I'm blessed to be me

CHAPTER 7

My aunt is making a herbal soup for me to get well, as I am totally weak. I wince as I taste the soup.

Wow! It tastes like hell!

"You have to drink it." she orders, raising a brow. Just then my mom decides to give an entry.

Nice timing.

After I finish explaining, or rather complaining, about my pathetic state, "We are going to the hospital" she declares.

Oh! What have I got myself into?

"On one condition" I assert "No injections. Only tablets. Even tonics are okay. But no injections." I try to maintain my tone strict, but fail miserably and it comes out as begging for mercy.

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"Amma, no injections right?" I ask for reassurance while we are waiting in the lounge. She nods. "Athisya" a nurse summons. We enter the doctor's cabin and after telling her about my maladies, she scribbles down something in the prescription paper. "You can get these in the hospital pharmacy and the last one is an injection" she points out "It's for immediate action. The nurse outside, will administrate it to her" she informs my mom. "Okay. Thank you" she replies and I nod at the doctor before leaving.

When I get outside, my mom heads to the pharmacy. "Need not buy the injection" I shout at her back, hoping that she would heed to me.

But the traitor........

I'm right now sitting on a chair with my sleeves rolled up. "Amma" I wail "I don't want this! I'm alright!". I whimper as I look at the nurse who is preparing the injection. "Yeah! You are. But now, hold on to me and close your eye darling" she tries to comfort me.

I watch as the medicine oozes upwards from the sharp tip of the long needle and a familiar fear engulfs me. When I think of the fact that it is going to pierce my skin in seconds, a sob rips out of my chest involuntarily.

"Relax. Don't stiffen your muscles" the nurse says as she positions the needle on my nerve. By now, I'm crying full-flegedly. "HEY! Don't jolt your body" she exclaims.

Oh my god! The needle has entered my body.

This is not paining much.........But what if the needle breaks when it is half way through? What If it gets stuck into my body forever? What if..............

"That's it!" the nurse announces, snapping me out of my 'What ifs'.

My eyes continue to water and my face is flooded with tears. She leaves, and my mother says "Considering the fact that you've grown up this much, yet are scared of injections, makes me wonder what kind of doctor you would make'.

Yes. My ambition is to become a doctor. In particular, a neurologist.

Just when I'm about to reply, I catch sight of a little girl sitting in a chair, giggling at me. On realizing my eyes on her, she totters towards me. She is oddly familiar.

My mother leaves to pay the consultation fee.

Yeah! She's the devil's angelic sister!

"Remember me?" she asks softly and I nod slowly. How would I forget such a cute li'l kid. She chuckles at me and says, "Look at how big you are. Yet you are afraid of injections? I myself took a vaccination just now, without crying." She wipes away a tear on my cheek and smiles brightly.

Gosh! This is embarrassing!

Someone clears their throat and I look up to see the devil himself standing a few feet away. This time he is wearing an amused smile.

Talk about embarrassing.

I feel like sprinting out of the clinic, right away.

I dry my face hastily and he bursts out laughing, peering at me. This is the first time I've ever seen him laugh.......so carefree.

"This is not a circus and I'm not a joker" I snap at him. "Yes. This is fun!" he says through his laughter.

"So, your idea of fun is making someone suffer?" I spit venom "What a sadist you are!"

He abruptly stops his laughter and his face looks crestfallen.

"Don't be mean to her!" his sister chides him.

However, I should admit that he really looked handsome when he laughed.

"Mom called you" he informs his sister.

"Hey! Cutie! You didn't tell me your name yet' I ask gently, directing my mellowful  gaze at her. "Sindhu!" she replies and hops away to who seems to be her mother.

Oh! Cuteness overloaded!

But, Mugilan pauses to say something, a thoughtful expression planted on his face, but decides against it.

"Anyways, take care" I say to him. "I should be the one saying it" he remarks, his face scrunched up in confusion. ''You'll see" I reply coolly, leaving him clueless.

He walks away to his mother and sister, without a word.

"Me and Sindhu are going home. You need to buy these things before you come home" his mother instructs and hands him a list of things. The three of them move towards the exit and Sindhu waves at me before they leave.

After a few seconds, my mom calls out to me and we get out of the clinic. I spot Mugilan walking away from a bike, after stuffing some things into its couch, to his mother and Sindhu who are presumably waiting for an auto. It's then I spot it. The bike key! He forgot it!

My key to revenge!

I manage to get away from my mom, supposing to take the other side out. Then I quickly slide the key off the engine and slip it into my pocket and glance around. No one has spotted me. Nice opportunity to escape! I jog down to join her.

Only when we turn the next street, I heave out a sigh of relief. I feel the cold metal between my fingers and grin giddily to myself.

Well done, Athisya!

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My phone rings. I wait for a few seconds before attending the call, just to listen to the ringtone. It's the BGM of the movie Minnale. One of Harris Jayaraj's masterpiece. I love it! It's an old but trendsetting movie that I adore.

"Hello Kavi!" I greet. "Hello Athisya! How are you now?" She enquires.

"Yeah! I'm ok. I've been to the doctor and you know what?" I cry perkily "They injected me". "Oh my!" she exclaims mockingly and I sigh.

"Hey!" I squeal suddenly, remembering it "I met Mr.Jerk at the hospital today".

"Oh! Anyways, after the incident, Arjun said Mugilan was restless too" she explains " During the break, he came peeking into our classroom but retreated with a disappointed expression". She asks with a pause " Do you think he feels guilty?".

"As if!" I say annoyedly "He didn't seem to be......Anyways, I stole his bike key today!!!!!" I voice victoriously and she gasps stunned. "Look out for yourself" she warns. But little did I know then that her warning was too late.

We then talk about random stuff like songs, movies, series etc etc etc.......

And finally," I think I can't make it to school tomorrow" I say after what seems to be half an hour. You know time flies when girls have a conversation.

I hear her letting out a deep sigh of despair.