Chaudhary was still angry with him, and he didn't want to give any further excuse for him to be mad.

He left for the hostel in the evening and first met Anita. She was in tears all the time while talking to him. Ajay knew how close Vidya and Anita were, and he was stuck again by what a lovely nature Vidya had, to have such loyal friends everywhere.

Wiping tears from her cheeks "I still can't understand what happened. Vidya was the most careful person around and she would often correct mistakes made by other interns. To think that she would have got that plasma mixed up for the patient, it's just unbelievable."

Ajay was happy to note that Anita's belief and trust in her friend remained unaffected by what happened.

Ajay continued his questions now that he could see Anita was much more composed now.

"Was Vidya not feeling well that day or feeling worried? The Dean said she took the day off as she wasn't feeling well. Did she come back to the hostel to get some rest?"

Anita shook her head in denial "Actually that day I had morning shift so I left early at 7am and Vidya was still sleeping then. I came back to the room around 3pm but she wasn't in the room, and I didn't see her in the ward that morning either... I left for my hometown that evening. I kept trying to call her on the mobile all afternoon but always got the message that it was switched off.

I assumed that may be she was with you or something.

As I was getting late for my flight, I left for the Airport around 7pm. So the whole day I didn't see her at all. But ever since ... ever since this happened, you don't know how many times I cursed myself for not meeting her that day. Perhaps this tragedy wouldn't have occurred if I just met her." saying this she burst into fresh tears.

Ajay knew exactly how guilty Anita was feeling as he too was in the same boat.

"Anita, it's not your fault at all. Please don't ever think like that." He said consolingly.

"Did you observe anything unusual in the hostel or in the hospital that day?" he continued.

She shook her saying no but then suddenly remembered "That day when I was waiting for the cab to the Airport, I saw that goon Pratap Chaudhary along with his gang in a four wheel drive waiting outside the hospital. They didn't see me, but I just wondered why they were there?" she exclaimed.

Ajay just sat back and absorbed this information. A vague picture started forming in his mind. The fact that the Dean and Vikram Chaudhary were seen at various events together definitely pointed that the Dean was quite close to the Minister. And the ease with which SP Kamal Chaudhary dismissed the Blood Smuggling case of Nalanda Hospital. The most striking was Vikram Chaudhary's secretary Dhanraj's reaction in the morning towards him. He could see the fear in his eyes. Why? All these men were somehow guilty, and it has got something to do with the scams at the hospital. It became evident to him that somehow Vidya became a victim of the sinister scams of Nalanda hospital.

His belief that Vidya never committed suicide had become a potential reality now.

But immediately he got worried about Anita's safety as well.

"Anita, have you told the police or anyone that you have seen Pratap here at the hospital that day?" he asked urgently.

Anita was quite firm in her answer "No, I didn't ever remember that incident until now."